Times Jumbo Cryptic Crossword 1682

A medium strength Jumbo with enough stuffy Times Crossword clichés to knock another from the countdown. 18 Jumbos to go.

Now that the competition deadline has passed here is my completed grid along with explanations of my solutions where I have them. I hope you find them helpful. If a recent Jumbo has done your nut 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 the input and patience. Till next time, stay safe out there kids.

LP

The case for the prosecution

Across clues

1. Robust compilers are going to do our job (4-3)

Answer: WELL-SET (i.e. “robust”). When written as WE’LL SET the solution also satisfies “compilers are going to do our job”, from the point of view of the setter.

5. Mixed drink prior to winning fight (5-2)

Answer: PUNCH-UP (i.e. “fight”). Solution is PUNCH (i.e. “mixed drink”) followed by UP (i.e. “winning”, as in being 1-0 up in football).

9. Kelly, in films, gets a lot of credit dealing with make-up (7)

Answer: GENETIC (i.e. “dealing with make-up” of one’s DNA). Solution is GENE (i.e. “Kelly, in films”) followed by TICK (i.e. “credit”, or delayed purchase) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “a lot of…”), like so: GENE-TIC.

13. Eating around 6, party first in restaurant sent back staff to find water (8,3)

Answer: DIVINING ROD (i.e. “staff to find water”). Solution is DINING (i.e. “eating”) wrapped “around” VI (i.e. “6” expressed in Roman numerals). This is then followed by DO (i.e. “party”) and R (i.e. “first [letter] in restaurant”) once these have been reversed (indicated by “sent back”), like so: DI(VI)NING-(R-OD).

14. Place for rolls of cash head of bank takes out (11)

Answer: BREADBASKET (i.e. “place for rolls”). Solution is BREAD (slang for “cash”) followed by B (i.e. “head of bank”, i.e. the first letter of “bank”), then an anagram (indicated by “out”) of TAKES, like so: BREAD-B-ASKET.

15. Match about to occupy a long time (5)

Answer: AGREE (i.e. “match”). Solution is RE (i.e. “about” or regarding – think emails) placed in or “occupying” AGE (i.e. “a long time”), like so: AG(RE)E.

16. Under most stress, and kind of cross before ordeal (7)

Answer: TAUTEST (i.e. “under most stress”). Solution is TAU (i.e. “kind of cross”, specifically a T-shaped one – thank you, Chambers) followed by TEST (i.e. “ordeal”).

17. Embroider an accessory worn by son after little drink (9)

Answer: DRAMATISE (i.e. to “embroider” or add fictitious detail to). Solution is A TIE (i.e. “an accessory”) wrapped around or “worn by” S (a recognised abbreviation of “son”). This is all then placed “after” DRAM (i.e. “little drink”), like so: DRAM-(A-TI(S)E).

18. Player, who, to resolve a pay dispute, made the issue vanish? (3,4,5,2,7)

Answer: THE PIED PIPER OF HAMELIN. Solution satisfies the clue as a whole, taking “issue” to mean children. In the story, the Pied Piper plays his pipe to lure rats away from the town of Hamelin. When he is not paid for his work, he takes revenge by playing his pipe to lure the kids away too.

23. Periodically scratched plain carpet is free (8)

Answer: LIBERATE (i.e. “free”). Solution is LI (i.e. “scratched plain”, i.e. every other letter of PLAIN) followed by BERATE (i.e. to “carpet” or reprimand).

25. Is it wrong to oust leaders in firm? (6)

Answer: STRONG (i.e. “firm”). Solution is IS IT WRONG once the first letters or “leaders” of each word have been removed or “ousted”.

27. Make invalid discern changes (7)

Answer: RESCIND (i.e. “make invalid”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “changes”) of DISCERN.

30. Accountants beside old tree (5)

Answer: CACAO (i.e. a variety of “tree”). Solution is CA and CA (i.e. “accountants” both, short for Chartered Accountant) followed by O (a recognised abbreviation of “old”).

32. From Virginia, book somewhere to stay in Florida (7)

Answer: ORLANDO. Solution satisfies “from Virginia [Woolf], book”, and a city or “somewhere to stay in Florida”. Was tempted to slap a classic novel demerit against this, but the clue does at least offer multiple paths to the solution.

33. The writer’s letter has no information – it may provoke a defensive reaction (9)

Answer: IMMUNOGEN (i.e. “it may provoke a defensive reaction”). Solution is I’M (i.e. “the writer’s”, taken to be a contraction of “the writer is” rather than a possessive – from the point of view of the setter this equates to I AM, the contraction thereof being I’M) followed by MU (i.e. twelfth “letter” of the Greek alphabet), then NO and GEN (i.e. “information”).

35. Doctor loves catching European opera (9)

Answer: RIGOLETTO (i.e. “opera” by Giuseppe Verdi). Solution is RIG (i.e. to manipulate or “doctor”) followed by O and O (both “loves”, being zero scores in tennis) once these have been wrapped around or “catching” LETT (i.e. a “European”, specifically one from Latvia), like so: RIG-O(LETT)O. Okay, this is exactly what I mean when I say I’m bored of Times setters’ general refusal to accommodate more modern culture in their grids. Do you want to know how often RIGOLETTO has been an answer in Jumbo Cryptics? Try grid 1651, back at the start of the year. Or grid 1516. Or grid 1500. “Oh, come on, Mr Poll”, I hear you saying. “That’s only four times over three years.” Okay, how about LA DONNA È MOBILE, an aria from said opera? Grid 1591 and grid 1564 before it, in case you were wondering. Look, I get it. It’s a famous opera. You’ve got hard-ons for this stuff. I don’t. I prefer to get my rocks off in other, far cooler ways. Have a music demerit. Beethoven is very, very disappointed in you.

36. One helping criminal venture featured in 18 letters (7)

Answer: ABETTER (i.e. “one helping criminal”). I’m not 100% sure what the setter is playing at in the remainder of the clue, but the traditional Irish alphabet has 18 letters and is called aibítir, which is quite similar. (Pats Google on the head. There’s a good Google.)

37. Punch yobbo roughly to start with (5)

Answer: CLOUT (i.e. “punch”). Solution is LOUT (i.e. “yobbo”) with C (i.e. “roughly”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of “circa”) placed “to start with”, like so: C-LOUT.

38. Making fast run beset by sound of farm animals (7)

Answer: MOORING (i.e. “making fast”). Solution is R (a recognised abbreviation of “run”) placed in or “beset by” MOOING (i.e. “sound of farm animals”), like so: MOO(R)ING.

40. Car in front of Escort, say (6)

Answer: ESTATE (i.e. “car”). Solution is E (i.e. “front of Escort”, i.e. the first letter of “Escort”) followed by STATE (i.e. “say”).

41. Somewhere sailors may be, smuggling ecstasy and crack (3-5)

Answer: ONE-LINER (i.e. “crack” or joke). Solution is ON LINER (i.e. “somewhere sailors may be”) wrapped around or “smuggling” E (slang name of the drug “ecstasy”), like so: ON-(E)-LINER.

44. Child holding new suit strangely ends cartoon film (4,6,3,8)

Answer: KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS (i.e. 1949 “film”). Solution is KID (i.e. “child”) wrapped around or “holding” N (a recognised abbreviation of “new”) and followed by HEARTS (i.e. “suit” in a deck of cards). This is all then followed by an anagram (indicated by “strangely”) of ENDS CARTOON, like so: KI(N)D-HEARTS-ANDCORONETS. I’m going to feel shitty doing this as I do love me some Ealing comedy – The Man In The White Suit is one of my favourite films – but if I’m railing against Times setters resolutely ignoring modern popular culture then a 75-year-old film is going to attract my Eye of Sauron. Demerit time.

48. Feeling less energy after playing hit song (6,3)

Answer: NUMBER ONE (i.e. “hit song”). Solution is NUMBER (i.e. “feeling less”) followed by E (a recognised abbreviation of “energy”) once first placed “after” ON (i.e. “playing”), like so: NUMBER-(ON-E).

50. Fought in ring: asked to absorb pressure (7)

Answer: OPPOSED (i.e. “fought”). Solution is O (i.e. “ring”) followed by POSED (i.e. “asked”) once wrapped around or “absorbing” P (a recognised abbreviation of “pressure”), like so: O-P(P)OSED.

53. Targeting property of popular American rock band (2,3)

Answer: IN REM (i.e. against a thing, or “targeting property”). Solution is IN (i.e. “popular”) followed by REM (i.e. “American rock band”). Good to see something a little more up-to-date in the Jumbo. What a pity then that Latin is another tired Times cliché. Have another demerit.

54. Court winner being successful in attempt (7,4)

Answer: PASSING SHOT (i.e. “court winner”, referring to a shot that defeats a tennis opponent). Solution is PASSING (i.e. “being successful” or making the grade) followed by SHOT (i.e. “attempt”).

55. Vague insinuations heard – they get harder to hear (11)

Answer: DIMINUENDOS (i.e. “they get harder to hear” in musical lingo). Solution is DIM (i.e. “vague”) followed by a homophone (indicated by “heard”) of INNUENDOS (i.e. “insinuations”), like so: DIM-INUENDOS. Musical lingo is another cliché in Jumbos, so here comes angry Beethoven again.

56. London university splitting gas particle (7)

Answer: NUCLEON (i.e. “particle”). Solution is UCL (i.e. “London university”, specifically University College London) placed in or “splitting” NEON (i.e. “gas”), like so: N(UCL)EON.

57. Arrive earlier than partner, gutted by online assignation? (7)

Answer: PREDATE (i.e. “arrive earlier than”). Solution is PR (i.e. “partner, gutted”, i.e. the word “partner” with all its middle letters removed) followed by E-DATE (i.e. “online assignation”, playfully speaking, as in how e- is often a prefix used to denote something online. An assignation, meanwhile, is “an appointment to meet, used chiefly of clandestine meetings between lovers and mostly with disapproval” (Chambers)).

58. Flamboyant winger and token supporter of match (4,3)

Answer: BEST MAN (i.e. “supporter of match”, referring to a wedding). Solution is George BEST (i.e. “flamboyant winger” formerly of Manchester United) followed by MAN (i.e. “token” or playing piece).

Down clues

1. 1980s band welcoming a day in Oxford college (6)

Answer: WADHAM (i.e. “Oxford college”). Solution is WHAM (i.e. “1980s band” – being a child of the 80s I’d count this as modern popular culture, so credit where it’s due) wrapped around or “welcoming” A and D (a recognised abbreviation of “day”), like so: W(A-D)HAM.

2. Small, fast runner always obstructed by obstacle (7)

Answer: LEVERET (i.e. “small, fast runner” – a young hare). Solution is EVER (i.e. “always”) placed in or “obstructed by” – I can’t help this ought to have been “obstructing” – LET (i.e. “obstacle”, an archaic variant meaning seen in a few Jumbos now), like so: L(EVER)ET.

3. Location of websites grasped by visionary poet (9)

Answer: SONNETEER (i.e. “poet”). Solution is ON NET (i.e. “location of websites”) placed in or “grabbed by” SEER (i.e. “visionary”), like so: S(ON-NET)EER.

4. Doctrine unaffected by revolution? (5)

Answer: TENET (i.e. “doctrine”). The rest of the clue plays on how the solution is a palindrome.

5. Coax salesman over petition to limit publicity (8)

Answer: PERSUADE (i.e. “coax”). Solution is REP (i.e. “salesman”) reversed (indicated by “over”) and followed by SUE (i.e. to “petition”) once wrapped around or “limiting” AD (i.e. “publicity”), like so: PER-SU(AD)E.

6. Jog, say, with horse heading north (5)

Answer: NUDGE (i.e. “jog” or to push with one’s elbow). Solution is EG (i.e. “say”, after the Latin exempli gratia) and DUN (i.e. a dun-coloured “horse”) all reversed (indicated by “heading north” – this being a down clue), like so: NUD-GE.

7. Colour lines somewhat regular (7)

Answer: HABITUÉ (i.e. a “regular”, say, at a pub). Solution is HUE (i.e. “colour”) wrapped around or “lining” A BIT (i.e. “somewhat”), like so: H(A-BIT)UE.

8. Point legal duty out – one may do so in court (5,3,6)

Answer: PLEAD NOT GUILTY (i.e. “one may do so in court”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “out”) of POINT LEGAL DUTY.

9. Rising mist round delta area by the River Don (9)

Answer: GODFATHER (i.e. “don”, both slang descriptions of Mafia bosses). Solution is FOG (i.e. “mist”) reversed (indicated by “rising” – this being a down clue) and wrapped “round” D (“delta” in the phonetic alphabet). This is then followed by A (a recognised abbreviation of “area”), then THE and R (a recognised abbreviation of “river”), like so: GO(D)F-A-THE-R.

10. Nearly ignoring nobleman recalling sight seen on safari? (5)

Answer: NYALA (i.e. “sight seen on safari”). Solution is NY (i.e. “nearly ignoring nobleman”, i.e. the word NEARLY with the EARL removed) followed by A LÁ (i.e. “recalling” or in the manner of, from the French).

11. Swallow vermouth, dishonest over drink? Don’t object (4,2,5,4)

Answer: TAKE IT LYING DOWN (i.e. “don’t object”). Solution is TAKE IT (i.e. “swallow vermouth” – “It” is a recognised abbreviation of Italian vermouth) followed by LYING (i.e. “dishonest”) and DOWN (i.e. to “drink”).

12. Caught heron hiding head in wooden box with strings (7)

Answer: CITTERN (i.e. “wooden box with strings”, a stringed instrument. If you thought this was a rubbish descriptor, you weren’t alone. Do a Google image search. Doesn’t look very boxy, does it?) Solution is C (a recognised abbreviation of “caught” used in some ball games) followed by BITTERN (i.e. “heron”) once its first letter has been removed (indicated by “hiding head”), like so: C-ITTERN.

19. One books trio playing religious music (7)

Answer: INTROIT (i.e. “religious music”, specifically “the anthem sung at the beginning of Mass” (Chambers)). Solution is I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”) followed by NT (i.e. “books”, specifically the New Testament of The Bible) and an anagram (indicated by “playing”) of TRIO, like I-NT-RIOT. Religion is another Jumbo cliché I’d quite happily ridicule, but given some adherents get a little, er… touchy, shall we say?… then I’m probably better to leave it alone.

20. Official not losing heart after mean answer (9)

Answer: INTENDANT (i.e. “official”). Solution is NT (i.e. “not losing heart”, i.e. the word “not” with its middle letter removed) placed “after” INTEND (i.e. “mean”) and A (a recognised abbreviation of “answer”, as in Q&A), like so: (INTEND-A)-NT.

21. Like some lodges with family members in charge (7)

Answer: MASONIC (i.e. “like some lodges”). Solution is MA and SON (i.e. “family members” both) followed by IC (a recognised abbreviation of “in charge”).

22. Return strange material for jewellery (8)

Answer: ELECTRUM (i.e. “material for jewellery”, specifically an alloy of gold and silver). Solution is ELECT (i.e. to “return” an MP to office) followed by RUM (i.e. “strange”).

24. What creates atmosphere in stadium: header for Man United saved by defender thus (10,5)

Answer: BACKGROUND MUSIC (i.e. “what creates atmosphere”). Solution is GROUND (i.e. “stadium”), M (i.e. “header for Man”, i.e. the first letter of “Man”) and U (a recognised abbreviation of “united”) all placed in or “saved by” BACK (i.e. “defender”) and SIC (i.e. “thus” in Latin), like so: BACK-(GROUND-M-U)-SIC.

26. Solo number coming up – do badly with notes (2,4,3)

Answer: ON ONE’S TOD (i.e. “solo”). Solution is NO (short for “number”) reversed (indicated by “coming up” – this being a down clue) and followed by an anagram (indicated by “badly”) of DO and NOTES, like so: ON-ONESTOD.

28. Alter tune – dare to get a remix (8)

Answer: DENATURE (i.e. “alter” or “remix”, you could make an argument for both). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “alter” or “remix”, ditto) of TUNE DARE.

29. After a couple of litres, that man’s in public dance in a state (3,4,3,4)

Answer: ALL OVER THE SHOP (i.e. “in a state”). Solution is A and LL (i.e. “a couple of litres”, L being a recognised abbreviation thereof). This is then followed by HE’S (i.e. “that man’s”, a contraction of that man is or HE IS) once first placed “in” OVERT (i.e. “public”) and HOP (i.e. “dance”), like so: A-LL-OVERT-(HE’S)-HOP.

31. Time off work for Otto I, hosting king with great natural resources (3-4)

Answer: OIL-RICH (i.e. “with great natural resources”). Solution is TOIL (i.e. “work”) with the T removed (indicated by “time off” – T being a recognised abbreviation of “time”). This and ICH (i.e. “for Otto I”, i.e. the German for “I”) are then wrapped around or “hosting” R (a recognised abbreviation of “king”, after the Latin Rex), like so: OIL-(R)-ICH.

34. Battle knight – try to follow horse (7)

Answer: MARENGO (i.e. 1800 “battle” between France and Austria). Solution is N (a recognised abbreviation of “knight” used in chess) and GO (i.e. a “try” or turn) both placed after or “following” MARE (i.e. “horse”), like so: MARE-(N-GO). Battles are ten-a-penny in Jumbos, so have a History Today meme.

39. Type of rock with gold and jade around Welsh area (9)

Answer: GLAMORGAN (i.e. “Welsh area”). Solution is GLAM (i.e. “type of rock” – again, I’ll take that as being a bit more modern) followed by OR (i.e. “gold” in heraldry) and NAG (i.e. “jade”, a variant meaning being a worn-out horse – a new one on me) once reversed (indicated by “around”), like so: GLAM-OR-GAN.

42. Large, unnerving character showing caution (9)

Answer: LEERINESS (i.e. “caution”). Solution is L (a recognised abbreviation of “large”) followed by EERINESS (i.e. “unnerving”).

43. Eating tonnes occasionally, like French soup (8)

Answer: CONSOMME (i.e. “soup”). Solution is COMME (i.e. “like French”, i.e. the French for “like”) wrapped around or “eating” ONS (i.e. “tonnes occasionally”, i.e. every other letter of TONNES), like so: C(ONS)OMME. Tsk. I have a hard enough time with English let alone French. Have a meme.

44. Maybe one’s bowled over family doctor with case of indigestion (7)

Answer: KINGPIN (i.e. “maybe one’s bowled”, in this case a pin prominently placed at the front in a game of ten-pin bowling). Solution is KIN (i.e. “family”) followed by GP (i.e. “doctor”, specifically a General Practitioner) and IN (i.e. “case of indigestion”, i.e. the first and last letters of “indigestion”).

45. Job secured by potentially stout supporter (7)

Answer: APOSTLE (i.e. “supporter”). Solution is POST (i.e. “job”) placed in or “secured by” ALE (i.e. “potentially stout” – other ales are available), like so: A(POST)LE.

46. Bondage deforms elastic (7)

Answer: SERFDOM (i.e. “bondage”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “elastic”) of DEFORMS.

47. Smoke swirling over new elementary particle (1-5)

Answer: K-MESON (i.e. “elementary particle”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “swirling”) of SMOKE followed by N (a recognised abbreviation of “new”), like so: KMESO-N. Made. To. Fit.

49. English team upset the Spanish one away from home (5)

Answer: EXILE (i.e. “one away from home”). Solution is E (a recognised abbreviation of “English”) followed by XI (i.e. “team”, Roman numerals for eleven) and EL (i.e. “the Spanish”, i.e. the Spanish for “the”) once reversed (indicated by “upset” – this being a down clue), like so: E-XI-LE.

51. Vow to turn up dressed in secretary’s platforms (5)

Answer: PODIA (i.e. “platforms”). Solution is I DO (i.e. “vow”) reversed (indicated by “to turn up” – this being a down clue) and placed in or “dressed in” PA (i.e. “secretary” or Personal Assistant), like so: P(OD-I)A.

52. Star turn keeping finale of routine up (5)

Answer: DENEB (i.e. a “star” in the constellation of Cygnus. Search me). Solution is BEND (i.e. “turn”) wrapped around or “keeping” E (i.e. “finale of routine”, i.e. the last letter of “finale”). This is all then reversed (indicated by “up” – again, this being a down clue), like so: D(E)NEB. Another that’s made to fit.