Times Jumbo Cryptic Crossword 1659

I hope you brought your Lonely Planet for this week’s Jumbo! It wasn’t long before we were all sailing over the ADRIATIC SEA on the AFTERDECK, visiting CORFU, AMERICA, PUERTO RICO and the THIRD WORLD in the company of YEMENIs, TUAREGs, AFRIKANERs, SHINTOISTs, ANTIGUANs and other ISLANDERS, perhaps speaking a little conversational VEDIC along the way. It was quite an itinerary. Even Henry HUDSON would have been knackered after that little lot. No wonder he got LOST IN TRANSIT.

Anyway, now that the competition deadline has passed you can find my completed grid below along with explanations of my solutions where I have them. I hope you find them helpful. If a recent Jumbo has given you a kick in the naughty bits then you might find my Just For Fun page of use, where you’ll find links to solutions for hundreds of the things.

Thanks again for your comments and patience. Till next time, stay safe out there kids.

LP

Across clues

1. Reason items not delivered: batch outside St Trinians misplaced (4,2,7)

Answer: LOST IN TRANSIT (i.e. “reason items not delivered”). Solution is LOT (i.e. “batch”) wrapped around or placed “outside” of an anagram (indicated by “misplaced”) of ST TRINIANS, like so: LO(STINTRANSI)T.

8. Magistrate at party good for cut-throat competition (3-3-3)

Answer: DOG-EAT-DOG (i.e. “cut-throat competition”). Solution is DOGE (i.e. “magistrate”, specifically “formerly the title of the chief magistrate in republican Venice and Genoa” (Chambers)) followed by AT, then DO (i.e. “party”) and G (a recognised abbreviation of “good”).

13. Almost failing to save edition in early Sanskrit (5)

Answer: VEDIC (i.e. “early Sanskrit” language of the Vedas). Solution is VICE (i.e. a “failing”) with the last letter removed (indicated by “almost”) and the remainder wrapped around or “saving” ED (short for “edition”), like so: V(ED)IC. Made. To. Fit.

14. Mediterranean drink? It’s a cider brewed in sober group (8,3)

Answer: ADRIATIC SEA (i.e. “Mediterranean drink”, taking “drink” to be slang for a sea). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “brewed”) of IT’S A CIDER placed “in” AA (i.e. “sober group”, specifically Alcoholics Anonymous), like so: A(DRIATICSE)A.

15. Ancient instrument rotated on black stone (5)

Answer: BERYL (i.e. a “stone”). Solution is LYRE (i.e. “ancient instrument”) reversed (indicated by “rotated”) and placed “on” or after B (a recognised abbreviation of “black” used in chess), like so: B-ERYL.

16. Craft surface as tribute to Garland? (9)

Answer: AFTERDECK (i.e. seagoing “craft surface”). Solution is AFTER (i.e. in imitation of, or “tribute”) followed by DECK (i.e. “to garland”, ignoring the misleading capitalisation”).

17. Champ, caught, fell (4)

Answer: CHEW (i.e. to “champ” at the bit, say). Solution is C (a recognised abbreviation of “caught” used in some ball games) followed by HEW (i.e. to “fell” with a cutting instrument).

18. Stick with commercial as far as this (6,2)

Answer: ADHERE TO (i.e. “stick”). Solution is AD (i.e. “commercial”, short for advertisement) followed by HERETO (i.e. “as far as this”).

20. Honour claimed by barbarian navigator (6)

Answer: Henry HUDSON (i.e. 17th century “navigator”). Solution is DSO (i.e. “honour”, in this case the Distinguished Service Order) placed in or “claimed by” HUN (i.e. “barbarian”), like so: HU(DSO)N.

21. Maths discipline altering ridiculously thick-skinned copper? (8,8)

Answer: INTEGRAL CALCULUS (i.e. “maths discipline”, and the precise moment I lost all interest in studying maths. It didn’t help that nobody could explain the point of calculus back then. Not a single practical application. Fast forward to 2024 and, thanks to the internet, we have all of mankind’s knowledge at our fingertips. One quick search online, for example, and I found that calculus has all sorts of useful applications, from calculating the materials needed to build “The Wall”, to “retrieving Crooked Hillary’s emails” and triangulating the exact location of some mysterious thing called an “Antifa”. And, get this, apparently the origins of calculus can be traced back to Donald Trump’s book The Art of the Deal, way before Loser Isaac Newton went and stole all his ideas. I had no idea. Thanks, internet!) Solution is an anagram (indicated by “ridiculously”) of ALTERING followed by CU (chemical symbol of “copper”) once placed in CALLUS (i.e. “thick skin”, also doubling as a containment indicator), like so: INTERGRAL-CAL(CU)LUS.

24. Head coach ignored first piece of cake (2-7)

Answer: NO-BRAINER (i.e. “piece of cake”). Solution is NOB (i.e. “head”, informally) followed by TRAINER (i.e. “coach”) once its first letter has been removed (indicated by “ignored first”), like so: NOB-RAINER. I am totally channelling Beavis and Butt-Head right now. Uh-huh-huh-huh! He said “nob rainer”.

26. Boorish type about to follow retiring giant (7)

Answer: GOLIATH (i.e. Biblical “giant”). Solution is HOG (i.e. “boorish type”) wrapped “about” TAIL (i.e. “to follow”) and the whole then reversed (indicated by “retiring”), like so: GO(LIAT)H.

27. Returning uniform and dress king leaves Greek territory (5)

Answer: CORFU (i.e. “Greek territory”). Solution is U (“uniform” in the phonetic alphabet) followed by FROCK (i.e. “dress”) once the K has been removed (indicated by “king leaves…” – K being a recognised abbreviation of “king” used in chess). The whole is then reversed (indicated by “returning”), like so: CORF-U.

29. Italian artist heard inside calls for language scientists (12)

Answer: PHONETICIANS (i.e. “language scientists”). Solution is a homophone (indicated by “heard”) of TITIAN (i.e. “Italian artist”) placed “inside” of PHONES (i.e. “calls”), like so: PHONE(TICIAN)S.

31. Reversing up hill man circles round island (6,4)

Answer: PUERTO RICO (i.e. “island”). Solution is UP “reversed” and followed by TOR (i.e. “hill”) once first placed in or having “circling” around it ERIC (i.e. “man’s” name). This is all then followed by O (i.e. “round”), like so: PU-ER(TOR)IC-O.

33. Doctor back in with Lord Batty in Global South (5,5)

Answer: THIRD WORLD (i.e. “Global South”). Solution is DR (a recognised abbreviation of “doctor”) reversed (indicated by “back”) and placed “in” an anagram (indicated by “batty”, ignoring the misleading capitalisation) of WITH LORD, like so: THI(RD)WORLD.

35. Middleman from Bury, behold, ignored other ranks (12)

Answer: INTERLOCUTOR (i.e. “middleman”). Solution is INTER (i.e. to “bury”, again ignoring the misleading capitalisation) followed by LO (i.e. “behold”, as in lo and behold), then CUT (i.e. “ignored”) and OR (a recognised abbreviation of the “Other Ranks” of the British Army).

38. Impatience ultimately observed in pleasant relative (5)

Answer: NIECE (i.e. “relative”). Solution is E (i.e. “impatience ultimately”, i.e. the last letter of “impatience”) placed “in” NICE (i.e. “pleasant”), like so: NI(E)CE. Turns out Mystic Poll was right! Spooky!

39. Means to admit when one’s business is going down the drain (7)

Answer: MANHOLE. Solution satisfies the clue as a whole, given manhole covers grant access to sewers.

40. Mr S O’Casey worked for US plane company? (9)

Answer: SYCAMORES (i.e. “US plane company”, in this case referring to American sycamore trees. A plane is “any tree of the genus Platanus” (Chambers). “Company”, meanwhile, just means a group of like things). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “worked”) of MR S O’CASEY.

42. Limited number in pub act in haste, madly consuming ecstasy (5,11)

Answer: LOCAL ANAESTHETIC (i.e. “limited number”, as in something that numbs). Solution is LOCAL (i.e. “pub”) followed by an anagram (indicated by “madly”) of ACT IN HASTE wrapped around or “consuming” E (slang for the drug “ecstasy”), like so: LOCAL-ANA(E)STHETIC.

44. Write a volume in furious activity – that brings ruin! (6)

Answer: RAVAGE (i.e. “ruin”). Solution is A and V (a recognised abbreviation of “volume”) both placed “in” a RAGE (i.e. “furious activity”), like so: R(A-V)AGE.

47. West Indian perhaps opposing Second Amendment pens article (8)

Answer: ANTIGUAN (i.e. “West Indian perhaps”). Solution is ANTI-GUN (i.e. “opposing Second Amendment” of the US constitution) wrapped around or “penning” A (i.e. “article”, being a word like a, an or the), like so: ANTI-G(U)AN.

49. Like good brandy that’s found in drainage ditch? (4)

Answer: AGED (i.e. “like good brandy”). “Found in” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, like so: DRAIN(AGE D)ITCH.

50. Queen with message for Alice featured in explosive adaptation? (9)

Answer: TREATMENT (i.e. “adaptation”, e.g. of a script). Solution is R (i.e. “queen”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of the Latin Regina) and EAT ME (i.e. “message for Alice”, referring to the note attached to a cake in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland) all placed “in” TNT (i.e. “explosive”), like so: T(R-EAT-ME)NT.

52. Yank in paradise, not initially expelled (5)

Answer: HEAVE (i.e. “yank”). Solution is HEAVEN (i.e. “paradise”) with the N (i.e. “not initially”, or the first letter of “not”) removed or “expelled”.

53. At home, deep in thought about former partner’s budget (11)

Answer: INEXPENSIVE (i.e. “budget”). Solution is IN (i.e. “at home”) and PENSIVE (i.e. “deep in thought”) all wrapped “about” EX (i.e. “former partner”), like so: IN-(EX)-PENSIVE.

54. Dunce, the writer had nothing invested in it (5)

Answer: IDIOT (i.e. “dunce”). Solution is I’D (i.e. “the writer had” from the point of view of the setter; a contraction of I HAD) followed by O (i.e. “nothing”) once placed or “invested in” IT, like so: I’D-I(O)T.

55. Highly regarded sappers, closely examined, in shed (9)

Answer: RESPECTED (i.e. “highly regarded”). Solution is RE (i.e. “sappers”, informal name of the Royal Engineers of the British Army) followed by INSPECTED (i.e. “closely examined”) once the IN has been removed or “shed”, like so: RE-SPECTED.

56. Shocking killer’s one featured in emotionally charged daily (8,5)

Answer: ELECTRIC CHAIR (i.e. “shocking killer”). Solution is I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”) placed “in” ELECTRIC (i.e. “emotionally charged”) and CHAR (i.e. “daily”, both referring to a domestic cleaner), like so: ELECTRIC-CHA(I)R.

Down clues

1. Sea monster having patriarch and prophet beheaded (9)

Answer: LEVIATHAN (i.e. “sea monster”). Solution is LEVI (i.e. Biblical “patriarch”) followed by NATHAN (i.e. Biblical “prophet”) once its first letter has been removed (indicated by “beheaded”), like so: LEVI-ATHAN.

2. On chair, taken round Land’s End, given diazepam? (7)

Answer: SEDATED (i.e. “given diazepam”). Solution is SEATED (i.e. “on chair”) wrapped “round” D (i.e. “Land’s End”, i.e. the last letter of “land”), like so: SE(D)ATED.

3. Old rocker’s initial parts in my head for mix (11)

Answer: INCORPORATE (i.e. “mix”). Solution is O (a recognised abbreviation of “old”) and R (i.e. “rocker’s initial” letter) both placed in or “parting” IN, COR (i.e. “my” – both exclamations) and PATE (i.e. “head”), like so: IN-COR-P(O-R)ATE.

4. North African in Egypt once stuffing sheep (6)

Answer: TUAREG (i.e. “North African”, or “nomadic Berber of the Sahara” (Chambers)). Solution is UAR (i.e. “Egypt once”, specifically the United Arab Republic) placed in or “stuffing” TEG (i.e. a “sheep” in its second year), like so: T(UAR)EG.

5. Freak rain storms, one having Dutch origins (9)

Answer: AFRIKANER (i.e. “one having Dutch origins”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “storms”) of FREAK RAIN.

6. Internet Explorer? (6,6)

Answer: SEARCH ENGINE. Solution satisfies the clue as a whole, taken as a means to “explore” the “internet” (or at least the nicer parts of it). The web browser, Internet Explorer, meanwhile, has been defunct for nearly two years now. If you’re still using it, then, to be blunt, don’t.

7. Giants of literature and fantasy going head to head in paper? (6,4)

Answer: TOILET ROLL (i.e. “paper”). Solution is ELIOT (i.e. “giants of literature”, referring to George Eliot and T.S. Eliot) and TROLL (i.e. “giant…of fantasy”) placed “head-to-head”, like so: TOILE-TROLL. Very nicely worked. Best clue of the puzzle.

8. This for example – from Denmark, not Northern Ireland (4)

Answer: DASH (i.e. “this for example –”, specifically the “–”). Solution is DANISH (i.e. “from Denmark”) with the NI removed (indicated by “not Northern Ireland”, NI being a recognised abbreviation of thereof).

9. Striker smashing mug filled with pop (11,5)

Answer: GRANDFATHER CLOCK (i.e. “striker”, as in “the clock struck twelve”). Solution is GRAND (i.e. excellent or “smashing”) and CLOCK (i.e. “mug”, both slang words for a face) all wrapped around or “filled with” FATHER (i.e. “pop”, slang thereof).

10. Perhaps take constitutional risk, ousting leader (5)

Answer: AMBLE (i.e. “perhaps take constitutional” or a walk). Solution is GAMBLE (i.e. “risk”) with the first letter removed (indicated by “ousting leader”).

11. Bishop engaged in single combat with Liberal naturalist (7)

Answer: Gerald DURRELL (i.e. “naturalist”, author of My Family and Other Animals). Solution is RR (i.e. “bishop”, short for Right Reverend) placed “in” DUEL (i.e. “single combat”) and L (a recognised abbreviation of “Liberal”), like so: DU(RR)EL-L.

12. Comedian necessarily suspended delivering such dark material? (7,6)

Answer: GALLOWS HUMOUR (i.e. “dark [comedic] material”). Clue plays on how people are hung or “suspended” from GALLOWS. You get the idea.

19. Suit certain to delight (8)

Answer: PLEASURE (i.e. “to delight”). Solution is PLEA (i.e. “[law]suit”) followed by SURE (i.e. “certain”).

22. Producer of beans approximately doubled with embargo’s end (5)

Answer: CACAO (i.e. “producer of beans”). Solution is CA and CA (i.e. “approximately doubled”, CA being a recognised abbreviation of “circa”) followed by O (i.e. “embargo’s end”, i.e. the last letter of “embargo”).

23. Punished servant – not in lime green (16)

Answer: ENVIRONMENTALIST (i.e. “green”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “punished”) of SERVANT NOT IN LIME.

25. New union member’s restraining order for dull individual (7)

Answer: BROMIDE (i.e. “dull individual” – a new one on me). Solution is BRIDE (i.e. “new union member”, taking “union” to mean a marriage) wrapped around or “restraining” OM (i.e. “order”, specifically an Order of Merit), like so: BR(OM)IDE.

28. Martini at last included in list for party (7)

Answer: ROISTER (i.e. “party”). Solution is I (i.e. “Martini at last”, i.e. the last letter of “Martini”) placed or “included in” ROSTER (i.e. “list”), like so: RO(I)STER.

29. Obvious agitation about English material that’s shellacked (6,7)

Answer: PATENT LEATHER (i.e. “that’s shellacked”). Solution is PATENT (i.e. “obvious”) and LATHER (i.e. “agitation”) all wrapped “about” E (a recognised abbreviation of “English”), like so: PATENT-L(E)ATHER.

30. Man’s man for example is on spacecraft (8)

Answer: ISLANDER (i.e. “Man’s man for example” – other inhabitants of the Isle of Man are available). Solution is IS placed “on” or followed by LANDER (i.e. “spacecraft”).

32. Standing alone at home of French writer, cold, in valley (12)

Answer: INDEPENDENCE (i.e. “standing alone”). Solution is IN (i.e. “at home”) followed by DE (i.e. “of French”, i.e. the French for “of”), then PEN (i.e. “writer”) and C (a recognised abbreviation of “cold”) once first placed “in” DENE (i.e. a small “valley”), like so: IN-DE-PEN-DEN(C)E.

34. Rest attention where blue reflected by lake (5)

Answer: DWELL (i.e. “rest attention”, as in to dwell upon). Solution is LEWD (i.e. “blue”) reversed (indicated by “reflected”) and followed by L (a recognised abbreviation of “lake”), like so: DWEL-L.

36. Brief one’s held in Washington area for digital recording (7,4)

Answer: COMPACT DISC (i.e. “digital recording”). Solution is COMPACT (i.e. “brief”) followed by I’S (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one’s”) once placed “in” DC (District of Colombia, or “Washington area”, referring to the US capital), like so: COMPACT-D(I’S)C.

37. Dish having price occasionally served by the house? (7,3)

Answer: COTTAGE PIE (i.e. “dish”). Solution is PIE (i.e. “price occasionally”, i.e. every other letter of PRICE) placed after or “by” COTTAGE (i.e. “house”).

40. This is not bad for devout Japanese (9)

Answer: SHINTOIST (i.e. “devout Japanese”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “bad”) of THIS IS NOT.

41. One viewing Mark Murphy’s broadcast (9)

Answer: SPECTATOR (i.e. “one viewing”). Ignoring the misleading capitalisation, the solution comprises homophones (indicated by “broadcast”) of SPECK (i.e. a “mark”) and TATER (i.e. “murphy”, both slang words for a potato), like so: SPEC-TATOR.

43. Girl coming below slashed pirate’s arm (7)

Answer: CUTLASS (i.e. “pirate’s arm” or weapon). Solution is LASS (i.e. “girl”) placed after or “below” – this being a down clue – CUT (i.e. “slashed”), like so: CUT-LASS.

45. Uncle Sam’s revolutionary mother on the heath (7)

Answer: AMERICA (i.e. “Uncle Sam”, informal name thereof). Solution is MA (short form of “mother”) reversed (indicated by “revolutionary”) followed by ERICA (i.e. “heath”, which can be “barren open country” and also “any shrub of genus Erica” (both Chambers)), like so: AM-ERICA.

46. Timeless Himalayan creature devouring people from Sanaa? (6)

Answer: YEMENI (i.e. “from Sanaa”). Solution is YETI (i.e. “Himalayan creature”) with the T removed (indicated by “timeless” – T being a recognised abbreviation of “time”) and the remainder wrapped around or “devouring” MEN (i.e. “people”), like so: YE(MEN)I.

48. Diver one about to escape shipping hazard from the south (5)

Answer: GREBE (i.e. “diver” bird). Solution is ICEBERG (i.e. “shipping hazard”) with the I and C removed (indicated by “one about to escape” – I being the Roman numeral one, C being a recognised abbreviation of “circa”) and the remainder reversed (indicated by “from the south” – this being a down clue).

51. Character standing leaves to exercise joint (4)

Answer: WELD (i.e. “joint” – weld can be a noun as well as a verb). Solution is WIELD (i.e. “to exercise”, e.g. a right) once the I has been removed (indicated by “character standing leaves…”, I being an upright letter).