Times Jumbo Cryptic Crossword 1694

A decent enough Jumbo that sadly managed to trigger some big bugbears of mine. Seriously peeps, stop mainlining The Bard. It’s not healthy. Anyway, the countdown now stands at 9 Jumbos to go.

Now that the competition deadline has long-since passed you can find my completed grid below along with explanations of my solutions where I have them. I hope you find them useful. If a recent Jumbo has done you a wrong un then you might find my Just For Fun page of use, where you’ll find links to solutions to hundreds of the things.

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

LP

The case for the prosecution

Across clues

1. Strut for instance extended across wood (6)

Answer: SASHAY (i.e. to “strut”). Solution is SAY (i.e. “for instance”) wrapped around or “extended across” ASH (i.e. variety of “wood”), like so: S(ASH)AY.

4. Robust second wine, measure of its strength? (10)

Answer: SHOCKPROOF (i.e. “robust”). Solution is S (a recognised abbreviation of “second”) followed by HOCK (i.e. type of “wine”) and PROOF (i.e. “measure of [wine’s] strength”).

10. Suggested delicacy one has filled (5)

Answer: TACIT (i.e. “suggested”). Solution is TACT (i.e. “delicacy” in negotiation) wrapped around or “filled” with I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”), like so: TAC(I)T.

14. Cigarette lit, fire heartlessly put out (6,3)

Answer: FILTER TIP (i.e. “cigarette”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “out”) of LIT FIRE and PUT once its middle letter has been removed (indicated by “heartlessly”).

15. Concept about country in South Africa regulating process (13)

Answer: NORMALISATION (i.e. “regulating process”). Solution is NOTION (i.e. “concept”) wrapped “about” MALI (i.e. “country”) once this has first been placed “in” RSA (short for Republic of “South Africa”), like so: NO(R(MALI)SA)TION.

16. Lighter game (7)

Answer: PONTOON. Solution satisfies “lighter” – both being a type of boat – and a card “game”.

17. Effective narration (7)

Answer: TELLING. Solution satisfies “effective” and “narration”.

18. Pose adopted by boy in a state? (7)

Answer: ALASKAN (i.e. US “state”). Solution is ASK (i.e. to “pose”, say, a question) placed in or “adopted by” ALAN (i.e. “boy’s” name), like so: AL(ASK)AN.

19. Huge flier off course, rare bird on course? (9,9)

Answer: WANDERING ALBATROSS (i.e. “huge flier”). Solution is WANDERING (i.e. “off course”) followed by ALBATROSS (i.e. “rare bird on course”, scoring a three under par on a single hole of a golf course).

21. Higher than the first sixteen characters? (4)

Answer: ATOP (i.e. “higher than”). When written as A TO P the solution also satisfies “the first sixteen characters” of the alphabet.

24. Principled observance declared? (5)

Answer: RIGHT (i.e. “principled”). Solution is a homophone (indicated by “declared”) of RITE (i.e. “observance”).

26. Take it in your own hands and chill out! (3,1,4)

Answer: GET A GRIP. Solution satisfies “take it in your own hands” and a directive to “chill out”.

27. Have the temerity to bring in European regulation where Dover is (8)

Answer: DELAWARE (i.e. “where Dover is” in the US). Solution is DARE (i.e. “have the temerity”) wrapped around or “bringing in” E (a recognised abbreviation of “European”) and LAW (i.e. “regulation”), like so: D(E-LAW)ARE.

29. A border sign breaking three times now (2,3,6)

Answer: AT THE MOMENT (i.e. “now”). Solution is A followed by HEM (i.e. “border”) and OMEN (i.e. “sign”) once these latter two have been placed in or “breaking” T, T and T (i.e. “three times” – T being a recognised abbreviation of “time”), like so: A-TT(HEM-OMEN)T.

30. Stomach after lemon chicken (11)

Answer: YELLOWBELLY (i.e. coward or “chicken”). Solution is BELLY (i.e. “stomach”) placed “after” YELLOW (i.e. “lemon”), like so: YELLOW-BELLY.

32. Smashing up of gate amuses a pig, perhaps (7,4)

Answer: SAUSAGE MEAT (i.e. “pig, perhaps” – other types of sausage are available). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “smashing up of”) of GATE AMUSES A.

35. Certain kennels benefit hot dog! (6,5)

Answer: BASSET HOUND (i.e. “dog”). Solution is BOUND (i.e. “sure” to) wrapped around or “kennelling” ASSET (i.e. “benefit”) and H (a recognised abbreviation of “hot” used on water taps), like so: B(ASSET-H)OUND.

37. Box opened by one with black key (5,3)

Answer: SPACE BAR (i.e. “key” on a computer keyboard or typewriter). Solution is SPAR (i.e. to “box”) wrapped around or “opened by” ACE (i.e. “one” on a playing card) and B (a recognised abbreviation of “black” used in chess), like so: SP(ACE-B)AR.

39. Perhaps ticker in particular good before brief turns (3,5)

Answer: EGG TIMER (i.e. “perhaps ticker”). Solution is EG (i.e. “in particular”, or for example) followed by G (a recognised abbreviation of “good”) and REMIT (i.e. “brief”) once this latter has been reversed (indicated by “turns”), like so: EG-G-TIMER.

40. Deck held in casino, it appearing to the left (5)

Answer: PATIO (i.e. “deck”). “Held in” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, while “appearing to the left” indicates the solution has been reversed, this being an across clue, like so: CASIN(O IT AP)PEARING.

43. Playwright confident in speech? (4)

Answer: George Bernard SHAW (i.e. “playwright”). Solution is a homophone (indicated by “in speech”) of SURE (i.e. “confident”).

44. Macbeth’s life identity: a ballad too stupid? (1,4,4,2,2,5)

Answer: A TALE TOLD BY AN IDIOT (i.e. “Macbeth’s life”, a soliloquy from Billy Shakespeare’s Macbeth where Macca bemoans his lot, saying of life that “it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing”. Yup. Welcome to the universe). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “stupid”) of IDENTITY A BALLAD TOO. You know the drill – the merest whiff of Billy Shakespeare in a Jumbo is an instant kill for me.

47. Incompetent type, one blowing something out of proportion, ultimately (7)

Answer: BUNGLER (i.e. “incompetent type”). Solution is BUGLER (i.e. “one blowing something”) wrapped around or “out of” N (i.e. “proportion, ultimately”, i.e. the last letter of “proportion”), like so: BU(N)GLER.

48. Tender secretary at length scrubbing back (7)

Answer: PAINFUL (i.e. “tender”). Solution is PA (i.e. “secretary”, or Personal Assistant) followed by IN FULL (i.e. “at length”) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “scrubbing back”), like so: PA-(IN-FUL).

50. Eg plane orbiting Klingon kingdom identified initially – by one of those? (7)

Answer: TREKKIE (i.e. “one of those” who, I guess, can identify “Klingon kingdoms”. I’m a geek of some standing but I never really got into Star Trek). Solution is TREE (i.e. “plane”, a variant definition is a variety of tree) wrapped around or “orbiting” KKI (i.e. “Klingon kingdom identified initially”, i.e. the first letters of “Klingon”, “kingdom” and “identified”), like so: TRE(KKI)E. I get the impression this was one of those solutions the setter regretted putting in the grid the moment they realised they had to write a clue for it.

51. Rendering of a perfect theme in pastoral scene (4,9)

Answer: FÊTE CHAMPÊTRE (i.e. “pastoral scene” – basically a painting of a rural feast or garden party). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “rendering of”) of A PERFECT THEME. The wordplay was fairly obvious, but I knew we were in for an exotic solution fairly early on. Ugh. Whenever I see a French phrase in a Jumbo grid it smacks of a setter smelling their own farts.

52. A bolt screwed into rod one’s pocketed! (4,5)

Answer: POOL TABLE (i.e. “one’s pocketed”, as in possessing pockets). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “screwed”) of A BOLT placed “into” POLE (i.e. “rod”), like so: PO(OLTAB)LE.

53. Mangy spud, by the sound of it? (5)

Answer: TATTY (i.e. “mangy”). Solution is a homophone (indicated by “by the sound of it”) of TATTIE (i.e. “spud”, both informal names for a potato).

54. Standard trick nailing a rudiment of drumming (10)

Answer: PARADIDDLE (i.e. “rudiment of drumming”). Solution is PAR (i.e. “standard”) and DIDDLE (i.e. “trick”) all wrapped around or “nailing” A, like so: PAR-(A)-DIDDLE.

55. Strong programme cut, smoke remains? (3,3)

Answer: FAG END (i.e. cigarette or “smoke remains”). Solution is F (i.e. “strong”, i.e. a recognised abbreviation of “forte” in musical lingo) followed by AGENDA (i.e. “programme”) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “cut”), like so: F-AGEND.

Down clues

1. Political diplomacy in newspaper, paramilitary offensive originally covered by broadcaster (4,5)

Answer: SOFT POWER (i.e. “political diplomacy”). Solution is FT (i.e. “newspaper”, specifically the Financial Times) and PO (i.e. “paramilitary offensive originally”, i.e. the first letters of “paramilitary” and “offensive”) all placed in or “covered by” SOWER (i.e. “broadcaster”, in this case a sower of seeds), like so: SO(FT-PO)WER.

2. Wobbly thing lets in winter air (6,5)

Answer: SILENT NIGHT (i.e. “winter air”, “air” being taken to mean a song or, in this case, a Christmas carol). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “wobbly”) of THING LETS IN.

3. Solvent, take note, capitalist is bearing up! (7)

Answer: ACETONE (i.e. “solvent”). “Bearing” indicates the clue has been hidden in the clue, while “up” indicates the solution has been reversed – this being a down clue – like so: TAK(E NOTE CA)PITALIST.

5. Go jump in a lake, as might frog? (3,2)

Answer: HOP IT. Solution satisfies “go jump in a lake”, both taken as dismissive phrases, and also “as might frog”.

6. Might prove enchanting framing lovers starting out – might it? (11)

Answer: CANDLELIGHT. The solution satisfies the clue as a whole, though you might have to squint your eyes a bit. It is also CAN (i.e. “might” or may) followed by DELIGHT (i.e. “prove enchanting”) once wrapped around or “framing” L (i.e. “lovers starting out”, i.e. the first letter of “lovers”), like so: CAN-D(L)ELIGHT.

7. Resolve to appear bold in a concrete jungle (11)

Answer: PERTINACITY (i.e. “resolve”). Solution is PERT (i.e. “appear bold”) followed by IN A and CITY (i.e. “concrete jungle”).

8. Greenhouse gas has park warden huffy in the end (8)

Answer: ORANGERY (i.e. “greenhouse”). Solution is O (i.e. “gas”, specifically the chemical symbol of oxygen) followed by RANGER (i.e. “park warden”) and Y (i.e. “huffy in the end”, i.e. the last letter of “huffy”).

9. Day and date to eat chicken, primarily, as – this dish has it! (9)

Answer: FRICASSÉE (i.e. “dish”). Solution is FRI (i.e. “day”, short for Friday) and SEE (i.e. to “date”, romantically) all wrapped around or “eating” C (i.e. “chicken, primarily”, i.e. the first letter of “chicken”) and AS, like so: FRI-(C-AS)-SEE.

10. Roman emperor’s bronze embodying power (6)

Answer: TRAJAN (i.e. “Roman emperor”). Solution is TAN (i.e. “bronze”) wrapped around or “embodying” RAJ (i.e. Indian “power”), like so: T(RAJ)AN. Trajan is also the name of a typeface you could hardly escape in the 2000s, featuring on a shedload of movie posters and book covers.

11. Cherry? Round object sustaining insect (7,4)

Answer: CRICKET BALL (i.e. “cherry”, slang thereof). Solution is BALL (i.e. “round object”) placed after or “sustaining” or supporting – this being a down clue – CRICKET (i.e. “insect”).

12. Projection: all but one in football team active (5)

Answer: TENON (i.e. “projection”). Solution is TEN (i.e. “all but one in football team”, such comprising eleven players) followed by ON (i.e. “active”).

13. Laughing stock, ordinary bloke on feet to welcome king (8,4)

Answer: STANDING JOKE (i.e. “laughing stock”). Solution is JOE (i.e. “ordinary bloke”, after the phrase “ordinary Joe”) placed “on” or after STANDING (i.e. “on feet”) and the whole then wrapped around or “welcoming” K (a recognised abbreviation of “king” used in chess), like so: STANDING-JO(K)E.

20. Word of sympathy received by prophet, understood (8)

Answer: GATHERED (i.e. “understood”). Solution is THERE (i.e. “word of sympathy”, as in “there, there”) placed in or “received by” GAD (i.e. a “prophet” of The Bible), like so: GA(THERE)D.

22. Drunk sizing up a pasty? (3-4)

Answer: PIE-EYED. Solution satisfies “drunk” and, playfully, “sizing up a pasty”.

23. Meat cut, a doctor and companion tucked in (4,4)

Answer: LAMB CHOP (i.e. “meat”). Solution is LOP (i.e. “cut”) wrapped around or “tucking in” A, MB (i.e. “doctor”, specifically a Medicinae Baccalaureus or Doctor of Medicine) and CH (i.e. “companion”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of a Companion of Honour), like so: L(A-MB-CH)OP.

25. Peg, callous sister upset youngster (8)

Answer: TEENAGER (i.e. “youngster”). Solution is TEE (i.e. a golf ball support or “peg”) followed by REGAN (i.e. “callous sister” from Billy Shakespeare’s King Lear) once this has been reversed (indicated by “upset” – this being a down clue), like so: TEE-NAGER. BOOM!!! DOUBLE SHAKESPEARE!!! Because sure, why not? You’ve already killed this week’s Jumbo by shoehorning in history’s only playwright (43a notwithstanding). It’s not as if you can kill something twice. Unless, of course, I knock two off the countdown rather than one… hmm.

28. Quiet moment in corporation, activists quickly dispersing (5,3)

Answer: FLASH MOB (i.e. a once-popular activity where seemingly random strangers come together to perform a dance routine, which is recorded and uploaded to social media in the hope of scoring a viral hit. Participants then bugger off, which gets you your “activists quickly dispersing”). Solution is SH (i.e. “quiet”) and MO (short for a “moment”) both placed “in” FLAB (i.e. “corporation” – we see this so often now it’s almost becoming a cliché itself: a variant meaning of corporation is a pot belly), like so: FLA(SH-MO)B.

29. Missing intro, musical group provides backing (7)

Answer: ASSISTS (i.e. “provides backing”). Solution is BASSISTS (i.e. “musical group”) with the first letter removed (indicated by “missing intro”).

31. Spillage of tear, or novice crying over spilt milk? (12)

Answer: OVERREACTION (i.e. “crying over spilt milk”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “spillage of”) of TEAR OR NOVICE.

33. Looking at wall, where ladder goes in a difficult position? (2,7,2)

Answer: UP AGAINST IT. Solution satisfies “looking at wall, where ladder goes” and “in a difficult position”.

34. Mean and ready for bare-knuckle fight? (5-6)

Answer: TIGHT-FISTED. Solution satisfies “mean” or miserly, and, playfully, “ready for bare-knuckle fight”.

35. Having experienced a close shave, tie felt different going in front (11)

Answer: BATTLEFIELD (i.e. “front”). Solution is BALD (i.e. “having experienced a close shave”) wrapped around or having “in” an anagram (indicated by “different”) of TIE FELT, like so: BA(TTLEFIE)LD.

36. Nub: link with heat that’s off, not on (11)

Answer: UNTHINKABLE (i.e. “not on”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “that’s off”) of NUB LINK and HEAT.

38. Where nation goes for oath on page, poisonous stuff (9)

Answer: AFTERDAMP (i.e. “poisonous stuff” in coal mines). Solution is AFTER DAM (i.e. “where nation goes for oath”, i.e. how “nation” is placed AFTER DAM to get the word DAMNATION) followed by P (a recognised abbreviation of “page”).

41. Getting better marks coming in last? (2,3,4)

Answer: ON THE MEND (i.e. “getting better”). Solution is M (a recognised abbreviation of “marks”, the former currency of Germany) placed in or “coming in” ON THE END (i.e. “last”), like so: ON-THE-(M)-END.

42. Pulp eaten by bird, sticky thing (8)

Answer: FLYPAPER (i.e. “sticky thing”). Solution is PAP (i.e. mash or “pulp”) placed in or “eaten by” FLYER (i.e. “bird”), like so: FLY(PAP)ER.

45. Cooler leader in actuality behind a web of deceit? (4,3)

Answer: ICED TEA (i.e. “cooler”). Solution is A (i.e. “leader in actuality”, i.e. the first letter of “actuality”) placed “behind” an anagram (indicated by “a web of” – weak, but I can see the temptation of its use) of DECEIT, like so: ICEDTE-A.

46. Spirited opening of performance, promising (6)

Answer: PLUCKY (i.e. “spirited”). Solution is P (i.e. “opening of performance”, i.e. the first letter of “performance”) followed by LUCKY (i.e. “promising” – again, weak. You could perhaps make an argument for “likely to turn out well” (Chambers), but you might need Perry Mason on your team to make it stick).

47. Suit: fine one, choice clothes (5)

Answer: BEFIT (i.e. “suit”). Solution is F (a recognised abbreviation of “fine” used in grading pencils) and I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”) both placed in or “clothed” by BET (i.e. “choice” – and once again this is too weak for me. I guess when you’re placing a bet you’re making a choice, but they’re not especially interchangeable), like so: BE(F-I)T.

49. Part of jacket, copy reading between the lines? (5)

Answer: LAPEL (i.e. “part of jacket”). Solution is APE (i.e. to imitate or “copy”) placed “between” L and L (both recognised abbreviations of “line”), like so: L(APE)L.