Times Cryptic Jumbo No 1382 – 18th May

Author   JohninterredPosted on Categories Jumbo Cryptic
Today’s Jumbo continues the series of fairly easy puzzles, although there is the usual smattering of less familiar words. In all it took me about 32 1/2 minutes. Having finished describing the parsings, I can’t see why it took me so long! But there’s one clue, 25A, which dosn’t seem to quite work. Hopefully someone will explain where I went wrong. So, on the whole, easily digestible, but tasty fare then. Thank-you setter. How did you other solvers like it?

Definitions underlined in bold blue italics, Abc indicating anagram of Abc, deletions like this and [] other indicators.

Across
1 Doctor caught pinching journalist’s wine (5)
MEDOC – MO (medical orderly, doctor) and C (caught) [pinching] (i.e. outside) ED (journalist). The famous wine-growing region on the left bank of the Gironde.
4 A woman’s spells on a drug rejected in these parts (10)
HEREABOUTS – HER (A woman) and BOUTS (spells) after [on] A E (a drug) [rejected] -> E A.
9 Tactless remark primarily riling the chief electrician (6)
GAFFER – GAFFE (tactless remark) and the first letter of [primarily] Riling.
14 Strait-laced Carthaginian woman making entry (9)
PURITANIC – PUNIC (Carthaginian) with RITA (woman) inside, [making entry].
15 Questioning politician on eg train or at sea (13)
INTERROGATORY – TORY (politician) [on], i.e. after, an anagram of eg train or [at sea].
16 What Parisian left among directions for follow-ups (7)
SEQUELS – QUE (french for what)  L (left) [among] S, E, S [directions].
17 Friend eager to carry a new covered litter (9)
PALANKEEN – PAL (friend) KEEN (eager) outside [to carry] A N (new). I’d not come across this spelling of palanquin, which is a word that came up recently in this recent Saturday 15×15 crossword.
18 Horrify a reindeer herder going west (5)
APPAL – A and LAPP (reindeer herder) reversed [going west] to give PPAL.
19 How it dries rice out? That’s novel (5,4,5)
CIDER WITH ROSIE – Anagram of How it dries rice [out]. The book is by Laurie Lee. No. I haven’t read it. Have you?
22 Pole with old hat in distant settlement (7)
OUTPOST – POST (pole) after [with] OUT (old hat).
25 Son finally abandons water-starved sheep in fairish number (10)
THIRTYFOLD – I have a bit of a problem with this one. Where does the “finally” come into the wordplay? Without it, I would say THIRsTY (water-starved) without the s (son) [abandons] FOLD (a group of sheep in a pen). I’m sure somone will tell me what I’ve missed/got wrong!
27 Crossing ocean it finally moved quickly, having particular sound (12)
TRANSPACIFIC – iT [finally] RAN (moved quickly) SPACIFIC, sounds like, [having … sound], specific (particular).
30 Italian fellow’s regularly alluring air (5)
LUIGI – Alternate letters [regularly] of aLlUrInG aIr.
31 Confuse viewpoint of otolaryngologists? (8)
ENTANGLE – Here’s our favourite hospital department again… ENT (ear, nose and throat specialists = otolaryngologists) ANGLE (viewpoint).
32 One of Mitford’s aristos accepting suggestion for psalm (8)
ANTIPHON –  AN HON (One of Mitford’s aristos)  outside [accepting] TIP (suggestion). See discussion here on the 20th May daily about AN HON.
35 Study dance, providing fee for postponement (8)
CONTANGO – CON (study) TANGO (dance).
36 Detached Roman statesman with animals from the east (8)
STACCATO – CATO (Roman statesman) after [with] CATS backwards [from the east], i.e. STAC.
37 Outspoken woman receiving military commander (5)
VOCAL – VAL (woman) [receiving] C.O. (military commander).
39 Upright rider’s second woman at frontier, we hear (12)
SKATEBOARDER – S (second) KATE (woman) BOARDER, sounds like BORDER (frontier) [we hear].
41 Saw about taking to the water and making merry (10)
WASSAILING – Reverse SAW [about] to get WAS and add SAILING (taking to the water).
43 Cleft stick girl’s found by river at Pontypridd (7)
DISTAFF – DI’S (girl’s) TAFF (river at Pontypridd). The definition was a DNK for me.
45 Mount further industrial action, ringing pub to agree on terms (6,1,7)
STRIKE A BARGAIN – STRIKE AGAIN (mount further industrial action) outside [ringing] BAR (pub).
48 Singers in Cuba’s side-streets (5)
BASSI – Hidden in CuBA’S SIde-streets.
49 Gangster’s way to enter parts of builders’ course (9)
CAPSTONES – CAPONE’S (gangster’s) with ST (way) inserted, [to enter].
51 Foot of giant bird encountered in the east (7)
TROCHEE – ROC (giant bird) inside [encountered in] THE E (east). A term familar from my Latin ‘O’ level study of the dactylic hexameter verse of Virgil’s Aeneid, And what good did knowing all that do for me? Well it meant I could find an answer to this clue and… er… not sure what else.
53 Slow mover gets into a riot, carelessly (5,8)
GIANT TORTOISE – Anagram of gets into a riot [carelessly].
54 Talmudic scholar’s chatter about rejection of wrongdoing (9)
RABBINIST – Wrongdoing is SIN. Reverse it [rejection of] to get NIS and put RABBIT (chatter) [about].
55 Fully developed type demanding change of leader (6)
MATURE – nATURE (type) with a different first letter [change of leader], in this case M.
56 Uncultivated Greek character given inventory in English (10)
PHILISTINE – PHI (Greek character) LIST (inventory) IN E (English). Uncultivated as in not appreciating the work of an architect perhaps? As described here.
57 Part of spring attached to 50% of beds, perhaps (5)
MAYBE – Nice. No. Perhaps is not indicating a definition by example or cryptic definition, it’s the definition! MAY (part of spring) BEds (50% of beds).

Down
1 Like Eeyore’s second expression of impatience (6)
MOPISH – MO (second, short period of time) PISH (expression of impatience).
2 Quiet old insider prepared to return to civilian employment (13)
DEREQUISITION – Anagram of Quiet O (old) insider [prepared].
3 Piece of meat — item regularly forming dish (5)
CUTIE – CUT (piece of meat) ItEm [regularly].
4 Passes first of workmen carrying a tool (7)
HANDSAW – HANDS (passes) [first of] Workmen outside [carrying] A.
5 Go over again, about to surrender (12)
RECAPITULATE – RE (about) CAPITULATE (surrender).
6 Fax Mary starts off about affliction of the armpit (8)
AXILLARY – fAX MARY [starts off] [about] ILL (afflication). A new word on me.
7 Like some cereal Oscar put away before noon (5)
OATEN – O (Oscar in the NATO phonetic alphabet) ATE (put away) N (noon).
8 Like a Weill opera, costing very little once (10)
THREEPENNY – Double definition. You do know the song Mack the Knife from the opera, at least. don’t you?
10 Insistent a worker must shore up barrier (7)
ADAMANT – A ANT (a worker) outside [must shore up] DAM (barrier).
11 Completely safe dessert, one originally consumed by academic (9)
FOOLPROOF – FOOL (dessert) One [originally] inside [consumed by] PROF (academic).
12 Member of ruling family put up by Republican circle (5)
ROYAL – LAY (put) [up] -> YAL after [by] R (Republican) O (circle).
13 Intimates favour crooked man in scoop (4,10)
BOON COMPANIONS – BOON (favour) with an anagram of  man in scoop [crooked].
20 Free former con briefly at end of sentence (9)
EXTRICATE – EX (former) TRICk (con) [briefly] AT [end of] sentencE.
21 Vestment certain to incorporate new clip (8)
SURPLICE – SURE (certain) outside [to incorporate] angram of [new] clip.
23 Practical sciences only the GOC deployed (10)
TECHNOLOGY – Anagram of only the GOC [deployed].
24 Stressed computer studies woman with daughter touring islands (10)
ITALICISED – IT (computer studies) ALICE (woman) [with] D (daughter) outside [touring] IS (islands).
26 Experience efficient estate manager’s sense of wellbeing (4-4,6)
FEEL-GOOD FACTOR – FEEL (experience) GOOD (efficient) FACTOR (estate manager).
28 Nagging civilian in garrison principally restricting husband (9)
CHIVVYING – CIVVY (civilian) IN Garrison [principally] outside [restricting] H (husband).
29 Woollen items knight placed among gear on river (8)
KNITWEAR – N (knight, in chess notation) [placed among] KIT (gear) [on] WEAR (river in NE England).
33 Greek character with house worked in mythic Asian port (2,3,4,4)
HO CHI MINH CITY – CHI (greek character) after [with] HO (house) and an anagram of [worked] in mythic.
34 Artist in Irish county composed airs outside eastern inn (12)
CARAVANSERAI – RA (artist) [in] CAVAN (Irish county) with anagram of [composed] airs [outside] E (eastern).
38 Peevish type giving mongrel a common dog’s name (10)
CROSSPATCH – CROSS (mongrel) PATCH (common dog’s name).
40 One leaving Francis’s place beat rear of flippant aide (9)
ASSISTANT – ASSISi (Francis’s place) [one leaving] TAN (beat) [rear of] flippanT.
42 Society family not so devoid of cover (8)
SKINLESS – S (Society) KIN (family) LESS (not so).
44 One flying aircraft at first by way of rocky peak (7)
AVIATOR – Aircraft [at first] VIA (by way of) TOR (rocky peak).
46 Current board suitable for representing on stage (7)
ACTABLE – AC (Alternating Current) TABLE (board).
47 Take up residence in N Yorks town (6)
SETTLE – Double Defiinition.
48 High-ranking Muslim woman, say, taken in by tramp (5)
BEGUM – EG (say) [taken in by] BUM (tramp).
50 Leaving hospital, get excited and sing (5)
TRILL – ThRILL (get excited) without the [leaving] H (hospital).
52 Work on island with hesitation, producing narcotic drug (5)
OPIUM – OP (work) [on] I (island) [with] UM (hesitation).

8 comments on “Times Cryptic Jumbo No 1382 – 18th May”

  1. I have ‘finally?’ written in the margin by 25ac; I assumed it was a mistake for ‘initially’. I also have ‘directions!’ by 16ac; along with random notes and random names, I can do without random directions in clues. Nothing much to comment on; I liked 45ac.
  2. 25ac seemed a pigs ear of a clue to me .. I agree the “finally” appears unnecessary and renders the clue incorrect. The def. is also quite loose. “Thirty” is a fairish number, but “thirtyfold” is an adjective or adverb, isn’t it? And that meaning of “fold” is rather obscure too.
    Still, just one clue out of sixty or so, eh? I rather admire anyone who can set a whole jumbo (or blog one, come to that!)
  3. ….was THIRTYFOLD. I simply biffed it in the end, because I couldn’t see how it worked. I now agree that “finally” should be “initially”. A small blemish that didn’t spoil my enjoyment.
  4. Thanks guys for confirming I hadn’t got it wrong. As Jerry said, a Jumbo is a bit of an endurance test for setter (and blogger)… but also editor. And, as Phil says, it is just a small blemish which didn’t spoil my fun either.

    Edited at 2019-06-01 07:50 am (UTC)

  5. I managed to survive this endurance test without any errors or typos, but THIRTYFOLD was my LOI with the same thoughts as others. I had PALANQUIN at 17a until 8d and 13d called for a rethink. NHO PALANKEEN. Got there eventually in 1:15:34. Thanks setter and John.
  7. Have been foolishly entering for over 9 years. Never imagined I could be winner, but SURPRISE I eventually was! Now for the gripe. Times Universal Atlas, Bradford’s Crossword Solver and Collins Dictionary and Thesaurus. Could have purchased on Amazon for just £50! Blurb on entry says value over £120. Will save a lot more, having cancelled my order in newsagents.
    1. Congratulations! Foolishly entering? not a bit of it! Better than the Saturday cryptic prize of £20 of WHSmith vouchers which you can’t spend online but only in store. Here’s to another win in less than another 9 years.

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