Times Cryptic Jumbo 1531 – Lillie Langtry and Jason Robards in The Twirling Inferno

Author   PenfoldPosted on Categories Jumbo Cryptic
Happy new year.  All the best for 2022 to both my readers.  Another 60-minute puzzle, solved and parsed over two sessions during yuletide so I wasn’t in full-on speed mode or stimulant-free.  Slightly harder than average?  Maybe.  I think there’s an error at 29a.  Read on…

First in was ORBITER and last was UTTERMOST.

If any of my explanations don’t make sense then feel free to ask for further elucidation.

Clues are in blue with the definition undelined.  Anagram indicators are in bold italics.

Notation:

DD: Double definition

CD: Cryptic definition

DDCDH: DD/CD hybrid where a straight definition is combined with a cryptic hint.

&Lit: “all in one” where the entire clue is both definition and wordplay.

(fodder)* denotes an anagram of the letters in the brackets.

Rounded brackets are also used to add further clarity

Squiggly brackets {} indicate parts of a word not used

Deletions are struck out

Square brackets [] expand an abbreviation or shortening like C[lubs]


Across

1
Gold tooth maybe is one doing the rounds? (7)

ORBITER – OR, BITER

5
Tendency to escape from unhealthy air associated with a metropolis (8)

FUGACITY – FUG, A CITY

9
Record performance by musicians that’s not at all moving (6)

LOGJAM – LOG, JAM

13
Soft, expensive cape wrapping about neck (16)

PRESUMPTUOUSNESS – P[iano], SUMPTUOUS, NESS around RE

14
Where police may be disposing of old drug (6)

STATIN – STATION dropping O[ld]

16
A number, it’s assumed, evens out (5)

ISSUE – I{t}S{a}S{s}U{m}E{d}

17
Clouds of blue an explosion initially sent out (7)

NEBULAE – (blue an e{xplosion})*

18
Awful, violent crime: men torn apart (9)

ABHORRENT – A[ctual] B[odily] H[arm], O[ther] R[anks], RENT

19
Most exclusive clubs left: in Paris, who’s admitting one? (9)

CLIQUIEST – C[lubs], L[eft], QUI EST all around I

21
Sales pitch, outwardly well done, just empty talk? (7)

BRAVADO – AD[vert] in BRAVO

22
What helps to make a hip drinking venue, one’s concluding (5)

PUBIS – PUB, I S

23
Note a lot of Liverpool fans after return game (5)

POKER – reversal of RE KOP

25
Chocolate was not consumed after devouring snail (9)

SLOWCOACH – (chocolate was)*.  It took blinking ages to figure this out.  “Not consumed” is the instruction to ignore ATE.

27
Fare from Italy to drop, with channel crossing (7)

LASAGNE – SAG in LANE

29
Your setter cried allowed, getting stared at (9)

EYEBALLED – homophone of I BAWLED.  I’m pretty sure ALLOWED should be ALOUD.  Is this an indication that somewhere in the setting / editing / publication process some voice recognition software was employed?

31
The butt’s a part of a rifle that goes on without a problem (8,5)

LAUGHING STOCK – STOCK on (after in an across clue) LAUGHING.

34
Inferring from Irangate plot times are a-changing! (13)

EXTRAPOLATING – (Irangate plot X)*

35
Churchgoer’s spirits at last excellent after taking in cricket match (9)

METHODIST – METHS, {excellen}T around O[ne] D[ay] I[nternational]

37
With river advancing, beneath vessel, prepare to swim? (7)

UNDRESS – UNDER with R[iver] shunted forward, S.S. (the setters’ ocean-going vessel of choice)

39
Short quote from champ appearing on channel (9)

SOUNDBITE – BITE on SOUND

42
Idiot to cancel final — a sort of football revolution! (5)

TWIRL – TWIt, R[ugby] L[eague]

43
Pet for children’s party going without meat? Unknown! (5)

DOGGY – DO, GoingG, Y

45
Glaswegian’s protracted attempt to find old actress (7)

LANGTRY – LANG TRY to give us Lillie of that ilk.

47
Call I answer after day in German state (9)

THURINGIA – RING, I A[nswer] after THU[rsday].  All you Thuringians will be disappointed to learn that I’d never heard of the place.

49
Crime by one with posh hairdo inside car (9)

SUPERMINI – SIN, I around U PERM.

50
American actor’s spoken line of Shakespeare? (7)

ROBARDS – homophone of ROW + BARD’S.  Take your pick between Jason Sr., Jason and Sam.

52
Depression has so far not entirely regressed (5)

FOSSA – reverse hidden, an anatomical term.

54
Niche firm in East London’s cut by 50 per cent (6)

ALCOVE – CO[mpany} in ‘ALVE.  Very droll.

55
To get nowhere is to be sufficient with pop groups (2,5,2,7)

GO ROUND IN CIRCLES – GO ROUND = be sufficient, IN = POP(ular), CIRCLES = GROUPS. It took a while to twig the required IN / POP equivalence.

56
All there is to follow vermouth, flipping fruit tea! (6)

TISANE – SANE (all there) after IT[alian vermouth] reversed.

57
For trial, took up with Left: set to agitate (4-4)

TEST-FLEW – (W[ith] left set)*

58
Cheat also, it’s said, getting prison sentence (3-4)

TWO-TIME – homophone of TOO, TIME


Down

1
Following rule, cricket league stops pop star joining cricket side (2,9)

ON PRINCIPLE – I[ndian] P[remier] L[eague] in PRINCE after ON

2
British not so in favour (5)

BLESS – B[ritish] LESS

3
Briefly tense after interruption from impolite old prime minister (7)

TRUDEAU – TAU{t} around RUDE

4
Fresh from southern Oz, Liverpudlian poets do get back from across the channel (8,3,4,5)

REPONDEZ SIL VOUS PLAIT – (S[outhern] oz liverpudlian poets)*

5
Piece of timber: product that’s a cube? (4-2-3)

FOUR-BY-TWO – DDCDH: 4×2 = 8 = 2 cubed

6
Large English egg chopped up hardly appetising fare (5)

GRUEL – reversal of L[arge] E[nglish] URGe

7
Train ran once a month originally for remote Irish destination (9)

CONNEMARA – (ran once a M{onth})*.  There only one Connemara, as The Sandpipers used to sing.

8
Mexican meal from hopper covering stone article (7)

TOSTADA – TOAD around ST[one], A

10
Rock one can see on sale at bird food store (7)

OUTCROP – OUT (on sale), CROP (an enlargement of a bird’s oesophagus used to store food).

11
Pitcher containing beer moving bishop to dance! (9)

JITTERBUG – JUG around BITTER with B[ishop] moved

12
Notes type of wood cut for table (6,5)

MINUTE STEAK – MINUTES, TEAK

15
Work of member of Parliament admired by the queen (3,3,3,3,8)

THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT – Just a CD I think.

20
Varied content of skip, etc, is most revolting (7)

ICKIEST – ({s}KI{p} etc is)*

21
Letters on French wine included in unwelcome post? One cause for complaint! (7)

BACILLI – A[ppellation] C[ontrôlée] in BILL, I

24
Maybe stout resistance met by each trio omitting Les? (4,3)

REAL ALE – R[esistance], EA[ch] then LA, LE but not LES (French words for THE).  I can still remember the “rhyme” for constructing a negative in French.  Ne, before me te se, before nous vous, before le la les, before lui leur, before y before en before the verb before pas (probably wrong).

26
Flat or house? I’m not sure (2-3)

HO-HUM – HO[use], HUM

28
Crack alarms us — so utilise clamps (4,3)

SUSS OUT – hidden.  I liked “clamps” as the indicator.

30
Guts shown by inexperienced visiting CID officer (5)

DRAWS – RAW in D[etective] S[ergeant].

32
Silly young lad’s outside far too early (7)

UNGODLY – (young l{a}d)*

33
Declaring cipher secure, up to date, and good (7)

OPINING – O, PIN, IN, G[ood]

34
Just as far behind horse, perhaps, first soldier? (11)

EQUIDISTANT – EQUID before IST ANT

36
Unlikely start to August: gets to visit American capital (11)

TALLAHASSEE – TALL, A{ugust}, HAS, SEE.  State Capital of Fla. Ode to Billy Joe (yes I know).

38
Said PC could be moved with 1kg boxes (9)

DIGIPACKS – (said pc ikg)*.  I associate these with CDs.  Interesting cardboardy things rather than the usual boring fragile plastic case.

40
What the keenest do to win a speaking competition? (9)

UTTERMOST – CD (the last three words are more of a cryptic nudge)

41
Audience were mostly thrilled with invite (9)

INTERVIEW – (wer{e} invite)*

44
City, years before, leading division (7)

YEREVAN – Y[ears], ERE, VAN.  Capital of Armenia.

46
A few with premier going on offensive (7)

NOISOME – SOME with No.1 on top.

48
Reason acceptable for raising hell (7)

INFERNO – INFER + ON reversed

51
Don’t permit anything short to be worn (5)

BANAL – BAN AL{l}

53
Was once successful in sales — making money no longer (5)

SOLDI – SOLD I (one)

11 comments on “Times Cryptic Jumbo 1531 – Lillie Langtry and Jason Robards in The Twirling Inferno”

    1. Hi Kevin, apologies for not making this clearer for overseas solvers. The Kop is “famously” one of the stands at Anfield, Liverpool’s football ground.
  3. DNF. In fact. barely started. Six done after 20 minutes. But I had to come here anyway to boost your assumed readership by 50%. Many thanks for a fine blog. Much more accessible than the puzzle. Happy New Year
  4. Any crossword which opens with orbiter gets my vote.

    There was a lot of unusual vocab which followed

  5. Tough one.
    The error is very odd, since aloud is required for both wordplay and surface reading.
    I can freely take my pick of any of the ROBARDSes because I haven’t heard of any of them.
    3dn is an interesting one in that it needs the word ‘old’ not for accuracy but to avoid breaching the living person rule.
  6. Many thanks for the informative blog as usual but I still don’t get “laughing” as “goes on without a problem”. Most of my laughing is done in the face of adversity. Can you explain further? Jeffrey
    1. Idiomatic usage that’s in the dictionary. E.g. my Chambers app has:

      Be laughing (informal):
      1. To have no (further) problems, worries etc.
      2. To be in a favourable or advantageous position.

      So if you were moving a piano, say, you might say “once we get it up this step we’re laughing”.

      1. I see, so we have to conjure up a “be” or perhaps another auxiliary verb. Thanks for replying, Jeffrey
  7. This was a bit of a slog, taking 1:55:22, and I didn’t care much for 24d, even though the answer was obvious.

    Anyway, thanks for the blog and a Happy New Year to you too!

Comments are closed.