Financial Times 17,608 JULIUS

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A jumbo treat from Julius to accompany the normal Saturday puzzle.

This was one of the easier Xmas “specials” – a straightforward cryptic with no bells or whistles – just good, honest clues at the easier end of Julius’s spectrum. I volunteered to blog, expecting a twist or a theme, but as far as I can see there isn’t either.  I was impressed by the CHRISTMAS STOCKING anagram

Thanks Julius.

ACROSS
1 RULE OF THUMB
Handy guide to the reign of Little King Tom? (4,2,5)
RULE (“reign”) + OF + (Tom) THUMB
7 WATER PISTOL
Kids absolutely love this (little squirts!) (5,6)
Cryptic definition
13 CHRISTMAS STOCKING
Making cross-stitch embroidered item for the present day (9,8)
*(making cross stitch) [anag:embroidered]
14 SEE TO
Take care of diocese scriptures in retirement (3,2)
SEE (“diocese”) + <=OT (Old Testament, so “scriptures”, in retirement)
15 RASHER
Being more hasty, it’s likely to get panned in the morning (6)
Double definition
16 ORNAMENT
Fellows invested in mostly fancily decorated trinket (8)
MEN (“fellows”) invested in [mostly] ORNAT(e) (“fancily decorated”)
17 AS A RULE
Generally speaking Laura’s fluent with English (2,1,4)
*(lauras) [anag:fluent] with E (English)
19 TIMESTAMP
Newspaper pack get this when clocking on (9)
TIMES (“newspaper”) + TAMP (“pack”)
21 ABLUTION
Washing Usain Bolt roughly without a hint of soap? (8)
*(uain bolt) [anag:roughly] where UAIN is U(s)AIN without [a hint of] S(oap)
23 WHOA
Something said to nag wife — husband starts to offer apology (4)
W (wife) + H (husband) + [starts to] O(ffer) A(pology)
25 KETCH
Boat bringing Special K to Switzerland? (5)
KET (ketamine, also known as “Special K”) to CH (Internation Vehicle Registration code fo “Switzerland”)
27 OVERDO
Exaggerate jams in Dover douane (6)
HIdden in [jams in] “dOVER DOuane”
28 LEDERHOSEN
Seen her old scruffy togs for the Oktoberfest? (10)
*(seen her old) [anag:scruffy]
30 NARCISSI
Charlie and sis working in Iran sent round flowers (8)
C (Charlie) + *(sis) [anag:working] in <=IRAN [sent round]
31 JOHN BARLEYCORN
Rely on ranch job flexibly to get country air (4,10)
*(rely on ranch job) [anag:flexibly]

John Barleycorn is an old British folk song, which may have originated in Scotland.
34 UNINTELLIGIBLE
Fresh linguine? It’ll be impossible to pick up (14)
*(linguine itll be) [anag:fresh]
35 INFLAMES
Aggravates Spanish woman negotiating Florida motorway (8)
INES (“Spanish woman”) negotiating Fla. (Florida) + M (motorway)
38 MAYONNAISE
Dressing in dungarees, I annoy a major (retd.) (10)
Hidden backwards in [in…retd.] “dungareESE I ANNOY A Major”
40 ESCORT
Key soldiers beginning to trouble armed guard (6)
ESC (escape “key” on a computer keyboard) + OR (other ranks, so “soldiers”) + [beginning to] T(rouble)
41 RELIC
Roman Catholic priest concealed remnant (5)
ELI (Old Testament “priest”) concealed in RC (Roman Catholic)
43 THOR
Chap armed with hammer nicking gold from writer (4)
Au (chemical symbol for “gold”) nicked from (au)THOR
44 ATHLETIC
Fit, like footballer Charlton perhaps? (8)
Charlton ATHLETIC is an English football team.

As a passionate Loon, I’d have picked Forfar Athletic myself, but that may be a bit obscure for non-football fans. This clue works better due to the fame of the Charlton brothers, Jack and Bobby, who were in the 1966 World Cup winning England team (as a Scot, I have no idea how I know that – maybe because we are reminded of it every five minutes by the English media?)
45 HARMONICA
Chairman Mao finally playing a musical instrument (9)
*(chairman o) [anag:playing] where O is (ma)O [finally]
48 GAP YEAR
Tackle a quiet, variable, boring time before going to uni? (3,4)
A + P (piano in music notation, so “quiet”) + Y (“variable”, in mathematics) boring GEAR (“tackle”)
49 PENTAGON
Write graffiti artist’s signature over new building in Washington (8)
PEN (“wrote”) + TAG (“graffiti artist’s signature”) + O (over, in cricket) + N (new)
50 ABLOOM
American actor Orlando carrying flowers (6)
A (American) + (Orlando) BLOOM (English “actor”)
53 TITCH
Little chap tense — it could be caused by an allergy (5)
T (tense) + ITCH (“it could be cause by an allergy”)
54 ALICE IN WONDERLAND
1 down: Cinderella — an animated film made in 1951 (5,2,10)
*(i down cinderella an) [anag:animated] where i = 1
55 DYLAN THOMAS
National treasure Haydn, almost broke (5,6)
*(haydn almost) [anag:broke]
56 LA DOLCE VITA
Do call about West End musical and classic film (2,5,4)
*(do call) [anag:about] + EVITA (“West End musical”)
DOWN
1 RECORD TOKEN
Gift voucher, best ever from Barbie? (6,5)
RECORD (“best ever”) + TO KEN (“from Barbie?”)

Are record tokens a thing these days?
2 LORDS
Soundly praises noble members here (5)
Homophone [soundly] of LAUDS (“praises”)
3 OYSTERS
Natives which may be restless in bed? (7)
Cryptic definition
4 TAME
Gentle Oxfordshire town, I’m told (4)
Homophone [I’m told] of THAME (“Oxfordshire town”)

I’d never heard of Thame before solving this puzzle.
5 UNSCRIPTED
Credit puns composed ad lib (10)
*(credit puns) [anag:composed]
6 BATMAN AND ROBIN
Flash Gordon used to summon this duo (6,3,5)
Cryptic definition – in the comics, TV series, movies etc, Commisioner Gordon of the Gotham PD used a (flash) light in the sky to summon the Caped Crusaders.
7 WICKEDLY
Caithness town editor discharged lady in an evil manner (8)
WICK (“Caithness town”) + Ed. (editor) + [discharged] L(ad)Y
8 TWIST
Oliver succeeded to punch idiot (5)
S (succeeded) to punch TWIT (“idiot”)
9 RIGMAROLE
Set up embedded spy to cover a Russian leader’s performance (9)
RIG (“set up”) + MOLE (“embedded spy”) to cover A + R(ussian) [‘s leader]
10 INSTAL
Download one of the 36 on line (6)
INSTA (“one of the 36”) on L (line)

Insta, short for Instagram, is a social media app, so 36 in the clue refers to 36dn (ans: SOCIAL MEDIA)
11 THE DUCHESS OF MALFI
Ta so much Sheffield for adapting Webster’s work! (3,7,2,5)
*(ta so much sheffield) [anag:for adapting]

The Duchess of Malfi is a 1612 play by John Webster.
12 LOOSE CANNON
Volatile type’s uncontrolled billiard shot (5,6)
LOOSE (“uncontrolled”) + CANNON (“billiard shot”)
18 CAROUSEL
Fairground Attraction song about exploitation (8)
CAROL (“song”) about USE (“exploitation”)
20 MATERNITY HOSPITAL
Where plenty of bouncing deliveries are expected? (9,8)
(Not terribly) cryptic definition, with the clue trying to make us think of a cricket ground.
22 TREPAN
For the head, this is a boring experience (6)
(Not terribly) cryptic definition.
24 CHRYSLER
Saloon found somewhere between Pitlochry/S. Lerwick (8)
Hidden in [found somewhere between] “pitloCHRY S LERwick”
26 HOISTING
Raising temperature in Chinese sauce? Good (8)
T (temperature) in HOISIN (“Chinese sauce”) + G (good)
29 ENGLISH CHANNEL
Ditch ITV1? (7,7)
Double definition
32 LONG-TERM
Enduring, like one of those German compound words? (4-4)
Double definition, the second referring to words like Bushaltestelle or Krankenschwester.
33 TINSEL
Preserves the Spanish stuff found near 13? (6)
TINS (“preserves”) + EL (“the” in “Spanish”)

The 13 in the clue refers to 13 ac (ans:CHRISTMAS STOCKING)
34 UNMITIGATED
Thorough peacekeepers with German I confined to barracks (11)
UN (United Nations, so “peacekeepers”) + MIT (“with” in “German”) + I + GATED (“confined to barracks”)
36 SOCIAL MEDIA
Criminally mislead CIA over hacking Twitter etc (6,5)
*(mislead cia o) [anag:criminally or hacking]

Not sure which anagrind Julius wants us to use here…?
37 LOCH LOMOND
Site of the bonniest banks in Scotland? (4,6)
Mildly cryptic definition, although to me, this was simply a straight clue that refers to the  Socttish folk song that starts:

By yon bonnie banks and by yon bonnie braes,

Where the sun shines bright on Loch Lomond,

Where me and my true love were ever wont to gae,

On the bonnie, bonnie banks o’ Loch Lomond.
39 AFTERMATH
Fieldwork subsequent to American school subject (9)
AFTER (“subsequent to”) MATH (“American school subject”)

In agriculture, an aftermath is a second sowing of grass in the same season, hence the “fieldwork” in the clue.
42 ETON MESS
Stone me… flipping seconds of school pud! (4,4)
*(stone me) [anag:flipping] + S (seconds)
46 OSBORNE
Location of Brunei’s cycling playwright? (7)
BORNEO’S the “location of Brunei” and if you cycle the letters of BORNEOS, you will eventually get OSBORNE
47 PEAHEN
Partial to snipe? Ah, England’s most beautiful bird (6)
Hidden in [partial to] “sniPE AH ENgland’s”

Peahens are pretty, but not “most beautiful”, surely that honour belongs to the peacock?
49 PRISM
A solid figure, Prime Minister Sunak enters without greeting (5)
RIS(hi) (“Sunak” without HI (“greeting”)) enters PM (Prime Minister)
51 OMANI
Gulf citizen discovers SE European country (5)
(r)OMANI(a) (“SE European country”, without its covers (first and last letters, so discovered)
52 IDOL
Hero left after marriage vow (4)
L (left) after I DO (“marriage vow”)

24 comments on “Financial Times 17,608 JULIUS”

  1. A pleasurable Christmas made even better by Julius. Thank you too, Pete, for the great blog.

    Many ticks, as expected from Julius setting a puzzle of this length. I will mention just a couple: MAYONNAISE, AS A RULE, and the DUCHESS OF MALFI were stand outs for me.

    Lots of English nostalgia this Christmas from our setter, and therefore lots and lots of new words and phrases for my ever-expanding book of Britishisms. I am also glad that Pete has command of the pet names of drugs, so I can add Special K = Ketamine = Ket to the collection.

    I am not sure I understand OYSTERS yet – obvious I am sure, but would someone please explain it? And I feel TREPAN is a bit unfair, as there is no way of completing the clue without knowing what a TREPAN is (and not being a carpenter or a brain surgeon, I did not know).

    To conclude, a cornucopia of great surfaces, a good variety of clues, and Julius’s trademark long anagrams. What more could you want?

    Many thanks Julius and Pete

  2. OYSTERS
    Martyn@1
    I think the reference is to ‘Native Oysters’. OYSTERS are found in the sea-bed but they are alive and moving around (not sleeping). So restless, I guess.

    SOCIAL MEDIA
    If we take O out of the anagram fodder, then we can read it as SCIAL MEDIA-O hacking (going inside).
    Criminally-anagrind. Hacking-inclusion indicator. Does it work?

  3. I could not parse KETCH, never having heard the slang term “ket,” (but it makes sense). The clue for BATMAN AND ROBIN seems a little iffy, IMHO, even as a cryptic definition, even with that explanation. The rest was dependably Julius-style cluing. Thanks for covering with this jumbo blog.

  5. me@2
    OYSTERS
    With oysters said to be an aphrodisiac, ‘restless in bed’ is probably meant to mislead us in that direction.

  6. Ah, KVa @2 & @5.
    Thank you. You helped me realise that “native oysters” are a type of oyster found in UK. One more for the list of British terms.

    I now understand the clue. Thank you again.

  7. Another one to add to the list of not knowing KET = Special K. Also never heard of THAME. I was confused with the ‘criminally/hacking’ in 36d but like KVa’s explanation @2. For 10d, I had to check that INSTALL could be spelt with just one L (new to me).
    Surprised nobody has queried the meaning of AFTERMATH in 39d. I looked in Chambers and found it can mean a second mowing of grass in the same season, which I guess can equate to ‘fieldwork’.

  8. This was a cracker, and like all good crackers, complete with a bit of humour!
    My runaway favourite was ABLUTION (loved the surface and that the sprinter’s full name is an anagram for ABLUTIONS ‘with soap’, as it were). ATHLETIC, THOR, RECORD TOKEN and HOISTING were all ticks and TWIST was especially good as one uses “olivers” to ‘punch’ in the East End!
    Many thanks to Julius and Loonapick.

  9. Thank you loonapick. I love how Julius, the polyglot, plays with language/s and cultures. LEDERHOSEN, and DYLAN THOMAS for example. That’s what makes him so special.

    Hovis@7. As loonapick said in his blog. I didn’t know that meaning of AFTERMATH, but I took loonapick’s word for it, so didn’t query it.

  10. Thanks for the blog and all the others this year , a marathon effort.
    Very good puzzle, must be hard to maintain the standard of clues with so many.
    Did not know KET but Chambers gives support and the meaning was clear.
    I do know AFTERMATH as a second crop of hay or haylage if the weather is being kind.
    I think the PEAHEN is quite drab but it is very subjective,
    Our market lists the best oysters as NATIVES as opposed to Pacific oysters.
    A RECORD TOKEN used to be the best present many years ago.

  11. paddymelon @9. I must have either missed that bit or it was added after my post. Glad I’m not the only one not to know this.

  12. [Roz@10. Haven’t had native oysters but I suppose that’s because they’re not endemic here. Would love to try them. How do you get Pacific oysters over there? Must be a lot of air miles attached. They’re my favourite, can be as big as a saucer, but always full of flavour. There’s something about oysters I crave. It’s the minerals and vitamins. My husband knows when it’s time to go out and find some. Self-preservation. 🙂 ]

  13. [ PDM@12 perhaps Whitstable natives are the most famous but people say the ones from the East coast of Scotland are the best. Pacific oysters are farmed in the UK but they have escaped and are now an invasive species. ]

  15. Thanks for the blog, dear loonapick, and thanks to those who have commented.
    @lady gewgaw, yes that’s right.
    @Peter. I don’t take drugs either, nor have I ever played billiards.
    Best wishes to everyone for 2024.
    Rob/Julius

  16. Oh dear – me@1

    In the habit of seeing Pete do the weekend puzzle, I assumed it was he again who had written the blog. I did not even look at the bloggers name, and I now realize it was actually loonapick. Apologies to loonapick for the mix up and a belated thank-you.

  17. Thanks Julius for a herculean effort in setting this Jumbo. I found this less challenging than the typical Julius/Knut offering but it was enjoyable nonetheless. My top picks included WHOA, MAYONNAISE, RELIC, HARMONICA, PRISM, and IDOL. Thanks loonapick for the blog.

  18. Julius once again sets the standard for other setters to follow. Witty, entertaining, and accessible to all.
    Thank you, Julius

  19. Thanks to Julius for a puzzle that was not too hard on a sherry-befuddled brain, and to loonapick for the blog. Very best wishes to all for this coming year.

  21. Brian L@22: I can see a 53ac: it is TITCH (n Brit informal jocular) used as a way of talking about or addressing a very small person – Collins 2023.

  24. Nice one, only just completed. DId not know about Special K, had forgotten Commissioner Gordon, and didn’t spot INES in 35. WHOA was cheeky, tick for the lovely MAYONNAISE find, the beautiful PEAHEN and Chairman Mao playing his instrument (delightul image)amongst numerous others.
    Adding my belated thanks to loonapick and to Julius, and a Happy New Year to all!

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