Hi all. Once again this was a fragmented solve, and part of it on a train, so once again I’ve no time to report. I didn’t find it the hardest Jumbo ever, but did have to think a bit. My last in was COINCIDE (41d), which I stared at for some time, but suddenly saw while I was contemplating a second alphabet trawl. ROOST (28a) was also among the last to put to bed – a very cute cryptic definition. I thought STAGE FRIGHT (17a) was particularly clever too.
Unusually, I think I may have twigged the identity of the setter. The one who likes doubles definitions, whimsical interpretations and (though not usually in The Times) being a bit naughty. (REDRAW at 18a, I’m looking at you!) I may be wrong of course – it has been known. In any case, thank you setter!
Apologies that the explanations below would probably benefit from a few additional notes, but I’m pushed for time. If anything is unclear, please ask in the comments.
Definitions are underlined in the clues below. In the explanations, quoted indicators are usually in italics, specified [deletions] are in square brackets, and I’ve capitalised and emboldened letters which appear in the ANSWER. For clarity, I omit most link words and some juxtaposition indicators.
| Across | |
| 1a | Got longer articles to spread popular beliefs (9) |
| INCREASED — AS (As – articles) going into (to spread) IN (popular) CREED (belief) | |
| 6a | Sound — that of ceremony? (5) |
| RIGHT — Sounds like RITE (ceremony) | |
| 9a | Corrupts spy brought back to safeguard lives (7) |
| POISONS — SNOOP (spy) reversed (brought back) enclosing (to safeguard) IS (lives) | |
| 13a | Acknowledge passage of mine contains start of message (5) |
| ADMIT — ADIT (passage of mine) contains the first letter (start) of Message | |
| 14a | Former state comprising capital of Poland and part of Soviet Union (7) |
| PRUSSIA — The first letter (capital) of Poland and RUSSIA (part of Soviet Union) | |
| 15a | Being in exile forfeits right to go into details (9) |
| EXPATIATE — EXPAT[r]IATE (being in exile) forfeits R (right) | |
| 16a | Most of teaching unit is rehashed for mock (11) |
| INAUTHENTIC — Most of TEACHINg plus UNIT is anagrammed (rehashed) | |
| 17a | Onset of fear when entering dramatic location? (5,6) |
| STAGE FRIGHT — The first letter (onset of) Fear when going into (entering) STAGE RIGHT (dramatic location?), &lit | |
| 18a | Pull again and screw around (6) |
| REDRAW — WARDER (screw) reversed (around) | |
| 19a | Constructive activity gradually getting more intense (8) |
| BUILDING — Double definition | |
| 21a | Stupefying work I put away (6) |
| OPIATE — OP (work) + I + ATE (put away) | |
| 25a | Named suspect in photo creating widespread disorder (8) |
| PANDEMIC — An anagram od (… suspect) NAMED in PIC (photo) | |
| 26a | Divine alien? (3,2,4,5) |
| OUT OF THIS WORLD — Double definition | |
| 28a | Support for individuals with bills to settle (5) |
| ROOST — Cryptic definition, bills here being beaks | |
| 29a | Demonstrator in disreputable group (6) |
| SHOWER — SHOWER as in one who shows | |
| 30a | Itchy feet could be symptomatic of this condition (10) |
| WANDERLUST — Cryptic definition, the surface suggesting a medical condition | |
| 33a | Initially investigated if de facto changes performed authorized role (10) |
| OFFICIATED — Together with the first letter of (initially) Investigated, IF DE FACTO is anagrammed (changes) | |
| 35a | Surge of immigrants possibly belonging to unstable state (6) |
| INFLUX — IN FLUX (belonging to unstable state) | |
| 36a | Shudder at minor injuries inflicted during attack by men (5) |
| ABHOR — ABH (minor injuries inflicted during attack) by OR (men) | |
| 38a | Put in new order for remix of Memories on disc (14) |
| RECOMMISSIONED — An anagram (remix) of MEMORIES ON DISC | |
| 40a | Essential blow phased out computing device (3,5) |
| KEY PUNCH — KEY (essential) + PUNCH (blow) | |
| 42a | Make a mistake with message (6) |
| ERRAND — ERR (make a mistake) + AND (with) | |
| 43a | Folk on social media in what way entertaining spectacle with restricted view (8) |
| PEEPSHOW — PEEPS (folk on social media) + HOW (in what way) | |
| 44a | First class spinner follows helpful advice (6) |
| TIPTOP — TOP (spinner) follows TIP (helpful advice) | |
| 47a | Peach skin’s flipping lovely nap? (6,5) |
| BEAUTY SLEEP — BEAUTY (peach) + PEEL’S (skin’s) backwards (flipping) | |
| 50a | Support for light punishment of cruel bad man (11) |
| CANDELABRUM — Anagram (punishment) of CRUEL BAD MAN | |
| 52a | For Americans, exactly where one might find visual aids? (2,3,4) |
| ON THE NOSE — Definition plus literal interpretation, the visual aids being specs | |
| 53a | Idiotic ideas in inefficient stores (7) |
| ASININE — IdeAS IN INEfficient stores the answer | |
| 54a | Northerners instinctively know to give up first time (5) |
| INUIT — IN[t]UIT (instinctively know) leaving out the first T (to give up first time) | |
| 55a | Taking out line of rubbish clogging up entrance (7) |
| GAROTTE — ROT (rubbish) inside (clogging up) GATE (entrance) | |
| 56a | Great man’s relations inhibited by effect of The Sun’s coverage (5) |
| TITAN — IT (relations) inside (inhibited by) TAN (effect of The Sun’s coverage) | |
| 57a | Soldiers stationed in hamlet developed product that’s full of holes (9) |
| EMMENTHAL — MEN (soldiers) stationed in an anagram of (… developed) HAMLET | |
| Down | |
| 1d | National Anthem’s introduction bores two hosting King and Queen (5) |
| IRAQI — Anthem’s first letter (introduction) goes into (bores) II (two) around (hosting) R (King) and Q (Queen) | |
| 2d | Head of unit’s integrated circuit included in authoritative proposal (10,7) |
| COMMANDING OFFICER — IC (integrated circuit) included in COMMANDING (authoritative) OFFER (proposal) | |
| 3d | He helps move each man around country (6,5) |
| ESTATE AGENT — EA (each) and GENT (man) around STATE (country) | |
| 4d | Royal Engineer’s draining job? (6) |
| SAPPER — A draining job might be something that saps, hence whimsically a SAPPER | |
| 5d | Suspect unlikely to take part (8) |
| DOUBTFUL — Two definitions | |
| 6d | Unrealistically positive representation of decorous role (4-8) |
| ROSE-COLOURED — Anagram (representation) of DECOROUS ROLE | |
| 7d | I’m astonished about papers supporting rat’s abandoned wife (5,5) |
| GRASS WIDOW — WOW (I’m astonished) around (about) ID (papers) underneath (supporting) GRASS (rat) | |
| 8d | Article ending in Saint Paul’s Second Letter to The Corinthians (5) |
| THETA — THE (article) + the last letter of (ending in) sainT + pAul’s second | |
| 9d | Riddle about source of Italian pizza topping (9) |
| PEPPERONI — PEPPER (riddle) + ON (about) + the first letter (source) of Italian | |
| 10d | Individual questioning position adopted by dodgy rentier (11) |
| INTERVIEWER — VIEW (position) taken in by (adopted by) an anagram of (dodgy) RENTIER | |
| 11d | Animal with a varied diet consisting mainly of fruit (5) |
| ORANG — The answer consists mainly of ORANGe (fruit) | |
| 12d | Who might investigate elaborate hustle? (6) |
| SLEUTH — An anagram of (elaborate) HUSTLE | |
| 18d | Dazzling display on a revolutionary English company’s range of work (10) |
| REPERTOIRE — RIOT (dazzling display), RE (on) and PER (a) reversed (revolutionary) + E (English) | |
| 20d | Understand board is ready for acquisition (8) |
| GETTABLE — GET (understand) + TABLE (board) | |
| 22d | Connected with cast’s broadcast completely (7,3,7) |
| THROUGH AND THROUGH — THROUGH (connected) + AND (with) + a homophone of (broadcast) THREW (cast) | |
| 23d | Toxic atmosphere found among academia’s managers (6) |
| MIASMA — It’s found among acadeMIA’S MAnagers | |
| 24d | Reversed trend, heading off praise for position taken by journalist? (10) |
| EDITORSHIP — Backwards (reversed) TIDE (trend), then without the first letter (heading off) wORSHIP (praise) | |
| 27d | Clears head raising matter concerning supervisor finishing early (6,2) |
| SOBERS UP — Going up (raising) PUS (matter), RE (concerning) and BOSs (supervisor) without the last letter (finishing early] | |
| 31d | Discourage drinking by right (6) |
| DEXTER — DETER (discourage) taking in (drinking) X (by) | |
| 32d | Meeting lays to rest notice following reorganisation (12) |
| INTERSECTION — INTERS (lays to rest) + NOTICE after anagramming (following reorganisation) | |
| 34d | Chamber piece inspired by observation (11) |
| COMPARTMENT — PART (piece) inspired by COMMENT (observation) | |
| 36d | Software industry (11) |
| APPLICATION — Double definition | |
| 37d | Might scheme finish off bankrupt energy supplier? (5,5) |
| POWER PLANT — POWER (might) + PLAN (scheme) + the last letter of (finish off) bankrupT | |
| 39d | Put off key deficiency in Asian country’s attitude (9) |
| INDISPOSE — INDI[a]’S (Asian country’s) POSE (attitude) with a deficiency of A (key) | |
| 41d | Agree method of eliminating change? (8) |
| COINCIDE — A whimsical construction – COIN–CIDE | |
| 45d | Old on-line journal includes name of slender figure? (6) |
| OBLONG — O (old) + BLOG (on-line journal) includes N (name) | |
| 46d | Free to think again seemingly (6) |
| REDEEM — RE–DEEM – to think again, seemingly | |
| 48d | Revise warning as a result of temperature rising (5) |
| ALTER — ALERT (warning) with T (temperature) rising | |
| 49d | Employ specialist denied position originally (5) |
| EXERT — EX[p]ERT (specialist) without P (denied Position originally) | |
| 51d | Second unsatisfactory service upset driver using this establishment (5) |
| MOTEL — MO (second) + reversal of (… upset) LET (unsatisfactory service) | |
DNK PEEPS, and would have been happy to continue in my ignorance. NHO ABH. DNK that ON THE NOSE was an Americanism. I never did figure out how REPERTOIRE worked. I liked REDRAW, THETA, & COINCIDE.
75 minutes. I missed the parsing of COMMANDING OFFICER , so thanks for that, Kitty.
Not sure about ‘slender’ in the definition of OBLONG at 45dn. SOED has:
oblong – rectangular with the breadth greater than the height
slender – small in breadth in proportion to height
Thanks Kitty for the useful blog and to the setter for an enjoyable puzzle. I also had no idea about the parsing of COMMANDING OFFICER, nice to see a couple of scientific terms in the puzzle- albeit computing terms that were new to me.
Thanks for the blog Kitty. I found this a bit middle of the road, taking a little over an hour with no clues that really stood out.