I thought this a fairly straightforward Jumbo Cryptic. After a first pass through of the clues in about 18 minutes, including solving the first 14 down clues first time, I needed only another 10 minutes to finish. Some fun clues – I liked the “criminal clergyman” best. I did find a number of clues had surface meanings that seemed somewhat mysterious, but maybe I lack the imagination to see what the setter is getting at. Thank-you setter for the entertainment.
The puzzle can be found here (Times subscription required).
Definitions underlined in bold italics, (Abc)* indicating anagram of Abc, {deletions} and [] other indicators.
| Across | |
| 1 | Like many Canaletto scenes without seeing what controls light (8,5) |
| VENETIAN BLIND – VENETIAN (like many Canaletto scenes) + BLIND (without seeing). | |
| 8 | Entry to Black Sea Russophobe endlessly disrupted (9) |
| BOSPHORUS – (Russophob{e})* [disrupted], losing the last letter, [endlessly], of “Russophobe”. I’ll refrain from comparing with the Strait of Hormuz. | |
| 13 | Feeling certain abandoning cover is never advantageous (2-3) |
| NO WIN – {k}NOWIN{g} (feeling certain) without the outside letters [abandoning cover]. | |
| 14 | Suspect leak involving port Arab’s desire to steal (11) |
| KLEPTOMANIA – PT (port) + OMANI (Arab) in [suspect] (leak)*. I’d not seen that abbreviation for “port” before. | |
| 15 | Letter is returned by general manager before answer (5) |
| SIGMA – IS [returned] -> SI + GM (general managaer) + A (answer). | |
| 16 | Showing reflection resolved my crimes with time (9) |
| SYMMETRIC – [resolved] (my crimes + t)*, with T for “time”. | |
| 17 | Country relocating first queen (4) |
| RANI – IRAN (country) moving the first letter to the end [relocating first]. | |
| 18 | As some servants are free outside palace finally (8) |
| LIVERIED – LIVE (are) + RID (free) [outside] last letter of palacE [finally]. | |
| 20 | Soft brown coal failing to start fire (6) |
| IGNITE – {l}IGNITE (soft brown coal) without he first letter, [failing to start]. | |
| 21 | Guardian’s empty editorial going after criminal clergyman? (11,5) |
| MINISTERING ANGEL – MINISTER IN GANG (criminal clergyman) + outside letters of, [empty], E{ditoria}L. Nice one. | |
| 24 | Infuriating confining work in a career (9) |
| GALLOPING – GALLING (infuriating) containing [confining] OP (opus; work). | |
| 26 | Plug small type of hat (7) |
| STOPPER – S (small) + TOPPER (type of hat). | |
| 27 | Movement perhaps runs working party (5) |
| RONDO – R (runs) + ON (working) + DO. I’m not sure why “perhaps” is needed in the clue. It’s not a definition by example. | |
| 29 | Sample mix by orchestral division (5,7) |
| CROSS SECTION – CROSS (mix) + SECTION (orchestral division). | |
| 31 | Loud and clear resolution restricting ousting leader (10) |
| RESOUNDING – RES (abbreviation for resolution, as in high-res images) + {b}OUNDING (restricting) without the first letter [ousting leader]. | |
| 33 | Fern, Miranda, he and I go travelling (10) |
| MAIDENHAIR – (Miranda he I)* [go travelling]. | |
| 35 | Promise dispute over complete rowing crew covering house name (4,2,6) |
| WORD OF HONOUR – ROW (dispute) [over] -> WOR + DO (complete) + FOUR (rowing crew) [covering] HO (house) + N (name). Rather fun wordplay but a surface meaning I can’t fathom. Whatevs. | |
| 38 | Pollution cancelling Book Day (5) |
| LIGHT – {b}LIGHT (pollution) without [cancelling] the B (book) | |
| 39 | Not recognised as variable (7) |
| UNKNOWN – Double definition | |
| 40 | City child confused with life (9) |
| LICHFIELD – (child life)* [confused]. The city is in Satffordshire and I’ve never visited it. “Popular etymology has it that a thousand Christians were martyred in Lichfield around AD 300 during the reign of Diocletian and that the name Lichfield actually means “field of the dead”.“ | |
| 42 | Split position after I’m backing argument (16) |
| MISUNDERSTANDING – I’M [backing] -> MI + SUNDER (split) + STANDING (position). | |
| 44 | Explain hugging a daughter’s inseparable companion (6) |
| SHADOW – SHOW (explain) [hugging] A D (daughter). | |
| 47 | Kissing and cuddling without roughly, aimlessly playing (8) |
| NOODLING – {ca}NOODLING (kissing and cuddling) without CA (circa; roughly). | |
| 49 | Clubs fuss around ending music (4) |
| CODA – C (clubs suit) + ADO (fuss) [around] -> ODA. | |
| 50 | What could stop benefit game after team member’s accepting Ecstasy (5,4) |
| MEANS TEST – TEST (cricket or rugby international; game) [after] E (ecstasy) in MAN’S (team member’s). | |
| 52 | Danger signal in the style of room (5) |
| ALARM – A LA (in the style of) + RM (abbreviation for room). How can a signal be in the style of a room, I wondered. | |
| 53 | Dicky hated unisex not being fully used (11) |
| INEXHAUSTED – [Dicky] (hated unisex)*. Another clue surface reading that I found a bit mysterious. | |
| 54 | Who encouraged love poetry at an average rate but not modern? (5) |
| ERATO – {mod}ERATO (at an average rate) without the MOD (modern). The muse of love poetry, but I’m not sure what she’s encouraging here. | |
| 55 | At sea, cry years over dismissal (2-5-2) |
| YO HEAVE HO – Y (years) + O (over) + HEAVE HO (dismissal). | |
| 56 | Large excellent black coffee drunk in part as something improving health (7,6) |
| PLACEBO EFFECT – L (lage) + ACE (excellent) + B (black) + (coffee)* [drunk] all in PT (part). Another great charade. | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Vehicle’s items stripped and disappearing (9) |
| VANISHING – VAN IS (vehicle’s) + {t}HING{s} (items) without the outside letters, [stripped]. | |
| 2 | Actor Paul embracing son Ed? (7) |
| NEWSMAN – NEWMAN (actor Paul) [embracing] S (son). Ed as in Editor. | |
| 3 | Being controversially biased doesn’t unite, unfortunately (11) |
| TENDENTIOUS – (doesn’t unite)* [unfortunately]. | |
| 4 | Capital stored in Bank Arabia (6) |
| ANKARA – Hidden in [stored in] bANK ARAbia,. | |
| 5 | Lightening vessel’s stern during hauling ashore (9) |
| BLEACHING – Last letter, [stern], of vesseL in BEACHING (hauling ashore). | |
| 6 | Pause beer licence when heads are lacking (12) |
| INTERMISSION – {p}INT (beer) + {p}ERMISSION (licence) witout the first letters [when heads are lacking]. I guess “heads” is being used in the nautical sense here, but I don’t suppose the cruise liner’s passengers would be too pleased if this happened. | |
| 7 | Note introduced by present government (10) |
| DOMINATION – MI (musical note) in DONATION (present). | |
| 8 | Group reportedly outlawed (4) |
| BAND – Sounds like, [reportedly], BANNED (outlawed). | |
| 9 | Civil service publishers stop English lines and kill US reserve (10,6) |
| STATIONERY OFFICE – STATION (stop) + E (English) + RY (railway lines) + OFF (Kill in US slang) + ICE (reserve). Ninja publishers? A chilling concept. | |
| 10 | Hurry of Conservative quitting continent (5) |
| HASTE – {c}HASTE (continent) without the C (Conservative). | |
| 11 | Setting up tackle (7) |
| RIGGING – Double definition. | |
| 12 | Closely examine youth coming up with my French and German gossip (13) |
| SCANDALMONGER – SCAN (closely examine) + LAD (youth) [coming up] -> DAL + MON (my in French) + GER (German). After closely examining the surface reading I was still none the wiser. | |
| 19 | Gradually provide rent money demanded in direct debit (4-4) |
| DRIP FEED – RIP (rent) + FEE (money demanded) in DD (direct debit). | |
| 22 | Freemason’s garment, article protecting master? (5) |
| APRON – PRO (master) in AN (article). | |
| 23 | Ohio feels Ukraine is mobilising very well (4,1,5,2,4) |
| LIKE A HOUSE ON FIRE -(Ohio feels Ukraine)* [is mobilising]. Great anagram. | |
| 25 | Surveying of throne supported by monarch (7) |
| LOOKING – LOO (throne) on top of [supported by] KING (monarch). | |
| 28 | Number one’s ascendant variety of pop in offensive (7) |
| NOISOME – NO (number) + I’S (one’s) + EMO (variety of pop) [ascendant]-> OME. | |
| 29 | Freely given running account includes what’s regularly occurring in pulpit (13) |
| COMPLIMENTARY – COMMENTARY (running account) includes alternate letters of [regularly] PuLpIt. Commentary on a sermon? I love it. | |
| 30 | Rather dull yokel in this novel (8) |
| THICKISH – HICK (yokel) in (this)* [novel]. | |
| 32 | Rely on ace, say, turning up? Extremely usual with a sucker? (5,7) |
| COUNT DRACULA – COUNT (rely ) [on] CARD (ace, say) [turning up] -> DRAC + outside letters of [extremely] UsuaL + A. Clever. | |
| 34 | Eclipse’s beginning — sun disc’s gobbled up (5) |
| EATEN – First letter [beginning] of Eclipse + ATEN (sun disc). ATEN is a new word on me. Great surface. | |
| 36 | Whence book may be had that’s readily available (3-3-5) |
| OFF THE SHELF – Double definition, the first a cryptic hint. | |
| 37 | Dog turned irrational eating junk food that’s starchy (6,4) |
| POTATO CHIP – POOCH (dog) + PI (irrational number) [turned] -> IP, including [eating] TAT (junk). Another entertaining surface. | |
| 40 | Form of verse that’s no good encountered in traditional learning (4,5) |
| LONG METRE – NG (no good) + MET (encountered) in LORE (traditional learning). | |
| 41 | Willingly avoid party outside for old people (2,7) |
| DO WITHOUT – DO (party) + WITHOUT (old fashioned word for outside, i.e. for old peaople). | |
| 43 | What might need pumping in pipes to machine? (7) |
| STOMACH – Hidden in pipeS TO MACHine. | |
| 45 | End of term somewhat subdued at Eton (3,4) |
| DUE DATE – A second successive hidden… in subDUED AT Eton. Nicely deceptive definition. | |
| 46 | Oxygen taken after jumper’s exercise (6) |
| CARDIO – O (oxygen) after CARDI (jumper). | |
| 48 | Monster initially like any monster in antiquity (5) |
| LAMIA – First letters of [initially] Like Any Monster In Antiquity. “Lamia is a figure from Greek mythology, originally a beautiful Queen of Libya who became a child-eating daemon after Hera, jealous of her affair with Zeus, killed her children and cursed her.“. Well I learnt something there – I hadn’t heard of her. | |
| 51 | Visit gets me rising in protest (4) |
| DEMO – DO (visit) including ME [rising] -> EM. DO as in visit as a tourist… like I’ve just done Jersey for the last week, and a great week it was too. | |