A relatively straightforward Jumbo this week, which is fine by me! There were a few too many repeats for my liking (so what’s new?) but, again, there were a number of well-crafted clues to make up for it.
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 grief 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 sent down their pens. Till next time, stay safe out there kids.
LP
RBV (Repeats-By-Volume): 11.7%
Across clues
- In favour of National Trust, getting round quickly (6)
Answer: PRONTO (i.e. “quickly”). Solution is PRO (i.e. “in favour of”) followed by NT (a recognised abbreviation of the “National Trust”) and O (i.e. “round”).
- One adding type of fertilizer including iodine and gold (10)
Answer: COMPOSITOR (i.e. “one adding type”, print-wise). Solution is COMPOST (i.e. “fertilizer”) wrapped around or “including” I (chemical symbol of “iodine”) and followed by OR (“gold” in heraldry), like so: COMPOS(I)T-OR.
- Soldier returning in vehicle in Havana? (5)
Answer: CIGAR (i.e. “Havana”, a variety thereof). Solution is GI (i.e. US “soldier”) reversed or “returned” and placed “in” CAR (i.e. “vehicle”), like so: C(IG)AR.
- Plant I weed less is all over the place (9)
Answer: EDELWEISS (i.e. “plant”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “all over the place”) of I WEED LESS. Nicely worked, but this appeared in grid 1623 only a few months ago, and also on odd intersecting letters. Have a meme.
- Weapon material is rank (5,8)
Answer: LANCE CORPORAL (i.e. “rank”). Solution is LANCE (i.e. “weapon”) followed by CORPORAL (i.e. “material” or having a body).
- In part, thespian is touring player (7)
Answer: PIANIST (i.e. “player”). “In part” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, like so: THES(PIAN IS T)OURING.
- Overwhelm small dam (7)
Answer: SMOTHER (i.e. “overwhelm”). Solution is S (a recognised abbreviation of “small”) followed by MOTHER (i.e. “dam”, in relation to livestock – one worth keeping in mind given its frequent usage in cryptic crosswords). Appeared in grid 1601 in February, also on odd intersecting letters, so…
- Slander about drug carrier endlessly returning by New York (7)
Answer: CALUMNY (i.e. “slander”). Solution is CA (a recognised abbreviation of “circa”, i.e. “about”) followed by MULE (i.e. “drug carrier”) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “endlessly”) and the remainder reversed (indicated by “returning”). This is then all followed by NY (short for “New York”), like so: CA-LUM-NY.
- Dull transoceanic journey where one shouldn’t get run down (10,8)
Answer: PEDESTRIAN CROSSING (i.e. “where one shouldn’t get run down”). Solution is PEDESTRIAN (i.e. “dull”) followed by CROSSING (i.e. “transoceanic journey”).
- Booster, say, with millions put in post (4)
Answer: JAMB (i.e. “post”). Solution is JAB (i.e. “booster, say” – other flavours of vaccine are available) wrapped around or having “put in” M (a recognised abbreviation of “millions”), like so: JA(M)B.
- Dart, perhaps, to tear the number “4” from board (5)
Answer: RIVER (i.e. “Dart, perhaps”, the River Dart is found in Devon). Solution is RIVE (i.e. “to tear”) followed by R (i.e. “the number ‘4’ from board”, i.e. the fourth letter of “board”).
- Pounced on a doctor with uniform removed (8)
Answer: AMBUSHED (i.e. “pounced on”). Solution is A followed by MB (i.e. “doctor”, a Medicinae Baccalaureus or Doctor of Medicine), then U (“uniform” in the phonetic alphabet) and SHED (i.e. “removed”).
- Nice grassy areas surrounded by pine (8)
Answer: PLEASANT (i.e. “nice”). Solution is LEAS (i.e. “grassy areas”) placed in or “surrounded by” PANT (i.e. to “pine” or yearn for).
- Roman poet has sections with no page in which people fight (7,4)
Answer: MARTIAL ARTS (i.e. “in which people fight”). Solution is MARTIAL (i.e. “Roman poet” – another we’ve seen a few times in Jumbos now) followed by PARTS (i.e. “sections”) once the P has been removed (indicated by “with no page” – P being a recognised abbreviation of “page”).
- Arranged a late lunch I imagine (11)
Answer: HALLUCINATE (i.e. “imagine”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “arranged”) of A LATE LUNCH I.
- Drunken order for brass hats (4,7)
Answer: HIGH COMMAND (i.e. “brass hats”, military slang thereof). Solution is HIGH (i.e. “drunken”) followed by COMMAND (i.e. “order”).
- Figure with many faces or icon heads arranged oddly (11)
Answer: ICOSAHEDRON (i.e. “figure with many faces” – 20 to be exact). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “arranged oddly”) of OR ICON HEADS.
- Ability to work out odd menu with a spicy character (8)
Answer: NUMERACY (i.e. “ability to work out” sums). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “odd”) of MENU followed by RACY (i.e. “with a spicy character”), like so: NUME-RACY.
- Tungsten mass perhaps gone for scrap (5,3)
Answer: WRITE OFF (i.e. to “scrap”). Solution is W (chemical symbol of “tungsten”) followed by RITE (i.e. “mass perhaps” – other religious rites are available) and OFF (i.e. “gone”).
- Who brought us prize book in Christmas wrapping? (5)
Answer: Alfred NOBEL (i.e. “who brought us prize”). Solution is B (a recognised abbreviation of “book”) placed or “wrapped” in NOEL (i.e. “Christmas”), like so: NO(B)EL.
- Egyptian cross at Nut, Khonsu and Horus’s origins (4)
Answer: ANKH (i.e. “Egyptian cross”). “Origins” indicates the solution is derived from the initial letters of At Nut Khonsu and Horus.
- Main qualm that limits UK’s ability to move to the right? (7,11)
Answer: CENTRAL RESERVATION (i.e. “that limits UK [driver]’s ability to move to the right” on the road). Solution is CENTRAL (i.e. “main”) followed by RESERVATION (i.e. “qualm”).
- Entertainer’s rubbish on seaside promenade (7)
Answer: PIERROT (i.e. a clown or “entertainer”). Solution is ROT (i.e. “rubbish”) placed “on” or after PIER (i.e. “seaside promenade”), like so: PIER-ROT.
- Throne Chinese dynasty’s threatening (7)
Answer: LOOMING (i.e. “threatening”). Solution is LOO (i.e. “throne”, both slang words for the toilet) followed by MING (i.e. “Chinese dynasty”).
- What are often dropped both sides of Harwich? (7)
Answer: AITCHES (i.e. “what are often dropped” in speech). Solution also satisfies “both sides of Harwich”, given the town begins and ends with H.
- Unfortunately overrates true discoveries of value (8-5)
Answer: TREASURE TROVE (i.e. “discoveries of value”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “unfortunately”) of OVERRATES TRUE.
- Repeated a couple of points about land free from prejudices (9)
Answer: ENLIGHTEN (i.e. to “free from prejudices”). Solution is E and N (i.e. “a couple of points” on a compass, East and North respectively) “repeated” and placed “about” LIGHT (i.e. to “land” a boat, say), like so: E-N-(LIGHT)-E-N.
- Peevish note written by pen (5)
Answer: TESTY (i.e. “peevish”). Solution is TE (i.e. musical “note” of the sol-fa scale) followed by STY (i.e. animal “pen”).
- Blow about past number returning penniless (5-5)
Answer: STONY-BROKE (i.e. “penniless”). Solution is STROKE (i.e. a “blow”) wrapped “about” BY (a prefix denoting something that is “past”) and NO (a recognised abbreviation of “number”) once these two have been reversed (indicated by “returning”), like so: ST(ON-YB)ROKE. Appeared in grid 1599 in February, though on that time on even intersecting letters.
- Girl’s pretty halting initially in Scandinavian (6)
Answer: DAPHNE (i.e. “girl’s” name). Solution is P and H (i.e. “pretty halting initially”, i.e. the first letter of “pretty” and “halting”) both placed “in” DANE (i.e. “Scandinavian”), like so: DA(P-H)NE.
Down clues
- Who took children’s dish and ladle (one’s coming a bit late) (4,5)
Answer: PIED PIPER (i.e. “who took children” in folklore). Solution is PIE (i.e. “dish”) followed by DIPPER (i.e. “ladle”) once the I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”) has been moved back a notch (indicated by “coming a bit late”), like so: PIE-D(I)PPER => PIE-DP(I)PER.
- Man – not Charlie – rushed port repeatedly (4,3,4)
Answer: OVER AND OVER (i.e. “repeatedly”). Solution is COVE (i.e. slang for a “man”) with the C removed (indicated by “not Charlie” – Charlie being C in the phonetic alphabet) and the remainder followed by RAN (i.e. “rushed”) and DOVER (i.e. an English “port”), like so: OVE-RAN-DOVER.
- No countrymen admit wearing formal attire outside (7)
Answer: TOWNIES (i.e. “no countrymen”). Solution is OWN (i.e. “admit”) placed in or “wearing” TIES (i.e. “formal attire”), like so: T(OWN)IES.
- What’s green and round in its present state (5)
Answer: OASIS (i.e. “what’s green” – a bit vague, but okay). Solution is O (i.e. “round”, again) followed by AS IS (i.e. “in its present state”). Appeared in grid 1590 in December, also on odd intersecting letters, so…
- Collie’s paws ruined bed linen (11)
Answer: PILLOWCASES (i.e. “bed linen”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “ruined”) of COLLIE’S PAWS.
- Fault heard with plate on quiet gear system (11)
Answer: SYNCHROMESH (i.e. “gear system” – over to Chambers: “of a gear in which the speeds of the driving and driven members are automatically synchronized before coupling, so as to avoid shock and noise in gear-changing”). Solution is a homophone (indicated by “heard”) of SIN (i.e. “fault”) followed by CHROME (i.e. “plate”) and SH (i.e. “quiet”), like so: SYN-CHROME-SH. One nailed solely from the wordplay, unsurprisingly.
- Speculate chap needs increase in pay (8)
Answer: THEORISE (i.e. “speculate”). Solution is THEO (i.e. “chap’s” name) followed by RISE (i.e. “increase in pay”).
- Where crown may conceal trouble with origin over channel (4,5)
Answer: ROOT CANAL (i.e. “where crown may conceal trouble”, dentally speaking). Solution is ROOT (i.e. “origin”) followed by CANAL (i.e. “channel”).
- A prune served up under copper dome (6)
Answer: CUPOLA (i.e. “dome”). Solution is A and LOP (i.e. to cut or “prune”) all reversed (indicated by “served up” – this being a down clue) and placed after or “under” (again, down clue) CU (chemical symbol of “copper”), like so: CU-(POL-A).
- Letter about a right cold dish mostly being mixed spices (5,6)
Answer: GARAM MASALA (i.e. “mixed spices”). Solution is GAMMA (i.e. third “letter” of the Greek alphabet) wrapped “about” A and R (a recognised abbreviation of “right”). This is then followed by SALAD (i.e. “cold dish”) once the last letter has been removed (indicated by “mostly”), like so: G(A-R)AMMA-SALA.
- Put down again for broadcast (5)
Answer: RELAY (i.e. “broadcast”). When written as RE-LAY the solution also satisfies “put down again”.
- Queen given choice fruit (8,4)
Answer: VICTORIA PLUM (i.e. “fruit”). Solution is VICTORIA (i.e. “Queen” of England a while ago) followed by PLUM (i.e. excellent or “choice”).
- Wild boar are left living among trees (8)
Answer: ARBOREAL (i.e. “living among trees”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “wild”) of BOAR ARE followed by L (a recognised abbreviation of “left”), like so: ARBOREA-L.
- Bird attacked another one (7)
Answer: BITTERN (i.e. “bird”). Solution is BIT (i.e. “attacked”) followed by TERN (“another [bird]”).
- I am inclined to follow girl from Near East region (8)
Answer: GALILEAN (i.e. “from Near East region”, in this case Galilee in Israel). Solution is I LEAN (i.e. “I am inclined”) placed after or “following” GAL (slang for “girl”), like so: GAL-(I-LEAN).
- Pass passenger vehicle with daughter (8)
Answer: RAILCARD (i.e. a “pass” entitling the owner to lower train fares). Solution is RAILCAR (i.e. “passenger vehicle”) followed by D (a recognised abbreviation of “daughter”).
- Policemen outside work go after nearly all drinks (8)
Answer: ALCOPOPS (i.e. “drinks”). Solution is COPS (i.e. “policemen”) wrapped “outside” of OP (i.e. “work”, short for “opus”). All this is then placed “after” ALL once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “nearly”), like so: AL-(COP(OP)S). ALCOPOP appeared in grid 1597 in January, but on that occasion it was on odd intersecting letters.
- Fixation about house plant (7)
Answer: MAHONIA (i.e. “plant”). Solution is MANIA (i.e. “fixation”) wrapped “about” HO (a recognised abbreviation of “house”), like so: MA(HO)NIA. Another nailed from the wordplay alone.
- Stun with Stafford stable, not streets beyond one’s pocket (12)
Answer: UNAFFORDABLE (i.e. “beyond one’s pocket”). “Not streets” indicates the solution is derived from STUN, STAFFORD and STABLE once the ST (a recognised abbreviation of “street”) has been removed from each. I liked the invention in this one.
- Willing footballers who mind business on the park? (11)
Answer: GAMEKEEPERS (i.e. those “who mind business on the park”. You could also take a scatological slant to this if you squint hard enough. Bloody dogs…) Solution is GAME (i.e. “willing”) followed by KEEPERS (i.e. “footballers”).
- Hide science from mistaken Margot Doyle (11)
Answer: DERMATOLOGY (i.e. “hide science”, or science of the skin). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “mistaken”) of MARGOT DOYLE.
- Bury railway has a river between the lines (11)
Answer: INTERLINEAR (i.e. “between the lines”). Solution is INTER (i.e. to “bury”) followed by LINE (i.e. “railway”), then A and R (a recognised abbreviation of “river”). Looks like we’ve caught another setter abusing the office GridFill 4000™. This solution appeared only a couple of months ago, not once but twice, and on successive weeks no less. On all occasions the solution appeared on odd intersecting letters, so have a double meme…
- Box of buns from waffle store (6,5)
Answer: RABBIT HUTCH (i.e. “box of buns” – a bun is a playful name for a rabbit. Also a squirrel, apparently). Solution is RABBIT (i.e. “waffle”, both slang terms for excessive chatting) followed by HUTCH (i.e. a “store”). Appeared in grid 1614 in May, also on odd intersecting letters. So tempted to stick a hat trick meme on this, but I’ll be kind.
- Rears cute funny animals (9)
Answer: CREATURES (i.e. “animals”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “funny”) of REARS CUTE.
- Years ago full-length trousers included inside of red (4,5)
Answer: LONG SINCE (i.e. “years ago”). Solution is LONGS (i.e. “full-length trousers”) followed by INC (a recognised abbreviation of “included”) and E (i.e. “inside of red”, i.e. the middle letter of “red”).
- Dagger twirls oddly in fight (8)
Answer: STILETTO (i.e. “dagger”). Solution is TIL (i.e. “twirls oddly”, i.e. every other letter of TWIRLS) placed “in” SET-TO (i.e. “fight”), like so: S(TIL)ET-TO. Appeared in grid 1628 in August, also on even intersecting letters, so…
- Iguana roaming about top of the island (7)
Answer: ANTIGUA (i.e. an “island”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “roaming”) of IGUANA wrapped “about” T (i.e. “top of the”, i.e. the first letter of “the”), like so: AN(T)IGUA. Appeared in grid 1582, also on odd intersecting letters, but just outside my threshold for a recent repeat.
- Lively, loud and dangerous (6)
Answer: FRISKY (i.e. “lively”). Solution is F (i.e. “loud”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of “forte” used in musical lingo) followed by RISKY (i.e. “dangerous”). Another nicely worked clue.
- What child might do to cute animal is unimportant (5)
Answer: PETIT (i.e. “unimportant” – over to Chambers again: “a form of ‘petty’, in sense of insignificant, now obsolete except in legal and other French terms”). When written as PET IT the solution also satisfies “what child might do to cute animal”.
- Like moussaka with feta? Good smell (5)
Answer: GREEK (i.e. “like moussaka with feta”, both Greek foodstuffs). Solution is G (a recognised abbreviation of “good”) followed by REEK (i.e. “smell”).
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Thanks, Lucian. Some pleasing & well-constructed clues this week but less difficult than I would have preferred. Cheers
We liked it too! Some interesting ideas to form clues, and Central Reservation tickled my funny bone.
In olden days, if you drove a vehicle without synchromesh then you’d have to learn how to double-declutch. A far cry from my modern automatics.
Thanks, Lucian. Some pleasing & well-constructed clues this week and exactly the right level of difficulty that I prefer. Cheers.
Thanks Lucian. We enjoyed this, though we struggled with 1d for a while as we were confused by the ‘S at the end of CHILDREN – and I notice that you haven’t mentioned it in your explanation. Does anyone else think this feels redundant?
Take care, and stay. SB
Just means “Who took children IS (i.e also means) dish and ladle” etc does it not? That’s to say apostrophe used not as possessive but as abbreviation to throw us off track. Jumbos do this occasionally. Most pleasing apostrophe usage to indicate missing letter(s), I’ve always thought, is fo’c’s’le (as in ship). Takes longer to write than the full word!
Thanks Ned. I hadn’t thought of that.
Your mention of “fo’c’s’le” (forecastle) reminds me of a line in a wonderful sketch in “Round the Horne”: “This be the evil-smelling’ fo’c’s’le of Cap’n Ahab’s ship, and these be some of the evil-smellin’ fo’c’s’le be yer shipmates!”
Ah, a fellow RTH devotee. Nonpareil! I can quote whole sketches verbatim and can hear Hugh Paddick speaking those very lines as soon as you cite them! I used to teach evening classes at Southbank Uni in “English for Journalists” – the apostrophes in fo’c’s’le were always a favourite.
Thanks Lucien. I struggled to equate hutch with store when parsing 36D, so always appreciate your back-up with parsing.
A little too easy – my ideal is having one or two thorny ones left for Sunday morning, but I enjoyed it and the bottom right hand corner had some gooduns that were amusing
As ever, grateful Lucian for explaining 24a RIVER. I was fixated on the IV in river being the 4 from the clue – I fell right into the sitters trap. Well laid, setter.
A bit too gentle for me – I like a few head-scratchers that I have to worry away at. Who can forget this one from many Jumbos ago:
Unknown, he boxed probable criminal in double-header on radio show (6,10)
Ah yes, I remember this one. Zaphod Beeblebrox.
Ah! Double declutching because you didn’t have SYNCHROMESH on first gear and possibly second. The noise if you got it wrong! I’d forgotten it was spelled with an “H” though.
Enjoyed CENTRAL RESERVATION, once I’d got it.
Although not of the first difficulty and was parsed pretty easily, this was a pleasing puzzle even if it didn’t last long enough.
Thanks setter and, naturally, Lucian
Another easy one on a miserably dank Sunday afternoon, finished in about two hours with accompaniment of jazz requests on R3 and a remarkable game at the Bridge on R5, with Man City scoring to go 4-3 ahead as I write. Of late, in terms of quality, Jumbos have too often proved 0-0 bores. Who can explain why we seem either to get stinkers or tap-ins – but with nothing in between? And would you believe, there’s now a Chelsea penalty!
So close- again I seem to be the only commenter who doesn’t finish these correctly- I got the C and S the wrong way around for the many sided figure. Otherwise everything was correct. Maybe I’ll be luckier next week.
Thanks for your work- it is appreciated.