A middling Jumbo this week. I wouldn’t be so mean as to say it was 41a, but it didn’t exactly have me 30a for more either.
Now that the competition deadline has passed 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 flipped you the bird then you might find solace in my Just For Fun page, where you’ll find links to solutions for hundreds of the things.
Thanks again for your patience and input. Till next time, stay safe out there kids.
LP
Across clues
- Make quite clear what to do at end of holiday? (5,4)
Answer: DRIVE HOME. Solution satisfies “make quite clear” and “what to do at end of holiday”.
- Vegetables, with lots of people in line for them, we hear, mind them? (2,3,2)
Answer: PS AND QS (i.e. “mind them”). Solution comprises homophones (indicated by “we hear”) of PEAS (i.e. “vegetables”) and QUEUES (i.e. “lots of people in line”). These are separated by AND (i.e. “with”).
- Radiant with Russian girl returning (5)
Answer: AGLOW (i.e. “radiant”). Solution is W (a recognised abbreviation of “with”) and OLGA (i.e. “Russian girl’s” name) all reversed (indicated by “returning”), like so: AGLO-W.
- Cold, simple chemical substance losing one electron at first becomes mild (7)
Answer: CLEMENT (i.e. “mild”). Solution is C (a recognised abbreviation of “cold” on water taps) followed by ELEMENT (i.e. “simple chemical substance”) with the first E removed (indicated by “losing one electron at first”, i.e. the first letter of “electron”), like so: C-LEMENT.
- Cries aloud for the country (5)
Answer: WALES (i.e. “country”). Solution is a homophone (indicated by “aloud”) of WAILS (i.e. “cries”).
- Put name into small newspaper article, curving along the edges (9)
Answer: SCALLOPED (i.e. “curved along the edges”). Solution is CALL (i.e. to “name”) “put into” S (a recognised abbreviation of “small”) and OP-ED (i.e. “newspaper article”), like so: S-(CALL)-OP-ED.
- Lifelong description of how “rock-a-bye-baby” fell to its death? (4,3,6,2,3,5)
Answer: FROM THE CRADLE TO THE GRAVE (i.e. “lifelong”). The remainder of the clue plays on the nursery rhyme: “Rock-a-bye-baby, on the tree-top; when the wind blows, the cradle will rock; when the bough breaks, the cradle will fall; down will come baby, cradle and all”.
- Singular taxi driver making a crust (6)
Answer: SCABBY (i.e. “making a crust” over a healing wound). Solution is S (a recognised abbreviation of “singular”) followed by CABBY (i.e. slang for a “taxi driver”).
- This is me at college, before being covered in flour etc (8)
Answer: MEUNIERE (i.e. “being covered in flour etc” – oh come on. 1) You’ve stuck this in the grid on even intersecting letters, _E_N_E_E; 2) the solution is a term only foodies are only ever going to care about, and 3) you appear to handwave away a good chunk of the clue under “etc”, a total nothingburger – Chambers describes MEUNIERE as: “lightly coated in flour and fried in butter, then served in butter, lemon juice and herbs, especially parsley”, which seems a little more than just sticking some flour on it). Solution is ME followed by UNI (i.e. “college”, short for university) and ERE (poetic form of “before”). This one got so far up my nose I decided to dust off this old favourite.
- Reminder to collect protective gear held up (7)
Answer: PROPPED (i.e. “held up”). Solution is PROD (i.e. “reminder”) wrapped around or “collecting” PPE (i.e. “protective gear”, lest you have forgotten, Personal Protective Equipment. Has this made it into a dictionary already?), like so: PRO(PPE)D.
- Figure Noah went swimming? Seems reasonable (4,6)
Answer: FAIR ENOUGH (i.e. “seems reasonable”). Solution is an anagram, indicated by “went swimming”, of FIGURE NOAH.
- Almost attractive at first not before time (6,6)
Answer: PRETTY NEARLY (i.e. “almost”). Solution is PRETTY (i.e. “attractive”) followed by N (i.e. “at first not”, i.e. the first letter of “not”) and EARLY (i.e. “before time”).
- Like to hear detective who lived in Mexico (5)
Answer: AZTEC (i.e. “who lived in Mexico”). Solution is a homophone (indicated by “to hear”) of AS (i.e. “like”) followed by TEC (informal word for a “detective”), like so: AZ-TEC.
- Recipe for astringent to be put on back (7)
Answer: FORMULA (i.e. “recipe”). Solution is FOR followed by ALUM (i.e. “astringent”, in this case an agent that draws something together, such as the skin) once the latter has been reversed (indicated by “back”), like so: FOR-MULA.
- Great desire of Yankee as a salaryman? (8)
Answer: YEARNING (i.e. “great desire”). Solution is Y (“Yankee” in the phonetic alphabet) followed by EARNING (i.e. “as a salaryman”).
- O my! – missing from holy book is the nucleus (8)
Answer: DEUTERON (i.e. “the nucleus” of heavy hydrogen). Solution is DEUTERONOMY (i.e. “holy book” of The Bible) with the O MY “missing” from the end.
- Overdo it regularly with friend of a parricide (7)
Answer: OEDIPAL (i.e. “of a parricide” or murder of a parent. In Greek mythology Oedipus killed his father, not knowing who he was, and ended up marrying his mother. Them wacky Greeks, eh?) Solution is OEDI (i.e. “overdo it regularly”, i.e. every other letter of OVERDO IT) followed by PAL (i.e. “friend”).
- Loves meeting in the street? Go ahead (5)
Answer: TRYST (i.e. “loves meeting”). Solution is ST (a recognised abbreviation of “street”) with TRY (i.e. a “go”) placed “ahead” of it, like so: TRY-ST.
- Create storm to find necessary cash (5,3,4)
Answer: RAISE THE WIND (i.e. an informal phrase meaning “to find necessary cash”, apparently. Can’t say I’ve heard it before). Solution also playfully satisfies “create storm”.
- Tiny policeman is ineffective (3,4,3)
Answer: NOT MUCH COP (i.e. “ineffective”). Solution is NOT MUCH (i.e. “tiny”) followed by COP (slang for a “policeman”).
- Loiters uncertainly in luxury resort (7)
Answer: ESTORIL (i.e. “luxury resort” in Portugal). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “uncertainly”) of LOITERS.
- Quietly leaves with order to remove underwear? (5,3)
Answer: SLIPS OFF (i.e. “quietly leaves”). Solution also playfully satisfies “order to remove underwear”.
- Hostility as I am surrounded by a group of students (6)
Answer: ANIMUS (i.e. “hostility”). Solution is I’M (a contraction of “I am”) placed in or “surrounded by” A and NUS (i.e. “group of students”, specifically the National Union of Students), like so: A-N(I’M)US.
- Hate run-of-the-mill BBC type messing up patriotic song (6,4,2,3,8)
Answer: BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC (i.e. US “patriotic song”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “messing up”) of HATE RUN-OF-THE-MILL BBC TYPE.
- Universal train and air travel in the country one imagined (9)
Answer: RURITANIA (i.e. “country one imagined”, or, rather, imagined by Anthony Hope in a number of his novels). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “travel”) of U (a recognised abbreviation of “universal”, the film certificate), TRAIN and AIR.
- A minor honour (5)
Answer: AWARD (i.e. “honour”). Solution is A followed by WARD (i.e. child or “minor”).
- Cooking us one nice stew (7)
Answer: CUISINE (i.e. “stew”). Solution is a homophone (indicated by “cooking”) of US, I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”) and NICE.
- Parking vehicle first, go for long walk (5)
Answer: TRAMP (i.e. “go for long walk”). Solution is P (a recognised abbreviation of “parking” used on maps and signage) with TRAM (i.e. “vehicle”) placed “first”, like so: TRAM-P.
- In nervous state, throw coconut perhaps at head (7)
Answer: SHYNESS (i.e. “nervous state”). Solution is SHY (i.e. “throw coconut perhaps”) followed by NESS (i.e. “head”, both promontories).
- Considered odd, having been eaten by a bear? (9)
Answer: RUMINATED (i.e. “considered”). Solution is RUM (i.e. “odd”) followed by IN A TED (i.e. “having been eaten by a bear”, playfully speaking. To be fair, this did raise a smile when I twigged it).
Down clues
- Unaware about cold drink (5)
Answer: DECAF (i.e. “drink”, short for decaffeinated). Solution is DEAF (i.e. “unaware”) wrapped “about” C (a recognised abbreviation of “cold”, already covered), like so: DE(C)AF.
- I can’t stand up straight to deliver patter song (3,3,1,6,4)
Answer: I’VE GOT A LITTLE LIST (i.e. “patter song”, or one where the lyrics are delivered in a rapid fashion, on this occasion a song from Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Mikado). Solution also playfully satisfies “I can’t stand up straight”, as in leaning or LISTING. You get the idea.
- Delightful daughter missing with prospect of being returned? (9)
Answer: ELECTABLE (i.e. “with prospect of being returned” in an election). Solution is DELECTABLE (i.e. “delightful”) with the D removed (indicated by “daughter missing” – D being a recognised abbreviation of “daughter”).
- Beginning two terms of tennis (6)
Answer: OUTSET (i.e. “beginning”). When written as OUT and SET the solution also satisfies “two terms of tennis”.
- Degas perhaps broken by conflict with key enigmatic man (6,5)
Answer: EDWARD ELGAR (i.e. “enigmatic man”, a reference to his Enigma Variations). Solution is EDGAR (i.e. “Degas perhaps”, other Edgars are available) wrapped around or “broken by” WAR (i.e. “conflict”) and DEL (i.e. “key” on a computer keyboard, short for “delete”), like so: ED(WAR-DEL)GAR.
- Knights taking great care to protect youngster (8)
Answer: PALADINS (i.e. “knights”). Solution is PAINS (i.e. “great care”) wrapped around or “protecting” LAD (i.e. “youngster”), like so: PA(LAD)INS.
- A part of Ireland, removing large English grave (7)
Answer: AUSTERE (i.e. “grave”). Solution is A followed by ULSTER (i.e. “part of Ireland”) once the L (a recognised abbreviation of “large”) has been “removed”. This is all then followed by E (a recognised abbreviation of “English”), like so: A-USTER-E.
- Not truly attractive, one way the dawning of love must break in (11)
Answer: DISHONESTLY (i.e. “not truly”). Solution is DISHY (i.e. “attractive”) wrapped around or “broken in” by ONE, ST (i.e. “way”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of “street”) and L (i.e. “dawning of love”, i.e. the first letter of “love”), like so: DISH(ONE-ST-L)Y.
- Reckless with the cosmetics? (4-5)
Answer: SLAP-HAPPY (i.e. “reckless”). The rest of the clue plays on SLAP being a slang word for make-up.
- Without leader, orchestra try to keep right tempo (7)
Answer: ALLEGRO (i.e. a musical “tempo”). Solution is HALLE (i.e. an “orchestra” in Manchester) with the first letter removed (indicated by “without leader”) and the remainder followed by GO (i.e. “try”) once wrapped around or “keeping” R (a recognised abbreviation of “right”), like so: ALLE-G(R)O.
- Slept again, concealing some small old coins (5)
Answer: LEPTA (i.e. “some small old coins”. An interesting one, this. A lepton has long been a minor coin of Greek currency, stretching back millennia. The name stuck even after Greece joined the Euro, with cents still getting referred to as lepta). “Concealing” indicates that the solution has been hidden in the clue, like so: S(LEPT A)GAIN.
- Regular occasions when being married, say, ends in confusion (10)
Answer: WEDNESDAYS (i.e. “regular occasions”). Solution is WED (i.e. “when being married”) followed by an anagram (indicated by “in confusion”) of SAY ENDS, like so: WED-NESDAYS.
- Capital assembled in very short order (5)
Answer: SOFIA (i.e. “capital” of Bulgaria). Solution is SO (i.e. “very”) followed by FIAT (i.e. “order” – over to Chambers: “a formal or solemn command”) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “short”), like so: SO-FIA.
- Importantly, no cops interfered with this publication (8,9)
Answer: PORTNOY’S COMPLAINT (i.e. “publication”, specifically a novel by Philip Roth). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “interfered with”) of IMPORTANTLY NO COPS.
- Chest: one heard having trouble with it? (6)
Answer: COFFER (i.e. “chest”). The rest of the clue plays on the solution being a homophone (indicated by “heard”) of COUGHER (i.e. “one … having trouble with” their chest).
- Country golf club welcoming wife (6)
Answer: RWANDA (i.e. “country”). Solution is R AND A (i.e. “golf club”, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews) wrapped around or “welcoming” W (a recognised abbreviation of “wife”), like so: R-(W)-AND-A.
- Formerly holding name Max? (5)
Answer: ERNST (i.e. “Max” – Oh look everyone, Max is back! I knew it wouldn’t take long before another Times setter fell for his charms. If you’re new to Jumbos and don’t know who Max Ernst was – I mean, let’s be honest, this clue has given you Sweet FA to work with – he was an artist. Don’t feel bad for not knowing that, but you might want to keep him in mind as he is forever appearing in Jumbos). Solution is ERST (i.e. “formerly”) wrapped around or “holding” N (a recognised abbreviation of “name”), like so: ER(N)ST.
- Illegally induce son, delivered by hairpin? (6)
Answer: SUBORN (i.e. “illegally induce”). Solution is S (a recognised abbreviation of “son”) followed by BORN (i.e. “delivered”) once this has first been placed after or “by” U (i.e. “hairpin”, as in the letter’s shape), like so: S-(U-BORN).
- Smart person wiping chlorine from part of fingernail (5)
Answer: CUTIE (i.e. “smart person”, usually a girl). Solution is CUTICLE (i.e. “part of fingernail”) with the CL removed (indicated by “wiping chlorine from”, CL being the chemical symbol of chlorine).
- A fine fabric, very red (6)
Answer: AFLAME (i.e. “very red”). Solution is A followed by F (a recognised abbreviation of “fine”) and LAMÉ (i.e. “fabric”).
- Briefing about problem, my answer’s complicated (4,7)
Answer: NEWS SUMMARY (i.e. “briefing”). Solution is SUM (i.e. mathematical “problem”) placed in or having “about” it an anagram (indicated by “complicated”) of MY ANSWER, like so: NEWS(SUM)MARY.
- Galley slave toiling through passages in literal pursuit? (11)
Answer: PROOFREADER (i.e. “literal pursuit” in publishing). I get the setter is playing on “galley” being a proof copy, and that you’d find “passages” of text in a book, but I think the clue is rather too laboured.
- Signal for bed, when eating a series of snacks (5)
Answer: TAPAS (i.e. “series of snacks”). Solution is TAPS (i.e. military “signal for bed”, e.g. a bugle call) wrapped around or “eating” A, like so: TAP(A)S.
- Commando in protected area out of line calling in engineers (5,5)
Answer: GREEN BERET (i.e. “commando”). Solution is GREEN BELT (i.e. “protected area”) once the L has been removed (indicated by “out of line” – L being a recognised abbreviation of “line”), and the remainder wrapped around or “calling in” RE (i.e. “engineers”, specifically the Royal Engineers of the British Army), like so: GREEN-BE(RE)T.
- Hospital people who are experienced get together affectionately (4,5)
Answer: HOLD HANDS (i.e. “get together affectionately”). Solution is H (a recognised abbreviation of “hospital” used on maps) followed by OLD HANDS (i.e. “people who are experienced”).
- Very old Roman soldier? (9)
Answer: CENTURION. Solution satisfies “very old” – the word can mean anyone achieving a hundred in any way – and “Roman soldier”.
- A missing pet’s hard to catch, having fouled dishes (8)
Answer: ASHTRAYS (i.e. “fouled dishes”). Solution is A followed by STRAY’S (i.e. “missing pet’s”) once wrapped around or “catching” H (a recognised abbreviation of “hard” used in grading pencils), like so: A-S(H)TRAY’S.
- Sort of desk surface: light lunch on it? (4-3)
Answer: ROLL-TOP (i.e. “sort of desk”). Solution is TOP (i.e. “surface”) with ROLL (i.e. “light lunch”) placed over or “on it”, this being a down clue.
- Take apart one section of roof: nothing in it (7)
Answer: ISOLATE (i.e. “take apart”). Solution is I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”, again) followed by SLATE (i.e. “section of roof”) once wrapped around or having “in it” O (i.e. “nothing”), like so: I-S(O)LATE.
- Trap eccentric viewer (6)
Answer: WEBCAM (i.e. “viewer”). Solution is WEB (i.e. a “trap”) followed by CAM (i.e. “eccentric” – we’ve seen it umpteen times in Jumbos now, so this is another to keep in mind. Chambers has: “in mechanics, an irregular projection on a revolving shaft or rotating cylinder, shaped so as to transmit regular movement to another part”. “Eccentric” meanwhile is “with the axis to one side, not at the centre”). If this turns out to be NETCAM, justified by its appearance in some rickety online dictionary from 1999, the kind that used to put a hyphen in “email”, then I’m officially done with Jumbos.
- Time on boat for rescuing a creature in river (5)
Answer: TARKA (i.e. “creature in river” – I’m going to disagree here. Tarka the Otter was a novel by Henry Williamson – we had it on our bookshelf when I was little – but none of my dictionaries support the use of TARKA to mean “otter”. What’s next? Are you going to expect solvers to deduce NEMO or JAWS from “creature in sea”? I wouldn’t rule it out, but I am not a fan). Solution is T (a recognised abbreviation of “time”) followed by ARK (i.e. “boat for rescuing”, from The Bible) and A.
- One might believe this Indian died (5)
Answer: CREED (i.e. “one might believe this”). Solution is CREE (i.e. “Indian”, in this case “a member of a Native American tribe living in Montana and parts of Canada” (Chambers)) followed by D (a recognised abbreviation of “died”).