Times Cryptic Jumbo 1768

Author   DvynysPosted on Categories Jumbo Cryptic

Time: 58.41

Plenty of cultural references to glamorous/famous women (and what they might be doing in their footwear) for our New Year’s Day Cryptic Jumbo, with Mary Poppins; Nigella (sort of); and Nicole Scherzinger, all washed down with a rather less glamorous reference to a revealing (men’s) “outfit”.

Across
1 Saint’s decree on Scottish mountain (8)
BENEDICT – EDICT on BEN.
5 Sell bike part on the telephone (6)
PEDDLE – Homophone of pedal.
9 Expressions start to reappear within periods of time (7)
PHRASES – R within PHASES.
14 Man appearing in films, detective with pointed beard (4,3,4)
DICK VAN DYKE – DICK [one of the many crossword synonyms for “detective”] + VANDYKE [pointed beard], named after the famous painter, who sported facial hair in such a style.

Coincidentally, the actor celebrated his 100th birthday just before Christmas, and there were some articles about him. Probably best known for playing Bert in Mary Poppins. All together now “Chim Cim-inee, Chim Chim-inee, Chim Chim Cher-ee…”
15 Search great complex for intruder (11)
GATECRASHER – (SEARCH GREAT)*.

Nice anagram; neat clue.
16 Display anger not completely taking row light-heartedly (5)
GROWL – Hidden [not completely].
17 Maybe Spaniard and I head across middle of Africa (7)
IBERIAN – I + (BEAN [head] around RI).
18 Date Romeo and lure out love cheat (9)
ADULTERER – (DATE + R [Nato alphabet]+ LURE)*
19 Muscular dog’s last to come forward in pen (7)
SHARPIE – The muscular dog is the familiar (to crossword solvers) SHAR PEI, with the last letter moving forward by one position.

SHARPIE is a new one on me. Apparently a type of pen, ubiquitous enough to become an expression for any other brand (like hoover for vacuums). My LOI.
20 Section in dead molluscs showing nerves (6,4,5)
BITING ONES NAILS – BIT + IN + GONE + SNAILS.

I love this sort of clue. Groans and smiles in equal measure.
22 Clash of baggy jumpers? (4,6)
SACK RACING – Cryptic.

My POI. A event of folks jumping whilst encased in bags.
23 Dozing general constricted by snake (6)
ASLEEP – LEE is our General, surrounded by ASP.
25 Stupid joke articulated originally (4)
GAGA – GAG + A.
28 Peer frequently with male following stories in classic novel (4,2,3,5)
LORD OF THE FLIES – LORD + OFT + HE + F + LIES.

More groans/smiles.
30 Pride in action receiving backing of everyone with monumental support (8)
PILLARED – (PRIDE)* [in action] around a reversal of ALL.
32 Demoralise one that’s admitted to blunders I’d reversed (8)
DISPIRIT – I inside a reversal of TRIPS + ID.
34 Someone like me wrote fine clue, real original (6,8)
FELLOW CREATURE – (WROTE + F + CLUE + REAL)*
37 Pal disheartened by each request (4)
PLEA – Take out the middle letter of PAL and add EA.
38 Restrain irrational fierce bears (4,2)
KEEP IN – KEEN around PI.

Not the most obvious synonym for FIERCE, but “intense” might be equivalent to both. If anyone is reading this who has never done a cryptic crossword before then PI =irrational. Don’t ask, and no, no-one ever uses it nowadays. On edit: Getting my pis mixed up. Pi can be both “sanctimonious” in its “short version of pious” and separately 3.141593654. Many thanks to Kevin.
39 Relative of king with earl residing in French city (10)
GRANDNIECE – Our variety of king is GR [Georgius Rex] + AND [with] + (E in NICE).
43 Change view about international runner’s tight attire (6,9)
BUDGIE SMUGGLERS – BUDGE [change view] around I [for International] + SMUGGLER’S.

I challenge you, dear reader, to keep that snigger under close control.
45 Escape working after degree, charging abroad on vacation (7)
ABSCOND – ON [working] after BSC inside [charging] the outer letters of ABROAD.
47 Comparatively economical floor covering husband split (9)
THRIFTIER – TIER [floor] outside (H + RIFT].
49 Duke missing in Ardennes activated trap (7)
ENSNARE – (ARDENNES without the D)*
51 Vessels arrive inside harbours (5)
VEINS – Hidden.
52 Repeatedly left town in Hampshire (4,3,4)
OVER AND OVER – OVER + ANDOVER.
53 Gangs seizing command lead in lawless extremities of country (11)
BORDERLANDS – BANDS around (ORDER [command] + L).
54 Courage to do what you’re doing again (7)
RESOLVE – Jocular double definition.
55 Ate what lad rejected, last of pud (6)
NOSHED – Reversal of EH [what?] + SON then add D.
56 Some towers are so topped on high? (8)
STEEPLED – I think this is just LED for “topped” and STEEP for “high”.
Down
1 Bad smell on one who painted overseas wine shops (7)
BODEGAS – BO + DEGAS.
2 Where one might exhibit lover who’s bewitching (11)
NECROMANCER – NEC [National Exhibition Centre] + ROMANCER [lover].

One of my final entries, biffed from checkers. I only saw the NEC thing when coming to do the blog.
3 Deplore dodgy grasping electronic vehicle designer (9)
DEVELOPER – (DEPLORE)* around EV.
4 Scam Faith with win in card game (10,5)
CONFIDENCE TRICK – CONFIDENCE + TRICK.
6 Poets, say, appearing in electronic records (8)
ELEGISTS – EG in E LISTS.

I’m more used to the alternative spelling, ELEGAISTS.
7 Be stubborn and do gardening wearing unsuitable footwear (3,2,4,5)
DIG IN ONES HEELS – Another jocular double definition.

I rather liked this one.
8 Cricketer to get out shortly before six deliveries (5,5)
EXTRA COVER – To get out is EXTRACT. Shortly means you take off the final T and add OVER.

A fielding position in cricket. Cover is 2.00pm from the batter’s point of view; Extra cover is 1.30pm.
9 Extremely upset with price changing for film (7)
PICTURE – (UT + PRICE)*.
10 Severe criticism like degenerate receives (5)
ROAST – AS inside ROT.
11 Former Pussycat Dolls singer’s witty remark topped by second US songstress (11)
SCHERZINGER – S + CHER on top of ZINGER [witty remark].

The ex-belle of Lewis Hamilton, and the only reason I knew the name. Just as well as ZINGER was either unknown or very little known to me. Smooth surface but tough if you don’t know the gal.
12 Picked up knightly title, award is something unexpected (8)
SURPRISE – Homophone of SIR + PRIZE
13 Animal shelter beside area uncovered (4)
BYRE – BY + RE.
20 Elevated figure with aristocrat’s hat (6)
BONNET – Reversal of TEN + NOB.
21 Claiming pruned climbing plant (7)
NIGELLA – Reversal of ALLEGING with the final G discarded [pruned].

Clever.
22 Crust of sago covers non-liquid fare (6)
SOLIDS – SO + LIDS.
24 Cleric attending betrothal already booked diary slot (5,10)
PRIOR ENGAGEMENT – PRIOR + ENGAGEMENT.
26 Altering bed, he’s ordered flowering plants (8,6)
BLEEDING HEARTS – (ALTERING BED HES)*.

There seem to be a few plants described as such.
27 Notification of where to find promotion for glue (6)
ADHERE – Jocular instruction of where to locate AD.
29 Japanese art creation that’s unfinished to tackle in the morning (7)
ORIGAMI – ORIGI(N) around [to tackle] AM.
31 Care cutting sides of serious stretches of grass (6)
SWARDS – CARE inside [cutting] SS
33 Scorn grand dining-car’s starter — sadly served up leafy fare (5,6)
SALAD GREENS – Reversal of SNEER + G + D + ALAS.
35 Cool university with conceptual drawing space inside (11)
UNEMOTIONAL – U + (NOTIONAL around [drawing] EM).

Again, for cryptic regulars, EM and EN are frequent enough visitors relating to the business of printing. EM is a unit of measurement (equal to the width of the lower case letter “m” in 12-point) used in spacing material and in estimating dimensions of pages.
36 This compiler and sister set about road trip working with lists (4-6)
MENU-DRIVEN – ME + (NUN around DRIVE).

A computer software term, describing how users move through programmes.
40 Tree very poorly kept in centre of frenetic capital city (9)
NASHVILLE – (ASH + V + ILL) inside NE.

Capital of Tennessee.
41 A disturbance and flap about slaughterhouse (8)
ABATTOIR – A + (reversal of RIOT + BAT).
42 Iron expert grips is turned on (8)
FEASIBLE – FE + (ABLE around [grips] a reversal [turned] of IS).

Nice definition.
44 Rod and reel Cockney’s bound up (7)
SPINDLE – SPIN + a reversal of HELD with the H removed to take into account the putative pronunciation of those born within the sound of Bow Bells.
46 Abandoned some French and American papers on the counter (7)
DISUSED – Reversal of DES [“some” in French] + US + ID.
48 Feeble female bird (5)
FRAIL – F + RAIL.
50 River bearing east (4)
AIRE – AIR + E.

A couple of gentle ones to finish.

7 comments on “Times Cryptic Jumbo 1768”

  2. DNF
    Couldn’t get NIGELLA (dnk) or PILLARED.
    DNK MENU-DRIVEN, EXTRA COVER, got both with aids. NHO SCHERZINGER, or Pussycat Dolls (or Lewis Hamilton), but luckily knew ZINGER.

    Reply

  3. I missed the parsing of SHARPIE and NHO the pen, but it went in with fingers crossed as I knew there was a breed of dog pronounced roughly like that.

    Also NHO SCHERZINGER (naturally) but it’s a common enough name and the wordplay was helpful.

    I noted the SE corner as harder than the rest of the puzzle but I handicapped myself there by writing PRIOR COMMITMENT at 24dn and that had to be spotted and corrected before things in that area started to come together.

    I used aids for VEINS. I’ve lost count of how many times ‘Vessel / vein’ has caught me out over the years. Every time I think I’ve finally mastered it it catches me again.

    Reply

  4. Quite straightforward, but I ruined it with a typo: PRIOR ENTAGEMENT. I checked my across answers but for some reason my brain decided that I had finished at that point and I hit submit without checking the downs.
    I had all the required knowledge for this, including Nicole of the Pussycat Dolls, and SHARPIEs, which I use all the time.
    If I point out that EXTRA COVER is only at 1.30pm for a right-handed batter, do I win Pedant of the Week?

    Reply

  5. We enjoyed this one (mostly) with several amusing or ingenious clues. Had to stop and think a bit for Borderlands and Spindle, but they did make sense.

    Reply

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