Times Jumbo Cryptic Crossword 1664

Another medium strength Jumbo this week – well, except for UNSEEN. That was a swine. A decent enough Jumbo otherwise.

Now 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 snaffled all your hot cross buns then you might find solace in my Just For Fun page, 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. See one store adopted by reliable person? Not entirely (9)

Answer: BISHOPRIC (i.e. diocese or “see”). Solution is I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”) and SHOP (i.e. “store”) both placed in or “adopted by” BRICK (i.e. “reliable person”) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “not entirely”), like so: B(I-SHOP)RIC.

6. One’s always travelling never off the rails (5)

Answer: NOMAD (i.e. “one’s always travelling”). Solution is NO (i.e. “never”) followed by MAD (i.e. “off the rails”).

9. Harsh, being number one, but missing top spot at Glastonbury? (7)

Answer: VICIOUS (i.e. “harsh”). Solution is VICTORIOUS (i.e. “being number one”) with the TOR removed (indicated by “missing top spot at Glastonbury”, referring to Glastonbury Tor rather than the Glastonbury Festival). Nicely done.

13. High note to draw out, cut short by piano (5)

Answer: BLEEP (i.e. “high note”). Solution is BLEED (i.e. “to draw out”) with the last letter removed (indicated by “cut short”) and the remainder followed by P (a recognised abbreviation of “piano” used in musical lingo), like so: BLEE-P.

14. Dancing in mask with new family member (7)

Answer: KINSMAN (i.e. “family member”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “dancing”) of IN MASK followed by N (a recognised abbreviation of “new”), like so: KINSMA-N.

15. Regarding money, any price is wrong to secure uniform (9)

Answer: PECUNIARY (i.e. “regarding money”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “is wrong”) of ANY PRICE wrapped around or “securing” U (“uniform” in the phonetic alphabet), like so: PEC(U)NIARY.

16. English friend welcoming priest travelling in New York (6,5)

Answer: EMPIRE STATE (i.e. “New York”). Solution is E (a recognised abbreviation of “English”) and MATE (i.e. “friend”) wrapped around or “welcoming” an anagram (indicated by “travelling”) of PRIEST, like so: E-M(PIREST)ATE.

17. Crumbling Art Deco villa not right for the good life (2,5,4)

Answer: LA DOLCE VITA (i.e. “the good life”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “crumbling”) of ART DECO VILLA once the R has been removed (indicated by “not right” – R being a recognised abbreviation of “right”).

18. Result is God not being considered (3,3)

Answer: PAN OUT (i.e. “result”). Solution is PAN (i.e. Greek “God” of the wild) followed by OUT (i.e. “not being considered”).

19. Information provided by corporation blocked by old employee (8)

Answer: FACTOTUM (i.e. “employee”, specifically “a person employed to do all kinds of work for another” (Chambers)). Solution is FACT (i.e. “information”) and TUM (i.e. “corporation” – catnip for Times setters, an archaic variant meaning of “corporation” is a pot belly) all wrapped around or “blocked by” O (a recognised abbreviation of “old”), like so: FACT-(O)-TUM.

21. King knocked out by shock? No electricity in this state (6)

Answer: OUTAGE (i.e. “no electricity in this state”). Solution is OUTRAGE (i.e. “shock”) with the R removed (indicated by “king knocked out by…” – R being a recognised abbreviation of the Latin Rex).

25. Make enquiries about cheerful and favoured form of entertainment (8)

Answer: PUPPETRY (i.e. “form of entertainment”). Solution is PRY (i.e. “make enquiries”) wrapped “about” UP (i.e. “cheerful”) and PET (i.e. “favoured”), like so: P(UP-PET)RY.

26. Argumentative type was back, unhappy about interrupting election (6,8)

Answer: DEVIL’S ADVOCATE (i.e. “argumentative type”). Solution is LIVED (i.e. “was”) reversed (indicated by “back”) and followed by SAD (i.e. “unhappy”), then VOTE (i.e. “election”) once wrapped around or “interrupted” by CA (i.e. “about”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of “circa”), like so: DEVIL-SAD-VO(CA)TE.

28. Get better as much medicine’s taken? Not initially (5)

Answer: RALLY (i.e. “get better”). Solution is ORALLY (i.e. “as much medicine’s taken”) once the first letter has been removed (indicated by “not initially”).

29. Pay for one to claim ace held by both sides (6)

Answer: SALARY (i.e. “pay”). Solution is SAY (i.e. “for one” or for example) wrapped around or “claiming” A (a recognised abbreviation of “ace” used on playing cards) once first placed between or “held by” L and R (i.e. “both sides”, left and right respectively), like so: SA(L(A)R)Y.

30. Instrument study sure to leave answer to the end (10)

Answer: CONCERTINA (i.e. “instrument”). Solution is CON (i.e. an archaic word for “study”) followed by CERTAIN (i.e. “sure”) once the A (a recognised abbreviation of “answer”, as in Q&A) has been moved or “left to the end”, like so: CON-CERT(A)IN => CON-CERTIN(A).

33. Sailor hugging copper after copper is in hospital for a spell (5,5)

Answer: HOCUS POCUS (i.e. “a spell”). Solution is OS (i.e. “sailor”, specifically an Ordinary Seaman) wrapped around or “hugging” CU (chemical symbol of “copper”). This is then placed “after” CU (“copper”, again) once it has been put in HOSP (a recognised abbreviation of “hospital” – I’m guessing there’s a dictionary out there that supports this, but it’s not in my Chambers, Oxford, Collins Concise or Bradford’s), like so: HO(CU)SP-O(CU)S.

35. A city, not on for importing source of macadamia nut (6)

Answer: ALMOND (i.e. “nut”). Solution is A followed by LONDON (i.e. a “city”) once the ON has been removed (indicated by “not on”). This is all then wrapped around or “importing” M (i.e. “source of macadamia”, i.e. the first letter of “macadamia”), like so: A-L(M)OND.

36. Poet’s line included in course (5)

Answer: Sylvia PLATH (i.e. “poet”). Solution is L (a recognised abbreviation of “line”) placed “in” PATH (i.e. “course”), like so: P(L)ATH.

38. Dumbing down Formula One in singular suggestion (14)

Answer: SIMPLIFICATION (i.e. “dumbing down”). Solution is FI (i.e. “Formula One”, i.e. F1 with the 1 replaced by its Roman numeral equivalent – given the prevalence of A1 becoming AI in cryptic clues, it’s surprising it’s taken this long for someone to do the same with F1) placed “in” S (a recognised abbreviation of “singular”) and IMPLICATION (i.e. “suggestion”), like so: S-IMPLI(FI)CATION.

40. Animated about strong desire, mostly indirect (8)

Answer: ALLUSIVE (i.e. “indirect” reference). Solution is ALIVE (i.e. “animated”) wrapped “about” LUST (i.e. “strong desire”) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “mostly”), like so: AL(LUS)IVE.

42. Value penning note in French, describing testing translation? (6)

Answer: UNSEEN (i.e. “describing testing translation” – frankly this was an awful hint to the solution. I guess it’s playing on the distinction between interpretation and translation, but still). Solution is USE (i.e. “value”) wrapped around or “penning” N (a recognised abbreviation of “note”) and followed by EN (i.e. “in French”, i.e. the French for “in”), like so: U(N)SE-EN.

43. Elegant trimmed fillet presented with character (8)

Answer: DEBONAIR (i.e. “elegant”). Solution is DEBONE (i.e. “fillet”) with the last letter removed (indicated by “trimmed”) and the remainder followed by AIR (i.e. “character”), like so: DEBON-AIR.

44. My arrangement for strings and brass instrument (6)

Answer: CORNET (i.e. “brass instrument”). Solution is COR (i.e. “my”, both exclamations) followed by NET (i.e. “arrangement for strings”). Another nicely worked clue.

47. Trumpet’s first sound is false (11)

Answer: TREASONABLE (i.e. being deceptive or “false”). Solution is T (i.e. “trumpet’s first” letter) followed by REASONABLE (i.e. “sound”).

50. Half of them show too little appreciation perhaps for major report (11)

Answer: THUNDERCLAP (i.e. “major report”, or loud bang). Solution is TH (i.e. the first “half of them”) followed by UNDERCLAP (i.e. “show too little appreciation perhaps”, playfully speaking).

52. Suggestion to leave dodgy bar? Heads off without much analysis (9)

Answer: INTUITIVE (i.e. “without much analysis”). Solution is HINT (i.e. “suggestion”), QUIT (i.e. “to leave”) and DIVE (i.e. “dodgy bar”) all with their first letters removed or “heads off”, like so: INT-UIT-IVE.

53. View irrational figure tucking into vegetable (7)

Answer: OPINION (i.e. “view”). Solution is PI (i.e. “irrational figure” or an irrational number in maths) placed “into” ONION (i.e. “vegetable”), like so: O(PI)NION.

54. Change in time unconvincing (5)

Answer: TWEAK (i.e. “change”). Solution is T (a recognised abbreviation of “time”) followed by WEAK (i.e. “unconvincing”).

55. Maybe master logging to fill unfinished part of school year (7)

Answer: TEACHER (i.e. “maybe master” – female teachers are also available). Solution is ACHE (i.e. “longing”) placed in or “filling” TERM (i.e. “part of school year”) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “unfinished”), like so: TE(ACHE)R.

56. Woollen garment: button it along with wig (5)

Answer: SHRUG (i.e. “woollen garment”). Solution is SH (i.e. “button it” or shut up) followed by RUG (slang for a “wig”).

57. Gym equipment? Cut and run without hesitation (9)

Answer: EXERCISER (i.e. “gym equipment”). Solution is EXCISE (i.e. “cut”) and R (a recognised abbreviation of “run” used in a number of ball games) all wrapped around or placed “without” ER (i.e. “hesitation”), like so: EX(ER)CISE-R.

Down clues

1. Bitter comments about book or collection of books (5)

Answer: BIBLE (i.e. “collection of books”). Solution is BILE (i.e. “bitter comments”) wrapped “about” B (a recognised abbreviation of “book”), like so: BI(B)LE.

2. Be out complaining wildly about latest in restrictive spend control (8,9)

Answer: SLEEPING POLICEMAN (i.e. “restrictive speed control”). Solution is SLEEP (i.e. “be out”) followed by an anagram (indicated by “wildly”) of COMPLAINING once placed “about” E (i.e. “latest in restrictive”, i.e. the last letter of “restrictive”), like so: SLEEP-INGPOLIC(E)MAN.

3. Work with corporation perhaps engaging a Parisienne at the right moment (11)

Answer: OPPORTUNELY (i.e. “at the right moment”). Solution is OP (i.e. “work”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of “opus”) followed by PORTLY (i.e. “with corporation perhaps” – see earlier comment in 19a) wrapped around or “engaging” UNE (i.e. “a Parisienne”, i.e. the female form of “a” in French), like so: OP-PORT(UNE)LY.

4. Dissolute youngster mostly covered by spots (6)

Answer: RAKISH (i.e. “dissolute”). Solution is KID (i.e. “youngster”) with its last letter removed (indicated by “mostly”) and the remainder placed in or “covered by” RASH (i.e. “spots”), like so: RA(KI)SH.

5. Bright red stuff beginning to cover area in pubs (8)

Answer: CINNABAR (i.e. “bright red stuff”). Solution is C (i.e. “beginning [letter] to cover”) followed by A (a recognised abbreviation of “area”) once first placed “in” between INN and BAR (both “pubs”), like so: C-(INN-(A)-BAR).

6. Studying figures of miners, nearly all allocated place round track (6,6)

Answer: NUMBER THEORY (i.e. “studying figures”). Solution is NUM (i.e. “miners”, specifically the National Union of Miners) followed by BERTHED (i.e. “allocated place”) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “nearly”). This is all then followed by O (i.e. “round”) and RY (i.e. “track”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of a “railway”), like so: NUM-BERTHE-O-RY.

7. Massive sign of drunkenness after moonlit wandering (10)

Answer: MONOLITHIC (i.e. “massive”). Solution is HIC (i.e. “sign of drunkenness”, the sound of a hiccup) placed “after” an anagram (indicated by “wandering”) of MOONLIT, like so: MONOLIT-HIC.

8. Fooled, jilted, not married (5)

Answer: DUPED (i.e. “fooled”). Solution is DUMPED (i.e. “jilted”) with the M removed (indicated by “not married” – M being a recognised abbreviation of “married”).

9. Sound producer hard to ignore? Hard to avoid several notes (5,4)

Answer: VOCAL CORD (i.e. “sound producer”). Solution is VOCAL (i.e. “hard to ignore”) followed by CHORD (i.e. “several notes”) once the H has been removed (indicated by “hard to avoid…” – H being a recognised abbreviation of “hard” used in grading pencils).

10. One off to see Musicians Union over failure, after note’s missed (11)

Answer: CONCERTGOER (i.e. “one off to see musicians”, ignoring the misleading capitalisation). Solution is CONCERT (i.e. “union”, as in the phrase “in concert with…”) followed by GONER (i.e. “failure”) once the N has been removed (indicated by “after note’s missed” – N being a recognised abbreviation of “note”), like so: CONCERT-GOER.

11. Satisfactory opening in Africa? Very good for African mammal (5)

Answer: OKAPI (i.e. “African mammal”, friend to crossword setters everywhere). Solution is OK (i.e. “satisfactory”) followed by A (i.e. “opening [letter] in Africa”), then PI (i.e. “very good”, short for pious).

12. Kentucky brought in block for historic NASA mission (6)

Answer: SKYLAB (i.e. “historic NASA mission”). Solution is KY (i.e. US state abbreviation for “Kentucky”) placed or “brought in” to SLAB (i.e. “block”), like so: S(KY)LAB.

18. Documentary investigation stage includes brief illuminating moment (5,5)

Answer: PAPER CHASE (i.e. “documentary investigation”). Solution is PHASE (i.e. “stage”) wrapped around or “including” APERCU (i.e. “illuminating moment”, one I knew, weirdly) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “brief”), like so: P(APERC)HASE.

20. Ancient creature’s small commotion when captured by bloke (8)

Answer: MASTODON (i.e. “ancient creature”). Solution is S (a recognised abbreviation of “small”) and TO-DO (i.e. “commotion”) all placed in or “captured by” MAN (i.e. “bloke”), like so: MA(S-TO-DO)N.

22. Way of manipulating light, possibly tantalising a lover (13,4)

Answer: GRAVITATIONAL LENS (i.e. “way of manipulating light”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “possibly”) of TANTALISING A LOVER.

23. Peasant uprising caught on old wall painting (6)

Answer: FRESCO (i.e. “wall painting”). Solution is SERF (i.e. “peasant”) reversed (indicated by “uprising” – this being a down clue) and followed by C (a recognised abbreviation of “caught” used in a number of ball games) and O (a recognised abbreviation of “old”), like so: FRES-C-O.

24. Troops failing to engage? (10)

Answer: DETACHMENT. Solution satisfies “troops” and, playfully, the state of having “failed to engage” someone.

27. Impatiently moved revised clue on probing first draft initially (8)

Answer: FLOUNCED (i.e. “impatiently moved”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “revised”) of CLUE ON placed in between or “probing” F and D (i.e. “first draft initially”, i.e. the first letters of “first” and “draft”), like so: F-LOUNCE-D.

31. Spoil fake allotment, though nothing’s nicked? (6)

Answer: CODDLE (i.e. “spoil”). Solution is COD (i.e. “fake”) followed by DOLE (i.e. “allotment”) once the O has been removed (indicated by “nothing’s nicked”), like so: COD-DLE.

32. Without compromise, quietly fleeing, being wan with love (3-2-7)

Answer: ALL-OR-NOTHING (i.e. “without compromise”). Solution is PALLOR (i.e. “being wan”) with the P removed (indicated by “quietly fleeing”, P being a recognised abbreviation of “piano”, already discussed). This is then followed by NOTHING (i.e. “love”, or a zero score in tennis), like so: ALLOR-NOTHING.

34. Metalworker displaying pirate’s legend, we hear (11)

Answer: SILVERSMITH (i.e. “metalworker”). Solution is SILVER’S (i.e. “pirate’s”, specifically Long John SILVER from Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island) followed by a homophone (indicated by “we hear”) of MYTH (i.e. “legend”), like so: SILVER’S-MITH.

36. Icy world – Arctic winds – run by wealthy people? (11)

Answer: PLUTOCRATIC (i.e. “run by wealthy people”). Solution is PLUTO (i.e. “icy world” in our solar system) followed by an anagram (indicated by “winds”) of ARCTIC, like so: PLUTO-CRATIC.

37. A horse without covering bolted wildly – only now turn to this? (6,4)

Answer: STABLE DOOR (i.e. “only now turn to this”, within the context of the clue, this is a reference to the phrase “closing the stable door after the horse has bolted”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “wildly”) of A, HORSE once its first and last letters have been removed (indicated by “without covering”) and BOLTED.

39. Funding expert popular, welcomed by hobbyist (9)

Answer: FINANCIER (i.e. “funding expert”). Solution is IN (i.e. “popular”) placed in or “welcomed by” FANCIER (i.e. “hobbyist”), like so: F(IN)ANCIER.

41. Below fruit, wee statuette (8)

Answer: FIGURINE (i.e. “statuette”). Solution is FIG (i.e. “fruit”) followed by URINE (i.e. “wee”).

45. Hard stone receiving instant cut (6)

Answer: STRICT (i.e. “hard”). Solution is ST (a recognised abbreviation of “stone” weight) wrapped around or “receiving” TRICE (i.e. “instant”) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “cut”), like so: S(TRIC)T.

46. Retreats within borders of one European city (6)

Answer: ODENSE (i.e. “European city”, Denmark’s third largest city). Solution is DENS (i.e. lairs or “retreats”) placed “within” O and E (i.e. “borders of one”, i.e. the first and last letters of “one”), like so: O(DENS)E. A very pretty place, it seems. Also: Made. To. Fit.

48. Special edition’s text, rather reduced (5)

Answer: EXTRA (i.e. “special edition”). “Reduced” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, like so: T(EXT RA)THER.

49. Officially approve billions? Not so much (5)

Answer: BLESS (i.e. “officially approve”). Solution is B (a recognised abbreviation of “billions”) followed by LESS (i.e. “not so much”).

51. Satisfactory in a card game (5)

Answer: POKER (i.e. “card game”). Solution is OK (i.e. “satisfactory”) placed “in” PER (i.e. “a”, as in phrases such as “five pounds a pop”), like so: P(OK)ER.