This Jumbo is fairly straightforward, as many of them area, but one thing that did catch my eye was the inclusion of Mr Brian Rix (1924-2016). I’m not saying that setters are ambulance-chasers or anything, and I’m sure everyone is appropriately sad about the great man’s passing, but sometimes a Times setter’s eyes must light up from the new possibilities, as here. RIP Brian!
ACROSS
1 What could make me fret — sinning, transgressions (13)
INFRINGEMENTS – (ME FRET SINNING*) [“what could make…”]
8 Had to be in need of an exorcist? (9)
POSSESSED – double def
13 Thus perhaps more able to move round, I took the initiative (5)
OILED – O I LED [round | I | took the initiative]
14 Traveller upset when given small company car (5,4)
MARCO POLO – MAR [upset] when given CO POLO [small company | car]
15 No serious patient ultimately wants peculiar quack medicine (7)
NOSTRUM – NO + {seriou}S {patien}T wants RUM [peculiar]
16 It’s difficult to accept this can accommodate broken-down motorway vehicle (4,8)
HARD SHOULDER – HARD [difficult] + SHOULDER [accept]
17 Mountain concern — something sounding warning? (10)
MATTERHORN – MATTER [concern] + HORN [something sounding warning]
18 Hesitation about sea? Stay behind (6)
REMAIN – ER reversed [hesitation “about”] + MAIN [sea]
19 Fish going off course with beam of light shifting eastward (8)
STINGRAY – ST{RAY->}ING, with the RAY [beam of light] shifting as far to the right [eastward] as it can go
21 Made bed somewhere close to Oxford (6)
DIDCOT – DID COT [made | bed]
24 Gut I have on reflection ‘creates’ when disturbed (10)
EVISCERATE – I’VE reversed [“on reflection”] + (CREATES*) [“when disturbed”]
26 Four children and I accompany mother full of anger one Sunday (12)
QUADRAGESIMA – QUADS [four children] + I accompany MA [mother], “full of” RAGE [anger]
29 One facing delay regularly in lazy mode (4)
IDLY – I [one] facing D{e}L{a}Y
30 Man is one with dull work, finishing early, before time (8)
CHORDATE – CHOR{e} [dull work “finishing early”] before DATE [time]
31 Dandy in a vehicle on entering motorway (8)
MACARONI – A CAR ON [a | vehicle | on] “entering” M1 [motorway]
34 Unable to escape from noise from cathedral’s precincts? (6,2)
CLOSED IN – CLOSE DIN would be noise from a close, which is a cathedral’s precincts, though this I did not know.
35 Passionate about stars being most old and tired? (8)
HOARIEST – HOT [passionate] about ARIES [stars]
36 German writer’s miraculous fare, mostly (4)
MANN – MANN{a} [miraculous fare, “mostly”]
39 How disease develops? Way is shown by old book (12)
PATHOGENESIS – PATH [way] is shown by O GENESIS [old | book]
40 Second politician joining firm’s bosses provides illustrated analysis (10)
STORYBOARD – S TORY [second | politician] joining BOARD [firm’s bosses]
43 Ditch a lawyer somewhere in North America (6)
CANADA – CAN A D.A. [ditch | a | lawyer]
44 Doctor imports computers etc. at this place — one uncertain what to do? (8)
DITHERER – DR [doctor] “imports” IT HERE [computers etc | at this place]
45 One opener for England embracing another, being philosophical (6)
HOBBES – Sir Jack HOBBS [cricketing opener for England] “embracing” E{ngland}
49 Minor treat, fantastic series of sci-fi films (10)
TERMINATOR – (MINOR TREAT*) [“fantastic”]
51 Ten ace men working with NHS — they could improve things (12)
ENHANCEMENTS – (TEN ACE MEN + NHS*) [“working”]
53 I’m coming in slightly drunk, ignoring daughter, nervously (7)
TIMIDLY – I’M “coming in” TID{d}LY [slightly drunk, “ignoring” a D for daughter]
54 Religious type is protected by someone small after kick (9)
SHINTOIST – IS “protected” by TOT [someone small], after SHIN [kick]
55 Nasty person participating in ridiculous enterprise (5)
LOUSE – hidden in {ridicu}LOUS E{nterprise}
56 A skill not necessarily lacking in sinister types (9)
DEXTERITY – cryptic def, as dexter and sinister are literally opposites, but one can still imagine a dextrous sinister individual, just watch any superhero movie.
57 Something taught in mathematics class that is by no means pointless (7,6)
DECIMAL SYSTEM – cryptic def, as where would the decimal system be without decimal points?
DOWN
1 Old puffer in club husky in voice (4,5)
IRON HORSE – IRON [club] + homophone of HOARSE [husky “in voice”]
2 Duck out of nasty cold drink — what’s the point? (7)
FULCRUM – F{o}UL C RUM [“duck (O) out of” nasty | cold | drink]
3 Feeling about girl that’s vague (10)
INDISTINCT – INSTINCT [feeling] about DI [girl]
4 Caper that sounds like something risky (6)
GAMBOL – homophone of GAMBLE [“sounds like” something risky]
5 A Liberal is enthralled by maiden speech going on about right and wrong (12)
MORALISATION – A L IS [a | Liberal | is] “enthralled by” M ORATION [maiden | speech]
6 Modern erection specially designed (8)
NEOTERIC – (ERECTION*) [“specially designed”]
7 Son meeting fate in designated period (4)
SLOT – S [son] meeting LOT [fate]
8 Misleading information maybe for the old man: notice grumbler turning up (10)
PROPAGANDA – PRO PA [for | the old man] + AD NAG reversed [notice | grumbler, “turning up”]
9 State in which fool’s seen sense (6)
SANITY – SAY [state] in which NIT [fool] is seen
10 Mexican verse about old soldier? (2-10)
EX-SERVICEMAN – (MEXICAN VERSE*) [“about”]
11 Control mechanism demanded by wiser voices (5)
SERVO – hidden in {wi}SER VO{ices}
12 Baddy on street serving protest (13)
DEMONSTRATION – DEMON [baddy] on ST RATION [street | serving]
20 Good little pigs? Without hesitation, noisy swine! (8)
GRUNTERS – G RUNTS [good | little pigs] “without” ER [hesitation]
22 Cold joint with a lot wrong, a small bit of food (9)
CHIPOLATA – C HIP [cold | joint] with (A LOT*) [“wrong”] + A
23 Number in favour of second man being given a hearing (8)
PROCAINE – PRO [in favour of] + homophone of CAIN [second man, “being given a hearing”]. Number as something which numbs
25 Telling off about set of books stolen from library, say? (3-6)
ILL-GOTTEN – (TELLING*) [“off”], about OT [set of books], semi-demi-&lit;
27 Reason given for driving test failure? It’s certainly not helpful (1,3,4)
A BAD TURN – double def, one def quirkier than the other
28 A beautiful person grabbing male on getting dress down (8)
ADMONISH – A DISH [a | beautiful person] “grabbing” M ON [male | on]
29 Disabled old people walked determinedly, keeping at it somehow (13)
INCAPACITATED – INCA PACED [old people | walked determinedly], “keeping” (AT IT*) [“somehow”]
32 Another bit of cheating for one not quite fit to be a leader (6,6)
SECOND FIDDLE – double def, with quirk
33 Narrowmindedness of firm embracing Conservative associated with heresy (12)
SECTARIANISM – SET [firm] “embracing” C [Conservative], associated with ARIANISM [heresy]
37 Fairy very bad, grabbing devil’s tail in risky manner (10)
PERILOUSLY – PERI LOUSY [fairy | very bad], “grabbing” {devi}L
38 Sailor with no friend embracing jolly group in unusual way (10)
ABNORMALLY – AB [sailor] with NO ALLY [no | friend], “embracing” RM [Royal Marines = jolly group]. Clues don’t get much saltier than this
41 Sides meet in conflict, showing lack of respect (9)
DISESTEEM – (SIDES MEET*) [“in conflict”]
42 Rocky island gone round by senior woman, twitching (8)
GRANITIC – I [island] “gone round by” GRAN TIC [senior woman | twitching]
46 Stop crusade to get rid of seconds in dinner party (7)
BANQUET – BAN QUE{s}T [stop | crusade “to get rid of S for seconds”]
47 Greek character collects a heap for burning, mostly old documents (6)
PAPYRI – PI [Greek character] “collects” A PYR{e} [a | heap for burning, “mostly”]
48 A chemist’s first, with others, to produce a compound (6)
ACETAL – A C{hemist} + ET AL [with others]
50 Recording of author of farces entertaining them briefly (5)
REMIX – farceur Brian RIX, “entertaining” ‘EM
52 Captain making joke in the auditorium? (4)
KIDD – homophone of KID [joke “in the auditorium”]
Edited at 2017-10-28 12:10 pm (UTC)
I didn’t do this puzzle. I think it was the Jumbo I read the clues for 5 minutes without any answers springing to mind so I found something else to do.
Edited at 2017-10-28 07:42 pm (UTC)
Ong’ara,
Kenya.