Times Jumbo Cryptic Crossword 1697

A medium strength Jumbo that didn’t outstay its welcome, and one that was relatively free of dull Times crossword clichés too. Nice! The countdown therefore remains at 7 Jumbos to go before I wind up these posts.

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 you jiggered then you might find my Just For Fun page of use, where you’ll see links to solutions for 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. Vehicle belonging to officer that stops working (7,6)

Answer: GENERAL STRIKE (i.e. “that stops working”). When written as GENERAL’S TRIKE the solution also satisfies “vehicle belonging to officer”, a TRIKE being an informal name for a tricycle.

8. Release payment (9)

Answer: DISCHARGE. Solution satisfies “release” and “payment”.

13. Bear marks object of symbolic significance (5)

Answer: TOTEM (i.e. “object of symbolic significance”). Solution is TOTE (i.e. to carry or “bear”) followed by M (a recognised abbreviation of “marks”, the former German currency).

14. Laptop camera losing power damaged tablet? (11)

Answer: PARACETAMOL (i.e. “tablet”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “damaged”) of LAPTOP CAMERA once one of the Ps has been removed (indicated by “losing power” – P being a recognised abbreviation of “power”).

15. Reassign motorway area covered by salesman (5)

Answer: REMAP (i.e. “reassign”). Solution is M (a recognised abbreviation of “motorway”) and A (ditto “area”) both placed in or “covered by” REP (i.e. “salesman”), like so: RE(M-A)P.

16. Maxim presumably helping to manage cutting edge technology (6,3)

Answer: COPING SAW (i.e. “cutting edge technology”, playing on a saw cutting). Solution also satisfies “maxim presumably helping to manage”, playing on COPING meaning “managing” and a SAW meaning a motto or “maxim”.

17. Swapping sides in period of military service results in heavy defeat (4)

Answer: ROUT (i.e. “heavy defeat”). Solution is TOUR (i.e. “period of military service”) with the first and last letters or “sides” “swapped”, like so: (T)OU(R) => (R)OU(T).

18. Trainees despatched, having succeeded finally with previous boss (8)

Answer: STUDENTS (i.e. “trainees”). Solution is SENT (i.e. “despatched”) with the S (a recognised abbreviation of “succeeded”) placed at the end or “finally”, like so: (S)ENT => ENT(S). This is then placed after or having “previous” to it STUD (i.e. “boss”), like so: STUD-ENTS.

20. Rather strange hairstyle repulsed attractive person (6)

Answer: ODDISH (i.e. “rather strange”). Solution is DO (i.e. “hairstyle”) reversed or “repulsed” and followed by DISH (i.e. “attractive person”), like so: OD-DISH.

21. Estate manager recognised flower outside English church (8,8)

Answer: OFFICIAL RECEIVER (i.e. “estate manager”). Solution is OFFICIAL (i.e. “recognised”) followed by RIVER (i.e. “flower”, as in how one flows) once wrapped around or placed “outside” of E (a recognised abbreviation of “English”) and CE (i.e. “church”, specifically the Church of England), like so: OFFICIAL-R(E-CE)IVER.

24. Bold expression of gallery pieces in stone (9)

Answer: STATEMENT (i.e. “bold expression”). Solution is TATE (i.e. art “gallery”, favourite of cryptic crossword setters everywhere) and MEN (i.e. chess “pieces”) both placed “in” ST (a recognised abbreviation of “stone”), like so: S(TATE-MEN)T.

26. Home team start to show guts (7)

Answer: INSIDES (i.e. “guts”). Solution is IN (i.e. at “home”) followed by SIDE (i.e. “team”) and S (i.e. “start [letter] to show”).

27. Record almost everything of dreadful quality (5)

Answer: ALBUM (i.e. “record”). Solution is ALL (i.e. “everything”) with its last letter removed (indicated by “almost”) and the remainder followed by BUM (i.e. “of dreadful quality”), like so: AL-BUM.

29. Congress would not be able to pass such a measure (8,4)

Answer: CHASTITY BELT. Solution satisfies the clue as a whole, playing on a definition of “congress” to mean nookie, shagging, playing hide the sausage, rogering, the beast with two backs, a bit of the other, bonking, having it off, and about a billion other euphemisms.

31. Compensate district court with time rather than money ultimately (10)

Answer: COUNTERACT (i.e. “compensate”). Solution is COUNTY (i.e. “district”) and CT (a recognised abbreviation of “court”) with the Y of COUNTY (indicated by “money ultimately”, i.e. the last letter of “money”) swapped for ERA (i.e. “time”), like so: COUNT(Y)-CT => COUNT(ERA)-CT.

33. Board of international organisation keeping united front for Israel is inappropriate (10)

Answer: UNSUITABLE (i.e. “inappropriate”). Solution is UN’S TABLE (i.e. “board of international organisation”, in this case the United Nations) all wrapped around or “keeping” U (a recognised abbreviation of “united”) and I (i.e. “front for Israel”, i.e. the first letter of “Israel”), like so: UN’S-(U-I)-TABLE.

35. One who wastes more than most (6,6)

Answer: SERIAL KILLER. Solution satisfies the clue as a whole, taking “wasting” to mean killing someone.

38. Fresh troops evacuated subway (5)

Answer: SASSY (i.e. “fresh”). Solution is SAS (i.e. “troops”, specifically the Special Air Service) followed by SY (i.e. “evacuated subway”, i.e. the word “subway” with all its middle letters removed).

39. Sick reindeer with docked tail requiring more attention (7)

Answer: NEEDIER (i.e. “requiring more attention”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “sick”) of REINDEER once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “with docked tail”).

40. Imbecile destined to possess brains (9)

Answer: FATHEADED (i.e. “imbecile”). Solution is FATED (i.e. “destined”) wrapped around or “possessing” HEAD (i.e. “brains”), like so: FAT(HEAD)ED.

42. Tolerably polite act of manipulation that helps to build bridges (5,11)

Answer: CIVIL ENGINEERING (i.e. “that helps to build bridges”). Solution is CIVIL (i.e. “tolerably polite”) followed by ENGINEERING (i.e. “act of manipulation”).

44. This may be viewed on the outside of computer’s case (6)

Answer: SCREEN (i.e. “this may be viewed”). Solution is SEEN (i.e. “viewed” – a bit of recycling there) wrapped around or placed on the “outside” of CR (i.e. “computer’s case”, i.e. the first and last letters of “computer”), like so: S(CR)EEN.

47. Pardon me! It’s wrong to mention somebody you know (4-4)

Answer: NAME-DROP (i.e. “mention somebody you know”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “it’s wrong”) of PARDON ME.

49. Upmarket magazine uncovered what’s missing (4)

Answer: LOSS (i.e. “what’s missing”). Solution is GLOSSY (i.e. “upmarket magazine”) with the first and last letters removed (indicated by “uncovered”).

50. Artwork certainly encapsulates pressure inherent in religious belief (9)

Answer: SCULPTURE (i.e. “artwork”). Solution is SURE (i.e. “certainly”) wrapped around or “encapsulating” P (a recognised abbreviation of “pressure”) once this has first been placed “in” CULT (i.e. “religious belief”), like so: S(CUL(P)T)URE.

52. Helping mainly to get a sense of proportion (5)

Answer: RATIO (i.e. “sense of proportion”). Solution is RATION (i.e. portion or “helping”) with the last letter removed (indicated by “mainly”). Be sure to join us next week when this solution gets repeated. Happens all the time.

53. Desperate state of French government’s rules repulsing Conservative (11)

Answer: DESTITUTION (i.e. “desperate state”). Solution is DE (i.e. “of French”, i.e. the French for “of”) followed by CONSTITUTION (i.e. “government’s rules”) once the CON has been removed (indicated by “repulsing Conservative” – CON being a recognised abbreviation thereof), like so: DE-STITUTION. Previous Me would have pounced on this with the Holy Grail “I’m French!” meme, but the use of DE in this way is fairly common across most cryptic crosswords.

54. Refusal to stop membership fee brought about unexpected reward (5)

Answer: BONUS (i.e. “unexpected reward”). Solution is NO (i.e. “refusal”) placed in or “stopping” SUB (i.e. “membership fee”). The whole is then reversed (indicated by “brought about”), like so: B(ON)US.

55. Perverted server of queen seduced by Zeus? (3,6)

Answer: LED ASTRAY (i.e. “perverted”). When written as LEDA’S TRAY the solution also satisfies “server of queen seduced by Zeus”. Leda was a Spartan queen who was seduced – others would say raped – by Zeus while he was… (checks notes) …oh, for goodness sake… while Zeus was disguised as a swan. Let me just run that by you again: she was raped and impregnated by a god… who was disguised as a swan. Pffff. Greek mythology, ladies and gentlemen. Have a classics demerit.

56. Departure gate for vital flight? (9,4)

Answer: EMERGENCY EXIT. Another solution that satisfies the clue as a whole, taking “flight” to mean escape.

Down clues

1. Convey what one must do to reach the other side (3,6)

Answer: GET ACROSS. Solution satisfies “convey” and “what one must do to reach the other side”.

2. Well-known old man stops writer’s block? (7)

Answer: NOTEPAD (i.e. “writer’s block”, taking “block” to be a pad of paper). Solution is NOTED (i.e. “well-known”) wrapped around or “stopped” by PA (i.e. “old man”, both informal names for one’s father), like so: NOTE(PA)D.

3. Evocative piece for theremin is centrepiece (11)

Answer: REMINISCENT (i.e. “evocative”). “Piece for” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, like so: THE(REMIN IS CENT)REPIECE. Nicely worked.

4. What breaks down fat in cheek when beginning to eat? (6)

Answer: LIPASE (i.e. an enzyme, specifically “what breaks down fat”). Solution is LIP (i.e. “cheek” or effrontery) followed by AS (i.e. “when”) and E (i.e. “beginning [letter] to eat”).

5. Bad faith mostly behind cast’s rage (5,1,3)

Answer: THROW A FIT (i.e. “rage”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “bad”) of FAITH once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “mostly”) placed “behind” THROW (i.e. “cast”), like so: THROW-AFIT.

6. Boring relic I smashed is beyond repair (12)

Answer: INCORRIGIBLE (i.e. “beyond repair”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “smashed”) of BORING RELIC I.

7. This fanatic could make us hesitant (10)

Answer: ENTHUSIAST (i.e. “fanatic”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “could make”) of US HESITANT.

8. Demerger of company possibly finishing early in March? (4)

Answer: DEMO (i.e. “march”, short for demonstration). I think this is DEMOB with its last letter removed (indicated by “finishing early”), with DEMOB being a shortened form of DEMOBILISATION, an informal reference to being discharged from the army. Divisions of army regiments are sometimes called companies.

9. Croatian celebrity’s mercurial character (5,11)

Answer: SPLIT PERSONALITY (i.e. “mercurial character”). Solution also playfully satisfies “Croatian celebrity”, SPLIT being Croatia’s second-largest city.

10. Cruel king died at the foot of illustrious man (5)

Answer: HEROD (i.e. “cruel king” of Judea a few thousand years ago). Solution is D (a recognised abbreviation of “died”) placed after or “at the foot of” HERO (i.e. “illustrious man”), like so: HERO-D.

11. Imperial family’s month south of Italian capital (7)

Answer: ROMANOV (i.e. “imperial family” who ruled Russia for over 300 years). Solution is NOV (i.e. “month”, short for November) placed after or to the “south of” – this being a down clue – ROMA (i.e. “Italian capital”, in Italian), like so: ROMA-NOV.

12. Part of camera appearance on television perhaps satisfied former monarch (8,5)

Answer: EXPOSURE METER (i.e. “part of camera”). Solution is EXPOSURE (i.e. “appearance on television perhaps”) followed by MET (i.e. “satisfied”) and ER (i.e. “former monarch”, Elizabeth Regina).

19. Flowers merry widow laid regularly (8)

Answer: GLADIOLI (i.e. “flowers”). Solution is GLAD (i.e. “merry”) followed by IOLI (i.e. “widow laid regularly”, i.e. every other letter of WIDOW LAID).

22. Remove level after end of game (5)

Answer: ERASE (i.e. “remove”). Solution is RASE (i.e. “level”, a variant spelling of RAZE) placed “after” E (i.e. “end [letter] of game”), like so: E-RASE.

23. Court directive’s support reportedly governing organisation (11,5)

Answer: RESTRAINING ORDER (i.e. “court directive”). Solution is REST (i.e. “support”) followed by a homophone (indicated by “reportedly”) of REIGNING (i.e. “governing”), then ORDER (i.e. “organisation”), like so: REST-RAINING-ORDER.

25. Brings together group involved in team assessments (7)

Answer: AMASSES (i.e. “brings together group”). “Involved in” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, like so: TE(AM ASSES)SMENTS.

28. Scrapped qualification overwhelming unprepared learner (7)

Answer: BRAWLED (i.e. “scrapped”). Solution is BED (i.e. “qualification”, specifically a Bachelor of Education) wrapped around or “overwhelming” RAW (i.e. “unprepared”) and L (a recognised abbreviation of “learner”, on L-plates), like so: B(RAW-L)ED.

29. Vehicle regulator announced staff’s important role in experiment (6,7)

Answer: CRUISE CONTROL (i.e. “vehicle regulator”). Solution is a homophone (indicated by “announced”) of CREW’S followed by CONTROL (i.e. “important role in experiment”, being “a scientific experiment performed without variables to provide a standard of comparison for other experiments” (Chambers)).

30. Shot part of news report (8)

Answer: BULLETIN (i.e. “news report”). Solution is BULLET (i.e. “shot”) followed by IN (i.e. “part of”).

32. Look convinced about president’s compulsion to emulate others (4,8)

Answer: PEER PRESSURE (i.e. “compulsion to emulate others”). Solution is PEER (i.e. “look”) and SURE (i.e. “convinced”) all wrapped “about” PRES (a recognised abbreviation of “president”), like so: PEER-(PRES)-SURE.

34. Partially erected folly disturbed charming scene (5)

Answer: IDYLL (i.e. “charming scene”). “Partially” indicates the solution is hidden in the clue, while “erected” indicates the solution has been reversed – this being a down clue – like so: FO(LLY DI)STURBED.

36. Special ban destroyed last of industry inevitably (11)

Answer: INESCAPABLY (i.e. “inevitably”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “destroyed”) of SPECIAL BAN followed by Y (i.e. “last [letter] of industry”), like so: INESCAPABL-Y.

37. Intimate books yielding pleasant embraces (4,6)

Answer: GIVE NOTICE (i.e. “intimate”). Solution is OT (i.e. “books”, specifically the Old Testament of The Bible) placed in or “embraced by” GIVE (i.e. “yielding”) and NICE (i.e. “pleasant”), like so: GIVE-N(OT)ICE.

40. Striking skill involved with boring pastime (9)

Answer: FINISHING (i.e. “striking skill” in a game of football, scoring a goal). Solution is IN (i.e. “involved with”) placed in or “boring” FISHING (i.e. a “pastime”), like so: F(IN)ISHING.

41. What evildoer owes according to Reverend Spooner’s service (6,3)

Answer: DINNER SET (i.e. “service”). Solution is a “Spoonerism” of SINNER DEBT (i.e. “what evildoer owes”).

43. Brought up small child borne by very old daughter (7)

Answer: VOMITED (i.e. “brought up”). Solution is MITE (i.e. “small child”) placed in or “borne by” V (a recognised abbreviation of “very”), O (ditto “old”) and D (ditto ditto “daughter”), like so: V-O-(MITE)-D.

45. Rare event of horse scratching bottom on cow (7)

Answer: EQUINOX (i.e. “rare event”, happening twice a year). Solution is EQUINE (i.e. “of horse”) with the last letter removed (indicated by “scratching bottom”) and the remainder followed by OX (i.e. “cow”), like so: EQUIN-OX.

46. Suddenly attack exciting idea? (4-2)

Answer: TURN-ON. Solution satisfies “suddenly attack” and “exciting idea” – nudge, nudge, wink, wink.

48. Angry with fivefold increase initially in rubbish (5)

Answer: DROSS (i.e. “rubbish”). Solution is CROSS (i.e. “angry”) with the “initial” letter C – 100 expressed as a Roman numeral – “increased fivefold” to D (500), like so: (C)ROSS => (D)ROSS.

51. Notice faculty that’s disputed closure of university (4)

Answer: ESPY (i.e. “notice”). Solution is ESP (i.e. “faculty that’s disputed”, specifically Extra-Sensory Perception) followed by Y (i.e. “closure of university”, i.e. the last letter of “university”).