Stinker time! And what a horror show this was. Trash solutions all over the place, overly-mechanical word salads for clues, and an overreliance on the most arcane, archaic and exotic words to get the job done. Ugh, spare us, please.
37d is an obvious indicator of the setter’s intentions with this Jumbo, but I think he or she forgot that these things are also supposed to be fun. I’m not kidding when I say I was utterly bored by the halfway point. The only reason you are reading this post is through a combination of sheer bloodymindedness, a desire to not let people down, and the mostly unbroken run of Jumbo solutions I’ve previously posted. Otherwise that’d be it. I’d be out of here. If you got more than a tingle from this week’s Jumbo then bully for you, but for me this felt like a complete waste of my weekend.
So, on that note, I’m taking a break. I’ll be away from my keyboard next weekend getting sloshed with family and friends. We’ll see what happens when I return.
Anyway, setting all that unpleasantness aside, you can find my completed grid below along with explanations of my solutions where I have them. I hope you find them helpful, or at least once you look past my bellyaching. If a recent Jumbo has given you gyp then you might find my Just For Fun page of use, where you’ll find links to solutions for hundreds of the things.
Thanks for the kind words and input. It’s always interesting to hear the thoughts of other solvers once they have set down their pens. As ever, stay safe out there, kids.
LP
RBV (Repeats-By-Volume): 9.7%
Across clues
- Brief wrongly, maligned at first performs well now (9)
Answer: MISINFORM (i.e. “brief wrongly”). Solution is M (i.e. “maligned at first”, i.e. the first letter of “maligned”) followed by IS IN FORM (i.e. “performs well now”).
- Anon book, evidently not anon, going around (2-3-2)
Answer: BY-AND-BY (i.e. “anon” or in due course. My Chambers suggests this ought to have been unhyphenated, but no biggie). I guess the rest of the clue plays on two meanings of BY, being “book, evidently not anon” – if work is ascribed to someone then it can’t be said to have been done anonymously – and “going around”. I’m not feeling it, though. I’ll update the post if someone enlightens me, otherwise I’m not wasting any more energy here.
- Strongly recommended return of American serving in bar (3,2)
Answer: BIG UP (i.e. “strongly recommend”). Solution is GI (i.e. “American [soldier] serving”) placed “in” PUB (i.e. “bar”) and the whole reversed (indicated by “return of”), like so: B(IG)UP.
- Little people do will initially save king, sadly (7)
Answer: DWARVES (i.e. “little people”). Solution is DW (i.e. “do will initially”, i.e. the first letters of “do” and “will”) followed by an anagram (indicated by “sadly”) of SAVE and R (i.e. “king”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of the Latin Rex), like so: D-W-ARVES. Poor quality clue. I mean read it back as an entire sentence. It’s garbage! What on earth is the setter trying to convey here? That a dwarven shindig is going to somehow spare or redeem a king in some way? What does any of that even mean?! And this isn’t the only word salad this week, by the way. Far from it. Read the clue for 1a and tell me it makes a lick of sense. It’s as if ChatGPT has had a hand in writing some of the clues. Now, I can hear some of you flexing your fingers ready to tell me how I’m being much too harsh on the setter, that I’m being too negative, cheer up it may never happen etc, so I’ll try to rein it in for the rest of this post. But, seriously, this has to have been the poorest quality stinker for some years.
- What might be cultivated verse in Latin I release (5,2)
Answer: LEAVE GO (i.e. “release”, or an informal way of saying “let go”. That nobody says). Solution is LEA (i.e. “what might be cultivated”, or meadow) followed by V (a recognised abbreviation of “verse”) and EGO (i.e. “in Latin I”, or the Latin for I).
- Ways of greeting information broadcast (7)
Answer: AVENUES (i.e. “ways”). Solution is AVE (i.e. “greeting”) followed by a homophone (indicated by “broadcast” or spoken) of NEWS (i.e. “information”), like so: AVE-NUES.
- Bury agreement about putting up with different beliefs (19)
Answer: INTERDENOMINATIONAL (i.e. “with different beliefs”). Solution is INTER (i.e. “bury”) followed by DEAL (i.e. “agreement”) wrapped “about” NOMINATION (i.e. “putting up”), like so: INTER-DE(NOMINATION)AL. Appeared in grid 1578 back in October, also on odd intersecting letters, in exactly the same position of the exact same grid layout. Still, at least the clue was different. Have a meme…
- Character of old tree remains (3)
Answer: ASH. A triple-header, this, satisfying “character of old”, being a variant spelling of æsc, which is the rune ᚫ or the letter æ in Old English; also “tree”, and “remains”.
- Community links plan backing second church with a priest, primarily (6)
Answer: ECOMAP (i.e. “community links plan” – over to Chambers: “a diagrammatic representation of a person’s or family’s interactions with other individuals and groups in the community”). Solution is MO (i.e. a “second” or short space of time) and CE (i.e. “church”, specifically the Church of England) all reversed (indicated by “backing”) and followed by A and P (i.e. “priest, primarily”, i.e. the first letter of priest), like so: (EC-OM)-A-P. Another overly complicated word salad, this time leading to a solution only social workers seem to know. Yay! Actually, no, not yay. Brute forcing my Chambers for the solution was about as much fun as flossing with barbed wire. What a waste of my time. Oh, wait. Didn’t I say I was going to rein in the criticism? Oops. My bad.
- Passed girl buried in large wordbook (6)
Answer: OKAYED (i.e. “passed”). Solution is KAY (i.e. “girl’s” name) placed “in” OED (i.e. “large wordbook”, specifically the Oxford English Dictionary), like so: O(KAY)ED.
- When speaking limit what’s boring in pedestrian procedure (4,5)
Answer: KERB DRILL (i.e. “pedestrian procedure”, or “stop, look and listen”, that kind of thing). Solution is a homophone (indicated by “when speaking”) of CURB (i.e. to “limit”) followed by DRILL (i.e. “what’s boring”).
- Healthy way to go! (4,3,3)
Answer: GOOD FOR YOU. Solution satisfies “healthy” and “way to go”, a phrase of encouragement over in the US.
- Adapting easily to UK, I work, play (2,3,4,2)
Answer: AS YOU LIKE IT (i.e. “work, play”, specifically one by William Shakespeare). “Adapting” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of EASILY TO UK I.
- Result – of successful pay negotiations? (5)
Answer: ARISE (i.e. to “result”). When written as A RISE the solution also satisfies “result of successful pay negotiations”.
- Exaggerate in describing remaining attraction (8)
Answer: OVERDRAW (i.e. to “exaggerate” in drawing or storytelling). Solution is OVER (i.e. “describing”) followed by DRAW (i.e. “attraction”).
- What goes on to madden dumfounded hosts (8)
Answer: ADDENDUM (i.e. “what goes on”). “Hosts” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, like so: M(ADDEN DUM)FOUNDED. Appeared back in December in grid 1591, also on even intersecting letters, so…
- Do some beer, maybe almost all for relations? (8)
Answer: CONJUGAL (i.e. marital “relations”). Solution is CON (i.e. to “do” someone) followed by JUG (i.e. “some beer, maybe” – other jug-filling substances are available) and ALL once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “almost”), like so: CON-JUG-AL.
- Primate shot holding Polish off (5,3)
Answer: GREAT APE (i.e. “primate”). Solution is GRAPE (i.e. “shot” – grapeshot are clusters of iron blasted from a gun) wrapped around or “holding” EAT (i.e. “polish off”, ignoring the misleading capitalisation), like so: GR(EAT)APE.
- Straddling sharp double bend, lay a stop sign in Riyadh (5)
Answer: HAMZA (i.e. “stop sign in Riyadh”, or a glottal stop sign in Arabic – Riyadh being the capital of Saudi Arabia). Solution is HAM (i.e. inexpert or “lay”) and A wrapped around or “straddling” Z (i.e. a “sharp double bend” character), like so: HAM-(Z)-A. It’s in the dictionary, so fair enough, but this is a solution so made-to-fit it risks pinging back out of the grid again. Safety goggles on, everybody.
- Statement from working cashier having bother finding drink (11)
Answer: AMONTILLADO (i.e. “drink”). Solution is a homophone (indicated by “statement”) of I’M ON TILL (i.e. statement “…from cashier”) followed by ADO (i.e. “bother”), like so: AMONTILL-ADO. Turn back two pages in this week’s Saturday Review pullout and you’ll find this solution also appeared in the cryptic Jumbo two weeks ago. This is sadly rather commonplace, and much the inspiration behind the Déjà vu memes. You may have seen a comment from burleypab a couple of months ago regarding the tools of the trade employed by Times setters. If not, to summarise, they essentially use a crossword solver to help them fill their grids, presumably one sanctioned or developed by The Times. While this is somewhat less romantic than a leaky, hand-cranked machine that spins a few cogs and spits out a grid, I would argue that this solver-based approach, used across enough setters, allows their biases to lead them to the same solutions. Presented with a list of potential solutions for their grid, setters will naturally err towards those with intersecting letters that frequently occur in other words. The more “friendly” intersecting letters in the word, the better. However, setters will also be inextricably drawn to any such solutions that can give their grid a bit of pzazz. (This week’s setter, as you’ve seen, rather overdid it.) 90% of the time the solver-based approach is fine, and even when repeats do occur they will often go unnoticed by solvers, but it’s this practice that can see lesser-used words like RAITA or Max ERNST appear again and again, and they stick out like a sore thumb. Could the same accusation be levied toward AMONTILLADO? I’ll leave that up to you to decide, but it almost makes me wish there was an actual GridFill 4000. Meanwhile, have another meme…
- Likes room to manoeuvre, taking left turn in boat (6,4)
Answer: ESKIMO ROLL (i.e. “turn in boat”). “To manoeuvre” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of LIKES ROOM wrapped around or “taking” L (a recognised abbreviation of “left”), like so: ESKIMORO(L)L.
- Mix, briefly, by fireside (9)
Answer: COMMINGLE (i.e. “mix”). Solution is COMMA (i.e. “,”) with the last letter removed (indicated by “briefly”) and the remainder followed by INGLE (i.e. Scots word for a “fireside”), like so: COMM-INGLE. Despite all my criticisms about this week’s Jumbo, I must say that this was a good clue.
- Parrot quietly nesting in tree a kilometre back (6)
Answer: KAKAPO (i.e. “parrot”, and a big bugger too). Solution is P (i.e. “quietly”, i.e. a recognised abbreviation of “piano” used in musical lingo) placed or “nestling in” OAK (i.e. “tree”), A and K (a recognised abbreviation of “kilometre”) all reversed (indicated by “back”), like so: K-A-KA(P)O.
- Watch outside broadcast from the right pavilion (6)
Answer: GAZEBO (i.e. “pavilion”). Solution is GAZE (i.e. “watch”) followed by OB (a recognised abbreviation of “outside broadcast”) once the latter has been reversed (indicated by “from the right” – this being an across clue), like so: GAZE-BO.
- Leaves, since informal function curtailed (3)
Answer: COS. Another three-letter triple-header, this time satisfying “leaves” (being a variety of lettuce), “since informal” (being an informal variant of “because”), and “function curtailed” (being a shortened form of the trigonometrical function cosine).
- Russian once in charge of think tank with no on-screen broadcast (10,9)
Answer: KONSTANTIN CHERNENKO (i.e. “Russian once in charge”, albeit briefly. He was the third Russian leader to die in as many years and was succeeded by Mikhail Gorbachev). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “broadcast”) of THINK TANK and NO ON-SCREEN.
- Recreation facility specially devised by US pal (7)
Answer: PLAYBUS (i.e. a mobile “recreation facility”). “Specially devised” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of BY US PAL.
- Get to river crossing close to east Siberian city (7)
Answer: IRKUTSK (i.e. “Siberian city”). Solution is IRK (i.e. “get to”) followed by USK (a “river” in Wales) once wrapped around or “crossing” T (i.e. “close to east”, i.e. the last letter of “east”), like so: IRK-U(T)SK.
- Short excursion on yours truly’s old boat (7)
Answer: TRIREME (i.e. “old boat”). Solution is TRIP (i.e. “excursion”) with the last letter removed (indicated by “short”) and the remainder followed by RE (i.e. “on” or regarding – think email replies) and ME (i.e. “yours truly”), like so: TRI-RE-ME.
- You can take it from me, I do sympathise! (5)
Answer: THERE. Solution satisfies “you can take it from me”, imagine someone saying “there” when handing you something, and “I do sympathise”, as in someone saying “there, there” to comfort someone.
- Chemical analyst in role of speaker (7)
Answer: ASSAYER (i.e. “chemical analyst”, one determining the metal content of ore). When written as AS SAYER the solution also satisfies “in role of speaker”.
- Singular credit given to detectives for measure (9)
Answer: YARDSTICK (i.e. “measure”). Solution is S (a recognised abbreviation of “singular”) and TICK (i.e. “credit” or delayed payment, as in the phrase “on tick”) both placed after or “given to” YARD (i.e. “detectives”, slang for Scotland Yard), like so: YARD-(S-TICK).
Down clues
- Delivery agents turned up with obscure US composer (8)
Answer: MIDWIVES (i.e. “delivery agents”). Solution is W (a recognised abbreviation of “with”) and DIM (i.e. “obscure”) all reversed (indicated by “up” – this being a down clue) and followed by Charles IVES (i.e. “US composer”), like so: (MID-W)-IVES.
- Bare study in need of table, unfit? (5)
Answer: SCANT (i.e. “bare”). Solution is SCAN (i.e. “study”) followed by TABLE once the ABLE has been removed (indicated by “unfit” – “fit” being taken to mean ABLE), like so: SCAN-T. Like AMONTILLADO, SCANTY also appeared in the Jumbo a fortnight ago, and on odd intersecting letters. I’m claiming it, so…
- Defiant words from snowbound queen, eg, and princess (5,3,3)
Answer: NEVER SAY DIE (i.e. “defiant words”). Solution is NÉVÉ (i.e. “snow”, specifically “the granular snow, not yet compacted into ice, lying on the upper end of a glacier” (Chambers). No, me neither) wrapped around or “binding” ER (i.e. “queen”, Elizabeth Regina), SAY (i.e. “e.g.” or for example) and DI (i.e. “princess”, Diana Spencer), like so: NÉV(ER-SAY-DI)É.
- Gambling person’s pecuniary limits (2,4)
Answer: ON SPEC (i.e. “gambling” – spec being a shortened form of speculation). “Limits” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, like so: PERS(ON’S PEC)UNIARY.
- Not seemly, kin running amok in town (6,6)
Answer: MILTON KEYNES (i.e. “town”). “Running amok” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of of NOT SEEMLY KIN.
- Delight with visit, providing money, finally (7)
Answer: BEATIFY (i.e. “delight”). Solution is BE AT (i.e. “visit”) followed by IF (i.e. “providing” that) and Y (i.e. “money, finally”, i.e. the last letter of “money”).
- London venue’s porter getting cross – and blame falling on a doctor (9,6)
Answer: ALEXANDRA PALACE (i.e. “London venue”). Solution is ALE (i.e. “porter”, a dark ale) followed by X (i.e. “cross”), then AND, then RAP (i.e. “blame”), then A and LACE (i.e. to “doctor”, say, a drink).
- US gadgets have no function? Game’s using one for nothing (10)
Answer: DOOHICKEYS (i.e. “US gadgets”). Solution is DO O (i.e. “have no function”, i.e. do nothing, with O representing nothing) followed by HOCKEY’S (i.e. “game’s”) once the O (i.e. “nothing”) has been swapped “for” I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”), like so: DO-O-(H(O)CKEY’S) => DO-O-(H(I)CKEY’S).
- Poor Greer, no good any longer (7)
Answer: YEARNER (i.e. “longer” or one who longs for something). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “poor”) of GREER once the G has been removed (indicated by “no good”, G being a recognised abbreviation of “good”) and ANY.
- Initiative to support pound is a dicey affair! (6,5)
Answer: BEETLE DRIVE (i.e. “a dicey affair”, being “a game in which a drawing of a beetle is made up gradually from its component parts, body, head, etc, according to the throw of dice, the object being to produce a completed drawing” (Chambers). Again, me neither). Solution is DRIVE (i.e. “initiative”) placed after or “supporting” – this being a down clue – BEETLE (i.e. to “pound” – a variant meaning of BEETLE is a heavy mallet. My Oxford supports its use as a verb).
- Amino acid in excess: a rich source (9)
Answer: GLUTAMINE (i.e. an “amino acid”). Solution is GLUT (i.e. “excess”) followed by A and MINE (i.e. “rich source”).
- A school chum comes round for Easter (7)
Answer: PASCHAL (i.e. “Easter”, an archaic reference apparently). Solution is A and SCH (a recognised abbreviation of “school”) placed in or having “round” it PAL (i.e. “chum”), like so: P(A-SCH)AL.
- With kiss between hugs, grandmother embraces one college member (7)
Answer: OXONIAN (i.e. “college member”). Solution is X (i.e. “kiss”) placed “between” O and O (i.e. both “hugs” – apparently this is a US thing, where hugs and kisses are sometimes expressed at the end of messages as XO or XOXO. I’ve seen the usage on social media but, when it comes to Jumbos, I would prefer to have it backed up by a reference book. Sadly this defeated my Chambers, my Oxford, my Collins Concise, my Bradford’s, my Cassell’s dictionary of slang and my Brewer’s. Maybe it has been included in later editions) and followed by NAN (i.e. “grandmother”) once wrapped around or “embracing” I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”), like so: O(X)O-N(I)AN.
- Simple track taking very little time, note, or trouble (8)
Answer: MONORAIL (i.e. “simple track”). Solution is MO (i.e. “very little time”, short for a moment) followed by N (a recognised abbreviation of “note”), then OR, than AIL (i.e. “trouble”).
- Cavorting drunkenly round a deck, getting imprisoned (5,4,3,3)
Answer: UNDER LOCK AND KEY (i.e. “imprisoned”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “cavorting”) of DRUNKENLY, O (i.e. “round”) and A DECK.
- Made turn, surprisingly, that’s not fancied (8)
Answer: UNDREAMT (i.e. “not fancied”). “Surprisingly” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of MADE TURN.
- Host poking spot on pet (6)
Answer: TOMCAT (i.e. “pet”). Solution is MC (i.e. “host” or Master of Ceremonies) placed in or “poking” TO A T (i.e. “spot on”), like so: TO-(MC)-A-T. Appeared back in September in grid 1574, also on odd intersecting letters, so…
- Band turning up almost sure to meet agents (6)
Answer: FASCIA (i.e. “band” or any bandlike structure). Solution is SAFE (i.e. “sure”) with its last letter removed (indicated by “almost”) and the remainder reversed (indicated by “turning up” – this being a down clue). This is then followed by CIA (i.e. “agents” of the Central Intelligence Agency), like so: FAS-CIA.
- Producer of half measure of material once brought up (2,5)
Answer: Cecil B DEMILLE (i.e. movie “producer” – not wanting to make this stinker any harder, but ought this not have been a seven letter solution? There is no space in the name, written DeMille). Solution is DEMI (i.e. “half”) followed by ELL (i.e. “measure of material once”, now obsolete) once reversed (indicated by “brought up” – this being a down clue), like so: DEMI-LLE.
- One pressed to retreat supports step by major (9,3)
Answer: BACKSPACE KEY (i.e. on a typist’s keyboard, “one pressed to retreat”). Solution is BACKS (i.e. “supports”) followed by PACE (i.e. “step”) and KEY (i.e. “major” or important).
- Outrageous perhaps fat cabbage containing trace of blight (11)
Answer: UNTHINKABLE (i.e. “outrageous”). Solution is UNTHIN (i.e. “perhaps fat”) followed by KALE (i.e. “cabbage”) once wrapped around or “containing” B (i.e. “trace of blight”, i.e. the first letter of “blight”), like so: UNTHIN-KA(B)LE. Another silly clue.
- Demanding a lounger’s callous! (4,2,5)
Answer: HARD AS NAILS (i.e. “callous”). Solution is HARD (i.e. “demanding”) followed by A and SNAIL’S (i.e. “lounger’s”). Yes, setter. We get it. Have a biscuit.
- Records judges for hangings (10)
Answer: TAPESTRIES (i.e. “hangings”). Solution is TAPES (i.e. “records”) followed by TRIES (i.e. “judges”).
- Crossing motorway, I’m wise, following line (2,7)
Answer: ON MESSAGE (i.e. “following [the party] line”). Solution is ONE’S (i.e. “I’m”, or a contraction of ONE IS) wrapped around or “crossing” M (a recognised abbreviation of “motorway”) and followed by SAGE (i.e. “wise”), like so: ON(M)E’S-SAGE.
- Open lock for releasing sort of collar (4-4)
Answer: POLO-NECK (i.e. “sort of collar”). “For releasing” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of OPEN LOCK.
- Be punished for holding barrister up in compartment (7)
Answer: COCKPIT (i.e. “compartment”). Solution is COP IT (i.e. “be punished”) wrapped around or “holding” KC (i.e. “barrister” or King’s Counsel) once this has been reversed (indicated by “up” – this being a down clue), like so: CO(CK)P-IT. Appeared back in May in grid 1612, also on odd intersecting letters, so…
- Glaswegian goes, lifting Cockney’s hat and hood (7)
Answer: GANGSTA (i.e. “hood” – more US slang. Is that the sharpening of knives I can hear back there?) Solution is GANGS (i.e. “Glaswegian goes” – gang can be a Scots form of go) followed by HAT once the H has been removed (indicated by “Cockney” as in how they’re always droppin’ their bleedin’ aitches, gawblessem, apples and pears, and all that palaver) and the remainder reversed (indicated by “lifting”, again this being a down clue), like so: GANGS-TA.
- One chasing ball of wool maybe raising new jumper finally (7)
Answer: KNITTER. The solution satisfies the clue as a whole, albeit somewhat unsatisfactorily, and comprises KITTEN (i.e. “one chasing ball of wool maybe”) once the N (a recognised abbreviation of “new”) has been shifted up or “raised” a few notches – this again being a down clue. This is then followed by R (i.e. “jumper finally”, i.e. the last letter of JUMPER), like so: KITTE(N)-R => K(N)ITTE-R.
- Almost nothing, from Le Monde, is put in shredder (6)
Answer: ZESTER (i.e. “shredder”). Solution is ZERO (i.e. “nothing”) with its last letter removed (indicated by “almost”) and the remainder wrapped around or having “in” EST (i.e. “from Le Monde, is”, i.e. the French for “is”, Le Monde being a French newspaper), like so: Z(EST)ER.
- Marks appearing evenly on paper veil (5)
Answer: NAEVI (i.e. birth “marks”). “Appearing evenly” indicates the solution is found in every other letter of ON PAPER VEIL.
Lucian Poll's Web Ramblings 
I take my hat off to you Lucian, and thank you – well done. Your commitment is commendable in the extreme. I gave up having slogged through about two-thirds
As you wrote – these should be enjoyable. Not this time.
Hope the other regulars did better than me.
Graham
I think 6 across is “By Andy” round “b” for book. 55 across possibly uses “do” for ditto meaning repeat “there” for there, there?
Thanks Lucian. What an absolute pile of SH 1 T this was. Way too many Americanisms, deletions, obscurities and dodgy definitions.
Thank you so much for persevering with it. We concluded that 6a must be BY-AND-BY, but like you we couldn’t fully see why. We didn’t understand THERE for 55a either.
We weren’t happy with 6d. BEATIFY does not mean DELIGHT, but rather “to bless”. And is it just me, or does anyone else think the “work” in 25a feels redundant? The clue would still make sense without it.
Enjoy your break. You’ve earned it. SB
Really did not enjoy this long hard slog. Still don’t get THERE, but I ain’t going to look at this one ever again.
I also reacted viscerally against this puzzle. I hated those convoluted clues, agglomerations of witless wordplays, making (as you correctly remark) not a lick of sense.
Agree with BTFA: BEATIFY ≠ Delight.
As to BY-AND-BY, my best offer is that ‘going around’ must refer to a byway, ie the round-about route – a word with respectable KJV Biblical provenance.
I will grant the setter her/his triple-headers on the short words (ASH and COS), and also enjoyed COMMINGLE as you did.
I was also quietly amazed to find 11 Ks fitted into a grid of 360 or so letters, which is about quadruple the average of Ks to a Scrabble tiles set (1%). So, perhaps a break there from the GridFill4000.
But for the rest…. such ridiculous cluing and overall I felt your outbursts were rather constrained, Lucian! You thoroughly deserve your break, but do please come back to us later. I have to confess, it was you who five years ago got me stuck into this weekly “Mind-twisting horror, is it?” – now I can’t live without it – please don’t abandon ship permanently!
Wow, that was hard work. Finally finished with hamza, tomcat and de Mille, squeezing out a couple more answers every time I picked it up. Definitely more pain than pleasure, working back from possible solutions to get to answers. “Wish it did not hide my true feelings” (4)
I can only hope you will return. Reading your comments has made me a much better solver, so much so that my husband now complains I do them too quickly. But not this one…
Much of the pleasure is reading your solutions and comments for which I thank you. Hope it’s not ‘So long and thanks’ and that you feel able to resume once the memory has faded. Enjoy your break and get well soon.
Isn’t 8a ‘by Andy’ (ie not anon) surrounding b for book?
Lucian, I attempt the Jumbo every week, then I always read your column. That’s often more fun than doing the puzzle – I enjoy your succinct explanations and pithy comments so much. I don’t usually write in, but I expect I represent a silent multitude for whom you are a sanity-saver. Just thought I’d say thanks, in case it cheers you up.
Indeed a tricky one this week. Anyway, Lucian, off you go for a few G&Ts and you will hopefully return refreshed (or at least sozzled).
It is hard not to agree with you Lucien about this bucket of recycled organic material.
After your forthcoming sybaritic weekend, please don’t let the hangover convince you to abandon your loyal fans. We need someone to get splutteringly mad in a just cause and you do that so well.
I’ll add my name to the chorus of disapproval for this puzzle- far far too many americanisms- it’s not the New York Times. Glad I gave up when I did – my contempt for words such as doohickey is unprintable. Enjoy your break!
Thanks, Lucian. Not exactly user-friendly was it, this week? Thumbs up to Steve for ‘by Andy’, didn’t spot that. Loved commingle & it’s cheeky comma. Cheers
Brilliant Lucian. Gave us a great laugh after an unrewarding slog. Cheers!
Just one comment from another who does his best to complete it before looking at Lucian (and succeeded (just) today – Thursday! However, 39a: the statement from the cashier is “Am on till”, which does make sense.
Utter cobblers. Came near to being just the 2nd Jumbo I gave up without finishing in last 4-5 years. I habitually don’t start the Sat xwords (only day of week we buy Times) until doing all the ‘Mind Games’ on the day itself, walking/climbing on the Sun and working through Monday. On and off, this took me from Tues pm to Thurs pm to finish. And I then urged a very old friend (who usually restricts himself to knocking off the standard prize cryptic in 27 minutes but doesn’t like Jumbos) to look at this one just to say “well, since you ask me for an example of a truly appallingly contrived and obtuse crossword, I can only cite the infamous Jumbo 1630 of 19/8/23”.
Not being a social worker I didn’t get 18a ecomap and two more were guesses just to fit the letters, which I agree with Andrew B-C never feels satisfactory. I share the common view entirely – by the time I got as far as I was going to I couldn’t even remember a single good or amusing clue! I realise now there were just a few, but that’s not how I want to spend the time.
But a real rubbish bag like this is quite rare – I hope you’ll won’t be gone too long, as you give us so much pleasure. Have a good break, and many thanks as always.
Massively reassuring to find that when I finally gave up (Friday) there are so many others expressing what I feel about this puzzle.
And like everyone else, Lucian, I hope you enjoy your break and that’s it’s not too long before you are back explaining things for us.
Anyone fancy discussing 1631 while Lucian takes a well-deserved break? 😉
Have we all finished 1631 and/or 1632 (today’s)? I thought 1631 had its moments (some good, some bad). Ditto 1632, though we found that one a bit more straightforward on the whole.
Do we dare?
Taking a day off before I hit 1632. Finished 1631, but far from straightforward. Still not comfortable with the answer to 55a. Must be SEXTET, though I’m at a loss as to why. Anyone?
Group = SEXTET. Second = S; degree = EXTENT, minus N (last letter of Princeton). We didn’t like it either.
Thanks BTFAH. Makes complete sense. I had ‘EX’ as ‘not the last’, and then it all went to pot…
Thanks Lucien. Always read your column after finishing. Today is Friday and we’ve just given up. Love your controlled rage. Agree entirely.
are you going to publish explanations etc. for 1631 when you get back?? i can’t understand quite a few and always read, and rely on your explanations. Hope you’ve had/are having a good break tho
Joanna – if you post them here, the wisdom of the crowd might be able to help with your queries, at least until the return of the Master himself!
Have completed 1631,1632 and 1633 but they don’t feel complete until you have explained everything! Come back please, Lucian!
Another of the ‘silent majority’ – we check in with you every week, Lucian, but never usually comment. If we get an answer but can’t parse it, we circle the clue, which means ‘ask Lucian’. If I type ‘LU’ into my browser you are the first thing that comes up! I hope you don’t decide to give up forever Lucian, we are missing you already!
Thanks for your perseverance. No wonder I struggled and eventually gave up. I really appreciate your explanations, since they have significantly improved my solving skills.