A medium strength Jumbo this week, and a decent enough timewaster. A couple of repeats niggled (“so what’s new”, you say; I know, I know) and a few clues were rather garbled (43d, for example, is comically nonsensical; clearly the setter thought it would be cool to get DONIZETTI into the grid, but without thinking how on earth they were going to clue it), but, setting those aside, it was a fairly pleasant solve.
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 bum’s rush 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): 9.7%
Across clues
- River jumper, game (4,7)
Answer: TEST CRICKET (i.e. “game”). Solution is TEST (a “river” in Hampshire) followed by CRICKET (i.e. “jumper”, insect).
- Predictor: function beyond clear? (7,4)
Answer: CRYSTAL BALL (i.e. “predictor”). Solution is BALL (i.e. party or “function”) placed after or “beyond” CRYSTAL (i.e. “clear”).
- Insect’s leg in pain with dart (9)
Answer: DRAGONFLY (i.e. “insect”). Solution is ON (i.e. “leg” side in cricket) placed “in” between DRAG (i.e. “pain” or inconvenience) and FLY (i.e. to “dart”), like so: DRAG-(ON)-FLY.
- Fuddy-duddy scrubbing back, look in to observe filth (7)
Answer: SQUALOR (i.e. “filth”). Solution is SQUARE (i.e. “fuddy-duddy”) with the last letter removed (indicated by “scrubbing back”) and the remainder wrapped around or having “in” LO (i.e. “observe”, as in lo and behold), like so: SQUA(LO)R.
- Dead – brown bread (5)
Answer: TOAST. Solution satisfies “dead” and “brown bread”. Simple, but very neat.
- Cut on old dictator (6)
Answer: REDUCE (i.e. “cut”). Solution is RE (i.e. “on” or regarding – think email replies) followed by DUCE (i.e. “old dictator”, apparently the title assumed by Mussolini).
- The last new year characterised by secrecy (8)
Answer: STEALTHY (i.e. “characterised by secrecy”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “new”) of THE LAST followed by Y (a recognised abbreviation of “year”), like so: STEALTH-Y. Appeared in grid 1588 back in December, also on even intersecting letters, so…
- Finished, fly in swamp (7)
Answer: OVERRUN (i.e. “swamp”). Solution is OVER (i.e. “finished”) followed by RUN (i.e. to “fly”).
- Misreported note, a sort terribly offensive in the Middle East (9,6,5)
Answer: OPERATION DESERT STORM (i.e. “offensive in the Middle East”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “terribly”) of MISREPORTED NOTE A SORT.
- Forget swimming round lake, little swimmer (7)
Answer: FROGLET (i.e. “little swimmer”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “swimming”) of FORGET wrapped “round” L (a recognised abbreviation of “lake”), like so: FROG(L)ET.
- European thoroughfare on island reaches a Baltic country (7)
Answer: ESTONIA (i.e. “Baltic country”). Solution is E (a recognised abbreviation of “European”) followed by ST (i.e. “thoroughfare”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of a street), then ON, then I (a recognised abbreviation of “island”) and A. Appeared in grid 1577 last September, also on odd intersecting letters, but just outside my threshold for repeats.
- Top leaders from Tunisia and Egypt in breach of promise (7)
Answer: SWEATER (i.e. “top”). Solution is T and E (i.e. “leaders from Tunisia and Egypt”, i.e. the first letters of “Tunisia” and “Egypt”) both placed in or “breaching” SWEAR (i.e. “promise”), like so: SWEA(T-E)R.
- Wind not imagined: you can hear that! (4)
Answer: REEL (i.e. to “wind”). Solution is a homophone (indicated by “you can hear that”) of REAL (i.e. “not imagined”).
- A little valley to the west brushed with snow? (8)
Answer: WHITENED (i.e. “brushed with snow”). Solution is WHIT (i.e. “a little”) followed by DENE (i.e. a small “valley”) once the latter has been reversed (indicated by “to the west” – this being an across clue), like so: WHIT-ENED.
- Uncivil in reversal of politesse, let’s attack (9)
Answer: TASTELESS (i.e. “uncivil”). “In reversal of” indicates the solution has been reversed and hidden in the clue, like so: POLITE(SSE LET’S AT)TACK.
- Girl takes issue ultimately with bucket put on mattress (9)
Answer: PAILLASSE (i.e. a straw “mattress”). Solution is LASS (i.e. “girl”) and E (i.e. “issue ultimately”, i.e. the last letter of “issue”) both placed “with” or after PAIL (i.e. “bucket”), like so: PAIL-(LASS-E).
- Choler surrounds classic tailoring business (3,5)
Answer: RAG TRADE (i.e. “tailoring business”). Solution is RAGE (i.e. “choler”) wrapped around or “surrounding” TRAD (i.e. “classic”, short for traditional – my Chambers and Oxford only seem to support shortening TRAD in terms of music, usually in shortening traditional jazz – hardly what one would call “classic”. My Collins Concise, however, supports a more general use of TRAD), like so: RAG(TRAD)E.
- Norse god, malice at the core about right (4)
Answer: LOKI (i.e. “Norse god”). Solution is LI (i.e. “malice at the core”, i.e. the middle letters of “malice”) wrapped “about” OK (i.e. “right”, expressions of agreement), like so: L(OK)I.
- Securing device, one crazy enough to walk on flying aeroplane? (4,3)
Answer: WING NUT. Solution satisfies “securing device” and, playfully, “one crazy enough to walk on flying aeroplane”. I smiled when this one clicked.
- Feature in something soft and brown, hot sauce (7)
Answer: MUSTARD (i.e. “hot sauce”). Solution is STAR (i.e. “feature” in, say, a movie) placed “in” MUD (i.e. “something soft and brown”), like so: MU(STAR)D.
- Chuck in river lecture given online (7)
Answer: WEBINAR (i.e. “lecture given online”). Solution is BIN (i.e. “chuck” or abandon) placed “in” WEAR (i.e. “river” running through Durham), like so: WE(BIN)AR.
- This could imply the end of the setter’s undue influence? (3,4,7,3,3)
Answer: THE TAIL WAGGING THE DOG (i.e. “undue influence”). Clue plays on “setter” being a breed of DOG and “the end” being THE TAIL. That’s about it, I guess, unless I’m missing something.
- Pilfer fresh cut, hindquarters of meat (7)
Answer: PURLOIN (i.e. “pilfer”). Solution is PURE (i.e. “fresh”) with the last letter removed (indicated by “cut”) and the remainder followed by LOIN (i.e. “hindquarters of meat”), like so: PUR-LOIN.
- Massive college that is accommodating unknown character (4-4)
Answer: KING-SIZE (i.e. “massive”). Solution is KINGS (i.e. a “college” of Cambridge) and IE (i.e. “that is”, short for the Latin id est) once wrapped around or “accommodating” Z (i.e. “unknown character”, setters love referring to X, Y and Z in solutions as unknowns), like so: KINGS-I(Z)E.
- Pen, one wrapped by this writer in foil (6)
Answer: STYMIE (i.e. to “foil”). Solution is STY (i.e. “pen”) followed by I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”) placed in or “wrapped by” ME (i.e. “this writer”, from the point of view of the setter), like so: STY-M(I)E. Good grief, this only appeared last week. On that occasion the solution appeared on odd intersecting letters, though, so it avoids a meme.
- I cope, having erased an icon (5)
Answer: IMAGE (i.e. “icon”). Solution is I followed by MANAGE (i.e. “cope”) once the AN has been removed (indicated by “having erased an”), like so: I-MAGE.
- Country I soundly defeat after revolution has international peacekeepers intervening (7)
Answer: BURUNDI (i.e. “country”). Solution is I and DRUB (i.e. “soundly defeat”) all reversed (indicated by “after revolution”) and wrapped around or being “intervened” by UN (i.e. “international peacekeepers”, the United Nations), like so: BUR(UN)D-I.
- Ordinary people being idiots, those ones in the vanguard (3,6)
Answer: THE MASSES (i.e. “ordinary people”). Solution is ASSES (i.e. “idiots”) with THEM (i.e. “those ones”) placed ahead of it, or “in the vanguard”, like so: THEM-ASSES.
- Betting game where woman lost? (4,3,4)
Answer: FIND THE LADY. Solution satisfies “betting game” and “where woman lost”, inferring a search for said woman.
- Thriving – as is traveller? (5,6)
Answer: GOING PLACES. Solution satisfies “thriving” and “as is traveller”.
Down clues
- House members hearing lecturers at Harvard? (6)
Answer: TUDORS (i.e. “house members”, referring to the royal House of Tudor). The rest of the clue plays on how Americans pronounce TUTORS or “lecturers”, “Harvard” being situated in the US. Chambers offers this on the US pronunciation of ‘t’: “in words such as latter, metal and writing, the -tt-/-t- is pronounced with the same sound as that of the -dd-/-d- in ladder, medal and riding“.
- Hold water company ultimately responsible in poor admin – one not taken seriously? (5-2,8)
Answer: STAND-UP COMEDIAN (i.e. “one not taken seriously”). Solution is STAND UP (i.e. to “hold water” or bear examination. Again, Chambers doesn’t really agree, but I can’t be arsed to go back upstairs again to check through my other dictionaries. I’ll just assume the Collins Concise backs up the setter, because it always bloody does) followed by CO (a recognised abbreviation of “company”) and E (i.e. “ultimately responsible”, i.e. the last letter of “responsible”) once placed “in” an anagram (indicated by “poor”) of ADMIN, like so: STAND-UP-CO-M(E)DIAN.
- Deceptive pattern in group after group (4,6)
Answer: CROP CIRCLE (i.e. “deceptive pattern”). The remainder of the clue plays on both words of the solution satisfying “group”, e.g. in phrases such as “pick of the crop” and “circle of friends”.
- Uncertain in second, having lost lead (4)
Answer: IFFY (i.e. “uncertain”). Solution is JIFFY (i.e. “second” or short moment) with its first letter removed (indicated by “having lost lead”).
- Chief prosecutor’s back in West Midlands city, pressing action (9)
Answer: KEYSTROKE (i.e. “pressing action” on a computer keyboard). Solution is KEY (i.e. “chief”) followed by R (i.e. “prosecutor’s back” or last letter) once placed “in” STOKE (i.e. “West Midlands city”), like so: KEY-ST(R)OKE.
- Frenchwoman whose people are still needing time, American and Middle Easterner unfinished (7)
Answer: Marie TUSSAUD (i.e. “Frenchwoman whose people are still”, referring to her waxwork sculptures). Solution is T (a recognised abbreviation of “time”) followed by US (i.e. “American”) and SAUDI (i.e. “Middle Easterner”) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “unfinished”), like so: T-US-SAUD.
- Mistress unfortunately cares not about you when texting (9)
Answer: COURTESAN (i.e. “mistress”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “unfortunately”) of CARES NOT wrapped “about” U (i.e. “you when texting”), like so: CO(U)RTESAN. As mentioned earlier, ESTONIA appeared in grid 1577, just outside my threshold for repeats. COURTESAN, however, appeared in grid 1578, and also on odd intersecting letters, so have a meme…
- Couple overheard with yen to be like soldiers later? (5)
Answer: YOLKY (i.e. “to be like soldiers later”, taking soldiers to be strips of bread or toast for dipping into a boiled egg). Solution is a homophone (indicated by “overheard”) of YOKE (i.e. to “couple”) followed by Y (a recognised abbreviation of “yen”, the Japanese currency), like so: YOLK-Y.
- Animals, so otters, I suspect (9)
Answer: TORTOISES (i.e. “animals”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “suspect”) of SO OTTERS I.
- Blunted blade with which character takes batter (6,6)
Answer: LETTER OPENER (i.e. “blunted blade”). Solution is LETTER (i.e. “character”) followed by OPENER (i.e. “batter” in cricket).
- Teardrop of predator, for example (7)
Answer: ANAGRAM. Solution satisfies the clue as a whole, given the example “predator” is an anagram of “teardrop”.
- Money entering country mostly, Mexican now in the US, say (6)
Answer: LATINO (i.e. “Mexican now in the US, say”). Solution is TIN (a slang word for “money”) placed in or “entering” LAOS (i.e. “country”) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “mostly”), like so: LA(TIN)O.
- Starter of salmon and shrimps fits (8)
Answer: STITCHES (i.e. “fits”, taking a fit to be “a temporary attack or outburst of anything” and a stitch to be “a sharp pricking pain in the side brought on by running” (both Chambers)). Solution is S (i.e. “starter of salmon” or first letter of “salmon”) followed by TITCHES (i.e. “shrimps”, an informal reference to small people).
- Source of energy, English player under restraint at first (7)
Answer: REACTOR (i.e. “source of energy”). Solution is E (a recognised abbreviation of “English”) and ACTOR (i.e. “player”) both placed “under” – this being a down clue – R (i.e. “restraint at first”, i.e. the first letter of “restraint”), like so: R-(E-ACTOR). An easier get thanks to FAST REACTOR appearing only last week under a very similar clue.
- More energetic person slipping down towards end of week? (8)
Answer: FRISKIER (i.e. “more energetic”). Solution is SKIER (i.e. “person slipping down” a mountain) placed after or “towards” FRI (i.e. “end of week”, short for Friday), like so: FRI-SKIER.
- POWs fear moving a couple of feet from cat? (8)
Answer: FOREPAWS (i.e. “a couple of feet from cat”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “moving”) of POWS FEAR. FOREPAW appeared in grid 1601 back in February, also on odd intersecting letters. I’m claiming it, so…
- Sense voice (5)
Answer: TENOR. Solution satisfies “sense” and a singing “voice”.
- Picture note? (3,5,2,5)
Answer: THE SOUND OF MUSIC. Solution satisfies a 1965 motion “picture” and, playfully, a musical “note”.
- King in approach to Palace, not entirely warm (7)
Answer: THERMAL (i.e. “warm”). Solution is R (a recognised abbreviation of “king”, after the Latin Rex) placed “in” THE MALL (i.e. “approach to [Buckingham] Palace”) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “not entirely”), like so: THE-(R)-MAL. Appeared in grid 1615 in May and again in grid 1624 in July, and on both occasions on odd intersecting letters, so have a double meme…
- Follow and master principles (5)
Answer: DOGMA (i.e. “principles”). Solution is DOG (i.e. to “follow”) followed by MA (i.e. “master”, in this case a Master of Arts).
- Support team having intelligence: Hearts (4,4)
Answer: SIDE WITH (i.e. “support”). Solution is SIDE (i.e. “team”) followed by WIT (i.e. “intelligence”) and H (a recognised abbreviation of “hearts” used in some card games).
- Mental lapse, fair point (6,6)
Answer: BLONDE MOMENT (i.e. “mental lapse”). Solution is BLONDE (i.e. “fair”) followed by MOMENT (i.e. a “point” in time).
- Disagree with party in red, often? (6,4)
Answer: OBJECT BALL (i.e. “red, often” in a game of snooker). Solution is OBJECT (i.e. “disagree”) followed by BALL (i.e. “party”).
- Willing to learn, shower introduced to systematic arrangement (9)
Answer: TRAINABLE (i.e. “willing to learn”). Solution is RAIN (i.e. “shower”) placed in or “introduced to” TABLE (i.e. “systematic arrangement”), like so: T(RAIN)ABLE.
- Vegetation male found north of French city (9)
Answer: STAGNANCY (i.e. a state of “vegetation” – nicely disguised). Solution is STAG (i.e. “male”) followed by or “found north of” – this being a down clue – NANCY (i.e. a “French city”).
- Dozen changes divided by one, then two times one for scorer (9)
Answer: Gaetano DONIZETTI (i.e. composer or “scorer”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “changes”) of DOZEN wrapped around or “divided by” I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”), then followed by TT (i.e. “two times” – T being a recognised abbreviation of “time”) and I (i.e. “one” again), like so: DON(I)ZE-TT-I.
- One bird burying another, shortly, in ground (7)
Answer: TERRAIN (i.e. “ground”). Solution is TERN (i.e. “bird”) wrapped around or “burying” RAIL (i.e. “another [bird]”) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “shortly”), like so: TER(RAI)N.
- Developing winger given trial on pitch (7)
Answer: GOSLING (i.e. “developing winger”, or young goose). Solution is GO (i.e. a try or “trial”) followed by SLING (i.e. “pitch” or throw).
- Leave, briefly, very loud joint (6)
Answer: SPLIFF (i.e. “joint”). Solution is SPLIT (i.e. to “leave”) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “briefly”) and the remainder followed by FF (i.e. “very loud”, being a recognised abbreviation of fortissimo used in musical lingo), like so: SPLI-FF.
- Up against stupidity primarily, certainly very upset about that (6)
Answer: VERSUS (i.e. “up against”). Solution is S (i.e. “stupidity primarily”, i.e. the first letter of “stupidity”) placed in or having “about” it V (a recognised abbreviation of “very”) and SURE (i.e. “certainly”) once the latter has been reversed (indicated by “upset” – this being a down clue), like so: V-ER(S)US.
- First of meat placed in African instrument for Asian dish (5)
Answer: KORMA (i.e. “Asian dish”). Solution is M (i.e. “first [letter] of meat”) placed “in” KORA (i.e. “African instrument”), like so: KOR(M)A.
- End of four months good for Austrian composer (4)
Answer: Alban BERG (i.e. “Austrian composer” who appears so often in Jumbos I no longer have to look up his first name). Solution is BER (i.e. “end of four months”: September, October, November and December) followed by G (a recognised abbreviation of “good”). ALBAN BERG appeared in grid 1621 back in June, but it would be harsh of me to claim it. BERG, meanwhile, appeared in grid 1609 only a couple of months before it, and also on even intersecting letters, so…
Lucian Poll's Web Ramblings 
Thanks, Lucian. Pretty standard fare this one, I thought, right down to the inclusion of a couple of obscure composers & a four-letter Norse god. On to the next one. Cheers
Thanks Lucian. Not too bad on the whole, we thought, apart from a few too many deletions for our liking. Having said that, we threw the thing across the room when we finally got 1d (which, incidentally, was the last one we solved). American spellings and expressions are bad enough in a British crossword, but American pronunciations are quite beyond the pale. I’m not even sure that a clue of this nature would appear in the New York Times!
Is it just me, or did anyone else think the “later” in 8d felt redundant? It adds nothing to the clue or to the answer, and I notice that Lucian doesn’t mention it in his explanation.
Take care, and stay safe. SB
I took it to mean the soldiers start off as dry bits of toast but become yolky later (after being dipped in yolk).
Agreed. Later appears to be unnecessary
I’m just pleased I managed to complete it, afters two successive failures.
Some clever playful punning I thought, and even the Norse god clue was redeemed for me by playing with malice bring part of the god’s character.
Agree that Donezetti was an ugly contrivance. At least the setter gave 52d a big hint by mentioning Austria.
Donizetti (“iz” rather then “ez”) seemed fine to me. The “dozen” anagram made it unlikely to be anyone else. I suppose there are other composers with a “z” in his or her surname, but Donizetti was almost always bound to be the answer.
This week, I really liked 11d – “teardrop” vs “predator” as anagrams. Took me ages, yet so simple. That really is the definition of a good clue with a simple answer once one’s brain gets into gear.
This week’s puzzle was not that hard, but enjoyable.
Blimey Lucian, you’d finished this and published the explanations before we’d even started!
Like Sirram, we really liked Teardrop/Predator and also Toast was a cheeky little number.
I thought we’d seen Loki before? Maybe I’m thinking of a different puzzle?
My theory is that Lucian is serving a term of life-imprisonment in “The Scrubs” for something or other, and is only allowed The Times on a Saturday with an Internet connection. Thus, with nothing else to do in the slammer, he always manages to publish the completed grid while I am still only a half-way through.
Time off for good behaviour is called for.
More seriously, Lucian’s solutions usually drop into my Inbox on the Saturday or Sunday, but I avoid reading them until I have either solved it or given it up.
Keep up the good work Lucian. Tell us which prison and we will come and visit you.
A medium-strength offering; just the right amount of tricky ones for me.
So glad we found this site. We do the jumbo crossword every week but sometimes can’t parse the answers, so thanks.
Welcome to our new “members”! We hope you will feel free to join in as often as you wish.
The top right hand corner was a delight! 10d and 11d were outstanding but 6d TUSSAUD deserves the prize.
A proper grown up puzzle, beautifully crafted and as always, thanks to Lucian for making it look a lot more straightforward.
Welcome to our new “members”! We hope you will feel free to join in as often as you wish.
The top right hand corner was a delight! 10d and 11d were outstanding but 6d TUSSAUD deserves the prize.
A proper grown up puzzle, beautifully crafted and as always, thanks to Lucian for making it look a lot more straightforward.
Thank you, I thought this was a big improvement on the previous couple of weeks.
11d was probably my favourite clue, the horrible 1d my least favourite by a very long way. I didn’t even put it in, thinking that surely it can’t be the answer. Didn’t get 38d, never heard of ‘object ball’.
We also want to say thank you, Lucian. Your explanations always resolve any difficulties our Jumbo Saturdays give rise to – really grateful to you and to all the clever commentators too
Would have been a damn sight quicker if I’d misspent my youth in snooker halls or my mature years in a gentleman’s billiard club. “Object ball”, indeed. Never heard of it! I finally solved it by seeing if there was a compound noun under “object” in the dictionary and, lo, “ball” accompanied it. Not happy!