the times | Saturday December 4 2021 saturday review 55
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puzzles go to thetimes.co.uk1234567 8 9 10 11 1213 1415 16 1718 19 20 212223 24 25 262728 29 30 313233 34 353637 38 39 404142 43 444546 47 48 4950 5152 53 54Train
Tracks
No 1497
Lay tracks
to enable
the train to
travel from
village A to
village B.
The numbers
indicate
how many
sections of
rail go in
each row
and column.
There are
only straight
rails and
curved rails.
The track
cannot
cross itself.
Solution
on Monday
12 Auditory canal and auricle (8,3)
19 Greek letter E (7)
20 Spread out (from a source) (7)
22 Any of the lanthanides (4-5,7)
24 Fix (to) (6)
27 Stinging plant (6)
29 Fragrant flowering plant (7)
31 Musical (7)
32 Something inopportune (12)
33 Try to beautify what is already
beautiful (4,3,4)
35 In disrepair or ruin (11)
36 Fear of foreigners (10)
38 Keen expectancy (9)
40 Cloth used for suits (9)
41 Area producing fuel (8)
44 Cut of beef (7)
45 Colour (6)
47 Put to the proof (5)
49 Frighten (5)Cryptic clues
Across
1 Flap of avian’s wings captured by
photo (5)
4 Removed inedible parts of fish,
putting in pinch of dill, and
plunged in hot water (7)
8 Snake shredded salmon in wetland
(9)
13 Soviet city tending to ignore a
radical (9)
14 With this you will find medicine
most effective, not suffering at all
(4,9)
15 Old flame, generous type (7)
16 Leaderless group’s OK to make
return journey (7)
17 Is mother following Virginia’s
nervous disorder? (7)
18 Booking essential in advance for
middle-of-the-road locale (7,11)
21 Part of cruise missile housing unit
(4)
23 Expose a fruit tree, trimming end
around hives (9)
25 Assurance supported by quite a few
pints (6)
26 Illegal act to west of key peninsula
(6)
28 Very keen, doubling the score (6-6)
30 Donkeys’ fur that may be valued
(10)
33 Formal restraint — a peck? (3,7)
34 Department of Defense head once
struggling to contain resistance is
figure with Pentagon on side? (12)
37 Device to catch trespassers falls
short, it’s said repeatedly (6)
39 Satisfied with what’s useful for
bricklayer’s technique (6)
40 Florida’s shaken by new shark
warning? (6,3)
42 Verbally expresses regret about
trick (4)
43 Long-established and generally
accepted as Chair? (4,2,3,9)
46 Neglected what could make play
pay? (4,3)
47 Solitary saint coming in to write
this again? (7)
48 Overlay with gold and even out (7)
50 Trial audience audibly yawning?
(8,5)
51 Foodie finding new oral
gratification ultimately in larva!
(3,6)
52 Only one of this pair will emerge
from secret meeting taking seconds
(9)
53 Looked for provision in favour of
elderly (7)
54 Clear article on reflection’s got
great depth (5)
Down
1 Election meeting rejecting queen
— expect a reaction when this is
raised! (6,5)
2 Contradictory responses from
Bonn after expulsion of eastern spy
(5)
3 Conservative illegally recording
another, ringing chap who suspects
a plot? (10,6)
4 Fantastic county’s tailender getting
out on a half-century (7)
5 Stars with old city lawyer in
Hollywood? (9)
6 Swimming teams in water sport
taking lead in honours — the
pinnacle of success (5,7)
7 Delivery is walloped with contempt
(10)
8 Non-drinker coming in to purchase
snack (5)
9 Hobbit turning up having lost head
is disappearing from sight in
obscurity (8)
10 Hole, namely source of oil (6)
11 A North American outwardly
amused, cracking up to a tedious
degree (2,7)
12 Shot of visitor touring southern
India and China (11)
19 Try oven out a bit (3,4)
20 Comedy film for kids, something
digital? (7)
22 Questioning the job of a ballot
scrutineer? (5-11)
24 Check over notes on principles of
string theory (6)
27 Marry again in resort (6)
29 Advance payment you deserve no
longer, perhaps (7)
31 Zoonotic disease — one of
chickens came home to roost,
might one say? (4,3)
32 Spurn leftover joint? (4,8)
33 Dispirited protest assembled
around 50 (11)
35 Remark that’s inappropriate and
awfully risqué to nun (3,8)
36 Material that’s fine, but not on
rubbish singer (10)
38 Instrument of tuneless, unending
jangling (4,5)
40 No good climbing bit of wall for
sack of salt? (6,3)
41 Seaside town is blessed with
container with gas on outskirts (8)
44 Rent, having space for parking
developed (7)
45 Verse taken out of Decameron
deleted (6)
47 Enigma dealing with U-Boat
surfacing (5)
49 Antelope’s rump pierced by flea
regularly (5)Across
1 Adhere (to) (5)
4 Planet; Roman god (7)
8 As fast as possible (9)
13 Old or in bad condition (4-5)
14 Provision of hospitality (13)
15 Disciple of Jesus (7)
16 Small stone for mosaic work (7)
17 First in importance (7)
18 Novel set in Ruritania (3,8,2,5)
21 Isolated flat-topped hill (4)
23 Unfeeling; numb (9)
25 Book describing useful plants (6)
26 Pester (6)
28 American frontierswoman (8,4)
30 Competitor benefitting other
runners (10)
33 Studier of heredity (10)
34 Not restricted (12)
37 Art songs (6)
39 György —, composer whose music
was used in 2001: A Space Odyssey
(6)
40 Abundant (9)42 West African country (4)
43 Escape from a person (4,7,3,4)
46 Winter warmer (7)
47 Non-believer (7)
48 Forcefully put forward; ironed (7)
50 Not able to be put into words (13)
51 Travelling from place to place (9)
52 In the recent past (9)
53 Lacking comforts or luxuries (7)
54 Fashion (5)Down
1 Music medium (7,4)
2 Opening passage (5)
3 Older relative (5-11)
4 Extreme nervousness (7)
5 Sincere regret for wrongdoing (9)
6 Game with clues leading to prize
(8,4)
7 Ernest —, nuclear physicist (10)
8 Hooded jacket (5)
9 Mad rush (8)
10 On which, eg, a jacket is kept (6)
11 Squalid nature (9)times2 clues
Jumbo crossword No 1529
The prize for each of the first
correct solutions to the Cryptic
and times2 Jumbo clues to be
opened will be a collection of
Times reference books —
including The Times Universal
Atlas of the World, Collins
English Dictionary & Thesaurus, and Bradford’s
Crossword Solver’s Dictionary published by
HarperCollins. Entries should be marked “Cryptic” or
“times2” and sent to: The Times Jumbo Crossword 1529,
PO Box 2164, Colchester, Essex CO2 8LJ; or emailed to:
[email protected], with “Cryptic 1529” or “times2
1529” in the subject line, to arrive by December 16.
Open to 18+, UK & ROI residents only. The winners and
the solutions will be published on December 18.Name......................................................................................................... Prizes
Address.....................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
............................................................ Postcode.....................................
Phone number......................................................................................
*