A relatively straightforward one this week. Suits me fine, though it did feel a little one-track at times with lots of single letters being added or removed from stuff.
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 solutions to hundreds of the things. (250 of them if I’m not mistaken. Good grief, that’s a lot of Saturdays…)
Thanks again for the kind words and input. It’s always interesting to hear the thoughts of other solvers once they’ve set down their pens. Till next time, stay safe out there kids.
LP
FBV (French-By-Volume): 3.3%
Across clues
- Hunt finally to wander, heading off for big cat (7)
Answer: TIGRESS (i.e. “big cat”). Solution is T (i.e. “hunt finally”, i.e. the last letter of “hunt”) followed by DIGRESS (i.e. “to wander”) once its first letter has been removed (indicated by “heading off”), like so: T-IGRESS.
- Children, note, cornered by a sudden attack – scorpion? (8)
Answer: ARACHNID (i.e. “scorpion”). Solution is CH (a recognised abbreviation of “children”) and N (ditto “note”) both placed in or “cornered by” A and RAID (i.e. “sudden attack”), like so: A-RA(CH-N)ID.
- Bringer of news almost entirely surrounded by crowd (6)
Answer: HERALD (i.e. “bringer of news”). Solution is ALL (i.e. “entirely”) with its last letter removed (indicated by “almost”) and the remainder placed in or “surrounded by” HERD (i.e. “crowd”), like so: HER(AL)D.
- Inflation measure covered (in another case) in afterpiece (6,5,5)
Answer: RETAIL PRICE INDEX (i.e. “inflation measure”). The remainder of the clue plays on how the initials of the solution, RPI, can be found “in AFTE(RPI)ECE”.
- Preparing to drive, say, carrying large old politician (6)
Answer: Clement ATTLEE (i.e. “old politician”). Solution is AT TEE (i.e. “preparing to drive” in golf) wrapped around or “carrying” L (a recognised abbreviation of “large”), like so: AT-T(L)EE.
- Pay for poet to give up first popular piece (8)
Answer: STANDARD (i.e. “popular piece”). Solution is STAND (i.e. “pay for”) followed by BARD (i.e. “poet”) once its initial letter has been removed (indicated by “to give up first”), like so: STAND-ARD.
- New Zealander winning originally cracking K2 (4)
Answer: KIWI (i.e. “New Zealander”, informally). Solution is W (i.e. “winning originally”, i.e. the first letter of “winning”) placed in or “cracking” K and II (i.e. “2” expressed as Roman numerals), like so: K-I(W)I.
- Men keeping fine automobile back to get vehicle accessories (4,5)
Answer: ROOF RACKS (i.e. “vehicle accessories”). Solution is ROOKS (i.e. chess pieces, sometimes referred to as “men”) wrapped around or “keeping” F (a recognised abbreviation of “fine” used in pencil grades) and CAR (i.e. “automobile”) once this latter has been reversed (indicated by “back”), like so: ROO(F-RAC)KS.
- Body of water – repeatedly it swirls around, repeatedly (8)
Answer: Lake TITICACA (i.e. “body of water”). Solution is IT and IT (i.e. “repeatedly it”) reversed (indicated by “swirls”) and followed by CA and CA (i.e. “around, repeatedly” – CA being a recognised abbreviation of “circa”), like so: (TI-TI)-CA-CA.
- Young woman in European country, subordinate worker on schooners etc (11)
Answer: GLASSBLOWER (i.e. “worker on schooners etc” – a schooner can be a large beer glass or a large sherry glass). Solution is LASS (i.e. “young woman”) placed “in” GB (i.e. “European country”, specifically Great Britain) and followed by LOWER (i.e. “subordinate”), like so: G(LASS)B-LOWER.
- Converted girl has to accept a new life eternal here? Not quite (7-2)
Answer: SHANGRI-LA, “any remote or imaginary paradise” (Chambers). In James Hilton’s novel Lost Horizon, which coined the place, inhabitants enjoyed increased longevity, but “not quite” “life eternal”. Solution is an anagram (indicated by “converted”) of GIRL HAS wrapped around or “accepting” A and N (a recognised abbreviation of “new”), like so: SH(A-N)GRILA.
- Old man leading revolution, briefly, catching a city dweller (8)
Answer: PARISIAN (i.e. “city dweller”). Solution is PA (i.e. “old man” or father) followed by RISING (i.e. “revolution”) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “briefly”) and the remainder wrapped around or “catching” A, like so: PA-RISI(A)N.
- Reiki initially involved in life energy (4)
Answer: BRIO (i.e. “energy”). Solution is R (i.e. “reiki initially”, i.e. the first letter of “reiki” – a form of Japanese massage, if you were wondering) placed “in” BIO (i.e. a prefix denoting “life”), like so: B(R)IO.
- Honest admen corrupted at the very least (3,4,4)
Answer: AND THEN SOME (i.e. “at the very least”). “Corrupted” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of HONEST ADMEN.
- Indicating rationale for joint deficiencies? (8,3)
Answer: POINTING OUT (i.e. “indicating”). When written as POINT IN GOUT the solution satisfies the rather bizarre “rationale for joint deficiencies”.
- Earlier, rebuke elf, one with a compulsion to stay home? (11)
Answer: AGORAPHOBIA (i.e. “compulsion to stay home”). Solution is AGO (i.e. “earlier”) followed by RAP (i.e. “rebuke”), then HOB (i.e. “elf” – a variant meaning of HOB is “a supernatural creature or fairy, such as Robin Goodfellow (folklore)” (Chambers)), then I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”) and A.
- One foresees careering into cavalry (11)
Answer: CLAIRVOYANT (i.e. “one foresees”). “Careering” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of INTO CAVALRY.
- Watches emergency exits, always on the edge (4)
Answer: EYES (i.e. “watches”). “Always on the edge” indicates the solution is formed from the first and last letters of EMERGENCY EXITS.
- Large animal knocked over tree, stifling agonised groan (8)
Answer: KANGAROO (i.e. “large animal”). Solution is OAK (i.e. “tree”) reversed (indicated by “knocked over”) and wrapped around or “stifling” an anagram (indicated by “agonised”) of GROAN, like so: KA(NGARO)O.
- Show host adopting nothing regal, in a ridiculing style (9)
Answer: MOCKINGLY (i.e. “in a ridiculing style”). Solution is MC (i.e. “show host”, or Master of Ceremonies) wrapped around or “adopting” O (i.e. “nothing”) and followed by KINGLY (i.e. “regal”), like so: M(O)C-KINGLY.
- Creative function wrong from the outset? (8,3)
Answer: ORIGINAL SIN (i.e. “wrong from the outset”, or “innate depravity and corruption believed to be transmitted to Adam’s descendants because of his sin” (Chambers). The concept apparently came about in the 3rd century and is ascribed to Saint Augustine. So a man-made construct, then. What’s that? “Like all religion”? You might say that. I couldn’t possibly comment). Solution is ORIGINAL (i.e. “creative”) followed by SIN (i.e. “function”, being a shortened form of the trigonometrical function, sine).
- Unhappy about US shop-owner turning over tree (8)
Answer: SYCAMORE (i.e. “tree”). Solution is SORE (i.e. “unhappy”) wrapped “about” Rowland Hussey MACY (i.e. “US shop-owner”) once reversed (indicated by “turning over”), like so: S(YCAM)ORE.
- Ballet favourite heading for Rome and America, going round Hong Kong (9)
Answer: PETRUSHKA (i.e. “ballet” by Igor Stravinsky). Solution is PET (i.e. “favourite”) followed by R (i.e. “heading for Rome”, i.e. the first letter of “home”), then USA (i.e. “America”) once wrapped “round” HK (short for “Hong Kong”), like so: PET-R-US(HK)A. By some sizeable coincidence I was scribbling away in The Times Cryptic Crossword Book 22, which I bought last night while waiting for a friend, where the same solution cropped up in grid #3. The clue on that occasion was: “Princess’s annoyance – about time to hasten King’s ballet”.
- Declined to dismiss match official no longer in top condition? (4)
Answer: USED (i.e. “no longer in top condition”). Solution is REFUSED (i.e. “declined”) with the REF removed (indicated by “to dismiss match official” or referee).
- Start of summer – immediately autumn and sign of winter? (8)
Answer: SNOWFALL (i.e. “sign of winter”). Solution is S (i.e. “start [letter] of summer”) followed by NOW (i.e. “immediately”) and FALL (i.e. “autumn”).
- Copper kitchen utensil (6)
Answer: PEELER. Solution satisfies an old slang name for “copper” or policeman, and “kitchen utensil”.
- Explorer going to platform with unknown flower (11,5)
Answer: LIVINGSTONE DAISY (i.e. rather colourful “flowers”). Solution is David LIVINGSTONE (i.e. “explorer”) followed by DAIS (i.e. “platform”) and Y (i.e. “unknown” – setters love referring to X, Y or Z in their solutions as unknowns).
- One’s opening call is coming up (6)
Answer: RISING (i.e. “coming up”). Solution is I’S (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one” made possessive) placed in or “opening” RING (i.e. to “call”), like so: R(I’S)ING.
- Biased individuals helped to lose source of aggression (3-5)
Answer: ONE-SIDED (i.e. “biased”). Solution is ONES (i.e. “individuals”) followed by AIDED (i.e. “helped”) once the first letter has been removed (indicated by “to lose source”), like so: ONES-IDED.
- Space probe, very old, having a long time in planetary tour finally (7)
Answer: VOYAGER (i.e. “space probe”, launched by NASA in 1977). Solution is V (a recognised abbreviation of “very”), followed by O (ditto “old”), then AGE (i.e. “long time”) once placed “in” between Y and R (i.e. “planetary tour finally”, i.e. the last letters of “planetary” and “tour”), like so: V-O-(Y-(AGE)-R).
Down clues
- Bird in this way mobbing rook, gaining height (6)
Answer: THRUSH (i.e. “bird”). Solution is THUS (i.e. “in this way”) wrapped around or “mobbing” R (a recognised abbreviation of “rook” used in chess) and followed by H (a recognised abbreviation of “height”), like so: TH(R)US-H.
- Meal in France no longer excluding last cake (6)
Answer: GATEAU (i.e. “cake”). Solution is TEA (i.e. “meal”) placed “in” GAUL (i.e. “France no longer”, i.e. a former name for France) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “excluding last”), like so: GA(TEA)U.
- Divine goal to eliminate a burst – of this? (4-5)
Answer: EVIL-DOING. The solution satisfies the clue as a whole, but is also an anagram (indicated by “burst”) of DIVINE GOAL once the A has been removed or “eliminated”.
- Oversight, Shostakovich’s first in previous works (11)
Answer: SUPERVISION (i.e. “oversight”). Solution is S (i.e. “Shostakovich’s first” letter) followed by an anagram (indicated by “works”) of IN PREVIOUS, like so: S-UPERVISION.
- Keen to dodge losing love (4)
Answer: AVID (i.e. “keen”). Solution is AVOID (i.e. “dodge”) once the O has been removed (indicated by “losing love” – “love” being a zero score in tennis).
- Song title that could generate recipe mania? (8,3)
Answer: AMERICAN PIE (i.e. “song title”). “That could generate” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of RECIPE MANIA.
- After oats? It’s encouraging for horse (7-4)
Answer: HUNTING-CROP (i.e. “it’s encouraging for horse” – I bet the horse begs to differ). Solution is HUNTING (i.e. seeking or “after”) followed by CROP (i.e. “oats”).
- Cricket body with lots of pages about English courses for summer? (3,6)
Answer: ICE CREAMS (i.e. “courses for summer”). Solution is ICC (i.e. “cricket body”, specifically the International Cricket Council) and REAMS (i.e. “lots of pages”) all wrapped “about” E (a recognised abbreviation of “English”), like so: IC(E)C-REAMS.
- Quietly heading away, stifling anger completely (8)
Answer: ENTIRELY (i.e. “completely”). Solution is GENTLY (i.e. “quietly”) once the first letter has been removed (indicated by “heading away”) and the remainder wrapped around or “stifling” IRE (i.e. “anger”), like so: ENT(IRE)LY.
- Novel repairs etc on historic house placed under a notice (1,9,6)
Answer: A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (i.e. “novel” by Anthony Burgess). Solution is WORK (i.e. “repairs etc”) and ORANGE (i.e. Dutch “historic house”, royally speaking) both placed after or “under” – this being a down clue – A and CLOCK (i.e. to “notice”), like so: (A-CLOCK)-WORK-ORANGE.
- Doctor, not so important, ignoring student, one treating wounds (7)
Answer: DRESSER (i.e. “one treating wounds”). Solution is DR (a recognised abbreviation of “doctor”) followed by LESSER (i.e. “not so important”) once the L has been removed (indicated by “ignoring student” – L being a recognised abbreviation of learner), like so: DR-ESSER.
- Permanent way guarded by prisoner and soldier (8)
Answer: CONSTANT (i.e. “permanent”). Solution is ST (i.e. “way”, or a recognised abbreviation of a street) placed in or “guarded by” CON (i.e. “prisoner”) and ANT (i.e. “soldier”), like so: CON-(ST)-ANT.
- Chap leading a search in cave (8)
Answer: CATACOMB (i.e. “cave”). Solution is CAT (slang for a “chap”) followed by A, then COMB (i.e. to “search”).
- Exploit key item of dressing used in A&E (8)
Answer: ESCAPADE (i.e. “exploit”). Solution is ESC (i.e. “key” on a computer keyboard) followed by PAD (i.e. “item of dressing”) once placed “in” “A&E”, like so: ESC-A(PAD)E.
- Youngster in care to steal from record company: anxiety for costume designer (8,8)
Answer: WARDROBE MISTRESS (i.e. “costume designer”). Solution is WARD (i.e. “youngster in care”) followed by ROB (i.e. “to steal”), then EMI (i.e. “record company”, Electric & Musical Industries) and STRESS (i.e. “anxiety”).
- Is harder to get rid of than unfashionable corset (8)
Answer: OUTSTAYS (i.e. “is harder to get rid of”). Solution is OUT (i.e. “unfashionable”) followed by STAYS (i.e. “corset”).
- Cancel Unionist veto about Democrat (4)
Answer: UNDO (i.e. “cancel”). Solution is U (a recognised abbreviation of “Unionist”) and NO (i.e. “veto”) once wrapped “about” D (a recognised abbreviation of “Democrat”), like so: U-N(D)O.
- Husband getting over a Times spoof (4)
Answer: HOAX (i.e. “spoof”). Solution is H (a recognised abbreviation of “husband”) followed by O (ditto “over”, used in cricket), then A and X (i.e. “times” – ignore the misleading capitalisation, we’re after the multiplication symbol here).
- Seeing one, Schuman’s gone to pieces (8)
Answer: INASMUCH (i.e. considering or “seeing”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “gone to pieces”) of I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”) and SCHUMAN.
- That chap – cold and hot within a period of 24 hours, suffering localised pain (8)
Answer: HEADACHY (i.e. “suffering localised pain”). Solution is HE (i.e. “that chap”) followed by C and H (i.e. recognised abbreviations of “cold and hot” respectively, as sometimes seen on water taps) once placed “within” A and DAY (i.e. “period of 24 hours”), like so: HE-(A-DA(C-H)Y).
- Elevated activity using gold in extravagant creations (11)
Answer: AERONAUTICS (i.e. “elevated activity”). Solution is AU (chemical symbol of “gold”) once placed “in” an anagram (indicated by “extravagant”) of CREATIONS, like so: AERON(AU)TICS.
- Tetchy Liberal offered encouragement in a seated position (11)
Answer: CROSSLEGGED (i.e. “in a seated position”). Solution is CROSS (i.e. “tetchy”) followed by L (a recognised abbreviation of “Liberal”) and EGGED (i.e. “offered encouragement”).
- Composer very supportive of harmonica playing, putting in extra note (11)
Answer: Sergei RACHMANINOV (i.e. “composer”). Solution is V (a recognised abbreviation of “very”) placed after or beneath (indicated by “supportive of” – this being a down clue) an anagram (indicated by “playing”) of HARMONICA once wrapped around N (a recognised abbreviation of “note”), like so: RACHMA(N)INO-V.
- Development promoted for one terminus? (9)
Answer: GESTATION (i.e. “development”). Solution is EG (i.e. “for one”, or for example) reversed (indicated by “promoted” or raised – this being a down clue) and followed by STATION (i.e. “terminus”), like so: GE-STATION.
- Indian river: I twice run off around delta – twice (9)
Answer: IRRAWADDY (i.e. “Indian river”). Solution is I followed by R and R (i.e. “twice run” – R being a recognised abbreviation of “run” used in a number of ball games), then AWAY (i.e. “off”) once wrapped “around” D and D (i.e. “delta – twice” – “delta” being D in the phonetic alphabet), like so: I-RR-AWA(DD)Y.
- Expect first diagram to be curtailed (6,2)
Answer: FIGURE ON (i.e. “expect”). Solution is FIGURE ONE (i.e. “first diagram”) with the last letter removed (indicated by “to be curtailed”).
- Apparently practicable to take The Times? (2,5)
Answer: ON PAPER (i.e. “apparently”). Solution is ON (i.e. “practicable”) followed by PAPER (a newspaper, “The Times”).
- Painful sensation when carrying six flags (6)
Answer: PAVING (i.e. “flags”). Solution is PANG (i.e. “painful sensation”) wrapped around or “carrying” VI (i.e. “six” in Roman numerals), like so: PA(VI)NG.
- One trifling in soft bed (6)
Answer: PLAYER (i.e. “one trifling” – to trifle is “to play, toy, amuse oneself” (Chambers)). Solution is P (i.e. “soft”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of “piano” used in musical lingo) followed by LAYER (i.e. “bed”).
- Boss curtailed analysis (4)
Answer: STUD (i.e. “boss”). Solution is STUDY (i.e. “analysis”) once the last letter has been removed (indicated by “curtailed”).
Lucian Poll's Web Ramblings 
Ihanks, Lucian. Re 13a, it took a while to twig the lower/upper case bit of the clue which I enjoyed. Re 31a I took the solution to refer to deficiencies in the pointing of brickwork being jointing deficiencies but I think your gout explanation may be right. Overall an easyish puzzle but some good clues. Cheers
Thanks Lucian. We finished this but found some of the clueing unsatisfactory. We had no idea that CAT (19d) is slang for CHAP, and using PROMOTED to indicate REVERSED (40d) was just plain awful. But we did like AMERICAN PIE (6d). Nicely worked.
DBV (Deletions By Volume): 22%. Way too high!
Take care, and stay safe. SB
‘Cat’ was beatnik slang in the jazz era. When I was a schoolboy in the early 60s, I used to hang out in a Soho coffee bar (‘The Hungry i’, I think it was called). Men and women were universally referred to as ‘cats’ and ‘chicks’ – someone really knowledgeable about jazz was a ‘cool cat’. The use of ‘cat’ died out, but ‘chick’ carried on for a couple of decades, and of course ‘cool’ survives to this day.
Thanks as ever Lucian.
Mostly straightforward but 3 or 4 where I got the answer but still couldn’t work out the clue (eg. Retail price index). This usually makes me annoyed with the setter, but then on seeing your explanations I realise they were actually quite clever clues.
Yes, a goodish puzzle. I liked that the anagrams were concealed a little better than usual. I also needed the upper case RPI explained so thx Lucian
Quick work Lucian – you’d finished and published before we even started!
We liked this one. Not too hard and none of those terribly weird words. Some good anagrams cunningly concealed.
Just one query, the Irrawaddy river is in Myanmar not India. Did we miss something?
Good point. Apparently Burma was part of ‘British India’ until 1937. I know the Times Jumbo can occasionally include slightly old-fashioned terms but that’s a bit extreme!