Times Jumbo Cryptic Crossword 1669

Oops, another late one. Getting to be a habit, this.

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 has given you a right going over 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 input and continued patience. Till next time, stay safe out there kids.

LP

Across clues

1. Too old? True, about fifty (6)

Answer: OVERLY (i.e. “too”). Solution is O (a recognised abbreviation of “old”) followed by VERY (i.e. “true”, archaically) once wrapped “about” L (i.e. “fifty” as a Roman numeral), like so: O-VER(L)Y.

4. European, before spring, mainly trained in ropy footwear (10)

Answer: ESPADRILLE (i.e. “ropy footwear”). Solution is E (a recognised abbreviation of “European”) followed by SPA (i.e. “spring”) and DRILLED (i.e. “trained”) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “mainly”), like so: E-SPA-DRILLE.

10. One emperor backed follower of another (5)

Answer: RASTA (i.e. “follower of [emperor]”, specifically Heile Selassie, former emperor of Ethiopia). Solution is A TSAR (i.e. “one emperor”) reversed (indicated by “backed”), like so: RAST-A.

14. With stiff upper lip, there’s nothing I demand, squalidly housed (9)

Answer: STOICALLY (i.e. “with stiff upper lip”). Solution is O (i.e. “nothing”), I and CALL (i.e. “demand”) all placed or “housed” in STY (i.e. “squalid” accommodation), like so: ST(O-I-CALL)Y.

15. Innocence not so much seen in barrister’s first feeble point (13)

Answer: BLAMELESSNESS (i.e. “innocence”). Solution is LESS (i.e. “not so much”) placed “in” between B (i.e. “barrister’s first” letter), LAME (i.e. “feeble”) and NESS (i.e. “point”, both promontories), like so: B-LAME-(LESS)-NESS.

16. Imagined odds of perfect finish (7)

Answer: PRETEND (i.e. “imagined”). Solution is PRET (i.e. “odds of perfect”, i.e. every other letter of PERFECT) followed by END (i.e. “finish”). Fast-forward two weeks and you’ll see this solution in today’s Jumbo too (43a, if you’re interested). Aren’t repeats great?

17. Get around or above it at sea (7)

Answer: OBVIATE (i.e. “get around”. Chambers isn’t keen but my Oxford supports it, as in to remove a difficulty). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “at sea”) of ABOVE IT.

18. Fit singular form of Buddhist mystical text, you might think (7)

Answer: TANTRUM (i.e. a “fit” of anger). “You might think” playfully suggests the solution, under certain word constructions for plurals, would satisfy a “singular form of Buddhist mystical text”, TANTRA. You get the idea.

19. Strangely read and act no play after Chekov? That’s a tragedy (6,3,9)

Answer: ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA (i.e. Shakespearean “tragedy”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “strangely”) of READ and ACT NO PLAY once placed “after” ANTON (i.e. playwright “Chekov’s” first name), like so: ANTON-YANDCLEOPATRA.

21. Scottish group’s contribution to Gaelic language (4)

Answer: CLAN (i.e. “Scottish group”). “Contribution to” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, like so: GAELI(C LAN)GUAGE.

24. Fool one by one in strike (5)

Answer: IDIOT (i.e. “fool”). Solution is I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”) followed by I (the same) once placed “in” DOT (i.e. to “strike”, slang apparently), like so: I-D(I)OT.

26. Clear stuff from what we hear at church and pass on (8)

Answer: ORGANDIE (i.e. “clear stuff” – over to Chambers: “fine translucent plain-woven cotton dress material with a stiff finish”. Describing this as “clear stuff” is a total nothingburger) Solution is ORGAN (i.e. “what we hear at church”) followed by DIE (i.e. to “pass on”).

27. Two possibilities for movement found in recreational space (8)

Answer: PLAYROOM (i.e. “recreational space”). When written as PLAY and ROOM the solution also satisfies “two possibilities for movement”.

29. Half-hearted pledge about favourite I have that’s on a par with rivals (11)

Answer: COMPETITIVE (i.e. “on a par with rivals”). Solution is COMMIT (i.e. “pledge”) with one of the middle Ms removed (indicated by “half-hearted”) and the remainder wrapped “about” PET (i.e. “favourite”). This is all then followed by I’VE (a contraction of “I have”), like so: COM(PET)IT-I’VE.

30. Don’t leave religious group for what looks like just another branch (5,6)

Answer: STICK INSECT (i.e. “what looks like just another branch”). When written as STICK IN SECT the solution also satisfies “don’t leave religious group”.

32. Doctor clad a rich infant cutely, initially, in what’s fashionable and pink? (7,4)

Answer: RADICAL CHIC (i.e. “what’s fashionable and pink”, being “the trend among socialites of the late 60s and early 70s of mixing with and affecting the views, dress, style, etc of radicals”, while pink can be defined as “a person who is something of a socialist but hardly a red” (both Chambers)). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “doctor”) of CLAD A RICH followed by I and C (i.e. “infant cutely, initially”, i.e. the first letters of “infant” and “cutely”), like so: RADICALCH-IC.

35. Bring in vino in part of house for this activity? (4,7)

Answer: WINE TASTING. The solution satisfies the clue as a whole, but is also NET (i.e. “bring in”) and ASTI (i.e. a variety of wine or “vino”) all placed “in” WING (i.e. “part of house”), like so: WI(NET-ASTI)NG.

37. Hypothesis initially dropped by the firm, open to checking (8)

Answer: TESTABLE (i.e. “open to checking”). Solution is THE with the H removed (indicated by “hypothesis initially dropped”, i.e. the first letter of “hypothesis”) followed by STABLE (i.e. “firm”), like so: TE-STABLE.

39. Yearly cost of accommodation in relation to older pair (8)

Answer: PARENTAL (i.e. “in relation to older pair”). Solution is PA (i.e. “yearly”, short for Per Annum) followed by RENTAL (i.e. “cost of accommodation”).

40. Gather after a celebration in church (5)

Answer: AMASS (i.e. “gather”). Solution is A followed by MASS (i.e. “celebration in church”).

43. Order to dismiss or fire all but the last (4)

Answer: SHOO (i.e. “order to dismiss”). Solution is SHOOT (i.e. “fire”) with the last letter removed (indicated by “all but the last”).

44. Reverse a fixed routine in killing, destroy our violent disruption of society (8,10)

Answer: CULTURAL REVOLUTION (i.e. “disruption of society”). Solution is A RUT (i.e. “a fixed routine”) “reversed” and placed “in” CULL (i.e. “killing”). This is all then followed by an anagram (indicated by “destroy”) of OUR VIOLENT, like so: CUL(TUR-A)L-REVOLUTION.

47. A version of Bible included in set for Cambridge University (7)

Answer: HARVARD (i.e. “Cambridge university”, ignoring the misleading capitalisation. This is Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts). Solution is A and RV (i.e. “version of Bible”, in this case the Revised Version) both placed “in” HARD (i.e. “set”), like so: H(A-RV)ARD.

48. What may be taken innocently with unknown treatment (7)

Answer: THERAPY (i.e. “treatment”). Solution is THE RAP (i.e. “what may be taken innocently”) followed by Y (i.e. “unknown” – setters love referring to X, Y or Z in clues as unknowns).

50. Part of poetic line appearing ahead of time in film past (7)

Answer: FOOTAGE (i.e. “film [of the] past”). Solution is FOOT (i.e. “part of poetic line”) followed by AGE (i.e. “time”).

51. Absurdly, he preselects a competitor in race (13)

Answer: STEEPLECHASER (i.e. “competitor in race”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “absurdly”) of HE PRESELECTS A.

52. Some cut is altogether peculiar to tailor (9)

Answer: CUSTOMISE (i.e. “to tailor”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “altogether peculiar”) of SOME CUT IS.

53. Nincompoop concealing past that’s deeply alarming (5)

Answer: ABYSS (i.e. “that’s deeply alarming” – probably more so the deeply than the alarming). Solution is ASS (i.e. “nincompoop”) wrapped around or “concealing” BY (i.e. “past”), like so: A(BY)SS.

54. Therapist stole gripping film (6-4)

Answer: SHRINK WRAP (i.e. “film”). Solution is SHRINK (i.e. “therapist”) followed by WRAP (i.e. “stole”, both garments).

55. Silly damn emergency – totally evacuated state capital (6)

Answer: SYDNEY (i.e. “state capital”, in this case of New South Wales in Australia). “Totally evacuated” indicates the solution is derived from the first and last letters of SILLY DAMN EMERGENCY.

Down clues

1. Food routes Osage and Hopi interchanged (9)

Answer: OESOPHAGI (i.e. “food routes”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “interchanged”) of OSAGE and HOPI.

2. Personality problem exemplified by Gregory? (11)

Answer: EGOCENTRISM (i.e. “personality problem”). The remainder of the clue plays on how EGO can be found in the CENTRE of “GR(EGO)RY”.

3. With no leaders, elect her in speaker’s position (7)

Answer: LECTERN (i.e. “speaker’s position”, or, rather, what a speaker would stand behind). “With no leaders” indicates the solution is derived by removing the initial letters from ELECT HER IN.

5. Authority to pronounce part of essay’s OK (3-2)

Answer: SAY-SO (i.e. “authority” – “to pronounce” indicates what kind of authority). “Part of” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, like so: ES(SAY’S O)K.

6. Feel divided about values – not half, producing this? (11)

Answer: AMBIVALENCE. The solution (kind of) satisfies the clue as a whole, being the “coexistence in one person of opposing emotional attitudes towards the same object” (Chambers), but is also VAL (i.e. “values – not half”, specifically the latter half) placed “in” AMBIENCE (i.e. “feel”), like so: AMBI(VAL)ENCE.

7. Financial doctrine having Americans go round the bend? (11)

Answer: REAGANOMICS (i.e. “financial doctrine” of the US in the 1980s, after US president Ronald Reagan). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “round the bend”) of AMERICANS GO.

8. Call set up including one who gave noble service (8)

Answer: LIEGEMAN (i.e. “who gave noble service”). Solution is NAME (i.e. “call”) and GEL (i.e. “set”) all reversed (indicated by “up” – this being a down clue) and wrapped around or “including” I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”, again), like so: L(I)EG-EMAN.

9. English learner getting shock treatment before exam in this kind of college (9)

Answer: ELECTORAL (i.e. “kind of college” in the US, being “the body people who elect the President and Vice President, themselves elected by the popular vote” (Chambers)). Solution is E (a recognised abbreviation of “English”), followed by L (ditto “learner” on L-plates), then ECT (i.e. “shock treatment”, short for electroconvulsive therapy) and ORAL (i.e. “exam”).

10. Revolting kind of behaviour on the increase (6)

Answer: RISING. Solution satisfies “revolting kind of behaviour” and “on the increase”.

11. I blunder in transaction with a part of Africa (6,5)

Answer: SIERRA LEONE (i.e. “part of Africa”). Solution is I and ERR (i.e. “blunder”) placed “in” SALE (i.e. “transaction”) and followed by ONE (i.e. “a”), like so: S(I-ERR)ALE-ONE.

12. A state in Eastern US, in short, upset another in East (5)

Answer: ASSAM (i.e. “[a state] in East”, specifically India). Solution is A followed by MASS (i.e. “state in Eastern US, in short”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of Massachusetts) once the latter has been reversed (indicated by “upset” – this being a down clue), like so: A-SSAM.

13. Over an ordeal about love, happy one is combative (12)

Answer: GLADIATORIAL (i.e. “one is combative”). Solution is A TRIAL (i.e. “an ordeal”) wrapped “about” O (i.e. “love, a zero score in tennis). This is all then placed after or having “over” it – this being a down clue – GLAD (i.e. “happy”) and I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”, again, again), like so: GLAD-I-(A-T(O)RIAL).

20. Highly dangerous conflict appropriate for boxer? (8)

Answer: DOGFIGHT (i.e. “highly dangerous conflict”). The rest of the clue plays on a “boxer” being a variety of DOG. That’s about it, unless I’m missing something clever. Seems a bit anaemic.

22. Security worker turned over this ID (7)

Answer: NAMETAG (i.e. “ID”). Solution is GATEMAN (i.e. “security worker”) reversed (indicated by “turned over”). For all intents and purposes this is the same clue and solution as 22a in grid 1661 only last month. It’s bad enough that we get a steady stream of repeated solutions in Jumbos, but to see repeated clues as well is poor.

23. James, say – name used on continent for European schools (8)

Answer: GYMNASIA (i.e. “European schools” – over to Chambers again: “a top-grade secondary school in many European countries, especially Germany, which prepare pupils for higher education, especially in academic rather than vocational subjects”). Solution is a homophone (indicated by “say”) of JIM (shortened form of “James”) followed by N (a recognised abbreviation of “name”) and ASIA (i.e. “continent”), like so: GYM-N-ASIA.

25. In which monarch no longer detains old Conservative government minister? (8)

Answer: THEOCRAT (i.e. “government minister”). Solution is THAT (i.e. “which” – man, you could farm the rest of Bitcoin with the amount of energy wasted by writers and grammarians arguing the use of ‘that’ vs ‘which’, especially when the simple addition of a comma is often enough to eliminate any ambiguity. There are bigger things in the world to worry about, peeps) once having “in” ER (i.e. “monarch no longer”, specifically Elizabeth Regina) after this has itself been wrapped around or “detaining” O (a recognised abbreviation of “old”) and C (ditto “Conservative”), like so: TH(E(O-C)R)AT. Nicely worked.

28. Brief struggle to secure grand after deductions (8)

Answer: VIGNETTE (i.e. “brief”). Solution is VIE (i.e. “struggle”) wrapped around or “securing” G (a recognised abbreviation of “grand”) and NETT (i.e. “after deductions”), like so: VI(G-NETT)E.

29. Selectively arranges some of the cloth? Doesn’t sound like it (7)

Answer: CURATES. Solution satisfies “selectively arranges” and “some of the cloth” – a curate being “a clergyman in the Church of England, assisting a rector or vicar” (Chambers). I don’t get the “doesn’t sound like it” bit. From the description above, I’d say a curate was very much of the cloth.

31. Confine as in protest, unfriendly state of affairs (6,2,4)

Answer: KETTLE OF FISH (i.e. “state of affairs”). Solution is KETTLE (i.e. “confine as in protest” – it’s certainly a police technique I remember being used to combat the student fee protests of 2010, hemming protesters in and only letting them leave via a specific exit, but has its use been sufficient to warrant a mention in the dictionary? My relatively recent Oxford thinks not) followed by OFFISH (i.e. “unfriendly”).

33. It’s awful ‘cos it’s rude and tacky, ultimately? (11)

Answer: DISCOURTESY. The solution satisfies the clue as a whole (kind of), but is also an anagram (indicated by “awful”) of COS IT’S RUDE followed by Y (i.e. “tacky, ultimately”, i.e. the last letter of “tacky”), like so: DISCOURTES-Y.

34. President having enough academic jobs for all the boys (11)

Answer: CHAIRPERSON (i.e. “president”). When written as a CHAIR PER SON the solution also playfully satisfies “having enough academic jobs for all the boys”.

35. Awed comment about footwear facility, right? One can move things along with it (11)

Answer: WHEELBARROW (i.e. “one can move things along with it”). Solution is WOW (i.e. “awed comment”) wrapped “about” HEELBAR (i.e. “footwear facility” where shoes are repaired) and R (a recognised abbreviation of “right”), like so: W(HEELBAR-R)OW. For all intents and purposes the same clue and solution appeared in Jumbo 1592. Weird how I remembered that. I think I’ve been doing these posts for too long.

36. Creativity of gifted travellers in one country (11)

Answer: IMAGINATION (i.e. “creativity”). Solution is MAGI (i.e. “gifted travellers”, the three wise men of the nativity, carrying gifts for the infant Christ) placed “in” I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”, again, again, again) and NATION (i.e. “nation”), like so: I-(MAGI)-NATION.

38. She washes area surrounding Hollywood strip (9)

Answer: LAUNDRESS (i.e. “she washes” clothes). Solution is LA (i.e. “area surrounding Hollywood”, Los Angeles) followed by UNDRESS (i.e. “strip”).

41. In honest fashion on account of being with bank (9)

Answer: SINCERELY (i.e. “in honest fashion”). Solution is SINCE (i.e. “on account of being”) followed by RELY (i.e. to “bank” on an outcome).

42. Series about small person – one finishing up in the theatre? (8)

Answer: STITCHER (i.e. “one finishing up in the [operating] theatre”). Solution is SER (a recognised abbreviation of “series”) wrapped “about” TITCH (i.e. “small person”), like so: S(TITCH)ER.

45. Guy upset about crazy fool’s study of mysterious visitors (7)

Answer: UFOLOGY (i.e. “study of mysterious visitors”, specifically Unidentified Flying Objects). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “upset”) of GUY wrapped “about” another anagram (indicated by “crazy”), this time of FOOL, like so: U(FOLO)GY.

46. French author securing power in university position (6)

Answer: CAMPUS (i.e. “university position”). Solution is Albert CAMUS (i.e. “French author”) wrapped around or “securing” P (a recognised abbreviation of “power”), like so: CAM(P)US.

47. Stocking article and book (5)

Answer: HOSEA (i.e. “book” of The Bible). Solution is HOSE (i.e. “stocking”) followed by A (i.e. “article”, being a word like a, an or the). An easier get on account of it being repeated from a few months ago.

49. From what we hear, this is why you seize a desert plant (5)

Answer: YUCCA (i.e. “desert plant”). Solution is a homophone (indicated by “from what we hear”) of YUCK (i.e. “this is why you seize” or suffer a sudden intense attack of something, presumably in this case a nasty taste) followed by A, like so: YUCC-A.