A toughie this week, and along the spectrum between teeth-pullingly contrived and maddeningly brilliant this lies squarely in the middle. I was happy to chip away at it during the day, loving some of the inventiveness on show, but come HEPTAD, AUNTIE and the bottom left in general I’d had quite enough.
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 ground your gears 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’ve set down their pens. Till next time, stay safe out there, kids.
LP
RBV (Repeats-By-Volume): 6.7%
Across clues
- Support one position taken by fool up front (10)
Answer: ASSISTANCE (i.e. “support”). Solution is I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”) and STANCE (i.e. “position”) placed after or having “up front” ASS (i.e. “fool”), like so: ASS-(I-STANCE).
- Part of PR for harbour island lacked initially (12)
Answer: PROPORTIONAL (i.e. “part of PR”, taking the initials to be Proportional Representation). Solution is PRO (i.e. “for” or in favour of) followed by PORT (i.e. “harbour”), then IONA (i.e. an “island” of Scotland) and L (i.e. “lacked initially”, i.e. the first letter of “lacked”).
- Sun’s leader moved then taken out as amateurish (9)
Answer: UNSKILLED (i.e. “amateurish”). Solution is SUN’S with the first letter removed (indicated by “leader moved”) and the remainder followed by KILLED (i.e. “taken out”), like so: UN’S-KILLED.
- What makes setter and solver mature? Practice (5)
Answer: USAGE (i.e. “practice”). Solution is US (i.e. descriptive of “setter and solver”) followed by AGE (i.e. “mature”).
- Close-fisted, half-hearted boxing in practice (7)
Answer: SPARING (i.e. tight or “close-fisted”). Solution is SPARRING (i.e. “boxing in practice”) with one of the middle Rs removed (indicated by “half-hearted”).
- Balance between sides that’s characteristic of noughts and crosses (9,8)
Answer: BILATERAL SYMMETRY (which is “symmetry about a single plane” (Chambers), i.e. “characteristic of noughts and crosses” – in this case I think the setter is referring to a zero character ‘0’ rather than a circle, the latter of course having an infinite number of lines of symmetry). BILATERAL means having two “sides”, while SYMMETRY can mean “balance”. You get the idea.
- Bottle that’s drunk on either side of Philadelphia (5)
Answer: PHIAL (i.e. “bottle”). The remainder plays on how an anagram (indicated by “that’s drunk”) of the solution can be found at “either side” of (PHILA)DE(LPHIA). While I wasn’t keen on the Jumbo as a whole, this clue stood out for me. Clever. I like it.
- Step up pressure within dysfunctional family (7)
Answer: AMPLIFY (i.e. “step up”). Solution is P (a recognised abbreviation of “pressure”) placed “within” an anagram (indicated by “dysfunctional”) of FAMILY, like so: AM(P)LIFY.
- Surrounded by a weather feature in which Land’s End can be seen (6)
Answer: AMIDST (i.e. “surrounded by”). Solution is A and MIST (i.e. “weather feature”) wrapped around or “in which … can be seen” D (i.e. “Land’s End”, i.e. the last letter of “land”, ignoring the misleading capitalisation), like so: A-MI(D)ST.
- Middle section of theatre’s our central facility (8)
Answer: RESOURCE (i.e. “facility”). “Middle section of” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, like so: THEAT(RE’S OUR CE)NTRAL. Good grief this took ages to spot!
- I show embarrassment about new cut (7)
Answer: IGNORED (i.e. “cut”). Solution is I followed by I GO RED (i.e. “I show embarrassment”) once wrapped “about” N (a recognised abbreviation of “new”), like so: I-G(N)O-RED.
- Church member has central point deleted from innocent article (8)
Answer: ANGLICAN (i.e. “Church member”). Solution is ANGELIC (i.e. “innocent”) with the middle letter removed or “central point deleted” and the remainder followed by AN (i.e. “article”, being a word like a, an or the), like so: ANGLIC-AN.
- Support for shooting party returning after expedition (6)
Answer: TRIPOD (i.e. “support for shooting” or photography). Solution is DO (i.e. “party”) reversed (indicated by “returning”) and placed “after” TRIP (i.e. “expedition”), like so: TRIP-OD.
- Clear line in female’s news that’s hellish (11)
Answer: NETHERWORLD (i.e. “that’s hellish”). Solution is NET (i.e. “clear” of taxation, also spelled NETT) followed by L (a recognised abbreviation of “line”) once placed “in” HER WORD (i.e. “female’s news”), like so: NET-(HER-WOR(L)D).
- A thorntree’s damaged in wind (11)
Answer: NORTHEASTER (i.e. “wind”). “Damaged” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of A THORNTREE’S.
- Protest with explicit section of population (11)
Answer: DEMOGRAPHIC (i.e. “section of population”). Solution is DEMO (i.e. “protest”) followed by GRAPHIC (i.e. “explicit”).
- Unreasonable non-attendance upset best man, I see (11)
Answer: ABSENTEEISM (i.e. “unreasonable non-attendance”). “Upset” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of BEST MAN I SEE.
- A free source of news and entertainment, so-called (6)
Answer: AUNTIE. If I have this right then the solution satisfies the clue as a whole, referring to the nickname (indicated by “so-called”) of the BBC, though “a free source of news and entertainment” is one hell of a misleading description. Or am I the only idiot still paying their TV licence? Poor show…
[EDIT: Thanks to Michael EI in the comments for clearing this one up. The solution is correct, but the indicator is “source of news and entertainment, so-called”, and comprises A and UNTIE (i.e. to “free”). Cheers, Michael! – LP]
- Teller of traveller’s tale that’s blunt, nothing held back (8)
Answer: FRANKLIN (i.e. “teller of traveller’s tale”, referring to The Franklin’s Tale in Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales). Solution is FRANK (i.e. “blunt”) followed by NIL (i.e. “nothing”) reversed (indicated by “held back”), like so: FRANK-LIN.
- Lose thread, pointlessly sewing inside of frock (7)
Answer: DIGRESS (i.e. “lose thread”). Solution is SEWING with all points of the compass, in this case SEWN, removed (indicated by “pointlessly”) and the remainder placed “inside of” DRESS, like so: D(IG)RESS. Another I liked once it clicked. Appeared in grid 1614 a few months ago also on odd intersecting letters, so…
- Duck, getting caught after not scoring (8)
Answer: NOTCHING (i.e. “scoring”). Solution is NOTHING (i.e. “duck” or zero score) wrapped around or “getting” C (a recognised abbreviation of “caught”), like so: NOT(C)HING. Another well-worked clue.
- Point about exercise for small Rugby team, say (6)
Answer: HEPTAD (i.e. “small Rugby team, say”, referring to a group of seven, in this case rugby sevens). Solution is HEAD (i.e. “point”, as in the geographical feature) wrapped “about” PT (i.e. “exercise”, specifically Physical Training), like so: HE(PT)AD. This was an utter sod to nail, especially given only _E_T_D to work with.
- Mary mysteriously abandoned keyboard instrument (7)
Answer: CELESTE. Solution satisfies “Mary mysteriously abandoned”, the Mary Celeste, and “keyboard instrument” – a voix céleste is “an organ stop producing a soft tremulous sound” (Chambers), so “instrument” is referring to the stop itself.
[EDIT: I should have read the entry above CELESTE in my Chambers. Turns out CELESTE is also a variant name of CELESTA, a “keyboard instrument”. Cheers to Sue in the comments for clearing this one up. – LP]
- Cook’s odd selections from statuettes (5)
Answer: SAUTE (i.e. to “cook”). “Odd selection from” indicates the solution is derived from every other letter of STATUETTES.
- Keep record of Ireland’s importance for combatting rebels (17)
Answer: COUNTERINSURGENCY (i.e. “combatting rebels”). Solution is COUNT (i.e. “keep record of”) followed by ERIN’S (i.e. the female personification of “Ireland” to the Irish, made possessive) and URGENCY (i.e. “importance”).
- Composer who sounds like his compatriot (7)
Answer: Benjamin BRITTEN (i.e. British “composer”). The remainder of the clue plays on the surname being a homophone (indicated by “who sounds like”) of BRITON (i.e. “[Britten’s] compatriot”).
- Fish from West side of Thames, adjacent to Waterloo (5)
Answer: TROUT (i.e. “fish”). Solution is T (i.e. “west side of Thames”, i.e. the first letter of Thames – this being an across clue) followed by ROUT (i.e. “Waterloo” or final and decisive defeat). Appeared in grid 1593 back in January also on odd intersecting letters, so…
- Refused to accept what may come with a catch? (9)
Answer: DISMISSAL. Solution satisfies “refused to accept” and “what may come with a catch” in several bat-and-ball games.
- Eg turns on TV broadcast as inner ear test (12)
Answer: ENTERTAINERS (i.e. “e.g. turns on TV”, taking turns to be acts and artists – nicely disguised). “Broadcast” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of INNER EAR TEST.
- Distant, like the islands of Tonga? Just the opposite (10)
Answer: UNFRIENDLY (i.e. “distant”). Clue plays on Tonga being referred to as the “Friendly Islands” after Captain Cook landed there and was well met by the natives. “The opposite” being… well, I’m sure you can work it out for yourself. One solely for the Olav Bjortomts out there.
Down clues
- Overshadowing in a non-speaking part (11)
Answer: ADUMBRATION (i.e. “overshadowing”). Solution is A followed by DUMB (i.e. “non-speaking”) and RATION (i.e. “part”).
- Material for rope or line unaltered when turned over (5)
Answer: SISAL (i.e. “material for rope”). Solution is L (a recognised abbreviation of “line”) and AS IS (i.e. “unaltered”) all reversed (indicated by “when turned over”), like so: (SI-SA)-L.
- Less sinful, isn’t commonly detected in small untruth, right? (9)
Answer: SAINTLIER (i.e. “less sinful”). Solution is AIN’T (i.e. “isn’t commonly”) placed “in” S (a recognised abbreviation of “small”), LIE (i.e. “untruth”) and R (a recognised abbreviation of “right”), like so: S-(AIN’T)-LIE-R.
- Largely mistreated aversion (7)
Answer: ALLERGY (i.e. “aversion”). “Mistreated” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of LARGELY. Appeared in grid 1612 a few months ago also on odd intersecting letters, so…
- In French script, it underlies one character being soft-spoken (7)
Answer: CEDILLA. Solution satisfies the clue as a whole, referring to the little Z-like mark beneath the ‘c’ of Français.
- Interpret assignment as another chance for student (11)
Answer: READMISSION (i.e. “another chance for student”). Solution is READ (i.e. “interpret”) followed by MISSION (i.e. “assignment”).
- Fairly fair (6)
Answer: PRETTY. Solution satisfies “fairly” and “fair”.
- Part of flower in Burgundy cut in different fashion (8)
Answer: RESTYLE (i.e. “cut in different fashion”). Solution is STYLE (i.e. “part of flower”, specifically “the slender part of the pistil of a flower connecting the stigma and the ovary” (Chambers). Glad that’s cleared up) placed “in” RED (i.e. “Burgundy”, a red wine), like so: RE(STYLE)D.
- Not fitting in pocket (13)
Answer: INAPPROPRIATE (i.e. “not fitting”). Solution is IN followed by APPROPRIATE (i.e. to “pocket” or steal).
- Bizarre ironies more obvious to listeners (7)
Answer: NOISIER (i.e. “more obvious to listeners”). “Bizarre” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of IRONIES.
- Money and support an uncle, say, provided – about time! (5,6)
Answer: LEGAL TENDER (i.e. “money”). Solution is LEG (i.e. table “support”) followed by A LENDER (i.e. “an uncle, say”, slang for a pawnbroker) once wrapped “about” T (a recognised abbreviation of “time”), like so: LEG-(A-L(T)ENDER).
- Makeshift reason for mistrial? (4-6)
Answer: JURY-RIGGED (i.e. “makeshift”). When written as JURY RIGGED the solution also playfully satisfies “reason for mistrial”.
- Fold part of flower on plant (9)
Answer: PENSTEMON (i.e. “plant” – can’t say I’ve heard of them, but then I’m hardly Percy Thrower). Solution is PEN (i.e. enclosure or “fold”) followed by STEM (i.e. “part of flower”) and ON.
- Old-fashioned way to contradict him upset 19th century president (8)
Answer: William Henry HARRISON (i.e. “19th century president” of the United States). Solution is NO SIRRAH (i.e. “old-fashioned way to contradict him” – SIRRAH being an old form of SIR often used in anger or contempt) all reversed (indicated by “upset” – this being a down clue), like so: HARRIS-ON.
- Hanging skin friend hitched up (6)
Answer: DEWLAP (i.e. “hanging skin”). Solution is PAL (i.e. “friend”) and WED (i.e. “hitched”) all reversed (indicated by “up” – again, this being a down clue), like so: DEW-LAP.
- Heard broadcast covering kind of horse or cow (8)
Answer: AYRSHIRE (i.e. breed of “cow”). Solution is a homophone (indicated by “heard”) of AIR (i.e. “broadcast”) followed by SHIRE (i.e. “kind of horse”), like so: AYR-SHIRE.
- Brevity of speech in which you can see the spin is doctored (9)
Answer: PITHINESS (i.e. “brevity of speech”). “Doctored” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of THE SPIN IS.
- Verbally communicated what doctor may have written about individual (6)
Answer: PHONED (i.e. “verbally communicated”). Solution is PHD (i.e. “what doctor may have”) “written about” ONE (i.e. “individual”), like so: PH(ONE)D.
- Puzzle creator of this island breed (7,6)
Answer: ENGLISH SETTER. Solution playfully satisfies “puzzle creator of this island” – The Times being an English newspaper – and a “breed” of dog.
- Set up island air support open to identification (11)
Answer: DIAGNOSABLE (i.e. “open to identification”). Solution is ELBA (i.e. an “island” of Italy), SONG (i.e. “air”) and AID (i.e. “support”) all reversed (indicated by “set up” – again, this being a down clue), like so: DIA-GNOS-ABLE.
- One who gets Brahms and Liszt and pays for it, facing the music? (11)
Answer: CONCERTGOER. Solution satisfies the clue as a whole. I recall a few years ago there was another Jumbo that played on Brahms and Liszt being cockney rhyming slang for being pissed. Maybe it was from the same setter. Anyway, I hadn’t heard the phrase back then and, in the intervening years, still haven’t. It’s either a phrase that has travelled poorly beyond the M25 or a mass Mandela effect fooling cockneys into believing the rest of us all talk like thieves. Only kidding, cockneys! I love you all really. Please don’t nick my stuff.
- Everyone repeats what Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck do (10)
Answer: ALLITERATE (i.e. “what Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck”, as in how both characters’ names repeat the same initial letter). Solution is ALL (i.e. “everyone”) followed by ITERATE (i.e. “repeats”).
- Religious work the writer’s changed partly? Yes (7,4)
Answer: MYSTERY PLAY (i.e. “religious work” or a play depicting the life of Christ, where each week the audience is asked to deduce which apostle is going to betray the big man. Probably). Solution is MY (i.e. “the writer’s” from the point of view of the setter) followed by an anagram (indicated by “changed”) of PARTLY YES.
- Explosive, for example, turned over coal (9)
Answer: GELIGNITE (i.e. “explosive”). Solution is EG (i.e. “for example”) reversed (indicated by “turned over”) and followed by LIGNITE (a type of “coal”), like so: GE-LIGNITE.
- A prisoner put inside as well as a snake (8)
Answer: ANACONDA (i.e. variety of “snake”). Solution is A and CON (i.e. “prisoner”) both “put inside” AND (i.e. “as well as”) and A, like so: AN(A-CON)D-A. Appeared in grid 1611 back in April, also on even intersecting letters, so…
- Holidaymaker in French city – it wraps up the final part (7)
Answer: TOURIST (i.e. “holidaymaker”). Solution is TOURS (i.e. “French city”) with the S or “final part” “wrapped” in IT, like so: TOUR(I(S)T).
- Sand piled up on middle of ridge in Pacific port (7)
Answer: DUNEDIN (i.e. “Pacific port” of New Zealand). Solution is DUNE (i.e. “sand piled up”) followed by D (i.e. “middle [letter] of ridge”) and IN. Chalk one to my Bradford’s here, which will come as no surprise to regular readers. My disdain of ports being used as crossword solutions is endless, legendary and by now worthy of its own Wikipedia page. (Seriously, someone, get on that.) I mean, what is the point of them? They’re the equivalent of those loose polystyrene Wotsits that surround your online shopping. They’re filler, nothing more. They are never worth the effort to solve so why do setters bother writing a clue? They may as well just scribble down “45a. The answer is DUNEDIN. You’re welcome” and move along. Still, at least I’ve heard of DUNEDIN. Next week it’ll probably be QYZYK, Madeupistan’s 34th largest port.
- Lots of boatmen heard on river in leisure craft (7)
Answer: CRUISER (i.e. “leisure craft”). Solution is a homophone (indicated by “heard”) of CREWS (i.e. “lots of boatmen”) followed by R (a recognised abbreviation of “river”), like so: CRUISE-R.
- Save large weight that’s worth very little (6)
Answer: BUTTON (i.e. “that’s worth very little”). Solution is BUT (i.e. “save” or except for) followed by TON (i.e. “large weight”).
- Proceeded with caution and replaced one’s diamonds (5)
Answer: NOSED (i.e. “proceeded with caution”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “replaced”) of ONE’S followed by D (a recognised abbreviation of “diamonds” used in card games), like so: NOSE-D.
Lucian Poll's Web Ramblings 
Quite enjoyed this one, apart from HEPTAD and AUNTIE.
The bilateral symmetry comes fron the grid on which you play noughts and crosses- don’t tell me you’re too young to remember?!!
Hi Lucian. Sorry for the long radio silence – we’ve been away and didn’t have access to the crossword. We’ve missed you!
What a stinker this one turned out to be. HEPTAD? No, me neither. And AUNTIE definitely isn’t “free”. Yellow card, setter.
Other quibbles:
48a: Is it just me, or does anyone else think that the ‘S in COOK’S is redundant? It would make sense if the answer was SAUTÉS, but as written it looks just plain wrong. The clue would be far better without it.
26a: ANGELIC doesn’t necessarily mean INNOCENT (or vice versa).
20d: Strictly speaking, the stem is part of the plant, not part of the flower.
31d: The island is Great Britain, of which England is a component part. England on its own isn’t an island, any more than Scotland or Wales might be so described.
But we did like CELESTE (46a). Nicely worked.
Take care, and stay safe. SB
Welcome back, Sue! We’ve kept the place tidy for you. Michael EI thankfully cleared up AUNTIE, and I think the ‘S in 48a is a contraction of “is”, making the clue “[To] cook is odd selections from statuettes”. Thanks for clarifying 46a. I’ve now updated the post. Keep well! – LP
31d: “The island is Great Britain, of which England is a component part. England on its own isn’t an island”. Quite. Left me oddly annoyed this laziness.
37a: A free = A UNTIE – nothing to do with a free license fee (though BBC sounds/radio remain free to all around the world).
Some great clues here – especially the short ones eg 5d and 8d.
Yes, Heptad was tough – but the occasional toughie clue, even including the odd plant or seaport, is what addicts me to the Jumbo.Who wants a set of obvious clues requiring no thought or research (eg if I hadn’t connected Tonga with the Friendly Islands, I had only to Google it)?
On finishing I normally review how many clues seemed seriously unfair (eg relying on some random male first name signposted only by ‘chap’ or ‘guy’), or highly convoluted, involving twenty witless words. Usually there are a few, and fair enough – but these were mostly succinct and mostly clever. So in my book, one of the best Jumbos of recent months.
Good call on 37a, Michael. I’ve updated the post. You bring up an interesting point re: the proportion of nothingburger clues in a puzzle, such as “port”, “plant” or “man”. While I often wang on about ports, I could apply such gripes to them all. Could be something for me to track! Thanks again – LP
I agree. Best Jumbo in weeks, helped with arriving on the first day of my holiday 😀 perfect balance of humour, obscurity and gettable wordplay.
Great panic on Saturday. Cycled up to Tesco for shopping. My two large panniers were bulging and heavy. But Tesco only had the outer section of “The Times”. Supplements hadn’t been delivered.
So I cycled some distance to a Co-op store. Hauled my heavy carrier bags out of the panniers only to find “The Times” hadn’t been delivered to them at all.
So now, in despair, I put the bags back into the panniers and cycled another distance to a third shop. Took the bags out and walked in. Hooray! They had “The Times”. Then, back to the bike, and crammed the bags back into the panniers.
Being in my mid-70s, but still cycling, by the time I got home, I was well and truly:
“Fed up and loud, all mixed up (6)”
One other thing: there is an instrument called a celeste, or celesta. It’s an orchestral percussion instrument resembling a small upright piano. The sound comes from small metal bars struck by felt hammers operated by piano keys.
It is the instrunment
played in the “Sugar plum fairy”
Of all rhyming slang in wider usage, I thought “Brahms and Liszt” was the one absolutely everyone knew, never mind just we sparras. The oddity here is the the setter merely used it to confuse – were you actually unfamiliar with the phrase, the first clause of 34d wouldn’t seem cryptically misleading at all. It would seem that the setter had just plucked at random a pair of composers that a concertgoer might pay to see! Overall I thought this was a real goodie: only Harrison (23d) confused. Was my last entry because, though I knew the president, I foolishly read upwards as “no sir, rah” not “no sirrah”. And me a Shakespearian scholar, too!
Re: “Brahms and Liszt”: Yes, even the “trouble and strife” had heard of that one.
I parsed Sun’s leader moved as Sun with the s moved to the end. Same result as deleting the initial s of sun’s.
V. much enjoyed this one, home after a few days away so just finished now. Never knew about Brahms and Liszt – sheltered upringing! Clue makes more sense to me without knowing anyway,but thought it was one of the clues Michael EI might count as ‘seriously unfair’.
One digression on 31d – John of Gaunt’s death speech in Richard II Act II scene I is a famous one about England and describes it as ‘this sceptred isle’ and the English as ‘this happy breed of men’ so I wonder if setter was thinking of all that too. The whole contains a lot of generally well known phrases, I think.
I agree Philadelphia was the best – a brilliant clue.
Thanks again for all the hard work. I often wonder if there will ever be a perfect puzzle for you!
Thanks, Lucian. Tough one & the best in ages. Heptad, blimey! Cheers
Glad I threw in the towel when I did. Was never ever going to get Harrison, and there were at least another dozen where I doubt I would have got them Franklin auntie and heptad to name but 3. I don’t share others enthusiasm for this offering.