Times Jumbo Cryptic Crossword 1681

A toughie Jumbo that didn’t do too much for me. I was pretty much set against it the moment I realised the setter was nursing a semi for Billy Shakespeare. With sufficient Times Crossword clichés to tip me over the edge, I’m taking one off the countdown. 19 Jumbos to go.

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 given you the willies 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 comments and input. I appreciate the disappointment some of you will feel in my intention to end these posts, but the truth is my life has changed during the last couple of months. I’m single again for the first time in a really long while (like, since Google was barely a thing) and I would like the space to deal with that. If you knew how much time I’ve spent solving and writing up Jumbo solutions over the years then I think you’d feel the same, or at least appreciate how every Jumbo Cryptic that bores me or annoys me makes it harder to continue. I may be back – I’ve said before that Jumbos are a hard habit to break – but once the countdown reaches zero I’d like to focus on me for a while.

Anyway, I’ll leave you with the answers. I’m off to make myself presentable for the singles scene. Do they still call it a ‘scene’ these days? Christ, I’m old. Till next time, stay safe out there kids.

LP

The case for the prosecution

Across clues

1. Limiting volume, I sounded like a nag was ranting (9)

Answer: INVEIGHED (i.e. “was ranting”). Solution is I and NEIGHED (i.e. “sounded like a nag” or horse) all wrapped around or “limiting” V (a recognised abbreviation of “volume”), like so: I-N(V)EIGHED.

6. I have a craft – it’s coming in from islands off Ireland (7)

Answer: ARTISAN (i.e. “I have a craft”). Solution is TIS (i.e. “it’s”, ye-olde-stylee) placed “in” ARAN (i.e. “islands off Ireland”), like so: AR(TIS)AN.

10. Flood market primarily in exchange (5)

Answer: SWAMP (i.e. “flood”). Solution is M (i.e. “market primarily”, i.e. the first letter of “market”) placed “in” SWAP (i.e. “exchange”), like so: SWA(M)P.

13. Translucent material admits brief check of lenses etc (7)

Answer: OPTICAL (i.e. “of lenses etc”). Solution is OPAL (i.e. “translucent material”) wrapped around or “admitting” TICK (i.e. “check”) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “brief”), like so: OP(TIC)AL.

14. One hundred and four at large in Greek city (5)

Answer: CORFU (i.e. “Greek city” on the island of the same name). Solution is C (i.e. “one hundred” as a Roman numeral) followed by an anagram (indicated by “at large” – Chambers offers “at random” as one of the definitions, so fair enough) of FOUR, like so: C-ORFU.

15. Punter’s song, festive one in plain setting (9)

Answer: BARCAROLE (i.e. a gondolier or “punter’s song”). Solution is CAROL (i.e. “festive one”) placed or “set” “in” BARE (i.e. “plain”), like so: BAR(CAROL)E. I was tempted to mark this one down as a musical cliché, but at least the solution was interesting.

16. I appreciate the cameo line before Hamlet enters (3,4,6,4,6)

Answer: FOR THIS RELIEF MUCH THANKS (i.e. “line before Hamlet enters” – Oh good. Billy Shakespeare, history’s only playwright it seems. Imagine my joy). Solution satisfies “I appreciate the cameo”, taking a cameo to be a head or bust carved in relief. Shakespeare gets his own special demerit, the amount of times he features in Jumbos. Here you go.

17. Chinese snack later sent back (3,3)

Answer: WON TON (i.e. “Chinese snack”). Solution is NOT NOW (i.e. “later”) all reversed (indicated by “sent back”).

18. The man’s doughnut-shaped and of a certain age (8)

Answer: HISTORIC (i.e. “of a certain age”). Solution is HIS (i.e. “the man’s”) followed by TORIC (i.e. “doughnut-shaped”).

19. Give reasons for land that’s lost its flatness? (7)

Answer: EXPLAIN (i.e. “give reasons for”). When written as EX-PLAIN the solution playfully satisfies “land that’s lost its flatness”.

22. Greek king’s unnatural russety hue (10)

Answer: EURYSTHEUS (i.e. ancient “Greek king”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “unnatural”) of RUSSETY HUE. Boring. Also, rubbish to have it clued as an anagram. Have a classics demerit.

23. Film developer’s scene with rough cut more overused in audition (12)

Answer: SCRIPTWRITER (i.e. “film developer”). Solution is SC (a recognised abbreviation of “scene” – my Chambers and Oxford don’t want to know, but my Collins Concise backs it up) followed by RIP (i.e. “rough cut”) and a homophone (indicated by “in audition”) of TRITER (i.e. “more overused”).

27. Thanks to the end of Spanish snacks, getting some Italian? (5)

Answer: PASTA (i.e. “some Italian” food, within the context of the clue). Solution is TAPAS (i.e. “Spanish snacks”) with the TA or “thanks” at the front moved “to the end”, like so: (TA)PAS => PAS(TA).

29. For Magritte, this recalled 18 without emotion (3-4)

Answer: ICE-COLD (i.e. “without emotion”). Solution is CECI (i.e. “for Magritte, this”, or the French for “this” – good grief, setter, have another demerit) reversed (indicated by “recalled”) followed by OLD (i.e. “18” – the solution to 18a being HISTORIC), like so: ICEC-OLD.

30. Put in heavy type to give encouragement (8)

Answer: EMBOLDEN. Solution satisfies “put in heavy type” and “to give encouragement”.

32. Nun’s supervisor’s earlier attempts half-forgotten (8)

Answer: PRIORESS (i.e. “nun’s supervisor”). Solution is PRIOR (i.e. “earlier”) followed by ESSAYS (i.e. “attempts”) once its last “half” has been “forgotten”, like so: PRIOR-ESS.

34. Something thorny or horny? (7)

Answer: DILEMMA. The clue plays on two senses of the word, the first being a situation where no course of action is desirable, the second referring to the phrase “horns of a dilemma”, for which Chambers offers: “a form of argument in which the maintainer of a certain proposition is committed to accept one of two propositions each of which contradicts his or her original contention (the argument was called a ‘horned syllogism’, and the victim compared to a man certain to be impaled on one or other of the horns of an infuriated bull, hence the horns of a dilemma)”. Knowing how often things get repeated in Jumbos, it’s almost certain I’ll be copying and pasting that little lot again in the coming weeks!

36. Leftover rice left in a mess (5)

Answer: RELIC (i.e. “leftover”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “in a mess”) of RICE and L (a recognised abbreviation of “left”).

39. Waste of resources potentially nice? Nice and iffy (12)

Answer: INEFFICIENCY (i.e. “waste of resources”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “potentially”) of NICE NICE and IFFY.

41. Fifty per cent of not proven cases debunk sceptic (10)

Answer: UNBELIEVER (i.e. “sceptic”). Solution is UNVERIFIED (i.e. “not proven”) with the back half removed (indicated by “fifty per cent of…”) and the remainder wrapped around or “casing” BELIE (i.e. “debunk”), like so: UN(BELIE)VER.

44. Work statement on leaving prison? (7)

Answer: CANTATA (i.e. musical “work”). When written as CAN TA-TA the solution playfully satisfies “statement on leaving prison”, CAN being slang thereof. Another where I was tempted to award a musical cliché demerit. I probably would have done if the solution was a recent repeat.

46. A time to tease in long rant (8)

Answer: DIATRIBE (i.e. “rant”). Solution is A, T (a recognised abbreviation of “time”) and RIB (i.e. “tease”) all placed “in” DIE (i.e. desire or “long”, as in dying for a pint), like so: DI(A-T-RIB)E.

48. Fixes this before PM starts (6)

Answer: AMENDS (i.e. “fixes”). When written as AM ENDS the solution satisfies “before PM starts”.

50. Hero’s description of uncle, heading off understanding by quiet inner areas of desert? (1,4,2,6,3,7)

Answer: A KING OF SHREDS AND PATCHES (i.e. “hero’s description of uncle” – from Hamlet again. I can imagine the setter feeling pretty pleased that they managed to find two 23-letter quotes from the same play, and, to be fair, that is quite impressive, but Shakespeare is anathema to me. This was always going to draw my ire). Solution is MAKING OF (i.e. “understanding”) with its first letter removed (indicated by “heading off”) and the remainder followed by SH (i.e. “quiet”), then RED (i.e. “inner” – I think this refers to an archery ring immediately outside the bull, coloured red) and SAND PATCHES (i.e. “areas of desert”), like so: AKING-OF-SH-RED-SAND-PATCHES.

53. They’re sliding, as in composition (9)

Answer: GLISSANDI (i.e. “they’re sliding”, plural of the musical term GLISSANDO). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “in composition”) of SLIDING AS. I’m not usually a fan of musical lingo, but this was a good clue. That said, it is a big ol’ Times cliché, so have another demerit.

54. Island deer animated, scratching head and feet (5)

Solution: IAMBI (i.e. “feet”, a division of a line of poetry; an IAMBUS is “a foot of two syllables, a short followed by a long, or an unstressed by a stressed” (Chambers) – prosody is another tired Times cliché. Another demerit). Solution is I (a recognised abbreviation of “island”) followed by BAMBI (i.e. “deer animated”, referring to the Walt Disney film) once its first letter has been removed (indicated by “scratching head”), like so: I-AMBI.

55. Implicate loss of energy in remnant of burning petroleum (7)

Answer: EMBROIL (i.e. “implicate”). Solution is EMBER (i.e. “remnant”) with the latter E removed (indicated by “loss of energy in…” – E being a recognised abbreviation of “energy”) and the remainder followed by OIL (i.e. “petroleum”), like so: EMBR-OIL.

56. Inflexible belief of one who’s dropped litter? (5)

Answer: DOGMA (i.e. “inflexible belief”). When written as DOG MA the solution playfully satisfies “one who’s dropped litter”, taking MA to be an informal reference to a mother.

57. Some echo the advice for a Spitfire (7)

Answer: HOTHEAD (i.e. “spitfire”, ignoring the misleading capitalisation). “Some” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, like so: EC(HO THE AD)VICE.

58. Turn decorated piece of wood after cutting a flower (9)

Answer: GOLDENROD (i.e. a variety of “flower”). Solution is GO (i.e. “turn” or attempt) followed by LADEN (i.e. “decorated”) and ROD (i.e. “piece of wood”) once the A of LADEN has been removed (indicated by “after cutting a”), like so: GO-(LDEN-ROD).

Down clues

1. Type of pot, after a glance at the table (2-3)

Answer: IN-OFF. Solution satisfies the clue as a whole, referring to a snooker or pool shot where the white gets potted after striking another ball. Not seeing anything else more than that.

2. Who’d need nurse on a tiger, very sick? (10,7)

Answer: VETERINARY SURGEON. Another where the solution satisfies the clue as a whole, but is also an anagram (indicated by “sick”) of NURSE ON A TIGER VERY. For all I’ve been wailing on this week’s setter, I have to say this was very well worked.

3. Conspiratorial old Central American is having a laugh? (2,7)

Answer: IN CAHOOTS (i.e. “conspiratorial”). Solution is INCA (i.e. “old Central American”) followed by HOOTS (i.e. “is having a laugh”).

4. Lives in a tree, getting altogether better? (6)

Answer: HOLISM (i.e. the practice of “getting altogether better”, or trying to heal something bodily rather than focusing on a problematic area). Solution is IS (i.e. “lives”) placed “in” HOLM (i.e. “tree”, shortened form of holm-oak, apparently), like so: HOL(IS)M.

5. Infirmity developed, climbing round about base of stomach? (11)

Answer: DECREPITUDE (i.e. “infirmity”). Solution is EDUCED (i.e. “developed”) reversed (indicated by “climbing” – this being a down clue) and wrapped “round” RE (i.e. “about” or regarding – think email replies) and PIT (i.e. “base of stomach”), like so: DEC(RE-PIT)UDE.

6. Rescues by plane runs across 17 yards? (8)

Answer: AIRLIFTS (i.e. “rescues by plane”). Solution is AIRS (i.e. “runs” or broadcasts) wrapped around or “across” LI FT (i.e. “17 yards”, or 51ft expressed as Roman numerals, there being three feet to a yard), like so: AIR(LI-FT)S.

7. Weds follower with nothing for engagement as yet (4,3)

Answer: THUS FAR (i.e. “as yet”). Solution is THUR (i.e. “Weds follower”, shortened form of Thursday) wrapped around or “engaging” SFA (i.e. “nothing”, short for Sweet Fanny Adams among other things), like so: THU(SFA)R.

8. Secured by loan one has, junior court were often used in it? (11)

Answer: SUBJUNCTIVE (i.e. “‘were’ often used in it”. One for the grammarians, this is playing on how the past subjunctive form of ‘be’ is “often” “were”, i.e. I were, you were, and so on. Whoo-hoo, ain’t grammar fun? Anybody? Guys? Hello? Bueller?) Solution is SUB (i.e. a “loan”) and I’VE (a contraction of I have, i.e. “one has”) all wrapped around or “securing” JUN (a recognised abbreviation of “junior”) and CT (ditto “court”), like so: SUB-(JUN-CT)-I’VE.

9. Went short, roughly between 10 and 11 o’clock? (9)

Answer: NORTHWEST (i.e. positionally “between 10 and 11’o clock”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “roughly”) of WENT SHORT.

10. Wreck wee drink with form of potato in it (5,2)

Answer: SMASH UP (i.e. “wreck”). Solution is SUP (i.e. “wee drink”) wrapped around or having “in it” MASH (i.e. “form of potato”), like so: S(MASH)UP.

11. A name written around my nut (5)

Answer: ACORN (i.e. “nut”). Solution is A and N (a recognised abbreviation of “name”) all “written around” COR (i.e. “my”, both exclamations), like so: A-(COR)-N. The clue as a whole also describes what I would imagine is a fairly painful tattoo. Ouch.

12. Agreeable remark reduced rent in food store (10)

Answer: PLEASANTRY (i.e. “agreeable remark”). Solution is LEASE (i.e. “rent”) with its last letter removed (indicated by “reduced”) placed “in” PANTRY (i.e. “food store”), like so: P(LEAS)ANTRY.

17. Give birth with assistance (5)

Answer: WHELP (i.e. “give birth”). Solution is W (a recognised abbreviation of “with”) followed by HELP (i.e. “assistance”).

20. Almost too late when 48, nearly? (2,3,8,4)

Answer: AT THE ELEVENTH HOUR (i.e. “almost too late”). Solution also satisfies “when 48, nearly”, referring to 48a when written as AM ENDS.

21. Bird’s piercing call with a final inversion (6)

Answer: SHRIKE (i.e. “bird”). Solution is SHRIEK (i.e. “piercing call”) once the “final” two letters have been swapped or “inverted”, like so: SHRI(EK) => SHRI(KE).

24. Copper with top off, unusually good for hugs (6)

Answer: CUDDLY (i.e. “good for hugs”). Solution is CU (chemical symbol of “copper”) followed by ODDLY (i.e. “unusually”) once its first letter has been removed (indicated by “with top off”), like so: CU-DDLY.

25. Monarch associated with unbending line? (5)

Answer: RULER. Solution satisfies “monarch” and “associated with unbending line”.

26. Scandi and not American detective lacking conclusion (6)

Answer: NORDIC (i.e. “Scandi”). Solution is NOR (i.e. “and not”) followed by DICK (slang for an “American detective”) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “lacking conclusion”), like so: NOR-DIC.

28. Cold sponge’s bottom needs to be on top (5)

Answer: ALOOF (i.e. “cold”). Solution is LOOFA (i.e. a rough “sponge”) with the A or “bottom” letter placed “on top” – this being a down clue – like so: LOOF(A) => (A)LOOF.

31. What might be uplifting religion without shame (6)

Answer: BRAZEN (i.e. “without shame”). Solution is BRA (i.e. “what might be uplifting”) followed by ZEN (i.e. “religion”).

33. Wasteful species destroy most of the division (11)

Answer: SPENDTHRIFT (i.e. “wasteful”). Solution is SP (a recognised abbreviation of “species”) followed by END (i.e. “destroy”), then THE once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “most of…”), and finally RIFT (i.e. “division”), like so: SP-END-TH-RIFT.

35. Complex fix improving when leads are crossed (4-7)

Answer: MIND-BENDING (i.e. “complex”). Solution is BIND (i.e. “fix”) and MENDING (i.e. “improving”) once the first letters of each, or “leads”, “are crossed”, like so: (B)IND-(M)ENDING => (M)IND-(B)ENDING.

37. Heart in sound body (5)

Answer: CORPS (i.e. a “body” of soldiers, or, more generally, any people with a common interest). Solution is a homophone (indicated by “in sound”) of CORE (i.e. “heart”).

38. Record difficult to hold up for example is released (10)

Answer: DISCHARGED (i.e. “released”). Solution is DISC (i.e. “record”) followed by HARD (i.e. “difficult”) once wrapped around or “holding” EG (i.e. “for example”, from the Latin exempli gratia) reversed (indicated by “up” – this being a down clue), like so: DISC-HAR(GE)D.

40. Singer very loud in linked series – the long and short of it (9)

Answer: CHAFFINCH (i.e. “singer” or songbird). Solution is FF (i.e. “very loud” in musical lingo, short for fortissimo) placed “in” CHAIN and CH (i.e. both “linked series”, the latter being the “shortened” form of the former), like so: CHA(FF)IN-CH.

42. Changeless Malibu met changes (9)

Answer: IMMUTABLE (i.e. “changeless”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “changes”) of MALIBU MET.

43. Taken for granted, carry on after intermission in Palladium (8)

Answer: PRESUMED (i.e. “taken for granted”). Solution is RESUME (i.e. “carry on after intermission”) placed “in” PD (chemical symbol of “palladium” – ignoring the misleading capitalisation), like so: P(RESUME)D.

45. Dignified area in Georgian city (7)

Answer: AUGUSTA (i.e. “Georgian city”, referring to the US state of Georgia, not the country). Solution is AUGUST (i.e. “dignified”) followed by A (a recognised abbreviation of “area”).

47. Brutish games, sporting similar (7)

Answer: APELIKE (i.e. “brutish”). Solution is PE (i.e. “games”, specifically Physical Education) placed in or “sporting” ALIKE (i.e. “similar”), like so: A(PE)LIKE.

49. News agency ring for request (6)

Answer: APPEAL (i.e. “request”). Solution is AP (i.e. “news agency”, specifically Associated Press) followed by PEAL (i.e. “ring”).

51. Somewhat calorific in general, in addition to cake (5)

Answer: ICING (i.e. “addition to cake”). “Somewhat” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, like so: CALORIF(IC IN G)ENERAL.

52. Daughter unfortunately upended dish of vegetables (5)

Answer: SALAD (i.e. “dish of vegetables”). Solution is D (a recognised abbreviation of “daughter”) and ALAS (i.e. “unfortunately”) all reversed (indicated by “upended” – this being a down clue), like so: SALA-D.