Times Jumbo Cryptic Crossword 1678

A medium strength Jumbo, and another with a solid showing of fine clueing. Seems we’re on a good little run of these.

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 darkened your day then, well, that could just be the weather. I mean, have you not been outside at all these last nine months? “Biblical” doesn’t even cover it. (…he says, editing this a week later sitting in glorious sunshine. I’ll take it.) Anyway, if you’re a bit stuck then you might want to take a butchers at my Just For Fun page, where you’ll find links to solutions for hundreds of the things.

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

LP

With thanks to Dr John in the comments for fixing 28d

Across clues

1. Dependable pudding – and its eating? (9)

Answer: FOOLPROOF (i.e. “dependable”). Solution is FOOL (i.e. “pudding”) followed by PROOF (i.e. “and its eating”, a play on the phrase “the proof of the pudding is in the eating”).

6. Keen servant to cross stone wall once confining him? (4,6)

Answer: EAST GERMAN (i.e. Berlin “Wall once confining him”). Solution is EAGER (i.e. “keen”) and MAN (i.e. “servant”) all wrapped around or “crossing” ST (a recognised abbreviation of “stone” weight), like so: EA(ST)GER-MAN.

12. Small turtle eschewing soft ground (7)

Answer: TERRAIN (i.e. “ground”). Solution is TERRAPIN (i.e. “small turtle”) with the P (i.e. “soft”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of “piano” in musical lingo) removed or “eschewed”.

13. Beginning to think, philosopher provides clothing collection (9)

Answer: TROUSSEAU (i.e. “clothing collection” – Chambers has: “the clothes…collected by a bride for her marriage”). Solution is T (i.e. “beginning [letter] to think”) followed by Jean-Jacques ROUSSEAU (i.e. 18th century “philosopher”).

14. Oceanid trapping men in the underworld (5)

Answer: DORIS (i.e. “oceanid”, specifically “a genus of nudibranchiate gastropods, shell-less molluscs with a plumy tuft of gills on the back” (Chambers). Well, there you go, Dorises. Now you know). Solution is OR (i.e. “men”, specifically the Other Ranks of the British Army) placed “in” DIS (i.e. “underworld” – we’ve seen this a few times in Jumbos; Chambers has: “a name for the god Pluto, hence, the infernal world”), like so: D(OR)IS.

16. Dunce securing prize thus for science branch (12)

Answer: ASTROPHYSICS (i.e. “science branch”). Solution is ASS (i.e. “dunce”) wrapped around or “securing” TROPHY (i.e. “prize”) and SIC (i.e. “thus” in Latin), like so: AS(TROPHY-SIC)S.

17. One breaking promise backed goddess to bring new life (10)

Answer: REGENERATE (i.e. “bring new life”). Solution is RENEGER (i.e. “one breaking promise”) reversed (indicated by “backed”) and followed by ATE (i.e. Greek “goddess” of mischief), like so: REGENER-ATE.

19. Top of the Bill? (5,9)

Answer: CHIEF CONSTABLE. Solution satisfies the clue as a whole, taking “the Bill” to be slang for the police.

22. Respect sappers guarding position, so to speak (2,2,4)

Answer: AS IT WERE (i.e. “so to speak”). Solution is AWE (i.e. “respect”) and RE (i.e. “sappers”, slang for the Royal Engineers of the British Army) all wrapped around or “guarding” SIT (i.e. “position”), like so: A(SIT)WE-RE.

24. Influence result (6)

Answer: EFFECT. Solution satisfies “influence” and “result”.

25. Anagram at start to clue terribly old document (5,5)

Answer: MAGNA CARTA (i.e. “old document”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “terribly”) of ANAGRAM AT and C (i.e. “start [letter] to clue”).

26. Puzzle concerned with public transport (5)

Answer: REBUS (i.e. picture “puzzle”). Solution is RE (i.e. “concerned with”) followed by BUS (i.e. “public transport”).

29. Brussels refusal to adopt right language (4)

Answer: NORN (i.e. “language” – over to Chambers again: “the old Norse dialect of Orkney and Shetland”). Solution is NON (i.e. “Brussels refusal” – the pedant in me would say there are a few languages spoken in Brussels, but French seems to be the lingua franca) wrapped around or “adopting” R (a recognised abbreviation of “right”), like so: NO(R)N.

30. Butcher’s service fantastic, baker finally admitted (8)

Answer: MASSACRE (i.e. “butcher”). Solution is MASS (i.e. religious “service”) followed by ACE (i.e. “fantastic”) once wrapped around or “admitting” R (i.e. “baker finally”, i.e. the last letter of “baker”), like so: MASS-AC(R)E.

32. Energy seen in a race – about one mile (9)

Answer: ANIMATION (i.e. “energy”). Solution is A and NATION (i.e. “race”) wrapped “about” I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”) and M (a recognised abbreviation of “mile”), like so: A-N(I-M)ATION.

34. Rearrest upper-class criminal – club’s accountant? (9)

Answer: TREASURER (i.e. “club’s accountant”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “criminal”) of REARREST and U (a recognised abbreviation of “upper-class”).

35. Pilot in bar given nothing you say? (8)

Answer: AERONAUT (i.e. “pilot”). Solution is AERO (i.e. chocolate “bar”) followed by a homophone (indicated by “you say”) of NAUGHT (i.e. “nothing”), like so: AERO-NAUT.

36. Exploited émigrés initially housed in Bucks? (4)

Answer: USED (i.e. “exploited”). Solution is E (i.e. “émigrés initially”, i.e. the first letter of “émigrés”) placed or “housed in” USD (i.e. “bucks” – ignoring the misleading capitalisation, this is a recognised abbreviation of the US dollar, “bucks” being slang thereof), like so: US(E)D.

39. Pipe up? (5)

Answer: RISER. Solution satisfies the clue as a whole, being a vertical pipe in a building.

40. On pole, sea-girt, with sun seen from east in city (3,7)

Answer: LOS ANGELES (i.e. “city”). Solution is LEG (i.e. “on” side in cricket) and N (i.e. “pole”, in this case a recognised abbreviation of “north”) both placed in SEA (indicated by “sea-girt”, a poetic way of describing being surrounded by the sea – not one I knew before, but I rather like the usage) and followed by SOL (i.e. another name for the “sun”). This is all then reversed (indicated by “from east” – this being an across clue), like so: LOS-A(N-GEL)ES.

42. Horse leading man home (6)

Answer: HEROIN (i.e. “horse”, slang thereof). Solution is HERO (i.e. “leading man”) followed by IN (i.e. “home”).

44. Removal of water from shower in day time (8)

Answer: DRAINAGE (i.e. “removal of water”). Solution is RAIN (i.e. “shower”) placed “in” D (a recognised abbreviation of “day”) and AGE (i.e. “time”), like so: D-(RAIN)-AGE.

46. Abbey left as not demolished where Fairfax triumphed (6,2,6)

Answer: BATTLE OF NASEBY (i.e. “where Fairfax triumphed” in 1645, inflicting upon the Royalists a heavy defeat and thus putting into motion the end of the First English Civil War). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “demolished”) of ABBEY LEFT AS NOT.

48. Cuts courses involving bunk? (10)

Answer: ENTRECOTES (i.e. “cuts”, specifically “a steak cut from between two ribs” (Chambers)). Solution is ENTRÉES (i.e. dinner “courses”) wrapped around or “involving” COT (i.e. bed or “bunk”), like so: ENTRÉ(COT)ES.

49. Folk performer and comedians working with Three Rs? (6,6)

Answer: MORRIS DANCER (i.e. “folk performer”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “working”) of COMEDIANS and RRR (i.e. “Three Rs”).

53. Jumblies’ craft is returned the night before (5)

Answer: SIEVE (i.e. “Jumblies’ craft”, referring to Edward Lear’s poem in which the Jumblies went to sea in a sieve). Solution is IS reversed or “returned” and followed by EVE (i.e. “the night before”), like so: SI-EVE.

54. Plain ties with green buckles (9)

Answer: SERENGETI (i.e. a “plain” in Tanzania). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “buckles”) of TIES and GREEN.

55. Foreign banker a common character? (7)

Answer: ORINICO. [EDIT: Oops. This, of course, ought to have been ORINOCO. Thank you to the mysterious She for the typo fix. – LP] Solution satisfies “foreign banker”, “banker” being a playful reference to a river – the Orinoco is the fourth largest river in the world, flowing through Colombia and Venezuela. Solution also satisfies “a common character”, in this case one of the Wombles wot lived on Wimbledon Common.

56. Delightful deity embodying love all right (6,4)

Answer: PRETTY GOOD (i.e. “all right”). Solution is PRETTY (i.e. “delightful”) and GOD (i.e. “deity”) wrapped around or “embodying” O (i.e. “love”, a zero score in tennis), like so: PRETTY-G(O)OD.

57. Drunken idiot sounded very much together (5-4)

Answer: TIGHT-KNIT (i.e. “very much together”). Solution is TIGHT (i.e. “drunken”) followed by a homophone (indicated by “sounded”) of NIT (i.e. “idiot”).

Down clues

1. Duke crossing river before all others (5)

Answer: FIRST (i.e. “before all others”). Solution is FIST (i.e. “duke”, slang thereof, as in putting up one’s dukes) wrapped around or “crossing” R (a recognised abbreviation of “river”), like so: FI(R)ST.

2. Eggs parasites laid outside high chief’s chamber (4,6)

Answer: OVAL OFFICE (i.e. “chief’s chamber” in the White House). Solution is OVA (i.e. “eggs”) followed by LICE (i.e. “parasites”) once wrapped around or “laid outside” of OFF (i.e. “high” or tainted), like so: OVA-L(OFF)ICE.

3. Is it Manx cat sitting atop monument? (8)

Answer: PANTHEON (i.e. “monument”, specifically “a temple of all the Gods, especially the rotunda erected by Hadrian at Rome” (Chambers). Can be used more generally to describe “a general burial place or memorial of the great dead” (Chambers again)). Solution is PANTHER (i.e. a big “cat”) with its last letter removed (playfully indicated by “Manx”, a variety of cat with no tail – I liked this a lot when I twigged it) and the remainder followed by ON (i.e. “atop”), like so: PANTHE-ON.

4. Doomed Antarctic explorer fed on exceptionally large seals? (5)

Answer: Captain Lawrence OATES (i.e. “doomed Antarctic explorer” who sacrificed himself, uttering the famous last words “I am just going outside and may be some time”). Solution is ATE (i.e. “fed on”) placed in or “sealed” by OS (i.e. “exceptionally large”, a recognised abbreviation of “outsize”), like so: O(ATE)S.

5. Lunch for example comes before tea in pecking order (4,5)

Answer: FOOD CHAIN (i.e. nature’s “pecking order”). Solution is FOOD (i.e. “lunch for example”) followed by or placed “before” CHA (i.e. “tea”) and IN. Nicely worked.

6. Language Beardsley used occasionally (4)

Answer: ERSE (i.e. “language”, “formerly, and still occasionally, the name given by Lowland Scots to the language of the people of the West Highlands, as being of Irish origin” (Chambers)). “Used occasionally” indicates the solution is derived from every other letter of BEARDSLEY.

7. Spit in the food? (6)

Answer: SKEWER. Solution satisfies the clue as a whole, taking “spit” to be another word for SKEWER. Another clue I rather liked.

8. Muscle, too much shown by English-American gladiator? (7,7)

Answer: GLUTEUS MAXIMUS (i.e. bum “muscle”). Solution is GLUT (i.e. “too much”) followed by E (a recognised abbreviation of “English”), US (ditto “American”) and MAXIMUS (i.e. central character of the film “Gladiator”. Again, very cool).

9. Special occasion when message arrives from China? (3-6,3)

Answer: RED-LETTER DAY (i.e. “special occasion”). The clue also satisfies “when message arrives from China”, playing on LETTER being a “message” and RED being the colour associated with communism, the Chinese Communist Party being the sole ruling party of “China”. You get the idea.

10. Flying home, atmosphere foul (7)

Answer: AIRBASE (i.e. a “flying home”, or a site in which aircraft is housed). Solution is AIR (i.e. “atmosphere”) followed by BASE (i.e. “foul”).

11. Randomly select a man to freshen up the carpets? (5-5)

Answer: STEAM-CLEAN (i.e. “to freshen up the carpets”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “randomly”) of SELECT A MAN.

15. Writer’s point supportive of saint, nevertheless (9)

Answer: Robert Louis STEVENSON (i.e. “writer”). Solution is N (i.e. compass “point”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of “north”) placed at the end or “supportive of” – this being a down clue – ST (a recognised abbreviation of “saint”) and EVEN SO (i.e. “nevertheless”), like so: ST-(EVEN-SO)-N.

18. ARP signal everyone understood (3,5)

Answer: ALL CLEAR (i.e. “ARP signal”, ARP being a recognised abbreviation of “air-raid precautions”). Solution is ALL (i.e. “everyone”) followed by CLEAR (i.e. “understood”).

20. Playing well, accompanying King’s Singers (9)

Answer: INFORMERS (i.e. “singers” or grassers). Solution is IN FORM (i.e. “playing well”) followed ER’S (i.e. “king’s”, specifically Edwardus Rex made possessive).

21. Sewer in Main Street runs through dining-room (10)

Answer: SEAMSTRESS (i.e. “sewer”). Solution is SEA (i.e. “main”, ignoring the misleading capitalisation – this is another word for the high sea) followed by ST (a recognised abbreviation of “street”) and R (a recognised abbreviation of “runs” used in a number of ball games) once both placed in or “through” MESS (i.e. military “dining-room”), like so: SEA-M(ST-R)ESS.

23. Female relative, super-polite, concealing enmity at first (5-5)

Answer: GREAT-NIECE (i.e. “female relative”). Solution is GREAT (i.e. “super”) and NICE (i.e. “polite”) all wrapped around or “concealing” E (i.e. “enmity at first”, i.e. the first letter of “enmity”), like so: GREAT-NI(E)CE.

27. Yellow butterfly is absolutely filled with colour (9)

Answer: BRIMSTONE (i.e. “yellow butterfly”, quite common apparently). Solution is BRIMS (i.e. “is absolutely filled with”) followed by TONE (i.e. “colour”).

28. Socialise with ugly Romeo, cavorting in irreverent manner (14)

Answer: SACRELIGIOUSLY [EDIT: Oops, spelling fail. Should be SACRILEGIOUSLY. Thanks to Dr John in the comments for the correction. – LP] (i.e. “in irreverent manner”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “cavorting”) of SOCIALISE, UGLY and R (“Romeo” in the phonetic alphabet).

31. Bond dated, but powerful feller (8)

Answer: CHAINSAW (i.e. “powerful feller” of trees). Solution is CHAIN (i.e. “bond”) followed by SAW (i.e. “dated” romantically).

33. 38 of 47s perhaps appearing in Alien (12)

Answer: ESTRANGEMENT (i.e. “38”, the solution to 38d being SEPARATION). Solution is STRANGE MEN (i.e. “47s”, the solution to 47d being WEIRDO) all placed “in” ET (i.e. “alien”, ignoring the misleading formatting, this is a recognised abbreviation of “extra-terrestrial”), like so: E(STRANGE-MEN)T.

34. Current temperature raised with inflammation and fatigue (9)

Answer: TIREDNESS (i.e. “fatigue”). Solution is I (i.e. being a recognised abbreviation of an electrical “current” used in physics) and T (a recognised abbreviation of “temperature”) all reversed (indicated by “raised” – this being a down clue) and followed by REDNESS (i.e. “inflammation”), like so: (T-I)-REDNESS.

37. Explore northern city and tolerate rowdy brawl (10)

Answer: DONNYBROOK (i.e. “rowdy brawl”, taken from the fair at Donnybrook, Dublin, which ran from the 13th century to the mid-19th century). Solution is DO (i.e. “explore”) followed by N (a recognised abbreviation of “northern”), then NY (i.e. “city”, specifically New York) and BROOK (i.e. “tolerate”).

38. Wrecked on a sea trip in Split (10)

Answer: SEPARATION (i.e. “split”, ignoring the misleading capitalisation). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “wrecked”) of ON A SEA TRIP.

41. Sociable old pirate brought in abstaining totally (9)

Answer: EXTROVERT (i.e. “sociable”). Solution is EX (i.e. “old”) followed by ROVER (i.e. “pirate”) once first placed “in” TT (i.e. “abstaining totally”, a recognised abbreviation of “teetotal”), like so: EX-T(ROVER)T.

43. Derivative and tasteless film-making process? (8)

Answer: OFFSHOOT (i.e. “derivative”). Solution is OFF (i.e. “tasteless”) followed by SHOOT (i.e. “film-making process”).

45. Nocturnal creature with an illness that needs attention? (3,4)

Answer: ANT BEAR (i.e. “nocturnal creature”, another name for a giant aardvark). Solution is AN followed by TB (i.e. “illness”, specifically tuberculosis) and EAR (i.e. “attention”).

47. Odd fish in barrier across river as before (6)

Answer: WEIRDO (i.e. “odd fish”). Solution is WEIR (i.e. “barrier across river”) followed by DO (i.e. “as before”, a variant form of “ditto”).

50. Sorry about official decision barring learner (5)

Answer: RUING (i.e. “sorry”). Solution is RULING (i.e. “official decision”) with the L removed (indicated by “barring learner” – L being a recognised abbreviation thereof, e.g. on L-plates).

51. Conservative hooligan showing political muscle? (5)

Answer: CLOUT (i.e. “political muscle”). Solution is C (a recognised abbreviation of “Conservative”) followed by LOUT (i.e. “hooligan”).

52. Mabinogion character: sup up! (4)

Answer: ENID (i.e. “Mabinogion character”, from Geraint and Enid, one of the Three Welsh Romances of the Mabinogion, a collection of medieval Welsh stories). Solution is DINE (i.e. “sup” – can be taken as a shortened form of “supper”) reversed (indicated by “up” – this being a down clue).