A reasonably straightforward Jumbo this week. It was okay, but a bit dull to write up. There seemed a slight overreliance on names or the first/last letters of things which made it a bit samey. No biggie, though.
Now that the competition deadline has passed 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 you befuddled 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 your comments and patience. I appreciate this whole waiting-for-the-deadline-to-pass regime is a pain in the arse. The alternative is to revert back to publishing solutions shortly after publication, but keep in mind that a request to stop by The Times would put the mockers on these posts.
Anyway, on with the show. Till next time, stay safe out there kids.
LP
Across clues
- Firm well-organised factor (11)
Answer: COEFFICIENT (i.e. “factor”, or “a numerical or literal expression for a factor of a quantity in an algebraic term” (Chambers)). Solution is CO (i.e. “firm”, short for company) followed by EFFICIENT (i.e. “well-organised”).
- Coat ornament Glynis wore at last, one of five (6)
Answer: SEQUIN (i.e. “coat ornament”). Solution is S and E (i.e. “Glynis wore at last”, i.e. the last letter of “Glynis” and “wore”) followed by QUIN (i.e. “one of five”).
- Affected male in close fitting headgear (4)
Answer: CAMP (i.e. an “affected” manner). Solution is M (a recognised abbreviation of “male”) placed “in” CAP (i.e. “close fitting headgear”), like so: CA(M)P.
- Fellow engaging an expert where alcohol may be served (7)
Answer: TAPROOM (i.e. “where alcohol may be served”). Solution is TOM (i.e. “fellow’s” name) wrapped around or “engaging” A PRO (i.e. “an expert”), like so: T(A-PRO)OM.
- Agree the sun god is a will o’ the wisp (7)
Answer: CHIMERA (a bit tenuous, this, but I reckon this is “any idle or wild fancy” (Chambers), taking a “fancy” to be something “capriciously departing from the ordinary” (also Chambers). A “will o’ the wisp” or ignis fatuus, meanwhile, is “the light produced by combustion of marsh gas, which may lead a traveller into danger; any delusive ideal or hope that may lead one astray” (also, also Chambers). I guess there’s some overlap in amongst that lot). Solution is CHIME (i.e. “agree”) followed by RA (i.e. “the [Egyptian] sun god”).
- Club employee’s dishonest cheque? (7)
Answer: BOUNCER. Solution satisfies “club employee” and, playfully, a “dishonest cheque”.
- Fashionable artist frames them regularly, that’s for sure (13)
Answer: INCONTESTABLE (i.e. “for sure”). Solution is IN (i.e. “fashionable”) and John CONSTABLE (i.e. “artist”) wrapped around or “framing” TE (i.e. “them regularly”, i.e. every other letter of THEM), like so: IN-CON(TE)STABLE.
- Talmudic scholar, poor performer, accepting return of evil (9)
Answer: RABBINIST (i.e. “Talmudic scholar”). Solution is RABBIT (i.e. “poor performer” or “inferior player at golf, cricket etc” (Chambers)) wrapped around or “accepting” SIN (i.e. “evil”) once reversed (indicated by “return of…”), like so: RABBI(NIS)T.
- Solicitor catching river fish (5)
Answer: TROUT (i.e. “fish”). Solution is TOUT (i.e. “solicitor”, to solicit being to tout) wrapped around or “catching” R (a recognised abbreviation of “river”), like so: T(R)OUT.
- Desire for travelling west and touring Ulster (10)
Answer: WANDERLUST (i.e. “desire for travelling”). Solution W (a recognised abbreviation of “west”) followed by AND, then an anagram (indicated by “touring”) of ULSTER, like so: W-AND-ERLUST.
- Be tedious, like the north wind (6)
Answer: BOREAS (i.e. “the north wind”). Solution is BORE (i.e. “be tedious”) followed by AS (i.e. “like”).
- Framework retailed outside popular eating-place (8)
Answer: SCAFFOLD (i.e. “framework”). Solution is SOLD (i.e. “retailed”) wrapped around or placed “outside” of CAFF (i.e. “eating-place”, in this case a slang or “popular” word for a CAFÉ), like so: S(CAFF)OLD.
- Defiance regarding ringers enveloping us in terrible noise (14)
Answer: REBELLIOUSNESS (i.e. “defiance”). Solution is RE (i.e. “regarding” – think email replies) followed by BELLS (i.e. “ringers”) once wrapped around or “enveloping” US once first placed “in” an anagram (indicated by “terrible”) of NOISE, like so: RE-BELL(IO(US)NES)S.
- Fuss associated with bishop’s parsley, for example (7)
Answer: POTHERB (i.e. “parsley, for example”). Solution is POTHER (i.e. “fuss”) followed by B (a recognised abbreviation of “bishop” used in chess).
- Means to record a dupe raving about very little (9)
Answer: AUDIOTAPE (i.e. “means to record”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “raving”) of A DUPE wrapped “about” IOTA (i.e. “very little”), like so: AUD(IOTA)PE.
- Instrument produced by girl at bar (5)
Answer: BANJO (i.e. musical “instrument”). Solution is JO (i.e. “girl’s” name) placed after or “by” BAN (i.e. to “bar” someone entry), like so: BAN-JO.
- Verbal greeting to woman, one that laughs maniacally? (5)
Answer: HYENA (i.e. “one that laughs maniacally”). Solution is a homophone (indicated by “verbal”) of HI (i.e. “greeting”) followed by ENA (i.e. “woman’s” name), like so: HY-ENA.
- Opposed to sparkling wine, consuming soft hors-d’oeuvres (9)
Answer: ANTIPASTI (i.e. “hors-d’oeuvres”). Solution is ANTI (i.e. “against”) and ASTI (i.e. “sparkling wine”) all wrapped around or “consuming” P (i.e. “soft”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of “piano” used in musical lingo), like so: ANTI-(P)-ASTI.
- Increased entitlement – honest! (7)
Answer: UPRIGHT (i.e. “honest”). Solution is UP (i.e. “increased”) followed by RIGHT (i.e. “entitlement”).
- Typical letters about one given time in charge (14)
Answer: CHARACTERISTIC (i.e. “typical”). Solution is CHARACTERS (i.e. “letters”) wrapped “about” I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”). This is all then followed by T (a recognised abbreviation of “time”) and IC (ditto “in charge”), like so: CHARACTER(I)S-T-IC.
- Police officer’s bloomer, a catastrophe! (8)
Answer: DISASTER (i.e. “a catastrophe”). When written as DI’S ASTER the solution also satisfies “police officer’s bloomer”, a DI being a Detective Inspector.
- Revealing novel accepted by agent (6)
Answer: SKIMPY (i.e. “revealing”). Solution is KIM (i.e. a “novel” by Rudyard Kipling) placed in or “accepted by” SPY (i.e. “agent”), like so: S(KIM)PY.
- Least distinguished weaver ultimately fails in test (10)
Answer: BOTTOMMOST (i.e. “least distinguished”). Solution is Nick BOTTOM (i.e. “weaver” of William Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream) followed by S (i.e. “ultimately fails”, i.e. the last letter of “fails”) once placed “in” MOT (i.e. motor suitability “test”), like so: BOTTOM-MO(S)T.
- Wee tipple taken before a play (5)
Answer: DRAMA (i.e. “play”). Solution is DRAM (i.e. “wee tipple”) followed by A.
- Boyfriend, very shortly, to accommodate painter (9)
Answer: INAMORATO (i.e. “boyfriend”). Solution is IN A MO (i.e. “very shortly”) and TO all wrapped around or “accommodating” RA (i.e. “painter”, specifically a Royal Academician), like so: IN-A-MO-(RA)-TO. One remembered from its previous appearance, if I’m honest.
- Vulgarity involving four sons, late teens, sadly (13)
Answer: TASTELESSNESS (i.e. “vulgarity”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “sadly”) of LATE TEENS and SSSS (i.e. “four sons”, S being a recognised abbreviation of “son”).
- Formal note about a church dignitary, perhaps (7)
Answer: PRIMATE (i.e. “church dignitary”). Solution is PRIM (i.e. “formal”) and TE (i.e. “note” of the sol-fa scale) all wrapped “about” A, like so: PRIM-(A)-TE.
- Beg politician to penetrate current body of learning (7)
Answer: IMPLORE (i.e. “beg”). Solution is MP (i.e. “politician” or Member of Parliament) placed in or “penetrating” I (a recognised abbreviation of an electrical “current” used in physics) and LORE (i.e. “body of learning”), like so: I-(MP)-LORE.
- Diplomat starts to acquire this hirsute growth (7)
Answer: ATTACHÉ (i.e. “diplomat”). Solution is A and T (i.e. “starts to acquire this”, i.e. the first letters of “acquire” and “this”) followed by TACHE (i.e. “hirsute growth”, short for moustache).
- Republican with cash in Limpopo (4)
Answer: RAND (i.e. “cash in Limpopo”, a province of South Africa). Solution is R (a recognised abbreviation of “Republican”) followed by AND (i.e. “with”).
- Dry American conspirator (6)
Answer: BRUTUS (i.e. “conspirator” against Julius Caesar). Solution is BRUT (i.e. unsweetened or “dry” wine) followed by US (i.e. “American”).
- Disheartened after new heater damaged pottery (11)
Answer: EARTHENWARE (i.e. “pottery”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “damaged”) of AR (i.e. “disheartened after”, i.e. the word “after” with all its middle letters removed) and NEW HEATER.
Down clues
- Downy plant principally cultivated where money is made (7)
Answer: CATMINT (i.e. “downy plant”). Solution is C (i.e. “principally cultivated”, i.e. the first letter of “cultivated”) followed by AT MINT (i.e. “where money is made”).
- In the club collecting gold? It makes you spit! (11)
Answer: EXPECTORANT (i.e. “it makes you spit”). Solution is EXPECTANT (i.e. pregnant or “in the club”) wrapped around or “collecting” OR (i.e. “gold” in heraldry), like so: EXPECT(OR)ANT.
- Scowl, initially feeling narked about argument (5)
Answer: FROWN (i.e. “scowl”). Solution is F and N (i.e. “initially feeling narked”, i.e. the first letters of “feeling” and “narked”) wrapped “about” ROW (i.e. “argument”), like so: F(ROW)N.
- A fluttery type, Miss London SE5? (10,6)
Answer: CAMBERWELL BEAUTY (a butterfly or “a fluttery type”). Solution also playfully satisfies “Miss London SE5”, being the postcode area of CAMBERWELL.
- Thrilling, going out without chaperone at first (8)
Answer: EXCITING (i.e. “thrilling”). Solution is EXITING (i.e. “going out”) wrapped around or placed “without” C (i.e. “chaperone at first”, i.e. the first letter of “chaperone”), like so: EX(C)ITING.
- American anemone maybe little daughter found under seamstress’s cap (11)
Answer: THIMBLEWEED (i.e. “American anemone”). Solution is WEE (i.e. “little”) and D (a recognised abbreviation of “daughter”) both placed after or “under” – this being a down clue – THIMBLE (i.e. “seamstress’s cap”), like so: THIMBLE-(WEE-D).
- Kid moved from side to side when speaking (5)
Answer: SUEDE (i.e. “kid”, short for kidskin). Solution is a homophone (indicated by “when speaking”) of SWAYED (i.e. “moved from side to side”).
- A bird struggling with icy squall – like oystercatcher, for example (14)
Answer: QUADRISYLLABIC (i.e. “like oystercatcher, for example” – other four-syllabled words are available). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “struggling”) of A BIRD and ICY SQUALL.
- Take in this person’s sacred writings, forking out pounds (6)
Answer: IMBIBE (i.e. “take in”). Solution is I’M (i.e. “this person’s”, taken to be a shortened form of “this person is” or I AM) followed by BIBLE (i.e. “sacred writings”) once the L has been removed (indicated by “forking out pounds”, L being a recognised abbreviation of a pound weight or a pound sterling, both derived from the Latin libra), like so: I’M-BIBE.
- Chap welcoming male faculty head, like a man of principle? (11)
Answer: ARCHIMEDEAN (i.e. “like a man of principle”, Archimedes’ principle being “that a body weighed when immersed wholly or partly in a fluid shows a loss of weight equal to the weight of fluid it displaces” (Chambers)). Solution is ARCHIE (i.e. “chap’s” name) wrapped around or “welcoming” M (a recognised abbreviation of “male”) and followed by DEAN (i.e. “faculty head”), like so: ARCHI(M)E-DEAN.
- Yellow mineral used in two-fifths of happy ceremonies (7)
Answer: PYRITES (i.e. “yellow mineral”). Solution is PY (i.e. “two-fifths of happy”, specifically the last two-fifths) followed by RITES (i.e. “ceremonies”).
- Rebellious Greek character can finally woo you and me (8)
Answer: MUTINOUS (i.e. “rebellious”). Solution is MU (i.e. “Greek character”, specifically the thirteenth letter of the Greek alphabet) followed by TIN (i.e. “can”), then O (i.e. “finally woo”, i.e. the last letter of “woo”) and US (i.e. “you and me”).
- Material from Welsh river consumed going north (7)
Answer: TAFFETA (i.e. “material”). Solution is TAFF (i.e. “Welsh river”) followed by ATE (i.e. “consumed”) once reversed (indicated by “going north” – this being a down clue), like so: TAFF-ETA.
- Stop at sea and tell tales? (3,2)
Answer: LIE TO. Solution satisfies “stop at sea” and “tell tales”.
- Sort itself out? The rivers Welland and Nene do it (4,3,2,3,4)
Answer: COME OUT IN THE WASH. Solution satisfies “sort itself out” and “the rivers Welland and Nene do it”.
- Like some Greek odes thus entertaining husband with download (7)
Answer: SAPPHIC (i.e. “like some Greek odes”). Solution is SIC (i.e. Latin for “thus”) wrapped around or “entertaining” H (a recognised abbreviation of “husband”) once placed after or “with” APP (i.e. a “download”), like so: S(APP-H)IC.
- Duck run into by old two-wheeled vehicle (7)
Answer: SCOOTER (i.e. “two-wheeled vehicle”). Solution is SCOTER (i.e. a northern sea “duck”) wrapped around or “run into by” O (a recognised abbreviation of “old”), like so: SC(O)OTER.
- Perform with hesitation, disturbing one scientist or another (14)
Answer: BACTERIOLOGIST (i.e. “another [scientist]”). Solution is ACT (i.e. “perform”) and ER (i.e. a sound of “hesitation”) both placed in or “disturbing” BIOLOGIST (i.e. “scientist”), like so: B(ACT-ER)IOLOGIST.
- Save money at first – help girl that pulls pints (7)
Answer: BARMAID (i.e. “girl that pulls pints”). Solution is BAR (i.e. except or “save” for) followed by M (i.e. “money at first”, i.e. the first letter of “money”) and AID (i.e. “help”).
- Investigation into axeman rampaging around island (11)
Answer: EXAMINATION (i.e. “investigation”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “rampaging”) of INTO AXEMAN wrapped “around” I (a recognised abbreviation of “island”), like so: EXAM(I)NATION.
- Put forward ideas originally received in mail (5)
Answer: POSIT (i.e. “put forward”). Solution is I (i.e. “ideas originally”, i.e. the first letter of “ideas”) placed or “received in” POST (i.e. “mail”), like so: POS(I)T.
- Old detector of tremors Moses copies ineptly (11)
Answer: SIESMOSCOPE (i.e. “old detector of tremors”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “ineptly”) of MOSES COPIES.
- Get up a chart cracking up latex-derived substance (5-6)
Answer: GUTTA-PERCHA (i.e. “latex-derived substance”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “cracking up”) of GET UP A CHART. Another remembered from its previous Jumbo appearance.
- A very quiet cricket ground securing king’s favour (8)
Answer: APPROVAL (i.e. “favour”). Solution is A, PP (i.e. “very quiet”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of pianissimo in musical lingo) and OVAL (i.e. “cricket ground” in London) all wrapped around or “securing” R (a recognised abbreviation of “king”, short for the Latin Rex).
- Ancestor’s warning over plantigrade mammal (8)
Answer: FOREBEAR (i.e. “ancestor”). Solution is FORE (i.e. “warning” shout in golf) followed by BEAR (i.e. “plantigrade animal” – plantigrade denotes something that walks fully on the soles of its feet). The solution was relatively easy but, come on, setter, did you really think we’d make the leap from “plantigrade mammal” to BEAR? Or did you just want to show off a bit? Be honest now.
- Captain’s second course at breakfast, perhaps? (7)
Answer: SKIPPER (i.e. “captain”). Solution is S (a recognised abbreviation of a “second”) followed by KIPPER (i.e. “course at breakfast, perhaps”).
- Stern Liberal leaving Ulster, in paper regularly (7)
Answer: AUSTERE (i.e. “stern”). Solution is ULSTER with the L removed (indicated by “Liberal leaving…” – L being a recognised abbreviation thereof) and the remainder placed “in” AE (i.e. “paper regularly”, i.e. every other letter of PAPER), like so: A(USTER)E.
- Rush about centre of Leeds in motorised vehicle (6)
Answer: CAREER (i.e. “rush”). Solution is RE (i.e. “about” or regarding – think email replies again) and E (i.e. “centre [letter] of Leeds”) both placed “in” CAR (i.e. “motorised vehicle”), like so: CA(RE-E)R.
- Thanks old man originally supplying savoury snacks (5)
Answer: TAPAS (i.e. small dishes or “savoury snacks”). Solution is TA (i.e. “thanks”) followed by PA (i.e. “old man”, both informal references to one’s father) and S (i.e. “originally supplying”, i.e. the first letter of “supplying”).
- Glossy fabric used by dressmakers at Inverness (5)
Answer: SATIN (i.e. “glossy fabric”). “Used by” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, like so: DRESSMAKER(S AT IN)VERNESS.
Lucian Poll's Web Ramblings 
Thanks for keeping your posts going Lucian. It is appreciated. Would you prefer that we don’t write formally to The Times, to complain about their stance?
Puzzle was reasonable. The big 8d anagram Quadrisyllabic slowed me down, and as usual, you’ve helped me understand
1. I hadn’t spotted the Shakey ref Bottom in 43a
2. Didn’t spot the duck in 27d
Cheers
Graham
Have just dragged out the completed grid. My comment at the time read, “Overall, nothing hard or clever, but enjoyable nevertheless”. I confess (re: 4d) not to have heard of a “Camberwell Beauty” before. Years ago, I lived not far from there. No beauties at all as far as I can remember! (Ahem!).
Lucian, one possible way of avoiding this annoying delay to your solutions would be to make your website login only. All of us existing crossword nerds could register and, so long as you made the home page findable, with instructions as to how to register, others could register as well. Essentially a private club to those who registere.
For my sins, I have built and maintain a couple of WordPress websites and therefore think this could be doable, but it may be more hassle than you fancy undertaking.
Thanks for your work as ever. Nicely constructed puzzle which didn’t leave me room for error. Nice to complete one correctly.
We thought this one was straightforward but good!
Although: 37A (“37. Increased entitlement – honest! (7)”) can be satisfied by UPFRONT too…? Where entitlement is front. As in having a front; an impudent sense of arrogant entitlement in one of the many senses of the word…
Unusual in that I see that I didn’t leave any marks indicating doubt about the parsing or the probity of the clue. Also only one jumble of letters to unpick an anagram (TASTELESSNESS).
Must have been pretty straightforward.
Thanks for soldiering on
Thanks Lucian. I agree with you about the over-reliance on names. I’m no fan of this type of clue, because (like deletion clues where we have to subtract something from a word which doesn’t even appear in the clue) it’s almost impossible to solve just from the wordplay. But using first and/or last letters of words in the clue is infinitely preferable to deletion clues, because we do at least have a fighting chance of solving them without recourse to a thesaurus!
Take care, and stay safe. SB