Times Jumbo Cryptic Crossword 1706

One of those general knowledge Jumbos that is groaning with places, people, the classics and all the kind of stuff that’s fine for the Olav Bjortomts out there but offers thin gruel for the rest of us mere mortals. Still, at least it wasn’t grid 1710, eh? (If you know, you know.)

The competition deadline for this one passed a while ago, so 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 find links to solutions for hundreds of the things.

Thanks again for your patience and kind words as I wrap up these last few Jumbo posts. Till next time, stay safe out there kids.

LP

The case for the prosecution

Across clues

1. Moving against him, the writer succeeded in competition honouring Poseidon (8,5)

Answer: ISTHMIAN GAMES (i.e. Ancient Greek “competition honouring Poseidon” that was held the second and fourth years of an Olympiad). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “moving”) of AGAINST HIM followed by ME (i.e. “the writer” from the point of view of the setter) and S (a recognised abbreviation of “succeeded”), like so: ISTHMIANGA-ME-S. An early statement of intent from this week’s setter. Duly recognised.

8. Negotiator in attempt to gamble? Small point (2-7)

Answer: GO-BETWEEN (i.e. “negotiator”). Solution is GO (i.e. “attempt” or try) followed by BET (i.e. “to gamble”), then WEE (i.e. “small”) and N (i.e. “point” of the compass, short for North).

13. Cast of Brief Encounter (5)

Answer: FLING. Solution satisfies “cast” or throw, and a “brief encounter” or affair.

14. Talk to an eccentric old goat periodically in city (11)

Answer: CHATTANOOGA (i.e. “city” in Tennessee, USA). Solution is CHAT (i.e. “talk”) followed by an anagram (indicated by “eccentric”) of TO AN, then O (a recognised abbreviation of “old”) and GA (i.e. “goat periodically”, i.e. every other letter of GOAT), like so: CHAT-TANO-O-GA.

15. Goldfinger having sport among spooks from the East (5)

Answer: AURIC (i.e. Bond villain “Goldfinger’s” first name). Solution is RU (i.e. “sport”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of Rugby Union) placed “among” CIA (i.e. “spooks”, slang for spies, in this case the Central Intelligence Agency of the US) and the whole then reversed (indicated by “from the East” – this being an across clue), like so: A(UR)IC.

16. Fit pair to be worn by Latvian hunchback (9)

Answer: RIGOLETTO (i.e. titular “hunchback” of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera). Solution is RIG (i.e. to “fit”) followed by OO (i.e. “pair”, in this case referencing a pair of zero-score innings in a cricket test match) once wrapped around or being “worn by” LETT (i.e. a “Latvian”), like so: RIG-O(LETT)O. Rather than write a fresh rant about this, I might as well copy and paste what I said back in grid 1682 only a few months ago.

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.” (Now five times over three-and-a-half 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.

17. Nymph consorting with Zeus evoked memory (4)

Answer: ECHO. Solution satisfies “nymph consorting with Zeus” – as said last time, Greek mythology would have you believe everybody in existence has had it off with Zeus, it’s hardly badge of honour – and also “evoked memory”. Like Dickens, the nymphs of Greek mythology appear to be a theme among Times setters at the moment. Such a shame they’re as boring as every other cliché Times setters fall into.

18. Name that is embracing artistic work? (8)

Answer: CALLIOPE. Solution satisfies the clue as a whole, being the muse of epic poetry in Greek mythology, but also comprises CALL (i.e. “name”) followed by IE (i.e. “that is”, i.e. “i.e.”, short for the Latin id est) once wrapped around or “embracing” OP (i.e. “artistic work”, in this case a recognised abbreviation of “opus”), like so: CALL-I(OP)E. More Greek mythology nonsense. How dull.

20. Built with steeply angled sides, A&E accommodates female sheep (1-5)

Answer: A-FRAME (i.e. a construction “built with steeply angled sides”). Solution is A and E wrapped around or “accommodating” F (a recognised abbreviation of “female”) and RAM (i.e. male “sheep”), like so: A-(F-RAM)-E.

21. Troublemaker co-partner at Vogue sacked (5,11)

Answer: AGENT PROVOCATUER (i.e. “troublemaker”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “sacked”) of CO-PARTNER AT VOGUE.

24. Game’s instruction given to those who’d dump illegally? (3-3-3)

Answer: TIP-AND-RUN (i.e. “game” – over to Chambers: “an informal kind of cricket in which the batsmen must run if they hit the ball”). Written without hyphens the solution also satisfies “instruction given to those who’d dump illegally”.

26. Modernist initially stranded in bog pushed back (1,1,5)

Answer: T S ELIOT (i.e. “modernist” poet). Solution is S (i.e. “initially stranded”, i.e. the first letter of “stranded”) placed “in” TOILET (i.e. “bog”, slang thereof) once reversed (indicated by “pushed back”), like so: T(S)ELIOT. Last week we had his play MURDER IN THE CATHEDRAL. Another theme developing, perhaps?

27. Tribesperson expresses disapproval with India (5)

Answer: TUTSI (i.e. “tribesperson”). Solution is TUTS (i.e. “expresses disapproval”) followed by I (“India” in the phonetic alphabet).

29. Semite near Moroccan location brought round by hospital in city (5,7)

Answer: SANTA BARBARA (i.e. “city” in California, USA). Solution is ARAB (i.e. “Semite”) and RABAT (i.e. “Moroccan location”, specifically its capital city) all reversed (indicated by “brought round”) and placed after or “by” SAN (i.e. “hospital”, short for sanatorium), like so: SAN-(TABAR-BARA).

31. One such as Caiaphas: when drunk he is right to keep quiet (4,6)

Answer: HIGH PRIEST (i.e. “one such as Caiaphas”. Ah yes, the first person that springs to mind when I see the words “high priest”. Well, it would if I knew any high priests to begin with. Not exactly the kind of information one needs to retain in this increasingly secular age). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “when drunk”) of HE IS RIGHT wrapped around or “keeping” P (i.e. “quiet”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of “piano” in musical lingo), like so: HIGH(P)RIEST.

33. Maybe Van Gogh’s content with chronicle being scandalous? (10)

Answer: INCENDIARY (i.e. “scandalous”). Solution is INCEN (i.e. “maybe Van Gogh’s content”, i.e. VINCENT with the start and end letters removed) followed by DIARY (i.e. “chronicle”).

35. Carriage reserved for small charge? (12)

Answer: PERAMBULATOR, or pram. Solution satisfies the clue as a whole, with “small charge” being a playful reference to a baby.

38. At first they were all nervy – finally showing pluck (5)

Answer: TWANG (i.e. “pluck”). Solution is TWAN (i.e. “at first they were all nervy”, i.e. the first letters of “they”, “were”, “all” and “nervy”) followed by G (i.e. “finally showing”, i.e. the last letter of “showing”).

39. Pasta strings, however many? Thousands! (7)

Answer: NOODLES (i.e. “pasta strings”). Solution is N (i.e. “however many”, specifically a variable in mathematics denoting any number) followed by OODLES (i.e. “thousands”).

40. Man’s woman returned chart (9)

Answer: HISTOGRAM (i.e. “chart”). Solution is HIS (i.e. “man’s”) followed by MARGOT (i.e. “woman’s” name) once the latter has been reversed (indicated by “returned”), like so: HIS-TOGRAM.

42. Conservative turncoat in terribly miserable old political group (7,9)

Answer: LIBERAL DEMOCRATS (i.e. “political group” or party). Solution is C (a recognised abbreviation of “Conservative”) and RAT (i.e. traitor or “turncoat”) both placed “in” an anagram (indicated by “terribly”) of MISERABLE OLD, like so: LIBERALDEMO(C-RAT)S.

44. Image of body shown in court, endlessly deficient (2,4)

Answer: CT SCAN (i.e. “image of body”). Solution is CT (a recognised abbreviation of “court”) followed by SCANT (i.e. “deficient”) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “endlessly”).

47. Prickly plant in a container like this (8)

Answer: ACANTHUS (i.e. “prickly plant”). Solution is A followed by CAN (i.e. “container”) and THUS (i.e. “like this”).

49. Addict taken in because reoffending (4)

Answer: USER (i.e. drug “addict”). “Taken in” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, like so: BECA(USE R)EOFFENDING.

50. Dramatic works from poetaster to be rewritten (9)

Answer: OPERETTAS (i.e. “dramatic works”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “to be rewritten”) of POETASTER.

52. Current hopelessness unending in White House (5)

Answer: IGLOO (i.e. “white house”, ignoring the misleading capitalisation). Solution is I (a recognised abbreviation of an electrical “current” used in physics) followed by GLOOM (i.e. “hopelessness” once its last letter has been removed), indicated by “unending”), like so: I-GLOO.

53. Forward striking idiot with supporters having invaded (4,2,5)

Answer: BOLD AS BRASS (i.e. “forward”). Solution is BOLD (i.e. “striking”) and ASS (i.e. “idiot”) all wrapped around or being “invaded” by BRAS (i.e. “supporters”), like so: BOLD-AS(BRAS)S.

54. Port bow turned on changeable current (5)

Answer: ACCRA (i.e. “port”, capital city of Ghana). Solution is ARC (i.e. curve or “bow”) reversed (indicated by “turned”) and placed “on” or after AC (i.e. “changeable current”, short for Alternating Current), like so: AC-CRA.

55. Having knowledge about lake, fish with line in Scottish valley (4,5)

Answer: GLEN GARRY (i.e. “Scottish valley” of Perth and Kinross). Solution is GEN (i.e. “knowledge”) wrapped “about” L (a recognised abbreviation of “lake”). This is then followed by GAR (i.e. a variety of “fish”) and RY (i.e. “line”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of “railway”), like so: G(L)EN-GAR-RY.

56. Conservationists in state bound to be heard (8,5)

Answer: NATIONAL TRUST (i.e. “conservationists”). Solution is NATIONAL (i.e. one “in state”) followed by a homophone (indicated by “to be heard”) of TRUSSED (i.e. “bound”).

Down clues

1. Headless maggot snaffled by young canary (9)

Answer: INFORMANT (i.e. “canary” or grass). Solution is WORM (i.e. “maggot”, both descriptive of a contemptible person) with its first letter removed (indicated by “headless”) and the remainder placed “in” INFANT (i.e. “young”), like so: INF(ORM)ANT.

2. Catching rook, Pooh’s feline friend makes start (7)

Answer: TRIGGER (i.e. “start”). Solution is TIGGER (i.e. Winnie The “Pooh’s” feline friend, from the books of AA Milne) wrapped around or “catching” R (a recognised abbreviation of “rook” used in chess), like so: T(R)IGGER.

3. With which condition one doesn’t normally feel great? (11)

Answer: MEGALOMANIA. Not entirely sure what the setter is getting at here, as the main definition of the solution according to Chambers is “the delusion that one is great or powerful” which suggests to me the exact opposite. A variant definition of “(loosely) a lust for power” is a better fit, but I’m still not convinced.

4. Author having four sisters in family occupying rural cottage (6)

Answer: Louisa ALCOTT (i.e. “author having four sisters in family”, a reference to her loosely autobiographical novel Little Women). “Occupying” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, like so: RUR(AL COTT)AGE.

5. Lovely keyboard instrument in county once (9)

Answer: GLAMORGAN (i.e. Welsh “county once”, abolished in 1974). Solution is GLAM (i.e. “lovely”) followed by ORGAN (i.e. “keyboard instrument”).

6. Bloom reserving different name for female who knows best (6,6)

Answer: MOTHER NATURE (i.e. “female who knows best”). Solution is MATURE (i.e. to “bloom”) wrapped around or “reserving” OTHER (i.e. “different”) and N (a recognised abbreviation of “name”), like so: M(OTHER-N)ATURE.

7. Grass skirts with jumper in an estuary (10)

Answer: SANDHOPPER (i.e. “jumper in an estuary”). Solution is SHOPPER (i.e. “grass” or informant) wrapped around or “skirting” AND (i.e. “with”), like so: S(AND)HOPPER.

8. Good hill climbing finds poet’s cave (4)

Answer: GROT (i.e. “cave” – “poet’s” seems superfluous). Solution is G (a recognised abbreviation of “good”) followed by TOR (i.e. “hill”) once reversed (indicated by “climbing” – this being a down clue), like so: G-ROT.

9. Attend a match on sparsely settled land, or prevaricate? (4,5,3,4)

Answer: BEAT ABOUT THE BUSH (i.e. “prevaricate”). Solution is BE AT (i.e. “attend”) followed by A, then BOUT (i.e. “match”) and THE BUSH (i.e. “sparsely settled land”, e.g. in Australia).

10. Follower crossing Republican’s path (5)

Answer: TRAIL (i.e. “path”). Solution is TAIL (i.e. “follower”) wrapped around or “crossing” R (a recognised abbreviation of “Republican”), like so: T(R)AIL.

11. Nobleman with award for organ piece? (7)

Answer: EARLOBE (i.e. “organ piece”, or part of the ear). Solution is EARL (i.e. “nobleman”) followed by OBE (i.e. “award”, the Order of the British Empire).

12. Cold war aftermath? Tough to secure outright victory on retreating! (7,6)

Answer: NUCLEAR WINTER (i.e. “cold war aftermath”). Solution is NUT (i.e. “tough” taken as a noun, being a criminal or aggressive person) wrapped around or “securing” CLEAR WIN (i.e. “outright victory”). This is then followed by RE (i.e. “on” or regarding – think email replies) once reversed (indicated by “retreating”), like so: NU(CLEAR-WIN)T-ER.

19. Medic with a touring car in Caribbean island (8)

Answer: DOMINICA (i.e. “Caribbean island”). Solution is DOC (i.e. “medic”, short for doctor) and A wrapped around or “touring” MINI (i.e. make of “car”), like so: DO(MINI)C-A.

22. Pioneering MP Nancy – minister powerless! (5)

Answer: ASTOR (i.e. “pioneering MP Nancy”, she was the first female Member of Parliament. Her middle name was “Witcher,” which is pretty metal in my book). Solution is PASTOR (i.e. church “minister”) with the P removed (indicated by “powerless” – P being a recognised abbreviation of “power”).

23. Enigmatic librarian! Run to me! Hippasus’ discovery revealed? (10,6)

Answer: IRRATIONAL NUMBER (i.e. “Hippasus’ discovery”, being a number that cannot be expressed as a fraction with integer numerator and denominators). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “enigmatic”) of LIBRARIAN RUN TO ME. Ah, the setter’s semi-on for the Ancient Greeks resumes. Duly noted.

25. What should get one well? Old man receives a card (7)

Answer: PANACEA (i.e. “what should get one well”, a cure-all). Solution is PA (i.e. “old man”, both informal references to one’s father) wrapped around or “receiving” AN ACE (i.e. “a [playing] card”), like so: P(AN-ACE)A.

28. Social networker using rather cute, brief epithet, say (7)

Answer: TWEETER (i.e. “social networker”. I’ve still no idea if this holds now that Twitter has been renamed X). Solution is TWEE (i.e. “rather cute”) followed by TERM (i.e. “epithet”) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “brief”), like so: TWEE-TER.

29. Sign refurbished with lilac tint becomes brilliant (13)

Answer: SCINTILLATING (i.e. “brilliant”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “refurbished”) of SIGN and LILAC TINT.

30. Secured loan without interest outside bank (8)

Answer: BORROWED (i.e. “secured loan”). Solution is BORED (i.e. “without interest”) wrapped around or placed “outside” of ROW (i.e. “bank”), like so: BOR(ROW)WED. Nicely done.

32. Shopper in Cardiff perhaps eating fresh brie for snack (5,7)

Answer: WELSH RAREBIT (i.e. “snack”). Solution is WELSH RAT (i.e. “shopper in Cardiff perhaps” – other Welsh cities are available) wrapped around or “eating” an anagram (indicated by “fresh”) of BRIE, like so: WELSH-RA(REBI)T. Hmm. Let’s just take a quick look back through the down clues. We’ve had RAT, SHOPPER, INFORMANT, “grass” and “canary”. Something on your mind, setter?

34. On the drink heading to North Country (5)

Answer: NIGER (i.e. “country” in West Africa). Solution is RE (i.e. “on” or regarding – think email replies) and GIN (i.e. alcoholic “drink”) all reversed (indicated by “heading to north” – this being a down clue), like so: NIG-ER.

36. Be in right gear, good enough to enter lot – centre includes parking (4,3,4)

Answer: LOOK THE PART (i.e. “be in right gear”). Solution is OK (i.e. “good enough”) placed in or “entering” LOT. This is then followed by HEART (i.e. “centre”) once wrapped around or “including” P (a recognised abbreviation of “parking” used on maps and signage), like so: LO(OK)T-HE(P)ART.

37. Evidence no longer in circulation wasted on tabloids (10)

Answer: BLOODSTAIN (i.e. “evidence no longer in circulation” – nicely disguised). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “wasted”) of ON TABLOIDS.

40. Dish with Castro regularly causing tricky problem (3,6)

Answer: HOT POTATO (i.e. “tricky problem”). Solution is HOTPOT (i.e. “dish”) followed by ATO (i.e. “Castro regularly”, i.e. every other letter of CASTRO).

41. Boring people make this missile after bomb (9)

Answer: MINESHAFT (i.e. “boring people make this”). Solution is SHAFT (i.e. “missile”) placed “after” MINE (i.e. “bomb”), like so: MINE-SHAFT.

43. Unwell when engaged by Scottish bank, touch type? (7)

Answer: BRAILLE (i.e. “touch type” – again, nicely disguised). Solution is ILL (i.e. “unwell”) placed in or “engaged by” BRAE (i.e. “Scottish [word for a] bank”), like so: BRA(ILL)E.

45. Close the gap almost filled with eastern plant extract (7)

Answer: CATECHU (i.e. “plant extract” apparently rich in tannin). Solution is CATCH UP (i.e. “close the gap”) with the last letter removed (indicated by “almost”) and the remainder wrapped around or “filled with” E (a recognised abbreviation of “eastern”), like so: CAT(E)CH-U. Made. To. Fit.

46. Hostess to an extent in short dress (6)

Answer: GEISHA (i.e. “hostess”). Solution is ISH (i.e. “to an extent”) placed “in” GEAR (i.e. attire or “dress”) once the last letter has been removed (indicated by “short”), like so: GE(ISH)A.

48. Band in hotel criminal society guards (5)

Answer: THONG (i.e. “band” of some material). Solution is H (“hotel” in the phonetic alphabet) placed “in” TONG (i.e. “criminal society”), like so: T(H)ONG.

51. Amuse very much in Hebridean island – no small island (4)

Answer: SLAY (i.e. “amuse very much”). Solution is ISLAY (i.e. “Hebridean island”) with the I removed (indicated by “no small island” – I being a recognised abbreviation of “island”).