Observer Jumbo Cryptic: 2025 by Calypso

Across

1a

NEWARK

Cryptic definition

Here in the USA, Newark, New Jersey is on the Passaic and Trenton (the capital of New Jersey) is on the Delaware. We have another Newark, in the state of Delaware, which is pronounced “New Ark” (like the boat).

4a

*SHANE LOWRY

*WHOS NEARLY (anagram indicated by “drunk”)

One of the English cricketers seen out drinking while on tour in Australia.

Professional golfer and winner of the Open Championship.  Thanks for the corrections, everyone.  

10a

_DENEB_

wi_DE NEB_ula (hidden word indicated by “spotted in”)

14a

C(A TAM)OUNT

COUNT (“nobleman”) containing (“acquiring”) A (†) + TAM (“Scottish tom”)

The University of Vermont ice hockey team is the Catamounts.

15a

*GOTHIC REVIVAL

*TEL AVIV RICH GO (anagram indicated by “mad”)

16a

NI(R VAN)A

R (“king”) + VAN (“Morrison”) contained in (“in”) NI (“Northern Ireland”) + A (†)

17a

<HOT DESK<

<as_KS ED TO H_op< (reversal indicated by “over,” hidden phrase indicated by “taking”)

18a
20a

ANDREW
MOUNTBATTEN
WINDSOR

Cryptic definition?

The Duke of York lost his title this year.

22a

W A I F

^W^ash ^A^nd ^I^ron ^F^abric (first letters indicated by “starts”)

25a

<DEPOT<

<TOPED< (“had a few,” reversal indicated by “back”)

27a

*TIM DAVIE

*I MADE ITV (anagram indicated by “broadcast”)

BBC governor ousted following the inquiry into bias and anti-Semitism in programs like Panorama

28a

DO GOODER

DO (“party”) + GOOD (“fine”) + ER (“let me see…”)

30a

*BEYOND A JOKE

*BOOED KEN and JAY (anagram indicated by “when playing”)

31a

N*EARLY THERE

N (“November”–phonetic alphabet) + *YER LEATHER (anagram indicated by “pants”)

33a

BA(CON AN)D EGG

BAD EGG (“scoundrel”) containing (“entertaining”) CONAN (“barbarian”)

36a

G(ALL B)LADDER

GLADDER (“happier”) containing (“outside”) ALL (†) + B (“black”)

38a

GOVERNOR

GOVE (“Spectator editor”) + R (“runs”) + N (“new”) + O_bserve_R (first and last letters indicated by “hollowed out”)

40a

ELEVATOR

c_ELE_b (dropped first and last letters indicated by “unlimited”) + VAT (“tax”) + OR (“if not”)

The last bit of this charade seems to have too many words

41a

PAS TA

PAS (“dad’s”) + T_e_A (first and last letters indicated by “drained”)

44a

ODDS

Cryptic definition

45a

*EUROPEAN
PARLIAMENT

*REMUNERATION APPEAL (anagram indicated by “swayed”)

48a

OPENER

Cryptic definition

49a

INSTEAD

INST (“this month”) + EA (“each”)

Never heard of that one: “inst” (instante mense) is a Latin abbreviation for “this month”

51a

_SECONDO_

boi_SE CONDO_minium (hidden word indicated by “settled into”)

53a

AT LOGGERHEADS

A (“area”) + T (“tense”) + LOGGER (“lumberjack”) + HEADS (“bosses”)

54a

VENEZUELA

Cryptic definition

Editorial comment on the US attacks on drug smugglers

55a

~AURAL

~ORAL (“test,” homophone indicated by “sound”)

56a

MASTERMIND

Cryptic definition

Reference to guests saying “Pass” when they don’t know the answer

57a

WRIT HE

WRIT (“legal summons”) + H_elen_E (first and last letter indicated by “discharged”)

Down

1d

NICKNAMED

NICK (“prison”) + NAMED (“called”)

2d

*WATE(R) SUPPLY

*PULPY WASTE (anagram indicated by “swirling”) containing (“over”) R (“river”)

3d

RAMPART

RAMP (“push up the price of”) ART (“paintings”)

This clue could have been more economical too

5d

H ITCH

H (“husband”) over (“suppressing”) ITCH (“desire”)

6d

NIGHT IN GALE

NIGHT (“evening”) IN (“beset by”) GALE (“wind”)

7d

LATE EDITION

LATE (“dead”) + EDITION (“issue”)

8d

WHIZ KIDS

Cryptic definition

9d

YORK

Cross ref to 18a/20a: Prince Andrew was Duke of York

10d

DIVINE

Double definition

11d

NEVER SAY ~DIE

NEVER SAY (“just don’t mention”) + ~DI (homophone indicated by “out loud”)

Not sure who the Di or Dye refers to: was a cheeky nickname for Princess Diana, sort of like “Brenda” for the queen? Here in Philly, David Dye is a radio host.

12d

~BYLAW

~LIBOR (spoonerism of “old benchmark rate,” homophone indicated by “mentioned”)

London Interbank Overnight Rate: you might need to speak like a Cockney to get this one

13d

RUNAWAY TRAIN

Cryptic definition

19d

POLO

Double definition (“played up” meaning on horseback”)

I made the mistake of writing in GOLF at first.

21d

*TOM (J)ONES

*MOONSET (anagram indicated by “roughly”) containing (around) ^J^uly (first letter indicated by “1st”)

23d

FOR_BEAR

FOR_e_BEAR (“ancestor,” omission of E (“drug”) indicated by “stealing from”)

24d

BOOT CAMP

BOOT (“Chelsea”) + CAMP (“affected”)

Hadn’t heard of a Chelsea boot before, but easy enough to get

26d

TEN(AN)TRY

TEN (“10”) + TRY (“attempt”) containing (“to pen”) AN (“article”)

29d

VAL(L)ET TA

VALET (“gentleman’s gentleman”) containing (“accepting”) L (“pound”) + TA (“I’m obliged”–thanks)

Clever definition of “valet”

30d

*BABYGRO

*BOB and GARY (anagram indicated by “ordered”)

British name for a onesie: another new one for me.

32d

LIBERAL I SING

LIBERAL (“centrist politician”) + I (†) + SING (“carry a tune”)

34d

<CAVE DWELLER<

<wast_REL LEWD EVAC_uates< (hidden phrase indicated by “some,” reversal indicated by “retired”)

35d

GOLDEN STATE

Cryptic definition

The Golden State Warriors are a basketball team in San Francisco: their star is Stephen Curry.

36d

*GAVIN NEWSOM

*VOWING NAMES (anagram indicated by “must be released”) and *SAVING WOMEN (anagram indicated by “suffering”), cross reference is “Golden State governor”)

Governor of California and likely presidential candidate in 2028. As a bonus, both anagrams make reference to the Epstein files and Democrats’ hopes that the scandal might bring down the president.

37d

DIS CE(RN)MENT

DIS (“show contempt to”) + CEMENT (“bond”) containing (“about”) RN (“navy”)

39d

ONUS

§ON US

42d

A STRO(LA)BE

A (†) + STROBE (“flashing light”) containing (“surrounding”) LA (“the [in] French”)

43d

POLISH E S

POLISH (“Eastern European”) + ^E^vening ^S^tandard (first letters indicated by “leaders”)

46d

ALCA<ZAR<

ALCA<RAZ< (“court favorite Carlos,” partial reversal indicated by “upset towards the end”

Carlos Alcaraz is the top-ranked tennis player in the world.

47d

BENG A L

BEng (“bachelor of engineering”) + A (“advanced”) + L (“student”)

48d

OSAKA

^O^utflank (first letter indicated by “beginning”) + SAKA (“Arsenal winger”)

The soccer player is Bukayo Saka; the show in Osaka was the 2025 Worlds’ Fair

50d

DEVON

DE + VON (“from” in both French and German)

52d

T (E) A M

^T^ierney + ^A^dams + “M”cTominay (first letters indicated by “debuts”) containing (“taking on”) E (“English”)

Soccer players from Scotland.