Times Jumbo Cryptic Crossword 1703

Hello, peeps. I hope you all have had a good Christmas and are writing a list of New Year resolutions to break next week. As is tradition, I will be giving up sprouts in 2025. I’ve done really well in previous years (literally all of them). Hopefully I can keep this sprout-free streak going.

Anyway, there was something about a crossword, I believe? Crossword, crossword, crossword… ah yes, here we are. Crikey, the dust on this one! Tut, tut, forgive me, I have been… well, not writing up crossword solutions, clearly. Let’s crack on. Seems we have a few left to write before the year is out.

As the competition deadline for this one passed ages ago, 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 shivered your timbers 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 patience and input, and especially for the kind words as I call time on these Jumbo Cryptic posts. It’s nice to know I’ve helped and entertained. I hope I haven’t put too many noses out of joint. 😀 Till next time, stay safe out there kids.

LP

The case for the prosecution

Across clues

1. Fish extra tasty essentially in small portion (5,4)

Answer: DOVER SOLE (i.e. “fish”). I’m not 100% sure but my solution is OVER (i.e. “extra”) and S (i.e. “tasty essentially”, i.e. the middle letter of “tasty”) both placed “in” DOLE (i.e. a “small portion”), like so: D(OVER-S)OLE. Does “essentially” equate to the dead-centre of a word to you? I’d argue it better suits all the middle letters of a word. Perhaps I’m overthinking it.

6. Persian cleaner’s emergency transport (7)

Answer: MEDEVAC (i.e. “emergency transport”, a contraction of medical evacuation). Solution is MEDE (i.e. “Persian”, specifically one of the people of Media, “an ancient kingdom NW of Persia (corresponding to modern NW Iran)” (Chambers) – early shots fired from this week’s setter. “Crumbs? From my table? Pfff! Away with you”) followed by VAC (i.e. “cleaner”, short for a vacuum cleaner).

10. Knot restraining the Spanish in the hold? (5)

Answer: BELOW (i.e. “in the hold” of a ship). Solution is BOW (i.e. “knot”) wrapped around or “restraining” EL (i.e. “the Spanish”, i.e. the Spanish for “the”), like so: B(EL)OW.

13. BA staff interchanged good correspondence (7)

Answer: POSTBAG (i.e. “correspondence”). Solution is BA and POST (i.e. a “staff”) swapped round or “interchanged” and followed by G (a recognised abbreviation of “good”), like so: (BA-POST)-G => (POST-BA)-G.

14. 1 in 55 obstructing animal rescue (7)

Answer: DELIVER (i.e. “rescue”). Solution is I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”) placed in or “obstructing” LV (i.e. “55”, also expressed in Roman numerals). This is then itself placed in or “obstructing” DEER (i.e. an “animal”), like so: DE(L(I)V)ER.

15. PPE item finished with a fringing of laurel (7)

Answer: OVERALL (i.e. “PPE item”, being an item of Personal Protective Equipment). Solution is OVER (i.e. “finished”) followed by A and LL (i.e. “fringing of laurel”, i.e. the first and last letters of “laurel”).

16. Dear campers: with energy shortage, propane’s used up practically (2,3,7,3,8)

Answer: TO ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES (i.e. “practically”). Solution is TO ALL IN TENTS (i.e. “Dear campers”, taken as a form of address) followed by an anagram (indicated by “up”) of PROPANE’S USED once one of the Es has been removed (indicated by “with energy shortage” – E being a recognised abbreviation of “energy”), like so: TO-ALL-IN-TENTS-ANDPURPOSES. When this appeared last time in grid 1588 the clue was “Toast for campers with goals, virtually”.

17. Scoundrel getting pass for green assistant (6)

Answer: CADDIE (i.e. golf “green assistant”). Solution is CAD (i.e. “scoundrel”) followed by DIE (i.e. to “pass” on).

18. For instance, bone comprises optimum insulating material (8)

Answer: ASBESTOS (i.e. “insulating material”). Solution is AS (i.e. “for instance”) and OS (i.e. a “bone”, anatomically speaking – just in case you thought I was kidding about this week’s setter giving no freebies) all wrapped around or “comprising” BEST (i.e. “optimum”), like so: AS-(BEST)-OS.

19. Sailor in bed rolled edges of cacao leaves (7)

Answer: TOBACCO (i.e. “leaves”). Solution is AB (i.e. “sailor” of Able Bodied rank) placed “in” COT (i.e. “bed”) and the whole then reversed (indicated by “rolled”). This is all then followed by CO (i.e. “edges of cacao”, i.e. the first and last letters of “cacao”), like so: TO(BA)C-CO.

22. Where one is cast as a WWII Commander (10)

Answer: Dwight EISENHOWER (i.e. former US President and “WWII Commander”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “cast”) of WHERE ONE IS.

23. Words at back of US magazine Time for long-term residents (4,8)

Answer: LIFE SENTENCE (i.e. “time for long-term residents”). Solution is SENTENCE (i.e. “words”) placed after or “at back of” LIFE (i.e. “US magazine” of old).

27. Bone sample from hospital useful (5)

Answer: TALUS (i.e. foot “bone”). “Sample from” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, like so: HOSPI(TAL US)EFUL.

29. Takes in Charlie and small bird in retirement (7)

Answer: ASSUMES (i.e. “takes in”). Solution is ASS (i.e. a fool or proper “Charlie”) followed by S (a recognised abbreviation of “small”) and EMU (i.e. “bird”) once these latter two have been reversed (indicated by “in retirement”), like so: ASS-(UME-S).

30. One in tank perhaps a printer when out of joint (8)

Answer: TERRAPIN (i.e. “one in [glass] tank perhaps”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “out of joint”) of A PRINTER.

32. Over-active lover of Zeus with new god (8)

Answer: HYPERION (i.e. “god” of Greek mythology). Solution is HYPER (i.e. “over-active”) followed by IO (i.e. “lover of Zeus”, which, let’s be honest, isn’t saying much. Greek mythology would have you believe Zeus has shagged his way through pretty much everyone and everything in existence. He probably had your mum too) and N (a recognised abbreviation of “new”). It’s fertile ground for writers of all stripes, but Greek mythology often leaves me cold. Demerit time.

34. Register hair in pickled fillet (7)

Answer: ROLLMOP (i.e. a “pickled fillet” of herring). Solution is ROLL (i.e. “register”, e.g. the electoral roll) followed by MOP (slang for “hair”).

36. Hard slippery things might be painful footwear (5)

Answer: HEELS (i.e. “painful footwear”). Solution is H (a recognised abbreviation of “hard” used in grading pencils) followed by EELS (i.e. “slippery things”).

39. Grandly changing silver for United in a generous way (12)

Answer: MUNIFICENTLY (i.e. “in a generous way”). Solution is MAGNIFICENTLY (i.e. “grandly”) with the AG (chemical symbol of “silver”) swapped “for” U (a recognised abbreviation of “united”), like so: M(AG)NIFICENTLY => M(U)NIFICENTLY.

41. Most rough thickets spread across empty estuaries (10)

Answer: SKETCHIEST (i.e. “most rough”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “spread”) of THICKETS wrapped “across” ES (i.e. “empty estuaries”, i.e. the word “estuaries” with all the middle letters removed), like so: SKETCHI(ES)T.

44. Singer brought back separate gin for Roland? (3-4)

Answer: RAT-TRAP (i.e. “gin for Roland”, referencing the 80s kids TV character Roland Rat; a variant meaning of “gin”, meanwhile, is a trap). Solution is RAT (i.e. “singer” or traitor) followed by PART (i.e. “separate”) once this latter has been reversed (indicated by “brought back”).

46. Container joint force west of state uncovered (3,5)

Answer: HIP FLASK (i.e. “container”). Solution is HIP (i.e. anatomical “joint”) followed by F (a recognised abbreviation of “force”) and ALASKA (i.e. US “state”) once its first and last letters have been removed (indicated by “uncovered”), like so: HIP-F-LASK.

48. Editor replacing intro to book to make safe for consumers (6)

Answer: EDIBLE (i.e. “safe for consumers”). Solution is BIBLE (i.e. a “book”. There have been a few books, setter. Just sayin’) with the B (its “intro”) “replaced” by ED (short for “editor”), like so: (B)IBLE => (ED)IBLE.

50. A definition of “Irregularity” in Chambers (11,12)

Answer: VENTRICULAR FIBRILLATION. Solution satisfies the clue as a whole, being a rapid “irregular” heartbeat. The “chambers” of a heart are called ventricles. You get the idea.

53. Protective garment is burnt periodically before match (7)

Answer: SUNSUIT (i.e. “protective garment”). Solution is SUN (i.e. “is burnt periodically”, i.e. every other letter of IS BURNT) followed by SUIT (i.e. to “match”).

54. Drink over in prison mostly good for one’s blood (7)

Answer: NEPOTIC (i.e. “good for one’s blood” – clever, I like it). Solution is TOPE (i.e. to “drink” heavily) reversed (indicated by “over”) and placed “in” NICK (slang for a “prison”) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “mostly”), like so: N(EPOT)IC.

55. Hollow bamboo cut down regularly near city (7)

Answer: BOLOGNA (i.e. “city” in Italy). Solution is BO (i.e. “hollow bamboo”, i.e. the word “bamboo” with all its middle letters removed) followed by LOG (i.e. to “cut down” trees) and NA (i.e. “regularly near”, i.e. every other letter of NEAR).

56. Sluggish speech from doctor with boring instrument (5)

Answer: DRAWL (i.e. “sluggish speech”). Solution is DR (a recognised abbreviation of “doctor”) followed by AWL (i.e. “boring instrument”).

57. Eggs close to grass repelled ungulate (3,4)

Answer: ROE DEER (i.e. “ungulate”). Solution is ROE (i.e. “eggs”) followed by REED (i.e. “grass”) once this has been reversed (indicated by “repelled”).

58. Mistakes spoiled Cleo’s one text message (9)

Answer: SOLECISMS (i.e. “mistakes”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “spoiled”) of CLEO’S followed by I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”) and SMS (i.e. “text message”, short for Short Messaging System), like so: SOLEC-I-SMS.

Down clues

1. Chicago station record framed by Mark (5)

Answer: DEPOT (i.e. “Chicago station”, basically a depot is what they call a bus or train station over in the States). Solution is EP (i.e. “record”, specifically an Extended Play) placed in or “framed by” DOT (i.e. “mark” – ignoring the misleading capitalisation), like so: D(EP)OT.

2. Monitor what initially Stroud Vehicles takes north (6,7,4)

Answer: VISUAL DISPLAY UNIT (i.e. computer screen or “monitor”). The remainder of the clue plays on how the “initials” VDU are reversed (indicated by “takes north” – this being a down clue) and hidden in the clue, like so: STRO(UD V)EHICLES.

3. Revolting skinned birds before large feline (9)

Answer: REBELLION (i.e. “revolting”). Solution is GREBES (i.e. “birds”) with the first and last letters removed (indicated by “skinned”) and the remainder followed by L (a recognised abbreviation of “large”) and LION (i.e. “feline”), like so: REBE-L-LION.

4. Church features in gold with difficulty lifted (6)

Answer: ORGANS (i.e. “church features”). Solution is OR (i.e. “gold” in heraldry) followed by SNAG (i.e. “difficulty”) once reversed (indicated by “lifted”), like so: OR-GANS.

5. Infinity cryptically written as NES (11)

Answer: ENDLESSNESS (i.e. “infinity”). The rest of the clue plays on how the solution, when written as ENDLESS NESS, can get you “NES”, i.e. NESS with the last letter removed.

6. Driver’s shirt grabbed by scraggy lemur (8)

Answer: MULETEER (i.e. “driver”). Solution is TEE (i.e. “shirt”) placed in or “grabbed by” an anagram (indicated by “scraggy”) of LEMUR, like so: MULE(TEE)R.

7. Freak hollow swallows street in Naples (7)

Answer: DEVIANT (i.e. “freak”). Solution is DENT (i.e. “hollow”) wrapped around or “swallowing” VIA (i.e. “street in Naples”, i.e. the Italian for way or a “street”), like so: DE(VIA)NT. “Strada” seems a stronger fit for “street” judging by things like Google Translate, but I know nothing about Italian so I don’t know how far the setter is stretching things here.

8. Greenish coin bearing six horses? (11)

Answer: VIRIDESCENT (i.e. “greenish”). Solution is CENT (i.e. “coin”) placed at the bottom of or “bearing” – this being a down clue – VI (i.e. “six” expressed as Roman numerals) and RIDES (i.e. “horses”), like so: (VI-RIDES)-CENT.

9. Game shot late ultimately for bite to eat (9)

Answer: CROQUETTE (i.e. “bite to eat”). Solution is CROQUET (i.e. “game”) followed by T and E (i.e. “shot late ultimately”, i.e. the last letters of “shot” and “late”).

10. Bishop shoulders barrel we pour intermittently in boozer (7)

Answer: BREWPUB (i.e. “boozer”). In a similar fashion to 8d, the solution is B (a recognised abbreviation of “bishop”) placed at the bottom of or “shouldering” BREWPU (i.e. “barrel we pour intermittently”, i.e. every other letter of BARREL WE POUR), like so: BREWPU-B.

11. Escapes earth rising within bodies of water (5)

Answer: LEAKS (i.e. “escapes”). Solution is LAKES (i.e. “bodies of water”) with the E (a recognised abbreviation of “earth” you don’t often see used in crosswords. Or anywhere else, for that matter. Chambers likes it, mind) “raised” a couple of notches, this being a down clue, like so: LAK(E)S => L(E)AKS.

12. Blimey! Part of wheel and pole articulate (4-6)

Answer: WELL-SPOKEN (i.e. “articulate”). Solution is WELL (i.e. “blimey”, both exclamations) followed by SPOKE (i.e. “part of wheel”) and N (i.e. “pole”, specifically the North Pole – N is a recognised abbreviation of “north”).

17. Chicken at first laid onto warm foil (5)

Answer: CHEAT (i.e. “foil” – honestly I can’t see any overlap between the two words. Chambers doesn’t seem to want to know. No doubt there’ll be some slack-arse dictionary out there that’ll back the setter up). Solution is C (i.e. “chicken at first”, i.e. the first letter of “chicken”) followed by HEAT (i.e. “warm”).

20. Spanners, tin & titanium left always with Jeff? (10,7)

Answer: CANTILEVER BRIDGES (i.e. “spanners”, as in how bridges span two points). Solution is CAN (i.e. “tin”) followed by TI (chemical symbol of “titanium”), L (a recognised abbreviation of “left”), EVER (i.e. “always”) and BRIDGES (i.e. “Jeff”, US actor – a small hint of The Times easing up on certain of its crossword conventions. Usually people would have to be dead before they’re allowed to appear in clues or solutions). The Dude abides.

21. Language really applied to African country (6)

Answer: SOMALI (i.e. “language”). Solution is SO (i.e. “really” or very) followed by MALI (i.e. “African country”).

24. Slight change of units across back of wall (6)

Answer: INSULT (i.e. to “slight”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “change of”) of UNITS wrapped around or placed “across” L (i.e. “back of wall”, i.e. the last letter of “wall”), like so: INSU(L)T.

25. Criticise loud music when first husband’s away (5)

Answer: TRASH (i.e. to “criticise”). Solution is THRASH (i.e. “loud music”) with the “first” H removed (indicated by “husband’s away”, H being a recognised abbreviation of “husband”). Ah, those halcyon days of metal when you could count the number of subgenres on your fingers. These days there are a comical number – over two hundred if you’d give any credence to them, and they’ve all either been coined by music journalists struggling to describe the guttural strains of one metal band afresh from the guttural strains of another, or they have been invented by the bands themselves in an attempt to distinguish their own particular guttural strains from the guttural strains of their peers. More often than not they are little more than cross-pollinations of near-adjacent subgenres with very little new ground broken. But, sure, slap a new label on it and pretend you’re innovating. Good grief, listen to me. I sound like I’m a hundred years old.

26. Note travellers climbing without principles (6)

Answer: AMORAL (i.e. “without principles”). Solution is LA (i.e. musical “note” of the sol-fa scale) and ROMA (i.e. “travellers”) all reversed (indicated by “climbing” – this being a down clue), like so: AMOR-AL.

28. Different females carrying a bundle (5)

Answer: SHEAF (i.e. “bundle”). Solution is SHE and F (i.e. “different females”, the latter a recognised abbreviation thereof) all wrapped around or “carrying” A, like so: SHE-(A)-F.

31. Standing on set with heart of steel (6)

Answer: REPUTE (i.e. “standing”). Solution is RE (i.e. “on” or regarding – think email replies) followed by PUT (i.e. to “set” in place) and E (i.e. “heart of steel”, i.e. the middle letter of “steel”).

33. Cool refusal from Norman city blocking opportunity (11)

Answer: NONCHALANCE (i.e. “cool”). Solution is NON (i.e. “refusal from Norman”, i.e. the French for “no”, the medieval Normans hailing from Normandy) followed by LA (i.e. “city”, in this case Los Angeles) once placed in or “blocking” CHANCE (i.e. “opportunity”), like so: NON-CHA(LA)NCE.

35. Leaves outline of what HS2 does (less so now) (5,6)

Answer: MAKES TRACKS. Solution satisfies “leaves outline” (possibly just “leaves” on its own) and “what HS2 does (less so now)” – the latter referring to the High Speed 2 railway line that was originally going to connect London to Birmingham, Manchester, East Midlands Parkway, Leeds and York, but whose scope has since been cut back. It does baffle me when timelessness is cited as an essential element of The Times Crossword, for example when justifying the same novels from the same Victorian-era novelists appearing again and again, and yet clues like this get allowed. Is anyone going to remember this about HS2 in 50 years’ time? Thought not.

37. He composed king exiting edgy comedy (5)

Answer: Erik SATIE (i.e. “he composed”). Solution is SATIRE (i.e. “edgy comedy”) with the R removed (indicated by “king exiting” – R being a recognised abbreviation of “king” after the Latin Rex). Psst. Guess Satie’s nationality. Go on. Have a guess. This is the Times, remember, so that’ll make it easier. Yes, of course…

38. Better bandaging is made up (10)

Answer: IMPROVISED (i.e. “made up”). Solution is IMPROVED (i.e. “better”) wrapped around or “bandaging” IS, like so: IMPROV(IS)ED.

40. Drug mainly lining gaoler’s storage device (9)

Answer: CAPACITOR (i.e. “storage device”). Solution is ACID (i.e. “drug”) with the last letter removed (indicated by “mainly”) and the remainder placed in or “lining” CAPTOR (i.e. “gaoler”), like so: CAP(ACI)TOR.

42. Labour with dual winch, alternately operated by fluid (9)

Answer: HYDRAULIC (i.e. “operated by fluid”). Solution is HYDRA (i.e. the slaying of which was one of the twelve “labours” of Hercules – I like it, but Greek mythology will always draw a demerit from me) followed by ULIC (i.e. “dual winch, alternately”, i.e. every other letter of DUAL WINCH).

43. Cold Lane maybe starts in the empty ruined arcade (8)

Answer: CLOISTER (i.e. “arcade”). Solution is C (a recognised abbreviation of “cold” used on water taps) followed by LOIS (i.e. “Lane maybe”, referring to a character from the Superman comic series) and TER (i.e. “starts in the empty ruined”, i.e. the first letters of “the”, “empty” and “ruined”).

45. Whale question in exam right at the start (7)

Answer: RORQUAL (i.e. “whale”). Solution is QU (a recognised abbreviation of “question”) placed “in” ORAL (i.e. “exam”). This is all then placed after or having “at the start” of it R (a recognised abbreviation of “right”), like so: R-(OR(QU)AL). Made. To. Fit.

47. Old kipper swimming around crusted item (4,3)

Answer: PORKPIE (i.e. “crusted item”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “swimming around”) of O (a recognised abbreviation of “old”) and KIPPER.

49. Lass biting Chuck in comprehensive (6)

Answer: GLOBAL (i.e. “comprehensive”). Solution is GAL (i.e. “lass”, both slang terms for a young woman) wrapped around or “biting” LOB (i.e. to “chuck” – ignoring the misleading capitalisation), like so: G(LOB)AL.

51. Jack aboard Christopher’s ship fighting artist (5)

Answer: NINJA (i.e. “fighting artist”). Solution is J (a recognised abbreviation of “jack” used in playing cards) placed in or “aboard” NINA (i.e. “Christopher [Columbus]’s ship”), like so: NIN(J)A. One for the history buffs, so…

52. In part, bhuna answers meal choice (5)

Answer: NAANS (i.e. “meal choice” – keema for me, please!) “In part” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, like so: BHU(NA ANS)WERS.