A relatively straightforward Jumbo offering steady progression and a healthy smattering of inventive and well-written clues. A good un then, though I fear we must pray LE MORTE D’ARTHUR is sufficient to appease the French Elder Gods for another week. If the sky suddenly turns tricolore and deafens us all with La Marseillaise then it’s been nice knowing you.
You can find my completed grid below along with explanations of my solutions where I have them. I hope you find them helpful. If a recent Jumbo has given you the slip then you might find my Just For Fun page of use, where you’ll find links to solutions for hundreds of the things.
Thanks again for the kind words and input. It’s always interesting to hear the thoughts of other solvers once they have set down their pens. Till next time, stay safe out there kids.
LP
Across clues
- Condemned one put in dock without resistance (8)
Answer: ACCURSED (i.e. “condemned”). Solution is ACCUSED (i.e. “one put in dock”) wrapped around or placed “without” R (a recognised abbreviation of electrical “resistance”), like so: ACCU(R)SED.
- Good to move slowly in punt (6)
Answer: GAMBLE (i.e. “punt”). Solution is G (a recognised abbreviation of “good”) followed by AMBLE (i.e. “to move slowly”).
- Strange items like lugs in the centre of Texas (7)
Answer: EXOTICA (i.e. “strange items”). Solution is OTIC (i.e. “like lugs”, or relating to the ears) placed “in” EXA (i.e. “the centre [letters] of Texas”), like so: EX(OTIC)A.
- Working with excellent chaps in court custody (11)
Answer: CONFINEMENT (i.e. “custody”). Solution is ON (i.e. operational or “working”) followed by FINE (i.e. “excellent”) and MEN (i.e. “chaps”) all placed “in” CT (a recognised abbreviation of “court”), like so: C(ON-FINE-MEN)T.
- Glutton, possibly, eating horse as a source of excess energy? (11)
Answer: SUPERHEATER (i.e. “a source of excess energy”). Solution is SUPER EATER (i.e. “glutton, possibly”) wrapped around or “eating” H (i.e. “horse”, both slang terms for heroin), like so: SUPER-(H)-EATER.
- Pressure press to be clear (5)
Answer: PURGE (i.e. “clear”). Solution is P (a recognised abbreviation of “pressure”) followed by URGE (i.e. “press”).
- Wavering – or lot more disrupted (7)
Answer: TREMOLO (i.e. “wavering”). “Disrupted” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of LOT MORE.
- Doctor repeatedly runs round altering triages (9)
Answer: REGISTRAR (i.e. “doctor” – Chambers has this: “a hospital doctor in one of the intermediate grades (medical or surgical registrar)”). Solution is R and R (i.e. “repeatedly runs” – R being a recognised abbreviation of “run” used in a number of ball games) wrapped “round” an anagram (indicated by “altering”) of TRIAGES, like so: R(EGISTRA)R. Nicely worked.
- Dismissive exclamation about mostly tasteless pepper (7)
Answer: POBLANO (i.e. a Mexican “pepper” – Chambers doesn’t want to know, but my Oxford lists it). Solution is POO (i.e. “dismissive exclamation” – again, Chambers doesn’t want to know but Oxford likes it) wrapped “about” BLAND (i.e. “tasteless”) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “mostly”), like so: PO(BLAN)O.
- Immediately passed headland, not favouring the port? (5-10)
Answer: RIGHT-HANDEDNESS (i.e. “not favouring the port”, being left in shipspeak). Solution is RIGHT (i.e. “immediately”, as in right now) followed by HANDED (i.e. “passed”) and NESS (i.e. “headland”).
- What’s brilliant about nurse in brown? Presence (10)
Answer: ATTENDANCE (i.e. “presence”). Solution is ACE (i.e. “brilliant”) wrapped “about” TEND (i.e. to “nurse”) once it has first been placed “in” TAN (i.e. “brown”), like so: A(T(TEND)AN)CE.
- Down by the French Mediterranean city (6)
Answer: NAPLES (i.e. “Mediterranean city”). Solution is NAP (i.e. fur or “down”) followed by LES (i.e. “the French”, i.e. the French for “the”, collectively).
- Chap wanting five to win (4)
Answer: GAIN (i.e. “win”). Solution is GAVIN (i.e. “chap’s” name) with the V removed (indicated by “wanting five” – V being five expressed as a Roman numeral).
- Continue to swell and enlarge injured head in medical care (7,7)
Answer: SURGEON GENERAL (i.e. “head in medical care”). Solution is SURGE ON (i.e. “continue to swell”) followed by an anagram (indicated by “injured”) of ENLARGE.
- Grain surrounds old Northwest Territories river city in Canada (8)
Answer: MONTREAL (i.e. “city in Canada”). Solution is MEAL (i.e. ground “grain”) wrapped around or “surrounding” O (a recognised abbreviation of “old”), NT (ditto “Northwest Territories” of Canada) and R (ditto ditto “river”), like so: M(O-NT-R)EAL.
- A censer (empty) is in untidy room, here in church? (8)
Answer: SACRISTY (i.e. “room, here in church”, specifically “a room in a church where the sacred utensils, vestments, etc, are kept” (Chambers)). Solution is A, CR (i.e. “censer (empty)” i.e. the word “censer” with all its middle letters removed) and IS all placed “in” STY (i.e. “untidy room”), like so: S(A-CR-IS)TY.
- Seeing in advance wealth having a significant effect (7-7)
Answer: FORTUNE-TELLING (i.e. “seeing in advance”). Solution is FORTUNE (i.e. “wealth”) followed by TELLING (i.e. “having a significant effect”).
- Unruly child getting right inside club (4)
Answer: BRAT (i.e. “unruly child”). Solution is R (a recognised abbreviation of “right”) placed “inside” BAT (i.e. “club”), like so: B(R)AT.
- Found key in carrying case (6)
Answer: CREATE (i.e. to “found”). Solution is E (i.e. musical “key”) placed “in” CRATE (i.e. “carrying case”), like so: CR(E)ATE.
- Henry finished with skill in vehicle (10)
Answer: HOVERCRAFT (i.e. “vehicle”). Solution is H (a recognised abbreviation of “Henry”, a unit of electrical inductance) followed by OVER (i.e. “finished”) and CRAFT (i.e. “skill”).
- Very fat, must finally be looking embarrassed with bad posture (5-10)
Answer: ROUND-SHOULDERED (i.e. “with bad posture”). Solution is ROUND (i.e. “very fat”) followed by SHOULD (i.e. “must”), then E (i.e. “finally be”, i.e. the last letter of “be”) and RED (i.e. “looking embarrassed”).
- Master from Portsea misses going back (7)
Answer: MAESTRO (i.e. “master”). “From” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, while “going back” indicates the solution has been reversed, like so: P(ORTSEA M)ISSES.
- Rock festival activity with hits and mescal going around (4,5)
Answer: SLAM DANCE (i.e. “rock festival activity with hits” – I’ve never seen the attraction, personally). “Going around” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of AND MESCAL.
- One no longer working on island (7)
Answer: RETIREE (i.e. “one no longer working”). Solution is RE (i.e. “on” or regarding – think email replies) followed by TIREE (i.e. an “island” of Scotland).
- Note car approaching motorway (5)
Answer: MINIM (i.e. musical “note”). Solution is MINI (i.e. make of “car”) followed by M (a recognised abbreviation of “motorway”).
- Hard task round table to plan moves (11)
Answer: CHOREOGRAPH (i.e. “to plan moves”). Solution is CHORE (i.e. “hard task”) followed by O (i.e. “round”) and GRAPH (i.e. “table” – my Bradford’s likes it, but I don’t. They’re both ways of illustrating data, sure, but I’d want some degree of interchangeability between the two).
- One maybe into The Big Bang Theory sitcom’s logo, strangely (11)
Answer: COSMOLOGIST (i.e. “one maybe into the Big Bang theory”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “strangely”) of SITCOM’S LOGO. Another clue I rather liked.
- Enzyme test succeeded in leg (7)
Answer: TRYPSIN (i.e. pancreatic “enzyme”). Solution is TRY (i.e. “test”) followed by S (a recognised abbreviation of “succeeded”) once placed “in” PIN (slang for a “leg”), like so: TRY-P(S)IN. One nailed solely from the wordplay, unsurprisingly.
- Always I lay vacantly in a strange way (6)
Answer: EERILY (i.e. “in a strange way”). Solution is E’ER (poetic form of ever or “always”) followed by I and LY (i.e. “lay vacantly”, i.e. the word “lay” with its middle letter removed).
- Time your girl cut short Charlie’s bullying (8)
Answer: TYRANNIC (i.e. “bullying” as an adjective rather than a verb). Solution is T (a recognised abbreviation of “time”) followed by YR (ditto “your”), then ANNIE (i.e. “girl’s” name) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “cut short”), then C (“Charlie” in the phonetic alphabet), like so: T-YR-ANNI-C.
Down clues
- Drink with a large policeman before work (7)
Answer: ALCOPOP (i.e. “drink”). Solution is A followed by L (a recognised abbreviation of “large”), then COP (i.e. “policeman”) and OP (i.e. “work”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of “opus”).
- Trick teacher outside to tease writer for school mag? (11)
Answer: CONTRIBUTOR (i.e. “writer for school mag” – I appreciate the setter is trying to make this work within the context of the clue, but I reckon qualifying this as a “school mag” was a little unfair. Usually when a clue narrows on a specific example purely for style, solvers would expect a word like “perhaps” to indicate we’re looking for something covering not only that example but others like it too. Not doing so unfairly sets an expectation that we’re looking for a word covering that specific example. Others may point to the riddly question mark, but I don’t think this satisfactorily covers it. Anyway, world keeps spinning…) Solution is CON (i.e. “trick”) followed by TUTOR (i.e. “teacher”) once wrapped around or placed “outside” of RIB (i.e. “to tease”), like so: CON-T(RIB)UTOR.
- Cause trouble in lift? I can, unfortunately (5,4)
Answer: RAISE CAIN (i.e. “cause trouble”). Solution is RAISE (i.e. “lift”) followed by an anagram (indicated by “unfortunately”) of I CAN.
- Like certain motors chosen by traveller gent freshly in charge (15)
Answer: ELECTROMAGNETIC (i.e. “like certain motors”). Solution is ELECT (i.e. “chosen”) followed by ROMA (i.e. “traveller”), then an anagram (indicated by “freshly”) of GENT, then IC (a recognised abbreviation of “in charge”), like so: ELECT-ROMA-GNET-IC.
- But health ought … ought to give one this (8)
Answer: ALTHOUGH (i.e. “but”). “Ought to give one this” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, like so: HE(ALTH OUGH)T.
- Card game, drink and celebration – a historic event (6,3,5)
Answer: BOSTON TEA PARTY (i.e. “a historic event”, a protest in 1773 in which American colonists dumped hundreds of chests of tea into Boston harbour). Solution is BOSTON (i.e. a “card game” similar to whist, apparently) followed by TEA (i.e. “drink”) and PARTY (i.e. “celebration”).
- Fit to be sent abroad, former partner moved easily (10)
Answer: EXPORTABLE (i.e. “fit to be sent abroad”). Solution is EX (i.e. “former partner”) followed by PORTABLE (i.e. “moved easily”).
- Often-married king at heart old and very angry (7)
Answer: ENRAGED (i.e. “very angry”). Solution is HENRY (i.e. “often-married king”, specifically Henry VIII) with its first and last letters removed (indicated by “at heart”) and the remainder followed by AGED (i.e. “old”), like so: ENR-AGED.
- Begins a series of golf championships (5)
Answer: OPENS. Solution satisfies “begins” and “a series of golf championships”.
- Junior US medic, the reverse of kind English, harming both sides (11)
Answer: INTERNECINE (i.e. “harming both sides”, loosely speaking). Solution is INTERN (i.e. “junior US medic”) followed by NICE (i.e. “kind”) once “reversed”, then E (a recognised abbreviation of “English”), like so: INTERN-ECIN-E.
- Broadcast Brief Encounter and remove parts of picture? (8)
Answer: AIRBRUSH (i.e. “remove parts of picture”). Solution is AIR (i.e. “broadcast”) followed by BRUSH (i.e. “brief encounter” – ignore the misleading formatting).
- Fair time in charge (4)
Answer: FETE (i.e. a “fair”). Solution is T (a recognised abbreviation of “time”) placed “in” FEE (i.e. “charge”), like so: FE(T)E.
- Illegal scheme often seen in court? (6)
Answer: RACKET. Solution satisfies “illegal scheme” and “often seen in [tennis] court” – can be spelled RACKET or RACQUET.
- Use a spade on the whole garden – almost not using hands? (7)
Answer: DIGITAL (i.e. “not using hands?”, riffing on how digits can refer to toes as well as fingers. Unless the setter has fingers in an entirely different place to the rest of us. The mind boggles). Solution is DIG IT ALL (i.e. “use a spade on the whole garden”) with the last letter removed (indicated by “almost”).
- Help a relative in street (6)
Answer: ASSIST (i.e. “help”). Solution is A followed by SIS (i.e. “relative”, short for sister) once placed “in” ST (a recognised abbreviation of “street”), like so: A-S(SIS)T.
- Cause of forgetting brief time at school commemoration (5-4,6)
Answer: SHORT-TERM MEMORY (i.e. “cause of forgetting”). Solution is SHORT (i.e. “brief”) followed by TERM (i.e. “time at school”) and MEMORY (i.e. “commemoration”).
- Runs after flying alder moth – true story ending tragically (2,5,7)
Answer: LE MORTE D’ARTHUR (i.e. “story ending tragically” by Sir Thomas Malory, a weighty account of King Arthur’s legend). Solution is R (a recognised abbreviation of “runs”, already covered) placed “after” an anagram (indicated by “flying”) of ALDER MOTH TRUE, like so: LEMORTEDARTHU-R. The book may well have been written in Myddel Englyshe but, come on, given the subject matter and the French title, how could I resist a cheeky meme?
- Line in battle running away (6)
Answer: FLIGHT (i.e. “running away”). Solution is L (a recognised abbreviation of “line”) placed “in” FIGHT (i.e. “battle”), like so: F(L)IGHT.
- Issued leaders in English mainly involving The Times’ editor (7)
Answer: EMITTED (i.e. “issued”). Solution is EMITT (i.e. “leaders [or first letters] in English Mainly Involving The Times”) followed by ED (short for “editor”).
- Go right round North London town that is becoming nought? (6)
Answer: ENFOLD (i.e. “go right round”). Solution is ENFIELD (i.e. “North London town”) with the IE (i.e. “that is”, i.e. “i.e.”, after the Latin id est) swapped for or “becoming” O (i.e. “nought”), like so: ENF(IE)LD => ENF(O)LD.
- Always keep son out of circus lass’s story going round (11)
Answer: CIRCULATORY (i.e. “going round”). “Always keep son out of” indicates the solution can be derived by taking all the Ss – S being a recognised abbreviation of “son” – out of CIRCUS LASS’S STORY.
- Disregard pronounced inner tension (11)
Answer: INATTENTION (i.e. a “disregard”). “Pronounced” indicates the solution is (an unusually direct) homophone of INNER TENSION.
- Restore evejar tune for broadcasting (10)
Answer: REJUVENATE (i.e. “restore”). “For broadcasting” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of EVEJAR TUNE.
- Drink a large quantity stored in passage at the end (5,4)
Answer: CREAM SODA (i.e. “drink”). Solution is REAMS (i.e. “large quantity” of paper) “stored in” CODA (i.e. musical “passage at the end”), like so: C(REAMS)ODA.
- Film editor’s technique annoyed hack (8)
Answer: CROSSCUT (i.e. “film editor’s technique”). Solution is CROSS (i.e. “annoyed”) followed by CUT (i.e. “hack”).
- Professional person exploited without key official record (8)
Answer: PROTOCOL (i.e. “official record”, rather deep in the definitions). Solution is PRO (short for “professional”) followed by TOOL (i.e. “person exploited”) once wrapped around or placed “without” C (another musical “key”), like so: PRO-TO(C)OL.
- Piece from worker, good one (7)
Answer: HANDGUN (i.e. “piece”, slang thereof). Solution is HAND (i.e. “worker”) followed by G (a recognised abbreviation of “good”) and UN (slang form of “one”, as in a good un).
- Gradually going through old sitcom being remade? (7)
Answer: OSMOTIC (i.e. “gradually going through”). Solution is O (a recognised abbreviation of “old”) followed by an anagram (indicated by “being remade”) of SITCOM, like so: O-SMOTIC.
- Liquid remains unused for three long days finally (5)
Answer: DREGS (i.e. “liquid remains”). “Finally” indicates the solution is derived from the last letters of “unuseD foR threE lonG dayS“.
- Perhaps spots rook on tree (4)
Answer: RASH (i.e. “perhaps spots”). Solution is R (a recognised abbreviation of “rook” used in chess) followed by ASH (i.e. “tree”).