Times Cryptic Jumbo 1487 – 13th March

Author   JohninterredPosted on Categories Jumbo Cryptic

I thought this quite an entertaining Jumbo. It had a fair smattering of easier clues to help you populate the grid but also a few trickier ones with deceptive definitions or ingenious wordplay. As usual, there were a couple of things I didn’t know, such as the knitting stitch, the Irish surname and the Marxist term for “the unorganized and unpolitical lower orders of society who are not interested in revolutionary advancement”…. a lovely phrase and  a bit like how my Maths teacher wife describes her bottom set of Year 7. A couple of the harder clues gave me some anxiety on compiling the blog as I hadn’t checked how the wordplay worked and worried I had got them wrong, e.g. 3D and 7D. My LOI was the sporting event which got cancelled last year; among my favourite clues, but COD goes to 23D with its clever definition and surreal surface. In all it took me about an average time of 45 minutes. Thank-you clever setter. How did everyone else find it?

Definitions underlined in bold italics, (Abc)* indicating anagram of Abc, deletions and [] other indicators.

Across
1 Store form of isotope in desert (10)
DEPOSITORY – [form of] (isotope)* in DRY (desert).
6 Some knitting order a pain (6,6)
GARTER STITCH – GARTER (Order of the…) STITCH (pain). Not being a knitter, I had to look up the sort of stitches involved to get this.
14 As one man is on, two union leaders off (9)
UNANIMOUS –  Anagram  [off] of (man is on  and u u)*  two Us –  first letters [leaders] of Union Union. Tick on my copy for that.
15 Pull away from wife and sleep (5)
WREST – W (wife) REST (sleep).
16 Country cutting an American test (7)
AUSTRIA – An USa (American) TRIAl (test) without the last letters [cutting]. Nice!
17 Corrupt lot parliament, pure down-and-outs (6,11)
LUMPEN PROLETARIAT – [corrupt] (lot parliament pure)*. What a lovely phrase. I’d not heard it before.
18 Cause of ferment, Irish poet turning tail (5)
YEAST – YEATS (Irish poet) swapping last two letters [turning tail] -> YEAST.
19 Does loveless couple give up hope? (7)
DESPAIR – DoES without the O [loveless] PAIR (couple). Another tick on my paper copy for this.
21 Inside scrapheap hid some bugs (6)
APHIDS – Hidden in scrapheAP HID Some.
22 Taking hour to go in, hospital department has one seat (8)
ENTHRONE – HR (hour) [in] ENT (ear nose and throat; hospital department, which my local hosptial labels “Otorhinology” on the directional signage), ONE.
24 In brief, run is for trainer (7)
TRELLIS – R (run) [in] TELL (brief), IS. Whenever I see or hear the word I can’t help thinking of the wonderful letters from Mrs Trellis of North Wales on IMSIHAC. Listen to the full collection here.
26 Sign drenched clothes most worn out (8)
WEARIEST – ARIES (sign of the zodiac) with WET (drenched) outside [clothes].
27 Son isn’t wearing any trousers (6)
SLACKS – S (son) LACKS (isn’t wearing any). Nice surface.
30 What a stone being catapulted is, for sure (4,3,4)
HARD AND FAST – Double definition, the first a cryptic hint. Slight MER at “for sure” as the definition as it seems a bit of a stretch to me.
32 Not in Italy, a flying race (11)
NATIONALITY – (Not in Italy a)* [flying].
33 A row I stomach, concealing bit of a pout for one always (2,9)
AD INFINITUM – A DIN (row)  I TUM (stomach) outside [concealing] FIN (bit of a fish, such as an (eel)pout). Easier to biff than to parse!
35 Sporting event returning live, though somewhat on the periphery (3,4,4)
THE BOAT RACE –  BE (live) [returning] ->  with THO (though) A TRACE (somewhat) outside [on the periphery]. Indeed “returning live” this year after last year’s cancellation, but banished from the Thames to the River Ouse at Ely this year due to the dilapidation of Hammersmith Bridge.
37 Improvement finished, go (6)
UPTURN – UP (finished) TURN (go; as in “it’s your turn”).
38 In middle of bodega, is kitchen fixture perhaps cut off? (8)
DISUNITE –  IS UNIT (kitchen fixture, perhaps) [in] [middle of] boDEga.
39 Pertinent European programme’s back (7)
GERMANE – GERMAN (European) programmE [‘s back]..
42 Charm shown by boxer’s attendant after end of bout (8)
TALISMAN – ALI’S (Muhammed Ali’s; boxer’s) MAN (attendant) [after] [end of] bouT.
44 Swindle involving right number of racehorses, for example? (6)
STRING – STING (swindle) outside [involving] R (right).
46 A boy embracing me in front of a Spanish promenade (7)
ALAMEDA – A LAD (boy) outside [embracing] ME, A.
48 Gripping last of rocks, anchor found resting place (5)
ROOST – ROOT (anchor) outside [gripping] [last of] rockS.
49 Proving inconsistent, like sirocco and mistral? (7,3,3,4)
BLOWING HOT AND COLD – Double definition, the second a cryptic hint – the sirocco is a hot wind and mistral a cold one.
51 Clump of vegetation seen, jumbo part circling island to the west (7)
TUSSOCK – TUSK (part of elephant; jumbo) [circling] COS (island) reversed [to the west] -> SOC.
52 Papers etc dismissing knight from holy city (5)
MEDIA – MEDInA (holy city) without [dismissing]  the N (knight in chess notation).
53 Honest work out to protect ailing housing estate, initially (9)
GUILELESS – Another easier to biff than to parse. It’s a double inclusion – GUESS (work out) outside [to protect] ILL (ailing) including [housing] Estate [initially].
54 Pad, something soft for carpeting (8,4)
DRESSING DOWN – DRESSING (pad; as in pad of gauze) DOWN (something soft).
55 Alleges car has crashed into comprehensive (5-5)
LARGE-SCALE – (Alleges car)* [has crashed].
Down
1 Nonsense — boast of bigamist? (6,5)
DOUBLE DUTCH – Double definition, second a cryptic hint (dutch = wife).
2 Hand in part penning second song (5)
PSALM – PALM (hand in part) [penning] S (second).
3 Over everyone, small earwigs and beetles primarily creep (9)
SLIMEBALL – Oo er!  I had a bit of a panic at this when I came to blog it as I had never parsed it at the time. Did I get it wrong? Ah, Now I see it. It’s SLIM (small) Earwigs and Beetles [primarily] [over] ALL (everyone). Phew!
4 Soldier drunk, other ranks caught up (7)
TROOPER – TOPER (drunk) outside O.R. (other ranks) [caught up].
5 Rash having two drinks, don’t start the second (7)
ROSEOLA – The two drinks are ROSE (wine) and cOLA without the first letter [don’t start].
7 A law on mummification finally accepted by Roman ruler, not head of ancient Egypt (11)
ALEXANDRIAN – Another Ikean clue. A LEX (law), mummificatioN (finally) [accepted by] hADRIAN (roman ruler) [not head].
8 Rubbish match for a Scottish vegetable (6)
TATTIE – TAT (rubbish) TIE (match; cup-tie). Lovely mashed with mince or haggis.
9 Call to keep oven hot (8)
ROASTING – RING (call) outside [to keep] OAST (oven for drying hops). Lovely surface.
10 Putting it mildly, a Trappist’s remit? (2,3,3,5)
TO SAY THE LEAST – Double definition, the second a cryptic hint.
11 Devastating thing having ruined a trick (7)
TORNADO – TORN (runied) A DO (trick, the verb).
12 Sumo like this is so without mercy (11)
HEARTLESSLY – If you take SumO and remove the word’s heart… Nice one!
13 Honey in soft centre? (10)
SWEETHEART – Two HEARTs in a row! SWEET (soft) HEART (centre).
20 Strong flavour merits pan being given a stir (9)
SPEARMINT – (merits pan)* [given a stir].
23 Sort of a perch right to feed baby (2,2,4)
AS IT WERE – A SIT (perch) with R (right) inside [to feed] WEE (baby). Very cunning. It took me a while to identify the definition.
25 Track I’d sing out of tune (6)
SIDING – (I’d sing)* [out of tune]. Crikey! How many valid anagrinds are there?
26 Success securing wire to become less convincing (4,4)
WEAR THIN – WIN (success) outside [securing] EARTH (one of the 3 wires in a 3-pin pug).
28 Face piece, knowing pottery (9)
CHINAWARE – CHIN (face piece(!)) AWARE (knowing).
29 With unlimited food comes yen for tea (6)
OOLONG – fOOd without its outside letters [unlimited] LONG (yen).
31 Acknowledging limitations, this train’s last stop? (2,3,2,2,4)
AS FAR AS IT GOES – Double definition, the second a cryptic hint.
33 Post-watershed screening time ultimately spoiled (11)
ADULTERATED – ADULT RATED (post-watershed) outside [screening] timE [ultimately].
34 Netting second of goals, Man United playing with spirit (8,3)
MOUNTAIN DEW – (Man united)* [playing] W (with), outside [netting] [second of] gOals. Another great surface.
35 Train a girl until fluent in three languages (10)
TRILINGUAL – [Train] (a girl until)*.
36 Drennan’s country remedies all rubbished (7,4)
EMERALD ISLE – (remedies all)* [rubbished]. An Irish name, but not one I’ve ever come across. According to this “1,113 people on the island of Great Britain and 592 on the island of Ireland bore the surname Drennan in 2011.“. No wonder I hadn’t heard of it! But maybe some of the literrary types here will know of John Swanwick Drennan (1809–1893), Irish poet or William Drennan (1754–1820), Irish poet.
40 Again look at article penned by communist outfit (9)
READDRESS – A (article) inside [penned by] RED (communist), DRESS (outfit).
41 Family of essayist warmer? (8)
LAMBSKIN – LAMB (essayist) ‘S KIN (family of).
43 Forget to secure permit before European check (4-3)
LOOK-SEE – LOOSE (forget) outside [to secure] OK (permit), E (European). Cleverly very topical surface….the bane of exporters and importers post Brexit. I love it!
45 Country girl on my mind in old song (7)
GEORGIA – Double definition, the second referring to the fabulously laid-back Hoagy Carmichael song… listen to it here. One of my favourite jazz songwriters.
46 A life protecting mother, sublime (7)
AMAZING – A ZING (life) outside [protecting] MA (mother).
47 Overlooking sea, private room appeared (6)
LOOMED – LOO (private room) above [overlooking] MED (sea).
50 Last of twenty-four, nothing major (5)
OMEGA – There are 24 letters in the Greek alphabet. This is the last.. O (letter that looks like 0; nothing) MEGA (major). And a fitting answer to end with. Bravo!

11 comments on “Times Cryptic Jumbo 1487 – 13th March”

  1. I gave up on SLIMEBALL, so thanks John for enlightening me. DNK ‘watershed’–looked it up afterwards. Like John, I don’t know from knitting, so I had to wait to complete __ STITCH until I had all the checkers. A MER at ‘sublime’ for AMAZING. COD to HEARTLESSLY.
  2. I enjoyed this one. I see now I have 3 hours on the clock. I may have just left it running a bit at the end, or perhaps I did take 3 hours. But then I submitted without doing 23dn. I never looked at it. It was a tricky one, AS IT WERE, but very gettable from the crossers if I’d only seen it there. Everything else OK.
    You know those bridges over rivers on rural roads in America? Made of wood, with roofs on? Look like sheds? I always thought they were watersheds. It sort of makes sense as a boundary. What a shock when I learned what a watershed really is.
    1. The time after which it is OK to screen TV programmes with content you wouldn’t want your kids to see is traditionally 9pm in the UK. The term itself is based on the geographical term “an area or ridge of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers, basins, or seas.” In these days of streaming services replaying TV programmes at any time the concept is somewhat eroded.
  3. The club was messing around when I did this on the Times site version, so I have no record of time. I don’t think I found any serious problems, and liked the appearance of the LUMPEN PROLETARIAT. Mrs Z has recently taken up knitting again, and does whole sections, usually the fringe area, in GARTER STITCH. Sometimes is quite useful having a wife.
    The symmetrically placed phrases adumbrated in my heading were generous, and helped unlocking the corners.
  4. No problems with this one, apart from seeing Lumpenproletariat as two words, which it isn’t.
  5. Enjoyed this but got a pink square through inability to spell depositary correctly, even given the anagrist. Always annoying with a jumbo, all that effort gone to waste..

    As a paid up member of the lumpenproletariat, I agree with Keriothe that the very least they can do is to spell us correctly.

  6. Six short on this one after three hours, all over on the right hand side.

    I was sure that one across was going to be -A-T-R STRAIN (a pain), with TRAIN=order, and -A-T-RS some knitting word.

    I recall looking up Drennan and discovering he coined the phrase “Emerald Isle”, on reflection that was guessable.

    COD for HEARTLESSLY, very clever.

  7. Beginner at cryptic crosswords, trying to improve. Even with the quick cryptics there are some terms I’ve never heard of, only being 24 I don’t know a lot about classical literature etc as much as others.

    I’ve never understood how you could work out the clue if you don’t know the word that is the definition e.g. 17a is an anagram which the solver didn’t know but still worked it out?

    Thanks for enlightening me!

    1. Many solvers object to such a clue and sometimes it’s a matter of crossing your fingers and hoping – or checking in the dictionary. Usually you need a lot of checkers in place and then have to figure out where to put the other letters to make something that looks like it makes sense. In this case I knew the word PROLETARIAT which fit the second half, so for the rest I had to fit N, P and U into L-M-E. Well the U had to go between the L and M so it was either LUMNEP or LUMPEN. Sometimes common letter patterns can help – e.g. A-I-N at the end of a word immediately makes be think ATION. I hope this helps.
      1. Thanks johninterred. Some of the hardest cryptics make no sense to me because all of the obscure words! I am sure I will learn some new ones in time, and that’s part of the fun. Thanks again.

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