Times Jumbo Cryptic Crossword 1675

A rather enjoyable Jumbo this week, I thought, and one featuring a good number of well-worked clues. Probably the best Jumbo we’ve had for a while, in my less-than-humble opinion.

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 had banjaxed your weekend 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 patience and input. Till next time (i.e. in a minute or two, given this was a Bank Holiday) stay safe out there kids.

LP

Across clues

1. Toast last drink (7,2)

Answer: BOTTOMS UP (i.e. “toast”). Solution is BOTTOM (i.e. “last”) followed by SUP (i.e. “drink”).

6. “The Greatest” wingers from Goodison stand in a row (5)

Answer: ALIGN (i.e. “stand in a row”). Solution is Muhammad ALI (i.e. “The Greatest”, so he’d claim) followed by GN (i.e. “wingers from Goodison”, i.e. the first and last letters of “Goodison”).

9. Stay twenty four hours in Paris, very new surroundings (7)

Answer: SOJOURN (i.e. to “stay twenty-four hours”). Solution is JOUR (i.e. “twenty four hours in Paris”, i.e. the French for “day” – a spot of recycling there) placed in or “surrounded” by SO (i.e. “very”) and N (a recognised abbreviation of “new”), like so: SO-(JOUR)-N.

13. Iceberg rolls, killing one Cape diver (5)

Answer: GREBE (i.e. “diving” bird). Solution is ICEBERG reversed (indicated by “rolls”) and with the I and C removed (indicated by “killing one Cape” – I being Roman numeral “one”; C being a recognised abbreviation of “cape”).

14. Vivid chart recalled Channel Islands (7)

Answer: GRAPHIC (i.e. “vivid”). Solution is GRAPH (i.e. “chart”) followed by CI (a recognised abbreviation of “Channel Islands”) once reversed (indicated by “recalled”), like so: GRAPH-IC.

15. Wandering in pursuit of black bird (9)

Answer: BRAMBLING (i.e. “bird”). Solution is RAMBLING (i.e. “wandering”) placed after or “in pursuit of” B (a recognised abbreviation of “black” used in chess), like so: B-RAMBLING.

16. Cheap accommodation ultimately dodgy, the loo shut off (5,6)

Answer: YOUTH HOSTEL (i.e. “cheap accommodation”). Solution is Y (i.e. “ultimately dodgy”, i.e. the last letter of “dodgy”) followed by an anagram (indicated by “off”) of THE LOO SHUT, like so: Y-OUTHHOSTEL.

17. Bar nicely renovated hosting European male hip hop act (6,5)

Answer: PUBLIC ENEMY (i.e. “hip hop act” – it’s always refreshing to see something more modern in Jumbos. It shows it doesn’t have to be Rachmaninoff or Berlioz every week). Solution is PUB (i.e. “bar”) followed by an anagram (indicated by “renovated”) of NICELY once wrapped around or “hosting” E (a recognised abbreviation of “European”) and M (ditto “male”), like so: PUB-LICEN(E-M)Y.

18. Republican lodged in a bogus religious retreat (6)

Answer: ASHRAM (i.e. “religious retreat”). Solution is R (a recognised abbreviation of “Republican”) placed or “lodged in” A and SHAM (i.e. “bogus”), like so: A-SH(R)AM. Seen this a few times in Jumbos now, making this an easier get.

19. Subjects against abandoning senses of rights and wrongs? (8)

Answer: SCIENCES (i.e. “subjects”). Solution is CONSCIENCES (i.e. “senses of rights and wrongs”) with the CON (i.e. “against”) removed or “abandoned”.

21. Senior churchman once a reformed character (3,3)

Answer: NEW MAN (i.e. “reformed character”). When the solution is written as John Henry NEWMAN the solution also satisfies “senior churchman once”. Seriously though? You stick this guy in when you could have had Paul frickin’ NEWMAN in your Jumbo?! Cool Hand Luke, man, come on! Jeez, what a waste.

25. Brilliant Independent covering church feature (8)

Answer: INSPIRED (i.e. “brilliant”). Solution is IND (a recognised abbreviation of “independent”) wrapped around or “covering” SPIRE (i.e. “church feature”), like so: IN(SPIRE)D.

26. Somehow thinks wife cheated, invoking puzzled query (4,3,7)

Answer: WHAT THE DICKENS (i.e. “puzzled query”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “somehow”) of THINKS, W (a recognised abbreviation of “wife”) and CHEATED.

28. Some Rt Hon gentleman getting minimal coverage down under (5)

Answer: THONG (i.e. “minimal coverage down under”, and something you do not want to see me in. Nor I for that matter. Eew). “Some” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, like so: R(T HON G)ENTLEMAN.

29. Empty beer jug for tea maker (6)

Answer: BREWER (i.e. “tea maker”). Solution is BR (i.e. “empty beer”, i.e. the word “beer” with all its middle letters removed) followed by EWER (i.e. “jug”). This clue has been lifted almost wholesale from grid 1652 back in January. Disappointing, but seemingly a trend now with Jumbos.

30. Book of verse, indeed, just opened by idiot (6,4)

Answer: VANITY FAIR (i.e. “book” by William Makepeace Thackeray). Solution is V (a recognised abbreviation of “verse”), AY (i.e. “indeed”, shortened form of “aye”) and FAIR (i.e. “just”) all wrapped around or “opened by” NIT (i.e. “idiot”), like so: V-A(NIT)Y-FAIR.

33. Cover tip of finger in fresh guacamole (10)

Answer: CAMOUFLAGE (i.e. “cover”). Solution is F (i.e. “tip of finger”, i.e. the first letter of “finger”) placed “in” an anagram (indicated by “fresh”) of GUACAMOLE, like so: CAMOU(F)LAGE. Nicely worked.

35. Cave reached when crossing river (6)

Answer: GROTTO (i.e. “cave”). Solution is GOT TO (i.e. “reached”) wrapped around or “crossing” R (a recognised abbreviation of “river”), like so: G(R)OT-TO.

36. I must visit doctor, working somewhere in the field (3-2)

Answer: MID-ON (i.e. “somewhere in the field” in a game of cricket). Solution is I placed in or “visiting” MD (i.e. “doctor”, specifically a Doctor of Medicine or Medicinae Doctor) and followed by ON (i.e. “working”), like so: M(I)D-ON.

38. Strangle Will in chaotic hand-to-hand combat (3-2,9)

Answer: ALL-IN WRESTLING (i.e. “hand-to-hand combat”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “chaotic”) of STRANGLE WILL IN.

40. Blood sport, day one: endless avarice (8)

Answer: PEDIGREE (i.e. “blood”). Solution is PE (i.e. “sport” or Physical Education) followed by D (a recognised abbreviation of “day”), I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”, again) and GREED (i.e. “avarice”) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “endless”), like so: PE-D-I-GREE.

42. Walked daintily around ground (6)

Answer: MINCED. Solution satisfies “walked daintily around” and “ground”, say, meat.

43. Greek god sat for artist, covering one leg (8)

Answer: POSEIDON (i.e. “Greek god” of the sea). Solution is POSED (i.e. “sat for artist”) wrapped around or “covering” I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”, again, again) and followed by ON (i.e. “leg” side in cricket), like so: POSE(I)D-ON.

44. Formal accessory page Henry wears fitting perfectly (3,3)

Answer: TOP HAT (i.e. “formal accessory”). Solution is P (a recognised abbreviation of “page”) and H (ditto “Henry”, a unit of measurement) both placed in or “wearing” TO A T (i.e. “perfectly”), like so: TO-(P-H)-A-T.

47. Inspirational sister moved priest with task (11)

Answer: TERPSICHORE (i.e. “inspirational sister”, one of the nine muses of Greek mythology). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “moved”) of PRIEST followed by CHORE (i.e. “task”), like so: TERPSI-CHORE.

50. Teller of tellers? (4,7)

Answer: BANK MANAGER. Clue plays on two definitions (one playful) of “teller”: one being a bank worker, the other being someone telling another what to do. Another nicely worked clue.

52. Four opening large uniform chest producing a lot of money (9)

Answer: LUCRATIVE (i.e. “producing a lot of money”). Solution is IV (i.e. “four” in Roman numerals) placed in or “opening” L (a recognised abbreviation of “large”), U (“uniform” in the phonetic alphabet) and CRATE (i.e. “chest”), like so: L-U-CRAT(IV)E.

53. Under control, remove phosphorous and boron from copper zinc alloy (2,5)

Answer: IN CHECK (i.e. “under control”). Solution is PINCHBECK (i.e. “copper zinc alloy”) with the P and B removed (indicated by “remove phosphorous and boron from…” – P being the chemical symbol of phosphorous and B being that of boron). Blimey, it’s like this week’s setter saw me comment last month that using HEMISTICHES to help hide EUPHEMISTIC in a clue was flexing, this after a previous setter managed to hide MAHATMA GANDHI in a clue, and they thought “Oh, yeah? That’s nothing. Watch this…” In a weird way – especially considering how quickly I reach for the pitchforks whenever an exotic solution pops up – I’m rather loving all this cruciverbal showboating.

54. Idiot stealing article from continental port (5)

Answer: TWERP (i.e. “idiot”). Solution is ANTWERP (i.e. “continental port”) with the AN removed (indicated by “stealing article from…” – an article being a word like a, an or the).

55. Continue film franchise (5,2)

Answer: CARRY ON. Solution satisfies “continue” and “film franchise”.

56. Element of technical language judge dismissed (5)

Answer: ARGON (i.e. chemical “element”). Solution is JARGON (i.e. “technical language”) with the J removed (indicated by “judge dismissed” – J being a recognised abbreviation thereof).

57. Deeply troubled auditor men tediously cut down to size (9)

Answer: TORMENTED (i.e. “deeply troubled”). “Cut down to size” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, removing the outer letters from AUDI(TOR MEN TED)IOUSLY.

Down clues

1. Loose goods stored in compartment (5)

Answer: BAGGY (i.e. “loose”). Solution is G and G (both a recognised abbreviation of “good”) placed or “stored in” BAY (i.e. “compartment”), like so: BA(G-G)Y.

2. Treating Sheffield chums to a classic performance at The Crucible? (3,7,2,5)

Answer: THE DUCHESS OF MALFI (i.e. a Jacobean tragedy by John Webster, and hence potentially a “classic performance at The Crucible”, a theatre in “Sheffield”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “treating”) of SHEFFIELD CHUMS TO A. Another well-worked clue.

3. Maybe sweaty husband enters having too much on his plate? (11)

Answer: OVERHEATING (i.e. “maybe sweaty”). Solution is H (a recognised abbreviation of “husband”) placed in or “entering” OVEREATING (i.e. “having too much on his plate”), like so: OVER(H)EATING.

4. In America, civilians perhaps turning up to register for the dole (4,2)

Answer: SIGN ON (i.e. “register for the dole”). Solution is NON-GIS (i.e. “in America, civilians perhaps”, i.e. those not in the army) all reversed (indicated by “turning up” – this being a down clue), like so: SIG-NON.

5. Complain about neckwear Charlie’s wearing in rehearsal (8)

Answer: PRACTICE (i.e. “rehearsal”). Solution is CARP (i.e. “complain”) reversed (indicated by “about”) and followed by TIE (i.e. “neckwear”) once wrapped around or “wore by” C (“Charlie” in the phonetic alphabet), like so: PRAC-TI(C)E.

6. Vulnerable area which mother didn’t bathe? (8,4)

Answer: ACHILLES HEEL. Solution satisfies the clue as a whole. In Greek mythology, Thetis dunked the infant Achilles in the river Styx in an attempt to make him immortal, but didn’t think about the bit she was holding.

7. Legal disqualification of secretary in Machu Picchu? (10)

Answer: INCAPACITY (i.e. “legal disqualification”). Solution is PA (i.e. “secretary” or Personal Assistant) placed “in” INCA CITY (i.e. “Machu Picchu”), like so: INCA-(PA)-CITY.

8. Arrest former pupil, a rich and powerful man (5)

Answer: NABOB (i.e. “a rich and powerful man”). Solution is NAB (i.e. “arrest”) followed by OB (i.e. “former pupil” or Old Boy).

9. Said to include one working in position (9)

Answer: STATIONED (i.e. “in position”). Solution is STATED (i.e. “said”) wrapped around or “including” I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”, again, again, again) and ON (i.e. “working”, again), like so: STAT(I-ON)ED.

10. A wry BBC joke turned out to be a bit of nonsense (11)

Answer: JABBERWOCKY (i.e. “a bit of nonsense” from Lewis Carroll). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “turned out”) of A WRY BBC JOKE.

11. Join a trade union (5)

Answer: UNITE. Solution satisfies “join” and “a trade union” of the UK.

12. City of Northern Aragon’s premier painter? (6)

Answer: NAGOYA (i.e. Japanese “city”). Solution is N (a recognised abbreviation of “northern”) followed by A (i.e. “Aragon’s premier”, i.e. the first letter of “Aragon”) and Francisco GOYA (i.e. “painter” who was indeed from Aragon). One nailed solely from the wordplay, but I did quite like this one.

18. Helen’s lover to box out of bounds nobleman (10)

Answer: ARISTOCRAT (i.e. “nobleman”). Solution is PARIS (i.e. “Helen’s lover” in Greek myth) TO and CRATE (i.e. “box”) with the first and last letters removed from the phrase as a whole (indicated by “out of bounds”), like so: ARIS-TO-CRAT.

20. Quiet whiskies reportedly bringing on sentimentality (8)

Answer: SCHMALTZ (i.e. “sentimentality”). Solution comprises homophones (indicated by “reportedly”) of SH! (i.e. “quiet”) and MALTS (i.e. “whiskies”).

22. Old king wildly threatened with large axe briefly (9,3,5)

Answer: ALEXANDER THE GREAT (i.e. “old king”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “wildly”) of THREATENED, LARGE and AXE once the latter has had its final letter removed (indicated by “briefly”).

23. Coarse abuse upset labour clergyman (6)

Answer: VERBAL (i.e. “coarse abuse”). Solution is LAB (a recognised abbreviation of the “Labour” party) and REV (i.e. “clergyman”, short for reverend) all reversed (indicated by “upset” – this being a down clue), like so: VER-BAL.

24. Sharp alpha male, whimsical Australian mostly on the inside (10)

Answer: ASTRINGENT (i.e. “sharp”). Solution is A (“alpha” in the phonetic alphabet) and GENT (i.e. “male”) all wrapped around or having “on the inside” STRINE (i.e. “whimsical Australian”, or “a jocular name given to Australian English in terms of its vernacular pronunciation” (Chambers), supposedly after how an Aussie would pronounce “Australian”) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “mostly”), like so: A-(STRIN)-GENT.

27. Considers sounding out routes to the summit (6,2)

Answer: WEIGHS UP (i.e. “considers”). Solution is a homophone (indicated by “sounding out”) of WAYS UP (i.e. “routes to the summit”).

31. In my opinion, low-down character of Shakespeare’s work (6)

Answer: IMOGEN (i.e. “character of Shakespeare’s work”, namely Cymbeline). Solution is IMO (shortform for “in my opinion”) followed by GEN (i.e. “low-down” or information). Another I got from the wordplay alone. Shakespeare leaves me stone cold.

32. African on CBS rubbished English philosopher (7,5)

Answer: FRANCIS BACON (i.e. “English philosopher”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “rubbished”) of AFRICAN ON CBS.

34. Wasteful convent initially failing to collect tax by first of April (11)

Answer: UNNECESSARY (i.e. “wasteful”). Solution is NUNNERY (i.e. “convent”) with the first letter removed (indicated by “initially failing”) and the remainder wrapped around CESS (i.e. obsolete UK word for a “tax”, remembered from a couple of weeks ago) and A (i.e. “first [letter] of April”), like so: UNNE(CESS-A)RY.

36. Met Estonian’s renovated split-level home (11)

Answer: MAISONNETTE (i.e. “split-level home”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “renovated”) of MET ESTONIAN.

37. Penny and Heather admitting Daisy is laying it on a bit thick, perhaps (10)

Answer: PLASTERING (i.e. “laying it on a bit thick”). Solution is P (a recognised abbreviation of “penny”) and LING (i.e. “heather”, ignoring the misleading capitalisation) all wrapped around ASTER (i.e. “daisy”, ditto), like so: P-L(ASTER)ING.

39. Cut sauce which has been thickened (9)

Answer: REDUCTION. Solution satisfies “cut” and “sauce which has been thickened”.

41. Dismal signal from conductor (8)

Answer: DOWNBEAT. Solution satisfies “dismal” and “signal from conductor”.

45. Style of writing with a tendency to lean to the right? (6)

Answer: ITALIC. Solution satisfies the clue as a whole, given italics are slanted characters.

46. One likes to drag small donkey over river (6)

Answer: SMOKER (i.e. “one likes to drag” on a ciggie). Solution is S (a recognised abbreviation of “small”) followed by MOKE (i.e. slang for a “donkey”) and R (a recognised abbreviation of “river”).

48. Competitive driver, one in fancy car (5)

Answer: RACER (i.e. “competitive driver”). Solution is ACE (i.e. “one” as a playing card) placed “in” RR (i.e. “fancy car”, in this case a Rolls Royce. Presumably this is after their logo but none of my dictionaries list it), like so: R(ACE)R. Solution appeared back in September in grid 1634 along with a very similar clue, making this an easier get.

49. Last character used to symbolise the resistance? (5)

Answer: OMEGA. Solution satisfies “last character” of the Greek alphabet, and “used to symbolise … resistance” in physics.

51. Quick police operation featuring Robocop finally (5)

Answer: RAPID (i.e. “quick”). Solution is RAID (i.e. “police operation”) wrapped around or “featuring” P (i.e. “Robocop finally”, i.e. the last letter of “Robocop”), like so: RA(P)ID.