Another late one, I’m afraid. It seems weekdays and Jumbos aren’t mixing very well. I can’t remember too much about this one, if I’m honest, other than waving a middle finger long and hard at 47a. That said, we’ve certainly had worse.
Now that the competition deadline has long since 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 given you the bum’s rush then you might find succour in my Just For Fun page, where you’ll find links to solutions for hundreds of the things.
Thanks again for your patience and input. Till next time, stay safe out there kids.
LP
Across clues
- Dangerous reptile flusters hack regularly visiting north-east (11)
Answer: RATTLESNAKE (i.e. “dangerous reptile”). Solution is RATTLES (i.e. “flusters”) followed by AK (i.e. “hack regularly”, i.e. every other letter of HACK) once placed in or “visiting” NE (a recognised abbreviation of “north-east”), like so: RATTLES-N(AK)E.
- Old friend talked of spirit’s shimmering effect (11)
Answer: OPALESCENCE (i.e. “shimmering effect”). Solution is O (a recognised abbreviation of “old”) followed by PAL (i.e. “friend”) and a homophone (indicated by “talked of”) of ESSENCE (i.e. “spirit”), like so: O-PAL-ESCENCE.
- Last of kids shut up, being exhausted! (5)
Answer: SPENT (i.e. “exhausted”). Solution is S (i.e. “last [letter] of kids”) followed by PENT (i.e. “shut up” inside).
- Limited object the French authorise (7)
Answer: ENTITLE (i.e. “authorise”). Solution is ENTITY (i.e. an “object”) with its last letter removed (indicated by “limited”) and the remainder followed by LE (i.e. “the French”, i.e. the French for “the”), like so: ENTIT-LE.
- Month a boxer initially talked about a liquid measure (9)
Answer: DECALITRE (i.e. “liquid measure” – interesting after KILOLITRE last week). Solution is DEC (i.e. “month”, short for December) followed by Muhammad ALI (i.e. “a boxer”), then T (i.e. “initially talked”, i.e. the first letter of “talked”) and RE (i.e. “about” or regarding – think email replies).
- Interplanetary craft ultimately needs steps with it (9)
Answer: SPACESHIP (i.e. “interplanetary craft”). Solution is S (i.e. “ultimately needs”, i.e. the last letter of “needs”) followed by PACES (i.e. “steps”) and HIP (i.e. trendy or “with it”).
- A singular type intended to dispose of a potpourri (10)
Answer: ASSORTMENT (i.e. “potpourri”). Solution is A followed by S (a recognised abbreviation of “singular”), then SORT (i.e. “type”) and MEANT (i.e. “intended”) once the A has been removed (indicated by “to dispose of a”), like so: A-S-SORT-MENT.
- Vicious dog accompanying a Republican judge (7)
Answer: ARBITER (i.e. “judge”). Solution is BITER (i.e. “vicious dog”) placed after or “accompanying” A and R (a recognised abbreviation of “Republican”), like so: (A-R)-BITER.
- Extremely popular breezy-sounding plain (7)
Answer: PRAIRIE (i.e. “plain”). Solution is PR (i.e. “extremely popular”, i.e. the first and last letters of “popular”) followed by a homophone (indicated by “sounding”) of AIRY (i.e. “breezy”), like so: PR-AIRIE.
- A newlywed taking in garments at first to shorten (7)
Answer: ABRIDGE (i.e. “to shorten”). Solution is A followed by BRIDE (i.e. “newlywed”) once wrapped around or “taking in” G (i.e. “garments at first”, i.e. the first letter of “garments”), like so: A-BRID(G)E.
- Trio mostly raving originally about sick suspense story (8)
Answer: THRILLER (i.e. “suspense story”). Solution is THREE (i.e. “trio”) with its last letter removed (indicated by “mostly”) and the remainder followed by R (i.e. “raving originally”, i.e. the first letter of “raving”). This is all then wrapped “about” ILL (i.e. “sick”), like so: THR(ILL)E-R.
- Disclose how age impaired a futile mission (4-5,5)
Answer: WILD-GOOSE CHASE (i.e. “futile mission”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “impaired”) of DISCLOSE HOW AGE.
- Muslim’s legal expert’s everyday clothing (5)
Answer: MUFTI. Solution satisfies “Muslim’s legal expert” and “everyday clothing”.
- Unusually nasty adverse mark for use of language (6)
Answer: SYNTAX (i.e. “use of language”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “unusually”) of NASTY followed by X (i.e. a cross or “adverse mark”), like so: SYNTA-X.
- Hardy character’s suitor carrying light by day (10)
Answer: WOODLANDER (i.e. “Hardy character”, referring to Thomas Hardy’s novel The Woodlanders). Solution is WOOER (i.e. “suitor”) wrapped around or “carrying” LAND (i.e. to “light” upon) once first placed after or “by” D (a recognised abbreviation of “day”), like so: WOO(D-LAND)ER.
- Silver-haired poet picked up top journalist (10)
Answer: GREYHEADED (i.e. “silver-haired”). Solution is a homophone (indicated by “picked up”) of Thomas GRAY (i.e. 18th century English “poet”) followed by HEAD (i.e. “top”) and ED (i.e. “journalist”, short for editor), like so: GREY-HEAD-ED.
- Reduce size of quiet skating venue (6)
Answer: SHRINK (i.e. “reduce size of”). Solution is SH (i.e. “quiet”) followed by RINK (i.e. “skating venue”).
- Book miners one found outside a hotel (5)
Answer: NAHUM (i.e. “book” of the Old Testament of The Bible). Solution is NUM (i.e. “miners”, specifically the National Union of Miners) wrapped around or placed “outside” of A and H (i.e. “hotel” in the phonetic alphabet), like so: N(A-H)UM.
- Scallywag taking photograph of one applying lash? (14)
Answer: WHIPPERSNAPPER (i.e. “scallywag”). When written as WHIPPER SNAPPER the solution also playfully satisfies someone “taking photograph of one applying lash”.
- Clear first of plants I culled ineptly (8)
Answer: PELLUCID (i.e. perfectly “clear”). Solution is P (i.e. “first [letter] of plants”) followed by an anagram (indicated by “ineptly”) of I CULLED, like so: P-ELLUCID.
- Obstruction set back lead communications satellite (7)
Answer: TELSTAR (i.e. “communications satellite”). Solution is LET (i.e. archaic word for “obstruction” we’ve seen a couple of times now in Jumbos) reversed (indicated by “set back”) and followed by STAR (i.e. “lead” actor, say), like so: TEL-STAR.
- Heavyweight introducing a posh car cover (7)
Answer: TONNEAU (i.e. detachable “car cover” protecting the rear seats of an open-top car). Solution is TONNE (i.e. “heavyweight”) followed by A and U (i.e. “posh”, a recognised abbreviation of the upper classes).
- Giant, one primarily attending a fairy queen (7)
Answer: TITANIA (i.e. “a fairy queen” of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream). Solution is TITAN (i.e. “giant”) followed by I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”) and A (i.e. “primarily attending”, i.e. the first letter of “attending”).
- A risk-free time to gather over a woman’s bitter resin (10)
Answer: ASAFOETIDA (i.e. a foul-smelling “bitter resin” apparently used in Indian cooking. And here was me thinking Indian food was rather tasty!) Solution is A, SAFE (i.e. “risk-free”) and T (a recognised abbreviation of “time”) all wrapped around or “gathering” O (a recognised abbreviation of “over” used in cricket). This is all then followed by IDA (i.e. a “woman’s” name), like so: (A-SAF(O)E-T)-IDA. I can almost sense the setter regretting putting this one in the grid the moment they realised they had to write a clue for it. I mean, just look at the phrasing. What a garbled mess. What does any of it mean? It almost made me wish for an anagram. (Almost.) It smacks of a clue that has been rewritten and revised again and again, panel-beaten and eventually shoehorned into some semblance of English. All that effort spent for me to simply open up my Bradford’s, find the solution and say to myself, “what a load of made-to-fit shite”. I hope you felt it was worth it, setter!
- Fails with extreme difficulty: a nasty shock! (9)
Answer: BOMBSHELL (i.e. “a nasty shock”). Solution is BOMBS (i.e. “fails”) followed by HELL (i.e. “extreme difficulty”).
- Dancer in male crew carrying flag (6,3)
Answer: MORRIS MAN (i.e. “dancer”). Solution is M (a recognised abbreviation of “male”) and MAN (i.e. to “crew” a ship) all wrapped around or “carrying” ORRIS (i.e. “flag”, one of its variant definitions being an iris), like so: M-(ORRIS)-MAN.
- Tearjerker holding sanctimonious view (7)
Answer: OPINION (i.e. “view”). Solution is ONION (i.e. “tearjerker”, or at least if you cut into one) wrapped around or “holding” PI (i.e. “sanctimonious”, short for pious), like so: O(PI)NION. Fun fact: if you still have the Saturday Review supplement to hand for Jumbo 1667 you can turn back a page and see this solution in the exact same place in the grid as it was back in Jumbo 1664. And with virtually the same clue too. Coincidence? Maybe. (Looks disdainfully to the camera.)
- Source of beam installed in Agricola’s era (5)
Answer: LASER (i.e. “source of beam”). “Installed in” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, like so: AGRICO(LA’S ER)A.
- Chap tucking into fleshy fruit is primarily manifesting piggishness (11)
Answer: GOURMANDISM (i.e. “piggishness”). Solution is MAN (i.e. “chap”) placed or “tucked into” GOURD (i.e. “fleshy fruit”) and followed by IS, then M (i.e. “primarily manifesting”, i.e. the first letter of “manifesting”), like so: GOUR(MAN)D-IS-M.
- Police force info mother receives right by Canadian lake (11)
Answer: GENDARMERIE (i.e. “police force” in French France, the ones that don’t eff about). Solution is GEN (i.e. “info”) followed by DAM (i.e. “mother” – we’ve seen this in a few Jumbos now, a variant meaning of DAM is “a mother, usually of cattle, horses, etc” (Chambers)) once wrapped around or “receiving” R (a recognised abbreviation of “right”). This is all then followed by ERIE (i.e. “Canadian lake”, one of the Great ones), like so: GEN-DA(R)M-ERIE.
Down clues
- Defiant chap entering further exam (9)
Answer: RESISTANT (i.e. “defiant”). Solution is STAN (i.e. “chap’s” name) placed in or “entering” RESIT (i.e. “further exam”), like so: RESI(STAN)T.
- European citizen making cuts in opera? (3,6,2,7)
Answer: THE BARBER OF SEVILLE (i.e. “opera” by Gioachino Rossini). Solution also satisfies the rest of the clue, given BARBERs administer hair “cuts” and SEVILLE being a Spanish or “European” city.
- Turner’s device Henry invested in tardily (5)
Answer: LATHE (i.e. “turner’s device”). Solution is H (a recognised abbreviation of “Henry”, a measurement of inductance) placed or “invested in” LATE (i.e. “tardily”), like so: LAT(H)E.
- He’s pressed hard, surprisingly, to find an animal minder (11)
Answer: SHEPHERDESS (i.e. “animal minder”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “surprisingly”) of HE’S PRESSED and H (a recognised abbreviation of “hard” used in grading pencils).
- Rival church leader’s hint in article? Not at all (8)
Answer: ANTIPOPE (i.e. “rival church leader” – over to Chambers again: “a pontiff set up in opposition to one asserted to be canonically chosen, e.g. one of those who resided at Avignon in the 13C and 14C”). Solution is TIP (i.e. “hint”) placed “in” between A (i.e. “article”, being a word like a, an or the) and NOPE (i.e. “not at all”), like so: A-N(TIP)OPE.
- Additional time welcomed by girl left outside union (12)
Answer: EXTRAMARITAL (i.e. “outside union”, taking “union” to mean a marriage). Solution is EXTRA (i.e. “additional”) and T (a recognised abbreviation of “time”) once the latter has been placed in or “welcomed by” MARIA (i.e. “girl’s” name). This is all then followed by L (a recognised abbreviation of “left”), like so: EXTRA-MARI(T)A-L.
- Walk across street, supporting deliveries on cycle, perhaps? (10)
Answer: OVERSTRIDE (i.e. “walk across”). Solution is ST (a recognised abbreviation of “street”) placed after or “supporting” – this being a down clue – OVER (i.e. a series of “deliveries” in cricket). This is all then followed by RIDE (i.e. “cycle, perhaps” – other rides are available. Scooters, mainly, in Norwich. Loads of the buggers), like so: (OVER-ST)-RIDE.
- Tree some vandal deracinated (5)
Answer: ALDER (i.e. “tree”). “Some” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, like so: VAND(AL DER)ACINATED.
- Soldier in outskirts of Epsom, overtaken and surrounded (11)
Answer: ENCOMPASSED (i.e. “surrounded”). Solution is NCO (i.e. “solider”, specifically a Non-Commissioned Officer) placed “in” EM (i.e. “outskirts of Epsom”, i.e. the first and last letters of “Epsom”). This is all then followed by PASSED (i.e. “overtaken”), like so: E(NCO)M-PASSED.
- Dry clinic oddly shaped like a tube (9)
Answer: CYLINDRIC (i.e. “shaped like a tube”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “oddly”) of DRY CLINIC.
- Memo causing upset to college (4)
Answer: NOTE (i.e. “memo”). Solution is ETON (i.e. “college”) reversed (indicated by “upset” – this being a down clue).
- Seamstress beheaded in jug? (4)
Answer: EWER (i.e. “jug”). Solution is SEWER (i.e. “seamstress”) with its first letter removed (indicated by “beheaded”).
- Old king’s turbulent son faced sword there (6,3,9)
Answer: EDWARD THE CONFESSOR (i.e. “old king” of England). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “turbulent”) of SON FACED SWORD THERE.
- Cable English member absorbed in public vehicle (8)
Answer: TELEGRAM (i.e. “cable”). Solution is E (a recognised abbreviation of “English”) and LEG (i.e. “member” or extremity) both placed or “absorbed in” TRAM (i.e. “public vehicle”), like so: T(E-LEG)RAM.
- Fairly lofty Tudor composer overcoming height (7)
Answer: TALLISH (i.e. “fairly lofty”). Solution is Thomas TALLIS (i.e. “Tudor composer”) followed by H (a recognised abbreviation of “height”).
- Cheap informal English comedian entertaining small number (8)
Answer: ECONOMIC (i.e. “cheap”). Solution is E (a recognised abbreviation of “English” again) followed by COMIC (i.e. “comedian”) once wrapped around or “entertaining” NO (i.e. “small number”, i.e. a recognised abbreviation of “number”), like so: E-CO(NO)MIC.
- Hospital doctor principally employing this form of communication (8)
Answer: INTERNET (i.e. “form of communication”). Solution is INTERN (i.e. “hospital doctor”) followed by E and T (i.e. “principally employing this”, i.e. the first letters of “employing” and “this”).
- Note gun covering Tyler’s power unit (8)
Answer: MEGAWATT (i.e. “power unit”). Solution is ME (i.e. “note” of the sol-fa scale) followed by GAT (slang for a “gun”) once wrapped around or “covering” WAT (i.e. “Tyler”, leader of the Peasant’s Revolt in 1381. Spoiler alert: it didn’t end well for him), like so: ME-GA(WAT)T.
- Ring and cancel film (7)
Answer: ANNULET (i.e. “ring”). Solution is ANNUL (i.e. “cancel”) followed by ET (i.e. “film”, specifically ET: The Extra-Terrestrial).
- Stingy governor in church, economical about energy (12)
Answer: CHEESEPARING (i.e. “stingy”). Solution is HE (i.e. “governor”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of His Excellency if obsequiousness is your thing) placed “in” CE (i.e. “church”, specifically the Church of England) and followed by SPARING (i.e. “economical”) once this itself has been wrapped “about” E (a recognised abbreviation of “energy”), like so: C(HE)E-S(E)PARING. Another recent repeat.
- Broadcast by artisans dismissing first of such personnel (11)
Answer: AIRCRAFTMEN (i.e. military “personnel”). Solution is AIR (i.e. to “broadcast”) followed by CRAFTSMEN (i.e. “artisans”) once the S (i.e. “first [letter] of such”) has been removed or “dismissed”, like so: AIR-CRAFTMEN.
- Urge to take Liberal inside preserved Arab area (11)
Answer: KLEPTOMANIA (i.e. “urge to take”). Solution is L (a recognised abbreviation of “Liberal”) placed “inside” KEPT (i.e. “preserved”) and followed by OMANI (i.e. an “Arab”) and A (a recognised abbreviation of “area”), like so: K(L)EPT-OMANI-A.
- Like some aquatic animals oddly imposing for one I ignored (10)
Answer: SPONGIFORM (i.e. “like some aquatic animals”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “oddly”) of IMPOSING FOR once “one I” has been removed or “ignored”.
- Reactive element is a must, somehow, under river (9)
Answer: POTASSIUM (i.e. “reactive element”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “somehow”) of IS A MUST placed after or “under” – this being a down clue – PO (i.e. a “river” in Italy), like so: PO-TASSIUM.
- Girl with capacity to contain anger over mischief (9)
Answer: DIABLERIE (i.e. “mischief”). Solution is DI (i.e. “girl’s” name) followed by ABLE (i.e. “capability”) once wrapped around or “containing” IRE (i.e. “anger”) once reversed (indicated by “over”), like so: DI-ABL(ERI)E.
- Copper – married man from Kendal, say (8)
Answer: CUMBRIAN (i.e. “from Kendal, say”). Solution is CU (chemical symbol of “copper”) followed by M (a recognised abbreviation of “married”) and BRIAN (i.e. “man’s” name).
- Boredom initially encompassing Greek character in part of UK (5)
Answer: ENNUI (i.e. “boredom”). Solution is E (i.e. “initially encompassing”) followed by NU (i.e. “Greek character”, specifically the thirteenth letter of the Greek alphabet) once placed “in” NI (i.e. “part of UK”, specifically Northern Ireland), like so: E-N(NU)I.
- Sergeant major swigging beer in US state capital (5)
Answer: SALEM (i.e. “US state capital” of Massachusetts). Solution is SM (a recognised abbreviation of “sergeant major”) wrapped around or “swigging” ALE (i.e. “beer”), like so: S(ALE)M.
- Polluted atmosphere originally stifling cat (4)
Answer: SMOG (i.e. “polluted atmosphere”). Solution is S (i.e. “originally stifling”, i.e. the first letter of “stifling”) followed by MOG (slang for a “cat”).
- Trickster chucks out daughter, one married in Bonn, perhaps (4)
Answer: FRAU (i.e. “one married in Bonn, perhaps”, i.e. the German for “wife”). Solution is FRAUD (i.e. “trickster”) once the D has been removed (indicated by “chucks out daughter” – D being a recognised abbreviation of “daughter”).
Lucian Poll's Web Ramblings 
Fairly straight forward, with decent clues. I enjoyed solving it. Thanks for your parsing. I admit that I cannot always be bothered (parsing) when the answer is obvious, based on the intersecting clues.
Guessed WOODLANDER was a Hardy character.
Still keep forgetting the BOXER/ALI trope.
Have ASAFOETIDA in the cupboard although can’t remember why.
Nice honest puzzle
Thanks
Agree it was pushing things a bit to imagine any circumstances (47a) in which one might “gather over a woman’s bitter resin” – or even conceive what on earth this might mean. But the memsahib knew the item in question – and it could fairly easily be worked out from the (albeit meaningless) clue.
But many other good ones, I thought. Finished it on the Monday watching the Notts v Essex match about which I was supposedly writing. Happily I finished the Jumbo before the home collapse developed. Perhaps some of the batters were still puzzling over the solutions even as Sam Cook swept them aside.
i think I was watching Surrey-Lancs (or, given that the baseball has forced county cricket into the cold and wet margins), I was hoping for some play, so antiPOPE seemed appropriate .
i didn’t mind Asafoetida as I regularly cook with it so got it straight away. A mostly enjoyable puzzle.
Ta, as always, to Lucian
I thought this was a good one too. I do echo the thoughts about the clue for Asafoetida though I did knew it from use in cooking - more in theory than practice, like Dr John as I don’t remember it as a great culinary success.
Thanks for the parsing details as always- I feel I haven’t really done the puzzle if I haven’t twigged that!
Is it too much of a cheek to throw in a request for help – from anyone- in understanding an answer in an old Jumbo that I was doing in between the current crop? It’s 54a in No 38 in Book 4, from 1998 I think. ‘It’s novel making a body land onto mat! (5,3,2,1,4)’ and the answer is ’Three Men in a Boat’. Perhaps I just need to read the book again….Understand if you feel that’s stretching the point of your blog too far to publish, but it was a Times Jumbo, and I think it’s earlier than your ‘Just for Fun ‘pages.
Hi Jenifer, re: your question, it’s because you have three men’s names hidden in between the letters of ‘BOAT’ within the clue, like so: BO(DYLAN-DON-TOM)AT. Cheers! – LP
Thanks Lucian. I rather like that. If I were old enough for ITMA or young enough for the Simpsons, I think I’d say ‘D’Oh!’
Jenifer
We liked this one too! Not too difficult, and a good selection of well-constructed clues. OK we had to look up Asafoetida but it wasn’t the constant dictionary-hunt we sometimes get.
By the way, Salem is the state capital of Oregon. (We visited Salem, Massachusetts recently and can recommend it!)
Also by the way, maybe the setters should visit the cinema more often, to see something other than ET?
I thought this was fairly medium strength and largely pretty good – although I sympathise with you about ASOEFETIDA (unless one is really into say Indian cooking this is a very obscure stinker – pun intended)…
… and I also gave a couple of yellow cards:
45A TONNEAU – this is a compartment; the cover is a ‘tonneau cover’! Although – and this is why the setter gets only yellow rather than red – this mistake is now widespread enough that the wrong definition is in the dictionary 🤷♂️
53A MORRIS MEN – an annoying leap-(way-)too-far error: the clueing demands that from ‘flag’ we get ‘orris’ but a flag iris is NOT the same as an orris (iris) or the iris species from which one gets orris root – different species!