A medium strength Jumbo that was spiced up with a sprinkling of general knowledge solutions. A few were a bit drab – call me weird but minerals and organic compounds will never get my blood racing – but overall this was a decent enough puzzle to chew on.
Now that the competition deadline is over 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 made mincemeat of your crosswording skills then you might find succour in my Just For Fun page, where you’ll find links to solutions to hundreds of the things.
As ever, thanks for your comments and patience. Till next time, stay safe out there kids.
LP
Across clues
- Something slimy in effect left sink needing an overhaul? (9)
Answer: GASTROPOD (i.e. “something slimy”, e.g. a slug or snail). Solution is DO (i.e. “effect”), PORT (i.e. “left” in shipspeak) and SAG (i.e. “sink”) all reversed (indicated by “needing an overhaul”), like so: GAS-TROP-OD.
- Reused manuscript is in France: father stumbles upon it (10)
Answer: PALIMPSEST (i.e. “reused manuscript”). Solution is EST (i.e. “is in France”, i.e. the French for “is”) placed after or “upon” PA (i.e. informal word for a “father”) and LIMPS (i.e. “stumbles”), like so: (PA-LIMPS)-EST.
- In North America, run into terrible chap’s old band (7)
Answer: NIRVANA (i.e. “old band” – for all the impact grunge had on rock music, it’s surprising how short its heyday lasted). Solution is R (a recognised abbreviation of “run” used in a number of ball games) placed “into” IVAN (i.e. “terrible chap”, Ivan The Terrible), which is itself placed “in” NA (a recognised abbreviation of “North America”), like so: N(I(R)VAN)A.
- Assembled vehicles working for frontiersman (3,6)
Answer: KIT CARSON (i.e. American “frontiersman”). Solution is KIT CARS (i.e. “assembled vehicles”) followed by ON (i.e. “working” or operational).
- Scum, something on lip quaffing last of beer (5)
Answer: TRASH (i.e. “scum”). Solution is TASH (i.e. “something on lip”, informal word for a moustache) wrapped around or “quaffing” R (i.e. “last [letter] of beer”), like so: T(R)ASH.
- Whoops, retiring primates squeezed tight! (12)
Answer: CHEESEPARING (i.e. “tight” or miserly). Solution is CHEERING (i.e. “whoops”) wrapped around or “squeezing” APES (i.e. “primates”) once reversed (indicated by “retiring”), like so: CHEE(SEPA)RING.
- Cultural learning from politician I’m referring to after a Republican (3,7)
Answer: ART HISTORY (i.e. “cultural learning”). Solution is THIS TORY (i.e. “politician I’m referring to”) placed “after” A and R (a recognised abbreviation of “Republican”), like so: A-R-(THIS-TORY).
- Best picture? (2,4,2,2,4)
Answer: AS GOOD AS IT GETS. Solution satisfies “best” and “picture”, specifically a 1998 movie starring Jack Nicholson. Best clue of the puzzle. Very nicely done.
- One living on Crete, say, smearing on fourth of lotion (8)
Answer: ISLANDER (i.e. “one living on Crete, say”). Solution is SLANDER (i.e. “smearing”) placed “on” or after I (i.e. “fourth [letter] of lotion”), like so: I-SLANDER.
- One taking deliveries of cherries, maybe, finding means to access container (6)
Answer: OPENER. Solution satisfies “one taking deliveries of cherries, maybe” – a cherry is slang for a new ball in cricket – and also “means to access container”. Another pleasing clue.
- Scale mountain finally, a ridge etc formed around it (10)
Answer: CENTIGRADE (i.e. temperature “scale”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “formed”) of A RIDGE ETC placed “around” N (i.e. “mountain finally”, i.e. the last letter of “mountain”), like so: CE(N)TIGRADE.
- Capital where vessel remains (5)
Answer: TUNIS (i.e. “capital” city of Tunisia). When written as TUN IS the solution also satisfies “vessel remains”.
- Handsome orderly (4)
Answer: TIDY. Solution satisfies “handsome” or large amount, and “orderly”.
- Simple life forms: some that sit or proceed backwards (8)
Answer: PROTISTA (i.e. “simple life forms”). “Some” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, while “backwards” indicates the solution has been reversed, like so: TH(AT SIT OR P)ROCEED. Took ages to twig as I couldn’t look beyond “protozoa”.
- How scrabbling after change is for character in phone box? (6,3)
Answer: DOCTOR WHO (i.e. TV show “character in phone box”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “scrabbling”) of HOW placed “after” DOCTOR (i.e. to “change”).
- Undemanding, see, show for cissies? (3-6)
Answer: LOW-IMPACT (i.e. “undemanding”). Solution is LO (i.e. “see”, as in lo and behold) followed by WIMP ACT (playfully, a “show for cissies”).
- Stretch between last parts of theatre production, the interval (8)
Answer: ENTR’ACTE (i.e. “interval” – over to Chambers: “the interval between acts in a play”). Solution is TRACT (i.e. “stretch”) placed “between” E N and E (i.e. “last parts of theatre production, the”, i.e. the last letters of “theatre”, “production” and “the”), like so: EN(TRACT)E. Bradford’s to the rescue here.
- Problem making comeback with old player (4)
Answer: MUSO (i.e. “player” or musician). Solution is SUM (i.e. mathematical “problem”) reversed (indicated by “making comeback”) and followed by O (a recognised abbreviation of “old”), like so: MUS-O.
- Rock, one stuck on front of swimming trunks (5)
Answer: TORSI (i.e. “trunks”, specifically the plural of torso). Solution is TOR (i.e. “rock”) followed by I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”) once first placed “on” or after S (i.e. “front of swimming”, i.e. the first letter of “swimming”), like so: TOR-S-I.
- Mineral with a use, ‘til metamorphosing (10)
Answer: ANDALUSITE (i.e. “mineral”). Solution is AND (i.e. “with”) followed by an anagram (indicated by “metamorphosing”) of A USE ‘TIL, like so: AND-ALUSITE.
- Report of sandpiper on river, naturally! (3,3)
Answer: WHY NOT (i.e. “naturally” – I always thought the solution was an expression of agreement, along the lines of “Shall we?” “Why not.”, but here the setter seems to suggest it’s an expression of certainty. I’m not so sure). Solution comprises homophones (indicated by “report of”) of KNOT (i.e. “sandpiper”) and WYE (i.e. a “river”), the former placed “on” or after the latter, like so: WYE-KNOT.
- Lead surprisingly transformed volatile character in organic compound (8)
Answer: ALDEHYDE (i.e. “organic compound”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “surprisingly”) of LEAD followed by HYDE (i.e. “volatile character” of Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde), like so: ALDE-HYDE.
- Piper to manage small gallery in Florida or Oklahoma, say (9,5)
Answer: PANHANDLE STATE (i.e. “Florida or Oklahoma, say”, given their location in south-eastern US’s sticky-out-bit). Solution is PAN (i.e. “piper” of folklore) followed by HANDLE (i.e. “to manage”), then S (a recognised abbreviation of “small”) and TATE (i.e. a famous art “gallery”).
- Girl speaks about love where keepers sought? (10)
Answer: GOALMOUTHS (i.e. “where keepers [are] sought”). Solution is GAL (informal word for “girl”) and MOUTHS (i.e. “speaks”) all wrapped “about” O (i.e. “love”, a zero score in tennis), like so: G(O)AL-MOUTHS.
- For example, you are in this gym occupied by hate figures (7,5)
Answer: PRESENT TENSE (i.e. “for example, you are in this”. In the past tense the sentence would be “you were in this”, though I could be missing something clever). Solution is PE (i.e. “gym” or Physical Education) wrapped around or “occupied by” RESENT (i.e. “hate”) and TENS (i.e. “figures” or numbers), like so: P(RESENT-TENS)E.
- Sullen fellow with catapult faced by principal in college (5)
Answer: CHURL (i.e. “sullen fellow”). Solution is HURL (i.e. to “catapult”) placed after or “by” C (i.e. “principal in college”, i.e. the first letter of “college”), like so: C-HURL.
- Narrow trousers beginning to chafe on boy with black belt, maybe stage performer (3,6)
Answer: TAP DANCER (i.e. “stage performer”). Solution is TAPER (i.e. “narrow”) wrapped around or “trousering” C (i.e. “beginning [letter] to chafe”) once placed after or “on” DAN (i.e. “boy with black belt, maybe” – a DAN is a level of proficiency in martial arts, but could also be playing on it being a “boy’s” name), like so: TAP(DAN-C)ER.
- Workable bringing wine into company (7)
Answer: PLASTIC (i.e. “workable”). Solution is ASTI (i.e. “wine” variety) placed “into” PLC (i.e. “company”, specifically a Public Limited Company), like so: PL(ASTI)C.
- Queen’s rocker, perhaps, loopy thing (4,6)
Answer: CAT’S CRADLE (i.e. “loopy thing”, or “a pastime in which a string looped around the fingers and passed from player to player is transformed from one symmetrical pattern to another” (Chambers)). Solution is CAT’S (i.e. “queen’s” – the female of the species) followed by CRADLE (i.e. a baby “rocker, perhaps”).
- Chicken, less hot, to start smoking outside: cool it! (7,2)
Answer: LIGHTEN UP (i.e. “cool it”). Solution is HEN (i.e. “chicken”) with the H removed (indicated by “less hot” – H being a recognised abbreviation thereof used on water taps) and the remainder placed in or having “outside” of it LIGHT UP (i.e. “start smoking”), like so: LIGHT-(EN)-UP.
Down clues
- Wolf down in valley (5)
Answer: GORGE. Solution satisfies to “wolf down” food, and “valley”.
- Old skyscraper where packer keeps things boxed, sometimes? (5,5)
Answer: SEARS TOWER (i.e. “old skyscraper” in Chicago, a former world’s tallest building. These days it’s called the Willis Tower, which is just begging for a Die Hard reference). Solution is STOWER (i.e. “packer”) wrapped around or “keeping” EARS (i.e. “things boxed”, or giving someone a clip around the ear), like so: S(EARS)TOWER.
- Return with scythe and fruit (8)
Answer: REAPPEAR (i.e. “return”). Solution is REAP (i.e. to “scythe”) followed by PEAR (i.e. “fruit”).
- Game with pressure more satisfactory, might one say? (5)
Answer: POKER (i.e. card “game”). Solution is P (a recognised abbreviation of “pressure”) followed by OKER (i.e. “more satisfactory, might one say?”, playing on how the suffix -er is appended to some words to indicate more of the same, e.g. high and higher, fast and faster, etc).
- Fruity thing and naughty thing united in romantic event (4,5)
Answer: DATE NIGHT (i.e. “romantic event”). Solution is DATE (i.e. “fruity thing”) followed by an anagram (indicated by “naughty”) of THING.
- Sort of work – that isn’t! (4)
Answer: PLAY. Solution satisfies “sort of [artistic] work” and an activity “that isn’t [work]”.
- Passion relating to brilliant appearance (6)
Answer: LUSTRE (i.e. “brilliant appearance”). Solution is LUST (i.e. “passion”) followed by RE (i.e. “relating to” – think email replies).
- Team fixing matches, nice try! (10,4)
Answer: MANCHESTER CITY (i.e. football “team”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “fixing”) of MATCHES NICE TRY.
- Sense of achievement is observed after day with party (12)
Answer: SATISFACTION (i.e. “sense of achievement”). Solution is IS placed “after” SAT (i.e. “day”, short for Saturday) and followed by FACTION (i.e. “party”), like so: SAT-(IS)-FACTION.
- Main dishes of a brasserie ultimately served up covered in soil (7)
Answer: SEAFOOD (i.e. “main dishes” – “main” is another word for the high sea). Solution is OF A and E (i.e. “brasserie ultimately”, i.e. the last letter of “brasserie”) all reversed (indicated by “served up” – this being a down clue) and placed or “covered in” SOD (i.e. “soil”), like so: S(E-A-FO)OD.
- A fight to finish off innings in boisterous play (10)
Answer: KNOCKABOUT (i.e. “boisterous play”). Solution is A and BOUT (i.e. “fight”) placed after or “finishing off” KNOCK (i.e. informal reference to an “innings” in cricket), like so: KNOCK-(A-BOUT).
- Film about battle in house – there it is! (3,6)
Answer: HEY PRESTO (i.e. “there it is!”). Solution is ET (i.e. “film”, specifically ET: The Extra-Terrestrial) placed “about” YPRES (i.e. “battle” of the First World War, technically a series of battles). This is all then placed “in” HO (a recognised abbreviation of “house”), like so: H(E(YPRES)T)O.
- Male relative has time, still (8)
Answer: STAGNANT (i.e. “still”). Solution is STAG (i.e. “male”), followed by NAN (i.e. “relative”, a grandmother) and T (a recognised abbreviation of “time”).
- Look hard to retain objective, being Welsh leader (9)
Answer: Owain GLENDOWER (i.e. 15th century “Welsh leader”). Solution is GLOWER (i.e. “look hard”) wrapped around or “retaining” END (i.e. “objective”), like so: GL(END)OWER. One nailed from the wordplay and a check on Google, if I’m honest.
- Clumsiness in patois oddly written into musical composition (10)
Answer: INEPTITUDE (i.e. “clumsiness”). Solution is IN followed by PTI (i.e. “patois oddly written”, i.e. every other letter of PATOIS) once placed or “written into” ETUDE (i.e. “musical composition” used to help train or test musical skill), like so: IN-E(PTI)TUDE.
- Novelist Amis, say, in flier (4,6)
Answer: SAND MARTIN (i.e. bird or “flier”). Solution is George SAND (i.e. “novelist” – no, me neither. Her real name was Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin de Francueil. I’d have picked a shorter pen name too) followed by MARTIN (i.e. “Amis, say” – other famous Martins are available).
- Gold coin freshly minted somewhere in Oceania (3,6)
Answer: NEW GUINEA. Solution satisfies “gold coin freshly minted” and “somewhere in Oceania”.
- Basic food registered in basic hotel, say (5,3,6)
Answer: BREAD AND BUTTER (i.e. “basic food”). Solution is READ (i.e. “registered”) placed “in” B AND B (i.e. “basic hotel”, or Bed & Breakfast) and followed by UTTER (i.e. “say”), like so: (B-(READ)-AND-B)-UTTER.
- Drop what you’re carrying, huge amount (8)
Answer: SHEDLOAD (i.e. “huge amount”). When written as SHED LOAD the solution also satisfies “drop what you’re carrying”.
- Northern Ireland deception covered up by London commoners, heading off complete chaos (12)
Answer: OMNISHAMBLES (i.e. “complete chaos”). Solution is NI (short for “Northern Ireland”) and SHAM (i.e. “deception”) placed in or “covered up by” WOMBLES (i.e. “London commoners”, from Wimbledon Common to precise) once its first letter has been removed (indicated by “heading off”), like so: OM(NI-SHAM)BLES.
- Slow destruction of Earth and rising of smoke follows conclusion of all (9)
Answer: LETHARGIC (i.e. “slow”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “destruction of”) of EARTH followed by CIG (i.e. “smoke”, slang for a cigarette) once reversed (indicated by “rising of…” – this being a down clue). This is all then placed after or “following” L (i.e. “conclusion of all”, i.e. the last letter of “all”), like so: L-(ETHAR-GIC).
- Where shell may be found that’s novel? (2,3,5)
Answer: ON THE BEACH. Solution satisfies “where shell may be found”, and is also an apocalyptic “novel” by Nevil Shute, one I think I’ll add to my to-be-read mountain.
- Ride on and straight out (5,5)
Answer: GHOST TRAIN (i.e. fairground “ride”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “out”) of AND STRAIGHT. I rather liked this one.
- Clear, ship turned round (9)
Answer: SPHERICAL (i.e. “round”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “turned”) of CLEAR SHIP.
- Where pink might be seen in a couple of snooker shots? (5,3)
Answer: PLANT POT. Solution satisfies “where pink might be” – pink being a variety of flower – and also “a couple of snooker shots”. Nicely worked.
- Copper impressed by the lifting up of a fat claret drinker? (7)
Answer: DRACULA (i.e. “claret drinker”, “claret” being a slang word for blood). Solution is CU (i.e. chemical symbol of “copper”) placed in or “impressed by” A and LARD (i.e. “fat”) once these have been reversed (indicated by “lifted up” – this being a down clue), like so: DRA(CU)L-A.
- Cast I see standing in shot (6)
Answer: SHAPED (i.e. “cast”). Solution is HA! (i.e. “I see”) placed or “standing in” SPED (i.e. raced or “shot”), like so: S(HA)PED.
- Buck having pulled out gun, finally – shoot! (5)
Answer: SPRIG (i.e. “shoot”). Solution is SPRING (i.e. to “buck”) with the N (i.e. “gun, finally”, i.e. the last letter of “gun”) removed (indicated by “having pulled out”).
- Court verdict – going down then? (3,2)
Answer: NOT UP. Solution satisfies “court verdict” – this is a phrase in tennis describing when a player fails to hit a ball before it has bounced twice – and, by inference, “going down then”.
- Residing in Poland, an Eastern European (4)
Answer: DANE (i.e. “European”). “Residing in” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, like so: POLAN(D AN E)ASTERN.
Lucian Poll's Web Ramblings 
Thank you, Lucian, for publishing the answers and your parsing of them. Re 12A, I didn’t know that Nirvana was (is?) a rock music band. Cue for gasp at missing elements of reader’s life.
Thanks, as always, Lucian.
I also got stuck with Protozoa for ages! NHO Protista, but the wordplay (and a dictionary lookup) revealed it.
Re: 38 A, the anagrist is ON + [and] STRAIGHT
Any progress on the Times dropping its insistence on waiting this long yet? I’m with you, utterly ridiculous when there are so many other (easier) ways of cheating in a crossword!
Thx as ever Lucian. I hadn’t heard of the tennis expression NOT UP and you explained the parsing of 10d Seafood and 28d Bread and butter that I’d not fully understood.
Re 46a, there are nine so called panhandle states in the US. Looking at a map of them, most do have something looking like a handle, but a few require a bit of imagination.
A reasonable puzzle overall. I share the disappointment that we can’t share our thoughts and thanks on a more timely basis, when the it’s fresher in our minds. Cheers Graham
Despite old crosswords usually a distant memory, Lucian’s answers are still always welcome. I have started to mark each clue with “H” (hard) or “C” clever, so wen Lucian’s solution eventually arrives, I can reflect back on how I found the particular crossword at the time.
Thanks Lucian
As a piece of trivia on 42a, the late film critic Barry Norman was famous for saying ‘And why not?’
Or did he?
He claimed he never said it, it only became famous through Rory Bremner’s impersonation of him saying it.
It eventually became the title of his autobiography.
And why not?
Catching up with the backlog of solved puzzles sitting on our kitchen table … we thought this one was a bit ho-hum but no particular objections.
I liked Play for “work that isn’t”, very neat!