Times Jumbo Cryptic Crossword 1662

Tsk. Late again. Oh well. If you haven’t already consigned this Jumbo to the cat litter tray, I suppose making it a genuine stinker, then you’ll find my completed grid below along with explanations of my solutions where I have them. I hope you find them helpful. If you have drawn a blank against a recent Jumbo then you might find my Just For Fun page of use, where you’ll find links to solutions for hundreds of the things.

Thanks for the kind comments and patience. Till next time, stay safe out there kids.

LP

Across clues

1. One used to hang out with actor, English, in block (7,3)

Answer: CLOTHES PEG (i.e. “one used to hang [clothes] out with”). Solution is THESP (i.e. “actor”, short for thespian) and E (a recognised abbreviation of “English”) both placed “in” CLOG (i.e. “block”), like so: CLO(THESP-E)G.

6. Type answer by hand primarily: some often do (4,1,5,2)

Answer: MAKE A HABIT OF (i.e. “often do”). Solution is MAKE (i.e. “type”) followed by A (a recognised abbreviation of “answer”, as in Q&A), then H (i.e. “hand primarily”, i.e. the first letter of “hand”) and A BIT OF (i.e. “some”).

14. Meaning of clue missing first and last bit (9)

Answer: INTENDING (i.e. “meaning”). Solution is HINT (i.e. “clue”) with its initial letter removed (indicated by “missing first”) and the remainder followed by ENDING (i.e. “last bit”), like so: INT-ENDING.

15. Rock and a sharp double bend beyond summit (5)

Answer: TOPAZ (i.e. semi-precious “rock”). Solution is A and Z (i.e. letter shaped like a “sharp double bend”) both placed after or “beyond” TOP (i.e. “summit”), like so: TOP-(A-Z).

16. Cooking sausage perhaps of unknown length, stopping the one who’d measure it? (7)

Answer: SIZZLER (i.e. “cooking sausage perhaps” – other sizzling meat products are available). Solution is Z (i.e. “unknown” – setters love referring to X, Y or Z in solutions as unknowns) and L (a recognised abbreviation of “length”) both placed in or “stopping” SIZER (i.e. “one who’d measure”), like so: SIZ(Z-L)ER.

17. One large in legend, still current in reduced form (10,7)

Answer: ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN (i.e. “one large in legend”). The remainder of the clue plays on the cryptid’s alternative name, the much “reduced” in length YETI, which can be expressed as YET (i.e. “still”) and I (a recognised abbreviation of an electrical “current” used in physics).

18. One clinging to another’s audible echo in part (5)

Answer: LEECH (i.e. “one clinging to another”). “In part” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, like so: AUDIB(LE ECH)O.

19. Title ultimately associated with this country, way back (7)

Answer: DUKEDOM (i.e. “title”). Solution is D (i.e. “ultimately associated”, i.e. the last letter of “associated”) followed by UK (i.e. “this country” – The Times being a British newspaper) and MODE (i.e. “way” or method) once reversed (indicated by “back”), like so: D-UK-EDOM.

21. Crime fast overwhelming Ireland (6)

Answer: PIRACY (i.e. “crime”). Solution is PACY (i.e. “fast”) wrapped around or “overwhelming” IR (a recognised abbreviation of “Ireland”), like so: P(IR)ACY.

22. Being messed about with hurt aged relative (8)

Answer: DAUGHTER (i.e. “relative”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “being messed about with”) of HURT AGED.

24. Safari, for example, where you see giraffe? (7)

Answer: BROWSER (i.e. “Safari, for example” – other web browsers are available). Solution also satisfies “giraffe”, to BROWSE taken to mean feeding on plant shoots, leaves etc.

26. Find fault with exercises: not drinking “just in case” a big mistake? (8)

Answer: PETTIFOG (i.e. “find fault with”). Solution is PE (i.e. “exercises”, specifically Physical Education) followed by TT (i.e. “not drinking”, being a recognised abbreviation of teetotal), then IF (i.e. “just in case”) and OG (i.e. “a big mistake”, specifically an Own Goal).

27. In recession, banks attempt sort of economic policy (4-2)

Answer: STOP-GO (i.e. “sort of economic policy” alternately discouraging and encouraging forward movement). Solution is POTS (i.e. “banks”, both reserves of cash) reversed (indicated by “in recession”) and followed by GO (i.e. an “attempt”).

30. Very hard to admire politician turning holy, somehow (4,5-2)

Answer: LIKE BILLY-OH (i.e. “very hard”). Solution is LIKE (i.e. “admire”) followed by LIB (i.e. “politician”, specifically a Liberal) once reversed (indicated by “turning”). This is all then followed by an anagram (indicated by “somehow”) of HOLY, like so: LIKE-BIL-LYOH.

32. Fresh water source that is employed in country pursuits? (5-6)

Answer: GREEN-WELLIE (i.e. “employed in country pursuits”, I suppose, though I thought it was more a description of the rah-rah-rah-jolly-hockey-sticks lot than the actual green wellingtons they’d wear). Solution is GREEN (i.e. “fresh”) followed by WELL (i.e. “water source”) and IE (i.e. “that is”, i.e. “i.e.”, short for the Latin id est).

33. Those receiving orders etc from The Times to accept no tip (7,4)

Answer: HONOURS LIST (i.e. “those receiving orders etc”, e.g. the Order of Merit. Other gongs are available). Solution is HOURS i.e. “times”, ignoring the misleading capitalisation) wrapped around or “accepting” ON and followed by TIP (i.e. to “list”, say, at sea), like so: H(ON)OURS-LIST.

35. Does work for another grammar school, entertaining crowd with ceremony (11)

Answer: GHOSTWRITES (i.e. “does work for another”). Solution is GS (a recognised abbreviation of “grammar school”) wrapped around or “entertaining” HOST (i.e. a “crowd”), W (a recognised abbreviation of “with”) and RITE (i.e. “ceremony”), like so: G(HOST-W-RITE)S.

37. Female bishop, visiting for a month (6)

Answer: SHEBAT (i.e. the fifth Jewish “month”. No, me neither). Solution is SHE (i.e. “female”) followed by B (a recognised abbreviation of “bishop” used in chess) and AT (i.e. “visiting”).

38. Sweetener applied to tongue mostly useless (8)

Answer: BUNGLING (i.e. “useless”). Solution is BUNG (i.e. “sweetener” or bribe) followed by LINGO (i.e. “tongue” or dialect) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “mostly”), like so: BUNG-LING.

39. Do this – and attempt to maintain routine’s backfiring? (7)

Answer: DISTURB (i.e. “do this”, I guess. I suspect the solution is supposed to satisfy the clue as a whole, which would be fine if it wasn’t a garbled mess. One I’m filing under “try-hard”). Solution is BID (i.e. “attempt”) wrapped around or “maintaining” RUT’S (i.e. “routine’s”) and the whole reversed (indicated by “backfiring”), like so: DI(S’TUR)B.

42. New function, outwardly the same, linked? (2,6)

Answer: IN TANDEM (i.e. “linked”). Solution is N (a recognised abbreviation of “new”) and TAN (i.e. trigonometric “function”, short for tangent) both placed in or having “outwardly” IDEM (i.e. “the same” in Latin, inevitably), like so: I(N-TAN)DEM.

44. Policeman’s case for arresting corporal (2,4)

Answer: PC PLOD (i.e. slang for a “policeman”). Solution is POD (i.e. seed “case”) wrapped around or “arresting” CPL (a recognised abbreviation of “corporal”), like so: P(CPL)OD.

46. What can hasten the appearance of a spare tyre? (7)

Answer: BLOWOUT. Clue plays on two meanings of the solution, being a sudden burst tyre and also a lavish feast, in the latter case a “spare tyre” is taken to mean a roll of fat around the waist.

48. Clay, later black, one’s used to build defence (5)

Answer: ALIBI (i.e. legal “defence”). Solution is Muhammad ALI (i.e. Cassius “Clay, later”) followed by B (a recognised abbreviation of “black” used in chess) and I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”).

49. Advice to claim payback without losing it (4,3,3,3,4)

Answer: DON’T GET MAD GET EVEN. Solution satisfies the clue as a whole, but that’s about it unless I’m missing something clever. A rather underwhelming clue otherwise.

51. Sit on completed story (7)

Answer: OVERLIE (i.e. “sit on”). Solution is OVER (i.e. “completed”) followed by LIE (i.e. “story” or fabrication).

52. With no more to give back: nothing, note (3-2)

Answer: ALL-IN (i.e. exhausted or “with no more to give”). Solution is NIL (i.e. “nothing”) and LA (i.e. “note” of the sol-fa scale) all reversed (indicated by “back”), like so: AL-LIN.

53. Female caught sliprail after collapsing (9)

Answer: PRISCILLA (i.e. “female’s” name). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “after collapsing”) of C (a recognised abbreviation of “caught” used in a number of ball games) and SLIPRAIL.

54. Cooler? One might be now about farm vehicles! (9,3)

Answer: EXTRACTOR FAN (i.e. “cooler”). When written as EX-TRACTOR FAN the solution playfully satisfies the clue as a whole.

55. As one’s missing coat, winter did sound harsh (10)

Answer: INTEGRATED (i.e. “as one”). Solution is WINTER with the first and last letters removed (indicated by “missing coat”) and the remainder followed by GRATED (i.e. “did sound harsh”), like so: INTE-GRATED.

Down clues

1. Brothers: one did for the other an Alice band, bizarrely (4,3,4)

Answer: CAIN AND ABEL (i.e. “brothers: one did for the other”, biblically speaking). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “bizarrely”) of AN ALICE BAND.

2. Concluding notes, some tortuously written up (5)

Answer: OUTRO (i.e. “concluding notes” of a musical piece). “Some” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, while “written up” indicates the solution has been reversed – this being a down clue – like so: T(ORTUO)SLY.

3. Husband regularly penned ribaldry as rhetorical device (9)

Answer: HENDIADYS (i.e. “rhetorical device” – over to Chambers: “a rhetorical figure in which a notion, normally expressible by an adjective and a noun, is expressed by two nouns joined by and or another conjunction, as clad in cloth and green for clad in green cloth“. Filler, then). Solution is H (a recognised abbreviation of “husband”) followed by ENDIADY (i.e. “regularly penned ribaldry as”, i.e. every other letter of PENNED and RIBALDRY AS), like so: H-ENDIADYS.

4. One gripped by panic beneath singular part of windmill (4,3)

Answer: SAIL ARM (i.e. “part of windmill”). Solution is I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”) placed in or “gripped by” ALARM (i.e. “panic”). This is all then placed after or “beneath” – this being a down clue – S (a recognised abbreviation of “singular”), like so: S-(A(I)LARM).

5. Urge to go crazy and drink (3,4)

Answer: EGG FLIP (i.e. “drink”). Solution is EGG (i.e. “urge”) followed by FLIP (i.e. “to go crazy”).

7. Coming up with sanction – and feeling bad (11)

Answer: APPROACHING (i.e. “coming up”). Solution is APPRO (i.e. “sanction”, short for approve) followed by ACHING (i.e. “feeling bad”).

8. City with confusing arrangement of paths for cycling gets complaint (6)

Answer: ECZEMA (i.e. skin “complaint”). Solution is EC (i.e. “city”, a valid but now rather tiresome reference to the City of London’s postcode area) followed by MAZE (i.e. “confusing arrangement of paths”) once the letters have been “cycled” a couple of times, like so: EC-MAZE => EC-EMAZ => EC-ZEMA.

9. Dwelling uselessly on health resorts, one raised cries of approval (8)

Answer: HOSANNAS (i.e. “cries of approval”). Solution is HOUSE (i.e. “dwelling”) with the USE removed (indicated by “uselessly”) and the remainder followed by SAN twice (i.e. “health resorts”, short for sanitorium), the latter reversed (indicated by “one raised” – this being a down clue), like so: HO-SAN-NAS.

10. Toy coming to life with kick, a long time after (4,9)

Answer: BUZZ LIGHTYEAR (i.e. a “toy”, whether as a character in the Toy Story films or as a toy in its own right). I doubt the setter is mistaking a LIGHTYEAR for “a long time” (it’s a distance of just under 6 trillion miles) so I’m guessing that the solution is LIGHT (i.e. lively or “coming to life”) placed “with” or after BUZZ (i.e. “kick”). This is all then followed by YEAR (i.e. “a long time”), like so: (BUZZ-LIGHT)-YEAR.

11. Most unlikely to try being entirely inclusive? (7)

Answer: TALLEST (i.e. “most unlikely”). Solution is TEST (i.e. “to try”) wrapped around or “including” ALL (i.e. “entirely”), like so: T(ALL)EST.

12. Too jolly lot? There’s uproar about that (11)

Answer: FURTHERMORE (i.e. “too”). Solution is THE RM (i.e. “jolly lot”, jollies being a nickname for the Royal Marines) placed in or having “about” it FURORE (i.e. “uproar”), like so: FUR(THE-RM)ORE.

13. A touch short, heave with some difficulty (2,1,7)

Answer: AT A STRETCH (i.e. “with some difficulty”). Solution is A followed by TASTE (i.e. “touch”) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “short”). This is all then followed by RETCH (i.e. “heave”), like so: A-TAST-RETCH.

20. Criticise and moan, picking up the last bent pins (5-4)

Answer: KNOCK-KNEE (i.e. “bent pins”, pins being a slang term for legs). Solution is KNOCK (i.e. “criticise”) followed by KEEN (i.e. to “moan”) once its “last” letter has been “picked up” a couple of notches – this being a down clue – like so: KNOCK-KEE(N) => KNOCK-K(N)EE.

23. A number of romantic novels go astray (4,4)

Answer: LOVE SONG (i.e. “a number of romantic”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “go astray”) of NOVELS GO.

25. Touching one’s left hand restricts pleasure (6)

Answer: RELISH (i.e. “pleasure”). Solution is RE (i.e. “touching” on or regarding – think email replies) followed by I’S (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one’s”) once placed in or “restricted” by LH (a recognised abbreviation of “left hand”), like so: RE-L(I’S)H.

26. Hissing sound that’s alarming we hear build (8)

Answer: PHYSIQUE (i.e. “build”). Solution comprises homophones (indicated by “we hear”) of FIZZ (i.e. “hissing sound”) and EEK! (i.e. “that’s alarming”).

28. Party council, endlessly courteous, turned problem round (9)

Answer: POLITBURO (i.e. “party council”). Solution is POLITE (i.e. “courteous”) with its last letter removed (indicated by “endlessly”) and the remainder followed by RUB (i.e. friction or “problem”) once reversed (indicated by “turned”). This is all then followed by O (i.e. “round”), like so: POLIT-BUR-O.

29. City’s rival solvers entitled to be heard (6)

Answer: UNITED (i.e. Manchester “City’s rivals”). Solution comprises homophones (indicated by “to be heard”) of YOU (i.e. “solvers”, from the point of view of the setter) and KNIGHTED (i.e. “entitled”).

31. I go in carelessly with valuable plant (13)

Answer: BOUGAINVILLEA (i.e. “plant”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “carelessly”) of I GO IN and VALUABLE. Ugh. Exotic anagrams.

33. Light work made of royal revolution once previously (3,8)

Answer: HMS PINAFORE (i.e. “light work”, specifically a comic opera by Gilbert & Sullivan). Solution is HM (i.e. “royal”) followed by SPIN (i.e. “revolution”) and AFORE (i.e. “once previously”)

34. After climbing, you catch smoke on mountain above a city abroad (11)

Answer: TEGUCIGALPA (i.e. “city abroad”, specifically the capital of Honduras). Solution is U (i.e. “you” abbreviated, e.g. in textspeak) and GET (i.e. “catch”) all reversed (indicated by “after climbing” – this being a down clue). This is all then followed by CIG (i.e. “smoke”), then ALP (i.e. “mountain”) and A, like so: (TEG-U)-CIG-ALP-A. Hey, at least it wasn’t anagrammed.

35. Cutter is craft for holding group in (10)

Answer: GUILLOTINE (i.e. “cutter”). Solution is GUILE (i.e. “craft” or cunning) wrapped around or “holding” LOT (i.e. “group”) and IN, like so: GUIL(LOT-IN)E.

36. Edits leader in Times, with article way below par (11)

Answer: SUBSTANDARD (i.e. “below par”). Solution is SUBS (i.e. “edits”) followed by T (i.e. “leader in Times”, i.e. the first letter of “Times”), then AND (i.e. “with”), then A (i.e. “article”, being a word like a, an or the) then RD (i.e. “way”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of “road”).

40. Vehicle that’s swift and small left permanent mark (6,3)

Answer: SPORTS CAR (i.e. “vehicle that’s swift”). Solution is S (a recognised abbreviation of “small”) followed by PORT (i.e. “left” in shipspeak) and SCAR (i.e. “permanent mark”).

41. Pendulum clock component that’s exactly round (8)

Answer: DEADBEAT (i.e. “pendulum clock component”. Chambers doesn’t quite agree, listing this as a hyphenated and more qualified DEAD-BEAT ESCARPMENT, being “a clock escarpment in which there is no recoil to the escape wheel”. Whatever the hell any of that means. I genuinely laughed when I found how obscure this was. I mean, how many of us maintain clocks enough to know this one? Good grief. The clue is neatly worked, I’ll grant you, but it didn’t stop me saying “jog on, setter”. Well, perhaps not those exact words…) Solution is DEAD (i.e. “exactly”, e.g. a time of ten seconds dead) followed by BEAT (i.e. a policeman’s “round”).

43. Go up to plug explosive old weapon (7)

Answer: TRIDENT (i.e. “old weapon”). Solution is RIDE (i.e. “go up”, as in a skirt riding up) placed in or “plugging” TNT (i.e. “explosive”), like so: T(RIDE)NT.

45. Page replacing second, third or sixth in addenda, awfully hard to read (7)

Answer: DEADPAN (i.e. “hard to read”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “awfully”) of ADDENDA once one of the Ps has been replaced by a D (indicated by “page replacing second, third or sixth [letter] in addenda”).

46. Broadcast rock after reflecting greatly (3,4)

Answer: BIG TIME (i.e. “greatly”). Solution is EMIT (i.e. “broadcast”) and GIB (i.e. “rock”, short for Gibraltar) all reversed (indicated by “after reflecting”).

47. Not just, in fact not even a pretty face? (6)

Answer: UNFAIR. Solution satisfies “not just” and, playfully, “not … a pretty face”.

50. Uncultivated land lord’s kept in check (5)

Answer: VELDT (i.e. “uncultivated land”). Solution is LD (a recognised abbreviation of “lord”) placed or “kept in” VET (i.e. to screen or “check”), like so: VE(LD)T.