Times Cryptic Jumbo No 1392 – 20th July

Author   JohninterredPosted on Categories Jumbo Cryptic

As I write this summary somewhat belatedly, I seem to remember that I didn’t find it overly hard, but there were a few unknowns I had to trust the wordplay for. No time recorded but  I think it was not long after the 1/2 hour mark that I got stuck with one clue left – 22D. Having no idea about needlecraft, I’m afraid I looked up what stitches there were to get the answer. Otherwise mostly quite straightforward but a couple raised questionmarks on my paper copy before I managed to parse them. Lots of witty clues – I enjoyed 21A, 26A and 44D in particular. Thanks setter! How did you all like get on?

Definitions underlined in bold italics, (Abc)* indicating anagram of Abc, deletions thus and [] other indicators.

Across
1 Source of light snacks originally served around English city (5)
LEEDS – LED (source of light) and first letter of Snacks [originally] all [around] E (English).
4 Inland lake completely enclosed at first in S Africa? (4,3)
DEAD SEA – DEAD (completely, as in “you’re dead right”) and Enclosed [at first] [in] S.A. (South Africa).
8 Space remaining even now for housekeeper’s pantry (9)
STILLROOM – STILL (remaining even now) ROOM (space). DNK this, but it seemed plausible.
13 Backing cultural pursuits in a Turkic ruler’s fleecy coat (9)
ASTRAKHAN – ARTS (cultiral pursuits) [backing] [in] A KHAN (Turkic ruler)
14 Domineering writer and heretic imbibing wine (13)
AUTHORITARIAN – AUTHOR (writer) and ARIAN (heretic) [imbibing] IT (vermouth wine; as in “gin and it”).
15 Free of suspicion, turning out article uncoded (2,5)
IN CLEAR – Free of suspicion is IN THE CLEAR. Remove [turning out] the article (THE).
16 Public service uselessness getting leader dismissed (7)
UTILITY – fUTILITY (uselessness) [getting leader dismissed].
17 Disgrace isn’t commonly associated with a non-drinker (7)
ATTAINT – AIN’T (isn’t commonly) after [associated with]  A TT (teetotaler = non-drinker)
18 Become organised, like a parliament framing a law? (3,4,3,8)
GET ONES ACT TOGETHER – Double definition, second cryptic.
21 Sound made by bell in first half of game? (4)
PING – First half of PING-PONG (game).
23 Carpet and reportedly sack politician leaving India (9)
AXMINSTER – AX sounds like, [reportedly,] AXE (sack). MINiSTER (politican) without [leaving] the I (India).
25 Dog beginning to cross a square (6)
CANINE – [Beginning to] Cross A NINE (3 squared).
26 Question posh commander about good sort of horse once (6)
QUAGGA – Q (question) U (posh) AGA (commander) [about] G (good).
28 Eg Captain Cook’s ruined manor hikers survey in the end? (12)
YORKSHIREMAN – Anagram of [ruined] (Manor hikers surveY)* [in the end].
30 Returning ring, stays for game devised by honey-eater? (10)
POOHSTICKS – POOH, reverse of [returning HOOP (ring), STICKS (stays).
33 Like some population theory an African put about so (10)
MALTHUSIAN – MALIAN (an African) [put about] THUS (so). I got this only because I remebered Malthus coming up somewhere else recently…. yes in this Jumbo I blogged in January,
34 Modest and genuine, not like two of the Stuarts! (12)
UNPRETENDING – unlike the “pretenders” to the thrones of England, Scotland, Ireland and France. Who were they? See here.
37 Comparatively roguish sportsperson aiming for the gold? (6)
ARCHER – Double definition. The bulls eye on an archery target is gold.
39 Some fracas in old gaming establishment (6)
CASINO – Hidden in [Some]  fraCAS IN Old.
40 Old-style exam initially exploring rural composition (9)
PASTORALE – PAST (old style) ORAL (exam) [initially] Exploring.
42 Speaker’s claim to possess a small Scottish island (4)
IONA – Sounds like  I OWN A.
43 Act independently: get an individual’s recollection broadcast (4,1,4,2,4,3)
HAVE A MIND OF ONES OWN – HAVE (get) A MIND OF ONE (an individual’s recollection) SOWN (broadcast; as in sowing seeds).
46 Grouse when eg Henry goes off the rails (7)
GREYHEN – (eg Henry)* [off the rails]. A new word for me.
47 Performer’s way to penetrate clarinettist Shaw? (7)
ARTISTE – ST (street; way) inside [to penetrate] ARTIE. No I hadn’t heard of him, but Artie Shaw, is widely regarded as “one of jazz’s finest clarinetists”. Hear him Begin the Beguine, here.
48 Measure volume of gallery, getting it right inside (7)
TITRATE – TATE (gallery) [getting] IT R (right) [inside].
50 Former word one country used for mass murder… (13)
EXTERMINATION – As easy a 4-part charade as you will get – EX (former) TERM (word)  I (one) NATION (country). Look out, the Daleks are coming.
51 … wooing judicial assemblies with it (9)
COURTSHIP – COURTS (judicial assemblies) HIP (with it).
52 Whiskery growth displayed by poet following team (9)
SIDEBURNS – BURNS (poet) [following] SIDE (team).
53 Furtiveness of waterbird accommodated in south (7)
STEALTH – TEAL (waterbird) [accommodated in] STH (south).
54 Greeting about right for person renting car, perhaps? (5)
HIRER – HI (greeting) RE (about) R (right).
Down
1 Top actress with influence in the upper chamber? (7,4)
LEADING LADY – I guess if you were a LADY in the House of Lords and you had influence, you would be LEADING.
2 Stabbing-sword or knives to carry in the centre (5)
ESTOC – Hidden in knivES TO Carry [in the centre]. Another new word on me.
3 Tremble with fear hearing Arab chief sharing one’s situation (5,2,4,5)
SHAKE IN ONES SHOES – SHAKE, sounds like [hearing] SHEIK (Arab chief) IN ONE’S SHOES (sharing one’s situation).
4 Removes hard outgrowths developing on herds (7)
DEHORNS – [developing] (on herds)*
5 Female cat beginning to ruffle person behind mike (9)
ANNOUNCER – ANN (female) OUNCE (cat) [beginning to] Ruffle.
6 Stable fellow first engaged as data analyser (12)
STATISTICIAN – STATIC (stable) IAN (fellow) ouside [engaged] IST (first).
7 Like Herts town hospital department checking bleeding (10)
ASTRINGENT – AS (like) TRING (Herts. town) ENT (Ear Nose and Throat. crosswordland’s favourite hospital department).
8 Way in which southern Yankee goes about being ostentatious (5)
SHOWY – HOW (way)  inside] S (southern) Y (Yankee) [goes about].
9 Copied Iowa man touring New England university (8)
IMITATED – IA (Iowa) TED (man) outside [touring] MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology; New England University).
10 Outbuilding quietly removed from Greek battle site (4-2)
LEAN-TO – The Greek battle site is LEpANTO – with the P (piano; quietly) [removed]. The battle was in 1571 during the Venetian – Ottoman war. I know of it through my Dad drinking the brandy named after it.
11 Old team digs in frantically, though going rusty (9)
OXIDISING – O (Old) XI (eleven; number in a soccer team) (digs in)* [frantically].
12 Tiny girl wrapping grand timing device (6-5)
MINUTE-GLASS – MINUTE (tiny) LASS (girl) [wrapping] G (grand).
19 Farm cart new butler observed across motorway (7)
TUMBREL – [new] (butler)* outside [observed across] M (motorway).
20 Type of oven with yellowish-brown access (7)
TANDOOR – TAN (yellowish-brown) DOOR (access).
22 Seeks word with small person making reinforcing loop (10,6)
BUTTONHOLE STITCH – My last one in, and unknown to me – I’m afraid I had to resort to looking up types of stitch. BUTTONHOLES (seeks word with) TITCH (small person).
24 Craving finally familiar in the present time (6)
THIRST – Last letter of [finally] familiaR [in] THIS (present) T (time).
27 Naval NCOs framing sexy snaps (6)
PHOTOS – The naval NCOs are Petty Officers – POS. And they are outside [framing] HOT (sexy).
29 Send out Greek character with reputation for climbing? (7)
EMANATE – ETA (greek character) [with] NAME (reputation) all going upwrds [climbing].
31 Transatlantic city stylish in the past (7)
CHICAGO – CHIC (stylish) AGO (in the past).
32 Lack of awareness of GOC, one in Cannes, surprisingly (12)
INCOGNISANCE – (GOC I (one) in Cannes)* [surprisingly].
33 Futile process for enclosing fireplaces (11)
MEANINGLESS – MEANS (process) [enclosing] INGLES (fireplaces).
35 Groundsman’s jade ring? (11)
GREENKEEPER – GREEN (jade)  KEEPER (ring). I didn’t know thatmeaning of keeper.
36 Girl removes clothing, inspiring first of lewd men’s slides (10)
FILMSTRIPS – FI (short for Fiona; girl) STRIPS (removes clothing) outside [inspiring] [first of] Lewd Men’s.
38 Satisfied crook given temporary shelter (9)
CONTENTED – CON (crook) TENTED (given temporary shelter).
40 French national’s tried and tested state (9)
PROVENCAL – PROVEN (tried and tested) CAL (California; state).
41 More sprightly junior ringing the BBC? (8)
JAUNTIER – JR (junior) outside [ringing] AUNTIE (the BBC).
44 Precipitate overflow from blooming waterside plant! (7)
OUTRUSH – A bit of a flowery definition… OUT [blooming] RUSH [waterside plant].
45 Innocent child’s difficulty following guerrilla leader (6)
CHERUB – RUB (difficulty) [following] CHE (… Guevara; guerilla leader).
47 A mother with two sons to collect (5)
AMASS – A MA (mother) [with] S S (two sons).
49 Hate a tedious talker endlessly trapping husband (5)
ABHOR – A tedious talker [endlessly] is A BORe. Insert [trapping] H (husband).

7 comments on “Times Cryptic Jumbo No 1392 – 20th July”

  1. For some reason I seem to have left this, finished and correct but, unannotated and without checking several biffs. I did wonder a bit about STH for ‘south’–I don’t recall seeing that before. And I imagine I must have once come across ESTOC–in a Mephisto? it belongs there–but I certainly had no idea what it was. I remember Artie Shaw as a bandleader not a clarinetist; actually, to the extent I remember him at all I remember that he was constantly getting married.
  2. I seem to have found this easier than usual as I completed it in 47:01, which is just over half the time I usually take for a Jumbo. I did need a bit of help with MALTHUSIAN, especially as I’d biffed SHAKE IN ONES BOOTS, which is the version of the expression I knew best. Otherwise an enjoyable puzzle. ESTOC vaguely remembered, but not what it was. I did remember QUAGGA! Thanks John and setter.

    Edited at 2019-08-03 08:38 am (UTC)

  3. Enjoyed this, though rather a lot of biffing went on.
    If the Spanish have named a brandy after a battle, one assumes they won it 🙂
  4. I whizzed through this in 35 minutes, but can’t spell TUMBREL despite the wordplay telling you it doesn’t have an I in it. Tumbril doesn’t even look right when you lay it out flat. I believe BUTTONHOLE STITCH was my last too: not in my vocab, but perfectly logical.
    This week’s is a cracker, and much harder, with a achievement I’ve not seen before – do have a go!
      1. I wanted to put an I in it too. I see it is an alternative spelling in Chambers, but which one to go for is clear from the wordplay.
  5. -I-G

    I thought a game could be a ding-dong (battle) – giving DING.
    My wife suggested PING, which I preferred.

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