Times Cryptic Jumbo 1450 – 18th July. From gold stars to planet Earth

Author   kitty_404Posted on Categories Jumbo Cryptic

Hi everyone, I hope this blog finds you well.  I haven’t managed to so much as look at TfTT for some time, but it’s not because I don’t love you!  I’ve been busy with the day job, juggling two separate roles (neither of which involves actual juggling, mercifully).  It looks like all this may be keeping me busy for some months to come, but I do hope to manage to fit in a few more crosswords before the year is out …

I was hoping for a gentle puzzle and this one fit the bill nicely, everything slipping in without much trouble in around 45 minutes (I’m no speedster).  I learnt a few bits and pieces, but any checking/investigation could wait until after the solve, which always increases the satisfaction for me.  I haven’t identified any clues for special mention, but if I’ve failed to highlight a gem worthy of comment, the comments section is just the place to rectify that!

9a reminded me of something I’ve thought for a while, namely that I think there is now a good argument for allowing deceptive decapitalisation in clues.  Certainly of names, for which there is a growing tendency for people to use lower case informally – just look below the line on a more commented-upon post!  Instant messaging has also resulted in a trend towards the uncapitalised (bucked a little by autocorrect).  I wouldn’t expect to see it first in the Times, but I wonder whether we might find this happening somewhere soon.

Enough blathering from me.  With thanks to the setter for the entertainment, onwards to the clues.

Definitions are underlined in the clues below.  In the explanations, quoted indicators are in italics, explicit [deletions] are in square brackets, and I’ve capitalised and emboldened letters which appear in the ANSWER.

Across
1 Bloomer made by union leader surrounded by dangerous reptiles (6)
CROCUS — The first letter (… leader) of Union surrounded by CROCS (dangerous reptiles)
5 Canadian law enforcer free to pursue method of working (7)
MOUNTIE — UNTIE (free) following (to pursue) MO (method of working)
9 Barker put on TV with porter (8)
AIREDALE — AIRED (put on TV) next to (with) ALE (porter)
13 Extremely helpful, like an English noble once? (5,4,6,2,4)
WORTH ONES WEIGHT IN GOLD — The noble was a mediaeval English gold coin which was at one time literally worth its weight in gold.  I had to pan for the gold online as I didn’t know the coin
14 Beg last of theatre managers to engage current stars (8)
PLEIADES — PLEAD (beg) and the last letters of theatrE managersS containing (to engage) I (current)
15 Illegal enterprises involving court? (7)
RACKETS — I never know what to call this type of clue, but no matter: the game RACKETS is played on a court
16 Film most of pleasant outdoor meal (6)
PICNIC — PIC (film) + most of NICe (pleasant)
17 Plea by Liberal in Lincoln referable to higher court? (10)
APPEALABLE — APPEAL (plea) next to (by) L (Liberal) in ABE (Lincoln).  Is “appeal” in the wordplay a little close to its meaning in the answer?
20 Pieces of fruit a presbyter conceals, some say (12)
ELDERBERRIES — ELDER (presbyter) + BERRIES, which sounds like (… some say) BURIES (conceals)
23 Partner? One may be a fool’s or a scholar’s (4)
MATE — In chess, a fool’s MATE and a scholar’s MATE are classic checkmates, in two and four moves respectively.  I knew they were things, but that’s about it
24 Lacking shape, one leaves in livery (8)
UNFORMED — I (one) is removed from (leaves in) UN[i]FORM (livery)
26 Caustic quality potentially making crony mad (8)
MORDANCY — The answer is an anagram of (potentially making) CRONY MAD
29 Reduction in level of French euphoria about southern California (2-10)
DE-ESCALATION — DE (of, French) + ELATION (euphoria) around (about) S (southern) and CA (California)
30 Clearly only teacher turns out a novel (10)
COHERENTLY — ONLY TE[a]CHER loses (turns out) A and is made into an anagram (novel)
32 Eg Fowler‘s old lady transfixed by married woman (10)
GRAMMARIAN — GRAN (old lady) around (transfixed by) M (married) and MARIA (woman).  This took me much longer than it should have to parse as I was thinking the old lady would be in the middle (and the MA therein was a nice red-herring).  A quick visit to the dictionary set me straight
34 Self-aggrandising type came out clasping female Arab (12)
MEGALOMANIAC — An anagram of (… out) CAME around (clasping) GAL (female) and OMANI (Arab)
36 Energy invested in fellow’s joint academic office (8)
DEANSHIP — E (energy) inside (invested in) DAN’S (fellow’s) + HIP (joint)
38 Explosive that throws me in moat! (8)
AMMONITE — The answer is an anagram of (that throws) ME IN MOAT.  I didn’t know this as anything other than the extinct mollusc, but it sounded plausible.  Had a momentary scare when I found no mention of it in Chambers or Oxford, but Collins came to the rescue, and Wikipedia gives more detail)
39 Alcoholic drink? Some welcome a Dubonnet (4)
MEAD — Our drink is contained within (some) welcoME A Dubonnet
41 Contrive goals, once proper, to live within one’s means (4,4,4)
MAKE ENDS MEET — MAKE (contrive) + ENDS (goals) + MEET (once proper, once indicating an archaic meaning)
43 Like moonrock brought to earth? It’s hard to credit (3-7)
FAR-FETCHED — Moonrock brought to earth would be fetched from afar, and hence might be described as FAR-FETCHED
44 Knocked back drink with spirit, engendering furore (6)
RUMPUS — The reversal of (… knocked back) SUP (drink) next to (with) RUM (spirit)
46 Artlessness of first-class surgeon in Newcastle area (7)
NAIVETE — AI (first class) + VET (surgeon) in NE (Newcastle area)
48 Merseyside port’s guttersnipes ultimately unshod (8)
BOOTLESS — BOOTLE’S (Merseyside port’s) + the last letter of (… ultimately) guttersnipeS
50 Over the moon, having sampled seasonal delights! (4,2,3,4,2,6)
FULL OF THE JOYS OF SPRING — The second part of the clue is a literal interpretation of the phrase.  Early thoughts were along chocolatey lines, but even I know there’s no such idiom as “full of the eggs of Easter”!
51 Veracious husband withdraws, holding son to be gullible (8)
TRUSTFUL — TRUT[h]FUL (veracious) without H (husband withdraws) containing (holding) S (son)
52 Outstanding aim first to be funded (7)
ENDOWED — OWED (outstanding), with END (aim) first
53 Make fun of carrier, a slovenly dresser (6)
RAGBAG — RAG (make fun of) + BAG (carrier)
Down
2 Argument over the Spanish horseman’s spiked wheel (5)
ROWEL — ROW (argument) preceding (over, in a down entry) EL (the, Spanish)
3 Audibly damn head adopting the writer’s quality of joined-up writing (11)
CURSIVENESS — CURS, here sounding like (audibly) CURSE (damn) + NESS (head) containing (adopting) I’VE (the writer’s)
4 Agenda of revolutionary law lord brought up in Home Counties (8)
SCHEDULE — CHE (revolutionary) and the reversal of (… brought up) LUD (law lord) all in SE (Home Counties)
5 Problem about entertaining at home less (5)
MINUS — SUM (problem), reversed (about), containing (entertaining) IN (at home)
6 Increases desire for rise (7)
UPSURGE — UPS (increases) + URGE (desire)
7 Ditch Berliner possibly, losing good hearty eater (11)
TRENCHERMAN — TRENCH (ditch) + [g]ERMAN (Berliner possibly) without (losing) G (good)
8 Bore keen to be heard (5)
EAGRE — This wave sounds like (… to be heard) EAGER (keen)
9 Term in USA recollecting an agent of passive immunity? (9)
ANTISERUM — TERM IN USA anagrammed (recollecting)
10 Accumulate work at university (3,2)
RUN UP — RUN (work) + UP (at university)
11 Make brief visit, carrying short article, a piece of stage equipment (4,7)
DROP CURTAIN — DROP IN (make brief visit) containing (carrying) CURT (short) and A (article)
12 Diluted manoeuvres for an opponent of mechanisation (7)
LUDDITE — DILUTED is anagrammed (manoeuvres)
18 Earth, possibly, about rear of large woody plant (5,4)
PLANE TREE — PLANET (Earth, possibly) + RE (about) + the last letter of (rear of) largE
19 Asian girl in W African state briefly (7)
BENGALI — GAL (girl) in BENI[n] (W African state) without its last letter (briefly)
21 Figure teacher presented about a month back (9)
DODECAGON — DON (teacher) written around (presented about) DEC (a month) and AGO (back)
22 Body parts a murderer’s destroyed without hesitation (8)
EARDRUMS — A MURDER[er]’S anagrammed (destroyed) without ER (hesitation)
25 Determine position of old gallery accepting nothing French (9)
ORIENTATE — O (old) + TATE (gallery) containing (accepting) RIEN (nothing, French)
27 Woman in constant fury finding cost of storing goods (9)
CELLARAGE — ELLA (woman) in C (constant) + RAGE (fury)
28 French murder victim meeting death finally on race (8)
MARATHON — MARAT (French murder victim) next to (meeting) the last letter of (finally …) deatH + ON
31 Pistol-case they regularly require at first after vacation (7)
HOLSTER — Alternate letters of (… regularly) ThEy + the first letter or (… at first) Require, all after HOLS (vacation)
33 Report of woman with a European husband leaving US city (11)
MINNEAPOLIS — MINNE in this context sounds like (report of) MINNIE (woman), then we have A (from the clue) + POLIS[h] (European) without H (husband leaving)
34 Old lady with weapon pinches article? Keep quiet about it! (4,3,4)
MUMS THE WORD — MUM (old lady) with SWORD (weapon) contains (pinches) THE (article)
35 Identify vocation, provoking verbal abuse (4-7)
NAME-CALLING — NAME (identify) + CALLING (vocation)
37 Mail old S African province following delivery (9)
POSTNATAL — POST (mail) + NATAL (old S African province)
40 Dancer‘s work in oil company limited by drink (8)
BEBOPPER — OP (work) inside (in) BP (oil company), in turn inside (limited by) BEER (drink)
42 Trembling female replacing Victor’s source of water (7)
AQUIFER — AQUI[v]ER (trembling) with F (female) replacing V (Victor)
43 Agonises over wife cut by a carpentry tool (7)
FRETSAW — FRETS (agonises) preceding (over, in a down entry) W (wife) with the insertion of (cut by) A (from the clue)
45 Behave like Bunter — indulge in mockery (5)
SCOFF — A double definition, the first referring to Billy Bunter
47 Peaceful woman, one associated with Descartes, possibly (5)
IRENE — I (one) next to (associated with) RENÉ (Descartes, possibly).  The name Irene comes from the Greek word for peace
48 Attempt to assimilate famous poem divided into two parts (5)
BIFID — BID (attempt) containing (to assimilate) IF (famous poem by Kipling)
49 Rise for soldier’s mother, a character in Thessaloniki (5)
SIGMA — The reversal of (rise for) GI’S (soldier’s) followed by MA (mother)

17 comments on “Times Cryptic Jumbo 1450 – 18th July. From gold stars to planet Earth”

  1. As always with a Jumbo, a couple of DNKs: the mates, BIFID, FULL OF ETC. LOI BEBOPPER, I’m not sure why; probably because I associate bebop with the music rather than the dancing. No COD that I can think of.
  2. As our blogger has said this was quite gentle, however I made one of my silliest errors ever by putting SPOOF at 45dn and then wondering what it had to do with Bunter!

    Considering my fondness for the Fat Owl of the Remove (as you can see I even have a user-pic ready-prepared for when there are references to him) this was unforgivable. Not quite a caning offence, but punishment by detention writing out lines next time the rest of the school is on half-holiday perhaps?

  3. A pleasant enough solve over 41 minutes, and a delightful blog to accompany it today, full of the extras that make these things even more entertaining. I don’t think I could have resisted a French accented comment on the smell of ELDERBERRIES, which rather made it the stand out clue, but for no other reason than the Python memory jog.
    I was caned once, on each hand, in primary school (!). I will never bend coat hooks again.
  4. Probably a caning offence Jack … they did it at the drop of a hat in those days, iirc
    1. Yes, you may be right, although I was at a prep school with a headmaster who apparently modelled himself on Wackford Squeers, yet I never achieved the cane. Beating around the head was his everyday resort, usually without warning beforehand nor explanation afterwards, the cane being reserved for pupils who stood up to him or actually fought back. I was never brave enough to do that!
  5. Straightforward, this one. Could not help reflecting that the 50ac rather passed us all by this year.
    My grandfather was a keen golfer. When he acquired a 9ac, he called it Bunker because it was always getting in the way. Lovely dog though, had a soft spot for Airedales ever since..
  6. 16:19. Not hard but a few unknowns, including the mates. I had absolutely no idea what was going on there.
    Great blog, kitty. I’m intrigued by the idea of de-capitalising proper nouns. Uncapitalised text is now a well-established register in texts and social media, and I personally don’t capitalise uncapitalised usernames, as the beginning of this paragraph shows. I never quite know what to do if I’m starting a sentence with one!

    Edited at 2020-08-01 09:23 am (UTC)

    1. Thanks keriothe :). I also try to keep the capitalisation or otherwise of usernames. I might capitalise names here though if in doubt because, as I’ve just remembered, LJ doesn’t allow capital letters in usernames at all.
      1. All the more reason not to!
        Definitely keriothe or on the Crossword Club – due to a weird snafu a few years ago where they randomly cancelled my membership – keriothe_.

        Edited at 2020-08-01 09:53 am (UTC)

        1. Yes, I suppose it is. After all, if someone particularly wants to be addressed by a name other than their username as written, they can sign their posts at the end.

          kitty

          1. I was going to comment on the capitalization thing when I submitted my comment above, but figured what the hell. But: I can’t see what trends toward illiteracy on social media have to do with conventions in cryptic puzzles. Look at the tweets, if you have the stomach, emitted by the feculent mass occupying the White House; based on that sort of standard, capital letters should be fine anywhere, including in the middle of words. I’m not really sure whether I care about Times practice on capitalization (other than that I want to know what it is); I do care about how one writes in English. My name, just in case, is Kevin.
            1. The non-use of capitals in particular contexts (texts, social media posts) isn’t ‘illiteracy’, it’s a convention. Is capitalisation in headlines or street signs ‘illiteracy’?
              The orange fascist’s effluvia are in an entirely different category.
              1. Actually, I must confess that I have next to no familiarity with social media. This blog is about the only one I read, let alone participate in, although from time to time I’ve looked at the comments appended to the items the Times sends me, unwanted, every day as ‘must reads’–usually related to someone named Meghan–and ‘illiterate’ seems not too far off.
                1. My kids don’t use capitals in texts or social media posts (not that they ever let me see their social media posts) and to them doing so marks you out as an old fogey (I am an old fogey). They also use a very truncated form of language that might appear ‘illiterate’ to you and me but is again just another register with its own conventions. However they obviously have no problem whatsoever using conventional language and punctuation in other contexts. This is if anything the opposite of ‘illiteracy’.

                  Edited at 2020-08-01 01:12 pm (UTC)

  7. A steady solve with no real hold-ups, although, as ever, I checked a couple of unknowns before submitting – MORDANCY, AMMONITE. Finished in just over 1/2 an hour. I think you’ve got a spurious “A” in the parsing of 20A, Kitty (or kitty!). LOI MARATHON. I liked the homophonous reference to Mickey’s mate at 33D and WORTH ONES WEIGHT IN GOLD.
    1. Thanks John (or john!). I’ve no idea why I put that A in there! Now removed.
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