Times Cryptic Jumbo 1659 : 17th February 2024

 

There were some unknown bits and pieces here but I had no problems solving it in one session and without resorting to aids.

As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions and substitutions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]. I usually omit all reference to positional indicators unless there is a specific point that requires clarification.

Across
1 Reason items not delivered: batch outside St Trinians misplaced (4,2,7)
LOST IN TRANSIT
LOT (batch) containing [outside] anagram [misplaced] of ST TRINIANS. Click here if you want to know more about St Trinian’s. I note the clue is missing an apostrophe.
8 Magistrate at party good for cut-throat competition (3-3-3)
DOG-EAT-DOG
DOGE (magistrate – of Venice or Genoa), AT, DO (party), G (good). I wonder in what context ‘g’ became an abbreviation for ‘good’ and why doesn’t ‘b’ = ‘bad’?
13 Almost failing to save edition in early Sanskrit (5)
VEDIC
VIC{e} (failing) [almost] containing [to save] ED (edition). The language of the Vedas, an early form of Sanskrit.
14 Mediterranean drink? It’s a cider brewed in sober group (8,3)
ADRIATIC SEA
Anagram [brewed] of IT’S A CIDER contained by [in] AA (sober group – Alcoholics Anonymous)
15 Ancient instrument rotated on black stone (5)
BERYL
B (black), then LYRE (ancient instrument) reversed [rotated]
16 Craft surface as tribute to Garland? (9)
AFTERDECK
AFTER (as tribute to), DECK (garland). I can’t say I knew of this but Collins has it as: nautical the unprotected deck behind the bridge of a ship.
17 Champ, caught, fell (4)
CHEW
C (caught), HEW (fell – cut down)
18 Stick with commercial as far as this (6,2)
ADHERE TO
AD (commercial), HERETO (as far as this)
20 Honour claimed by barbarian navigator (6)
HUDSON
DSO (honour – Distinguished Service Order) contained [claimed] by HUN (barbarian)
21 Maths discipline altering ridiculously thick-skinned copper? (8,8)
INTEGRAL CALCULUS
Anagram [ridiculously] of ALTERING,  then CU (copper) contained by CALLUS. ‘Thick-skinned’ refers to a feature of calluses and doubles as a containment indicator.
24 Head coach ignoring first piece of cake (2-7)
NO-BRAINER
NOB (head), {t}RAINER (coach) [ignoring first]
26 Boorish type about to follow retiring giant (7)
GOLIATH
HOG (boorish type) containing [about] TAIL (follow) reversed [retiring]
27 Returning uniform and dress king leaves Greek territory (5)
CORFU
U (uniform) + FROC{k} (dress) [king leaves] all reversed [returning]
29 Italian artist heard inside calls for language scientists (12)
PHONETICIANS
TICIAN sounds like [heard] “Titian” (Italian artist) contained by [inside] PHONES (calls)
31 Reversing up hill man circles round island (6,4)
PUERTO RICO
UP [reversing], ERIC (man) contains [circles] TOR (hill), then O (round)
33 Doctor back in with Lord Batty in Global South (5,5)
THIRD WORLD
DR (doctor) reversed [back] contained by [in] anagram [batty] of WITH LORD. Collins has Global South as: the less economically advanced countries of Africa, Asia, and Latin America collectively.
35 Middleman from Bury, behold, ignored other ranks (12)
INTERLOCUTOR
INTER (bury),  LO (behold), CUT (ignored), OR (other ranks)
38 Impatience ultimately observed in pleasant relative (5)
NIECE
{impatienc}E [ultimately] contained by [observed in] NICE (pleasant)
39 Means to admit when ones business is going down the drain (7)
MANHOLE
Cryptic
40 Mr S O’Casey worked for US plane company? (9)
SYCAMORES
Anagram [worked] of MR S O’CASEY. The American plane tree (platanus occidentalis) is also called the American sycamore, so I assume that’s the reference here and perhaps ‘company’ is to indicate the plural. The question mark may be intended to make it less of a dodgy definition. Or perhaps I’m missing a better explanation?
42 Limited number in pub act in haste, madly consuming ecstasy (5,11)
LOCAL ANAESTHETIC
LOCAL (pub), then anagram [madly] of ACT IN HASTE containing  [consuming] E (ecstasy)
44 Write a volume in furious activity — that brings ruin! (6)
RAVAGE
A + V (volume) contained by [in] RAGE (furious activity)
47 West Indian perhaps opposing Second Amendment pens article (8)
ANTIGUAN
ANTI-GUN (opposing Second Amendment) contains [pens] A (article)
49 Like good brandy that’s found in drainage ditch? (4)
AGED
Hidden [found] in {drain}AGE D{itch}
50 Queen with message for Alice featured in explosive adaptation? (9)
TREATMENT
R (Queen) + EAT ME (message for Alice in Wonderland) contained by [featured in] TNT (explosive)
52 Yank in paradise, not initially expelled (5)
HEAVE
HEAVE{n} (paradise) [n{ot} initially, expelled]
53 At home, deep in thought about former partner’s budget (11)
INEXPENSIVE
IN (at home) + PENSIVE (deep in thought] containing [about] EX (former partner)
54 Dunce, the writer had nothing invested in it (5)
IDIOT
I’D (the writer had), then 0 (nothing) contained by [invested in] IT
55 Highly regarded sappers, closely examined, in shed (9)
RESPECTED
RE (sappers), {in}SPECTED (closely examined) [‘in’ shed]
56 Shocking killer‘s one featured in emotionally charged daily (8,5)
ELECTRIC CHAIR
I (one) contained by [featured in] ELECTRIC (emotionally charged) + CHAR (daily – cleaner)
Down
1 Sea-monster having patriarch and prophet beheaded (9)
LEVIATHAN
LEVI (patriarch), {N}ATHAN (prophet) [beheaded]. Two biblical references.
2 On chair, taken round Land’s End, given diazepam? (7)
SEDATED
SEATED (on chair) containing [taken round] {lan}D [‘s end]
3 Old rocker’s initial parts in my head for mix (11)
INCORPORATE
O (old) + R{ocker’s} [initial] is contained by [parts] IN + COR (my!) + PATE (head)
4 North African in Egypt once stuffing sheep (6)
TUAREG
UAR (Egypt once) contained by [stuffing] TEG (sheep). A member of a nomadic Amazigh people of the Sahara. Egypt as UAR is covered in the first paragraph here.
5 Freak rain storms, one having Dutch origins (9)
AFRIKANER
Anagram [storms] of FREAK RAIN
6 Internet Explorer? (6,6)
SEARCH ENGINE
It’s many years since I used this Microsoft application and I thought at first the clue was a straight definition, but then I remembered that IE was a web browser rather than a search engine, so I think this qualifies as a cryptic clue.
7 Giants of literature and fantasy going head to head in paper? (6,4)
TOILET ROLL
ELIOT (giant of literature) + TROLL (giant of fantasy) the first being reversed [going head to head]
8 This for example — from Denmark, not Northern Ireland (4)
DASH
DA{ni}SH (from Denmark) [not Northern Ireland]. The example in the clue is an ’em dash’.
9 Striker smashing mug filled with pop (11,5)
GRANDFATHER CLOCK
GRAND (smashing) + CLOCK (mug – both slang for ‘face’) containing [filled with] FATHER (pop)
10 Perhaps take constitutional risk, ousting leader (5)
AMBLE
{g}AMBLE (risk) [ousting leader]
11 Bishop engaged in single combat with Liberal naturalist (7)
DURRELL
RR (bishop – Right Reverend) contained by [engaged in] DUEL (single combat), L (Liberal). More about Gerald Durrell here if required.
12 Comedian necessarily suspended delivering such   dark material? (7,6)
GALLOWS HUMOUR
A cryptic hint precedes the main definition
19 Suit certain to delight (8)
PLEASURE
PLEA (suit), SURE (certain)
22 Producer of beans approximately doubled with embargo’s end (5)
CACAO
CA + CA ((approximately – circa) [doubled], {embarg}O [end]
23 Punished servant — not in lime green (16)
ENVIRONMENTALIST
Anagram [punished] of SERVANT NOT IN LIME
25 New union member’s restraining order for dull individual (7)
BROMIDE
BRIDE (new union member) containing [restraining] OM (Order of Merit). I didn’t know this meaning.
28 Martini at last included in list for party (7)
ROISTER
{martin}I [at last] contained by [included in] ROSTER (list)
29 Obvious agitation about English material that’s shellacked (6,7)
PATENT LEATHER
PATENT (obvious), LATHER (agitation) containing [about] E (English). It’s treated with shellack varnish.
30 Man’s man for example is on spacecraft (8)
ISLANDER
IS, LANDER (spacecraft). Reference the Isle of Man.
32 Standing alone at home of French writer, cold, in valley (12)
INDEPENDENCE
IN (at home), DE (of, French), PEN (writer), then C (cold) contained by [in] DENE (valley)
34 Rest attention where blue reflected by lake (5)
DWELL
LEWD (blue – indecent) reversed [reflected], L (lake)
36 Brief one’s held in Washington area for digital recording (7,4)
COMPACT DISC
COMPACT (brief) then I’S (one’s) contained by [held in] DC (Washington area)
37 Dish having price occasionally served by the house? (7,3)
COTTAGE PIE
COTTAGE (house),  P{r}I{c}E [occasionally]
40 This is not bad for devout Japanese (9)
SHINTOIST
Anagram [bad] of THIS IS NOT
41 One viewing Mark Murphy’s broadcast (9)
SPECTATOR
Sounds like [broadcast] “speck” (mark) + “tater” (Murphy – slang for  potato)
43 Girl coming below slashed pirate’s arm (7)
CUTLASS
CUT (slashed), LASS (girl)
45 Uncle Sam‘s revolutionary mother on the heath (7)
AMERICA
MA (mother) reversed [revolutionary], ERICA (heath)
46 Timeless Himalayan creature devouring people from Sanaa? (6)
YEMENI
YE{t}I (Himalayan creature) [timeless] containing [devouring] MEN (people). Sanaa is the capital of Yemen.
48 Diver one about to escape shipping hazard from the south (5)
GREBE
{ic}EBERG (shipping hazard) [one about – I C – to escape] reversed [from the south]
51 Character standing leaves to exercise joint (4)
WELD
W{i}ELD (exercise) [character standing  – I – leaves]

6 comments on “Times Cryptic Jumbo 1659 : 17th February 2024”

  1. This was a very quick run through, almost besting my time for Middle Brother. I can’t see any other resolution for SYCAMORES: the plural is the company of trees. I assumed Mr S O’Casey was intended to be the Irish playwright, which at least made it more than just a random selection of letters.
    Otherwise, I’m feeling smug about spelling LEVIATHAN correctly – I don’t usually, but “Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet” was a generous help.

  2. SYCAMORES having ‘company’ to indicate the plural definitely makes this my COD.

    1. I took it as an instruction to the solver : Write A inside B to arrive at the answer (C).

      It’s a device that setters use occasionally. Okay the clue would be solvable without it but it can improve the surface reading – not by much in this particular case, I grant you.

  3. I whizzed through this and then got completely stuck on 31ac. Eventually I followed the principle that when you’re really stuck you should double check the crossing answers and realised that COCOA was wrong.

  4. I see now I never got WELD, so a DNF. I was amused at the definition ‘devout Japanese’, which is almost an oxymoron. Completely misled by ‘Mark Murphy’.

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