A relatively straightforward Jumbo for a soggy Saturday afternoon. I don’t mind that. (The Jumbo, not the soggy afternoon.) Shame there were a few too many repeats, but I think we’ve established now that these are par for the course. A good number of well-written clues made 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 the slip 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): 11.7%

Across clues

1. Fanatical skipper in a cap and hat cavorting with sailor (7,4)

Answer: CAPTAIN AHAB (i.e. “fanatical skipper” of Herman Melville’s novel Moby Dick). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “cavorting”) of IN A CAP and HAT followed by AB (i.e. “sailor” of Able-Bodied rank), like so: CAPTAINAH-AB.

7. What makes the daily grind when pausing the daily grind? (6,5)

Answer: COFFEE BREAK. Clue plays on COFFEE “grinders” and the solution being a “pause” or BREAK in a working day or “daily grind”. You get the idea.

13. Secretary passes translation around (8,9)

Answer: PERSONAL ASSISTANT (i.e. “secretary”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “around”) of PASSES TRANSLATION.

14. Relative temperature finally seen in November frost (5)

Answer: NIECE (i.e. “relative”). Solution is E (i.e. “temperature finally”, i.e. the last letter of “temperature”) placed “in” N (“November” in the phonetic alphabet) and ICE (i.e. “frost”), like so: N-I(E)CE. Appeared in grid 1590 back in December, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

15. Alternatively, a revolutionary alternative to spinach (6)

Answer: ORACHE (i.e. “alternative to spinach”). Solution is OR (i.e. “alternatively”) followed by A and CHE Guevara (i.e. “revolutionary”).

16. Change parts of shell (8)

Answer: SHRAPNEL. Solution satisfies a slang word for pocket “change” and “parts of [ammunition] shell”.

17. Picture Thrace, fed by this canal transporting water (7)

Answer: URETHRA (i.e. anatomical “canal transporting water”). “Fed by this” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, like so: PICT(URE THRA)CE.

19. Unbiased, the setter’s quite keen (9)

Answer: IMPARTIAL (i.e. “unbiased”). When written as I’M PARTIAL the solution also satisfies “the setter’s quite keen” from the point of view of the setter. Appeared in grid 1599 in February, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

21. Plain speaking in French we hear: “Everything OK?” “No” (8)

Answer: SAVANNAH (i.e. a “plain”). “We hear” indicates the solution comprises homophones of ÇA VA (i.e. “in French…: ‘Everything OK?’”) and NAH (i.e. “no”), like so: SAVA-NNAH

23. Weep when moving new joint in the leg (4)

Answer: KNEE (i.e. “joint in the leg”). Solution is KEEN (i.e. “weep”) with the N (a recognised abbreviation of “new”) “moved” like so: KEE(N) => K(N)EE.

25. Inuit boat unaffected by rolling over (5)

Answer: KAYAK (i.e. “Inuit boat”). “Unaffected by rolling over” plays on how the solution is a palindrome.

27. Walking over northern base (2,4)

Answer: ON FOOT (i.e. “walking”). Solution is O (a recognised abbreviation of “over” used in cricket) followed by N (a recognised abbreviation of “northern”) and FOOT (i.e. the “base” of something).

28. Shabby treatment given to rather bad European (10)

Answer: THREADBARE (i.e. “shabby”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “treatment given to”) of RATHER BAD followed by E (a recognised abbreviation of “European”), like so: THREADBAR-E.

30. Ring laced around roughly 25mm piece of meat (4,4)

Answer: LOIN CHOP (i.e. “piece of meat”). Solution is LOOP (i.e. “ring”) wrapped “around” INCH (i.e. “roughly 25mm”), like so: LO(INCH)OP.

31. Blond fop in Soho converted an important man of the cloth (6,2,6)

Answer: BISHOP OF LONDON (i.e. “an important man of the cloth”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “converted”) of BLOND FOP IN SOHO.

34. Turkey might need this as currency bear runs riot (9,5)

Answer: CRANBERRY SAUCE (i.e. “turkey might need this”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “runs riot”) of AS CURRENCY BEAR.

35. Tease and tear into joint of beef (3-5)

Answer: RIB-ROAST (i.e. “joint of beef”). Solution is RIB (i.e. “tease”) followed by ROAST (i.e. “tear into”).

38. Christmas greetings message sent round that hurts playwright (4,6)

Answer: NOEL COWARD (i.e. “playwright”). Solution is NOEL (i.e. “Christmas”) and CARD (i.e. “greetings message”) wrapped “round” OW (i.e. “that hurts”), like so: NOEL-C(OW)ARD.

40. Crone hiding topper oddly where topper might be found (6)

Answer: HATPEG (i.e. “where topper might be found”). Solution is HAG (i.e. “crone”) wrapped around or “hiding” TPE (i.e. “topper oddly”, i.e. every other letter of TOPPER), like so: HA(TPE)G.

41. German with initially really enormous joint (5)

Answer: MITRE (i.e. a “joint” forming a right-angle using two pieces cut at a 45° angle). Solution is MIT (i.e. “German with”, i.e. the German for “with”) followed by R and E (i.e. “initially really enormous”, i.e. the first letters of “really” and “enormous”).

43. United featured in rubbish, heavy defeat (4)

Answer: ROUT (i.e. “heavy defeat”). Solution is U (a recognised abbreviation of “united”) placed or “featured in” ROT (i.e. “rubbish”), like so: RO(U)T.

44. Retired celebrity entertains Russian in the capital (8)

Answer: BRUSSELS (i.e. “capital” of Belgium). Solution is SLEB (slang for a “celebrity”) reversed (indicated by “retired”) and wrapped around or “entertaining” RUSS (a recognised abbreviation of “Russian”), like so B(RUSS)ELS.

45. One millimetre units of measurement the Spanish ultimately employ hugely (9)

Answer: IMMENSELY (i.e. “hugely”). Solution is I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”) followed by MM (a recognised abbreviation of “millimetre”), then ENS (i.e. “units of measurement” – an EN is a space half the width of an ‘m’ character used in printing), then EL (i.e. “the Spanish”, i.e. the Spanish for “the”) and Y (i.e. “ultimately employ”, i.e. the last letter of “employ”). IMMENSE appeared in grid 1595 back in January, also on odd intersecting letters. I’m claiming it, so…

48. Greek character trips the light fantastic, daughter dropping subtle hints (7)

Answer: NUANCES (i.e. “subtle hints”). Solution is NU (i.e. “Greek character”, specifically the thirteenth letter of the Greek alphabet) followed by DANCES (i.e. “trips the light fantastic”) once the D has been removed (indicated by “daughter dropping” – D being a recognised abbreviation of “daughter”), like so: NU-ANCES. NUANCED appeared in grid 1609 back in April, also on odd intersecting letters. Again, I’m claiming it, so…

49. Always fitted in coach the cheapest berths (8)

Answer: STEERAGE (i.e. “the cheapest berths”). Solution is E’ER (poetic form of “always”) placed “in” STAGE (i.e. “coach”), like so: ST(E’ER)AGE.

50. Key universal party once ready for Lisbon? (6)

Answer: ESCUDO (i.e. “once ready for Lisbon”, i.e. the former currency of Portugal – “ready” being a slang word for money). Solution is ESC (i.e. “key” on a computer keyboard, short for Escape) followed by U (i.e. “universal” in film certification) and DO (i.e. “party”).

53. Jones the architect’s blue after losing diamonds (5)

Answer: INIGO (i.e. “Jones the architect”). Solution is INDIGO (i.e. “blue”) with the D removed (indicated by “after losing diamonds”, D being a recognised abbreviation of “diamonds” used in some card games).

54. Ace dad full of energy copies nan sporting a badge of honour (1,7,2,4,3)

Answer: A FEATHER IN ONE’S CAP (i.e. “a badge of honour”). Solution is A (a recognised abbreviation of “ace” on playing cards) followed by FATHER (i.e. “dad”) once wrapped around or being “full of” E (a recognised abbreviation of “energy”). This is then followed by an anagram (indicated by “sporting”) of COPIES NAN, like so: A-F(E)ATHER-INONESCAP.

55. Near Egypt, he messed with technique using DNA (4,7)

Answer: GENE THERAPY (i.e. “technique using DNA”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “messed with”) of NEAR EGYPT HE.

56. Harsh, upper-class rubbish old Republican to whom we say “Bless you!” (11)

Answer: STERNUTATOR (i.e. “to whom we say ‘Bless you!’” – sternutation is the act of sneezing). Solution is STERN (i.e. “harsh”) followed by U (a recognised abbreviation of the “upper-class”), then TAT (i.e. “rubbish”), then O (a recognised abbreviation of “old”) and R (ditto “Republican”).

Down clues

1. Alloy trophy in locker bent out of shape (11)

Answer: CUPRONICKEL (i.e. “alloy”). Solution is CUP (i.e. “trophy”) followed by an anagram (indicated by “bent out of shape”) of IN LOCKER, like so: CUP-RONICKEL.

2. Run into dad and mum somewhere in Emilia Romagna (5)

Answer: PARMA (i.e. “somewhere in Emilia Romagna”, a region of northern Italy). Solution is R (a recognised abbreviation of “run” used in a number of ball games) placed “into” or between PA and MA (i.e. “dad and mum”), like so: PA-(R)-MA.

3. A different answer – different woman (7)

Answer: ANOTHER (i.e. “a different”). Solution is A (a recognised abbreviation of “answer”, as in Q&A) followed by NOT HER (i.e. “different woman”).

4. Tidy amount initially put in after tax deducted (4)

Answer: NEAT (i.e. “tidy”). Solution is A (i.e. “amount initially”, i.e. the first letter of “amount”) placed “in” NET (i.e. “after tax deducted”, sometimes also spelled nett), like so: NE(A)T.

5. Former PM with scar a literary hero? (10)

Answer: HEATHCLIFF (i.e. “literary hero” of Emily Brontë’s novel Wuthering Heights). Solution is Edward HEATH (i.e. “former PM”) followed by CLIFF (i.e. “scar” geographically speaking).

6. Poor Somali husband with yen for a vacation? Hardly! (7,7)

Answer: BUSMAN’S HOLIDAY (i.e. “a vacation? Hardly” – the solution is a holiday spent doing pretty much the same thing as one would do at work. Quite surprised to find Chambers not listing this one). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “poor”) of SOMALI HUSBAND followed by Y (a recognised abbreviation of “yen”, the Japanese currency), like so: BUSMANSHOLIDA-Y.

7. Ladies’ man Staunton occasionally opening the bubbly (8)

Answer: CASANOVA (i.e. “ladies man”). Solution is SANO (i.e. “Staunton occasionally”, i.e. every other letter of STAUNTON) placed in or “opening” CAVA (i.e. a bottle of “bubbly”), like so: CA(SANO)VA. Appeared in grid 1607 in April, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

8. Weak leaders of firm regret adding inexperienced labour (5)

Answer: FRAIL (i.e. “weak”). “Leaders of” indicates the solution is derived from the initial letters of Firm Regret Adding Inexperienced Labour.

9. Train that’s caught by Rouen tour agent (9)

Answer: ENTOURAGE (i.e. “train” or retinue). “That’s caught by” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, like so: ROU(EN TOUR AGE)NT. Appeared in grid 1611 in April, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

10. British soldier maybe starts to enjoy romantic badinage (6)

Answer: BANTER (i.e. “badinage”). Solution is B (a recognised abbreviation of “British”) followed by ANT (i.e. “soldier maybe”, other flavours of ant are available), then E and R (i.e. “starts to enjoy romantic”, i.e. the first letters of “enjoy” and “romantic”).

11. Station jumbo beach construction with no roof (8,3,6)

Answer: ELEPHANT AND CASTLE (i.e. train “station” in South London). Solution is ELEPHANT (i.e. “jumbo”) followed by SANDCASTLE (i.e. “beach construction”) once the first letter has been removed (indicated by “with no roof”), like so: ELEPHANT-ANDCASTLE.

12. Watch over fortified tower – middle of storm coming in shortly (4,2,3,2)

Answer: KEEP AN EYE ON (i.e. “watch over”). Solution is KEEP (i.e. “fortified tower”) followed by EYE (i.e. “middle of storm”) once placed “in” ANON (i.e. “shortly”), like so: KEEP-AN(EYE)ON.

18. Two-tone pen knocking out note of grief (8)

Answer: BICOLOUR (i.e. “two-tone”). Solution is BIC (i.e. “pen”) followed by DOLOUR (i.e. “grief”) once the D has been removed (indicated by “knocking out note of” – “note” being taken to be a musical note), like so: BIC-OLOUR.

20. Quiet energy used in this training briefly? (8,9)

Answer: PHYSICAL EDUCATION (i.e. “training”). The clue plays on a recognised abbreviation of the solution, PE, comprising abbreviations or “brief” forms of “quiet” (P being “piano” in musical lingo) and E (“energy”).

22. Only Crosby, presumably, lacking prospects (2-4)

Answer: NO-HOPE (i.e. “lacking prospects”). Solution also playfully satisfies “only Crosby, presumably”, a nod to the various semi-musical comedies that starred Bing Crosby and Bob Hope.

24. Descriptive character Victor deleted from film cassette (8)

Answer: IDEOGRAM (i.e. “descriptive character”). Solution is VIDEOGRAM (i.e. “film cassette”) once the V has been removed (indicated by “Victor deleted from” – “Victor” being V in the phonetic alphabet).

26. An inducement to retaliate? (8)

Answer: KICKBACK (i.e. “an inducement”). When written as KICK BACK the solution also satisfies “retaliate”.

29. Sensational stories about sailor brothers turning over car parts (5,9)

Answer: SHOCK ABSORBERS (i.e. “car parts”). Solution is SHOCKERS (i.e. “sensational stories”) wrapped “about” AB (i.e. “sailor”, Able-Bodied again) and BROS (a recognised abbreviation of “brothers”) once the latter has been reversed (indicated by “turning over”), like so: SHOCK(AB-SORB)ERS.

32. Perhaps coconut shy is a legitimate target (4,4)

Answer: FAIR GAME. Solution satisfies “perhaps coconut shy” – other fairground games are available – and “legitimate target”.

33. Founder of Persian Empire assuming power in Mediterranean island (6)

Answer: CYPRUS (i.e. “Mediterranean island”). Solution is CYRUS The Great (i.e. “founder of Persian Empire”) wrapped around or “assuming” P (a recognised abbreviation of “power”), like so: CY(P)RUS.

34. Challenging Tory acting as nominal leader (11)

Answer: CONFRONTING (i.e. “challenging”). Solution is CON (i.e. “Tory”, short for Conservative) followed by FRONTING (i.e. “acting as nominal leader”).

36. Young trendy getting two very different hats from Spooner? (11)

Answer: TEENYBOPPER (i.e. “young trendy”). Solution is a “Spoonerism” of BEENY and TOPPER (i.e. “two very different hats”).

37. Rising temp spreading, which is to be expected after winter (10)

Answer: SPRINGTIME (i.e. “which is to be expected after winter”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “spreading”) of RISING TEMP.

39. Cop wreaks havoc in an area of the office? (9)

Answer: WORKSPACE (i.e. “an area of the office”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “havoc”) of COP WREAKS.

42. Paltry sum of cash in bank of late (8)

Answer: RECENTLY (i.e. “of late”). Solution is CENT (i.e. “paltry sum of cash”) placed “in” RELY (i.e. to “bank” on something), like so: RE(CENT)LY.

46. Beginning noon climb (7)

Answer: NASCENT (i.e. “beginning”). Solution is N (a recognised abbreviation of “noon”) followed by ASCENT (i.e. “climb”).

47. Challenge the bill for climate control? (6)

Answer: ACCOST (i.e. “challenge”). When written as AC COST the solution also playfully satisfies “the bill for climate control”, AC being a recognised abbreviation of “air conditioning”. Appeared in grid 1611 in April, also on even intersecting letters, so…

49. Ancient realm where the Queen made a noted arrival (5)

Answer: SHEBA (i.e. “ancient realm”). The rest of the clue plays on George Frideric Handel’s famous piece of music Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba, referred to here as a “noted arrival”.

51. Sober, presumably, like a rough diamond? (5)

Answer: UNCUT (i.e. “like a rough diamond”). The solution also playfully satisfies “sober, presumably”, after the phrase “half-cut” or being drunk.

52. Old capital elevating noble knight (4)

Answer: BONN (i.e. “old capital”, specifically of the former East [EDIT: Sorry, had a brain-fart. This should be “West”. Thanks to Ned in the comments for correcting this. – LP] Germany). Solution is NOB (slangy shortened form of “noble”) reversed (indicated by “elevating” – this being a down clue) and followed by N (a recognised abbreviation of “knight” used in chess”), like so: BON-N.

For the most part this was a medium-strength Jumbo for me. I would hesitate calling it a toughie as it’s too easy for a setter to rely on exotic solutions to artificially increase a Jumbo’s difficulty, and there were a couple too many oddballs here. Still, at least there was a healthy dollop of well-written clues to enjoy.

You can find my completed grid below along with explanations of my solutions where I have them. I hope you find them useful. If a recent Jumbo has given you night-sweats then you might find my Just For Fun page of use, where you’ll find links to solutions for hundreds of the things.

Thanks for the kind words and input. It’s always interesting to hear the thoughts of solvers once they’ve set down their pens. Till next time, stay safe out there kids.

LP

RBV (Repeats-By-Volume): 10%

Across clues

1. Delightful sight in club’s centre? (5,4)

Answer: SWEET SPOT (i.e. “in [golf] club’s centre”). Solution is SWEET (i.e. “delightful”) followed by SPOT (i.e. to notice or “sight”).

6. View gold for Clementine’s father? (10)

Answer: PROSPECTOR (i.e. “Clementine’s father”, from the American folk song Oh, My Darling Clementine, after the lyric: In a cavern, in a cavern, excavating for a mine, dwelt a miner forty-niner and his daughter, Clementine). Solution is PROSPECT (i.e. “view”) followed by OR (i.e. “gold” in heraldry). PROSPECTOR appeared in grid 1623 back in July but on even intersecting letters.

12. Article concealed by players before a game (7)

Answer: CANASTA (i.e. “game”). Solution is AN (i.e. “article”, a word like a, an or the) placed in or “concealed by” CAST (i.e. “players”) and followed by A, like so: C(AN)AST-A.

13. Finish sign by trail: all detailed to show distance? (9)

Answer: KILOMETRE (i.e. “distance”). Solution is KILL (i.e. “finish”), OMEN (i.e. “sign”) and TREK (i.e. “trail”) each with their final letters removed (indicated by “all detailed”, perhaps better read as de-tailed), like so: KIL-OME-TRE.

14. Racket of number one seed snapped in middle (5)

Answer: NOISE (i.e. “racket”). Solution is NO (a recognised abbreviation of “number”) followed by I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”) and SE (i.e. “seed snapped in the middle”, i.e. the first half of the word “seed”).

16. Produce result of love? (7,5)

Answer: PASSION FRUIT (i.e. food or “produce”). The rest of the clue plays on PASSION being another word for “love” and FRUIT being another word for “result”, e.g. the fruits of one’s labours.

17. Does anything but order beer for trading event (6,4)

Answer: JUMBLE SALE (i.e. “trading event”). Solution is JUMBLES (i.e. “does anything but order”) followed by ALE (i.e. “beer”).

19. Guns, large supply, packed by huntress, do they offer protection? (8,6)

Answer: GUARDIAN ANGELS (i.e. “they offer protection”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “supply”, as in being supple) of GUNS LARGE wrapped around or being “packed by” DIANA (i.e. “huntress”, specifically the Roman goddess of the hunt), like so: GUAR(DIANA)NGELS.

22. Norwegian fish needs British wine, not European (8)

Answer: BRISLING (i.e. “Norwegian fish”). Solution is B (a recognised abbreviation of “British”) followed by RIESLING (i.e. a “wine”) once its E has been removed (indicated by “not European” – E being a recognised abbreviation of “European”), like so: B-RISLING. One nailed from the wordplay alone.

24. Two answers given about unknown meadow plant (6)

Answer: AZALEA (i.e. “plant”). Solution is A and A (i.e. both “answers”, A being a recognised abbreviation of “answer”, as in Q&A) wrapped “about” Z (i.e. “unknown” – setters love referring to X, Y or Z in solutions as unknowns) and followed by LEA (i.e. “meadow”), like so: A(Z)A-LEA.

25. Embellished pieces from officer with deserter in our area (10)

Answer: COLORATURA (i.e. “embellished pieces” of music – over to Chambers: “embellished vocal passages including runs, trills, etc”). Solution is COL (i.e. “officer”, short for Colonel) followed by RAT (i.e. “deserter”) once placed “in” OUR and A (a recognised abbreviation of “area”), like so: COL-O(RAT)UR-A. Musical terms as solutions are often ho-hum to me, but musical terms when all the intersecting letters are vowels? Spare me…

26. Yellowish-orange Republican in line for missile launch (5)

Answer: OCHRE (i.e. “yellowish-orange”). Solution as R (a recognised abbreviation of “Republican”) placed “in” OCHE (i.e. “line for missile launch” in a game of darts), like so: OCH(R)E. Rather a fun clue, I thought, though let’s hope it’s not prophetic.

29. Scot seen here and there in Beausaint (4)

Answer: EUAN (i.e. “Scot”, or a Scotsman’s name. For musical terms as solutions, see also forenames). “Seen here and there in…” indicates the solution is derived from every other letter of BEAUSAINT.

30. Westminster denizen’s game up? One jerk to be put inside (8)

Answer: POLITICO (i.e. “Westminster denizen”). Solution is POLO (i.e. “game” – not sure where “up” fits into this, though) wrapped around or having “inside” of it I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”, again) and TIC (i.e. “jerk”), like so: POL(I-TIC)O.
[EDIT – Thanks to Mick in the comments for fleshing this out. One definition of “up” is being on horseback, which fits in with the whole polo thing. Cheers, Mick! – LP]

32. Feeling that causes great excitement (9)

Answer: SENSATION. Solution satisfies “feeling” and “that causes great excitement”.

34. Serve drink after drug fix, not gallons, in fragrant mixture (9)

Answer: POTPOURRI (i.e. “fragrant mixture”). Solution is POUR (i.e. “serve drink”) placed “after” POT (i.e. “drug”, slang for marijuana) and followed by RIG (i.e. manipulate or “fix”) once the G has been removed (indicated by “not gallons” – G being a recognised abbreviation of “gallons”), like so: POT-(POUR)-RI.

35. Rogue charged, in a dock having left hospital (8)

Answer: ABERRANT (i.e. “rogue”). Solution is RAN (i.e. “charged”) placed “in” A and BERTH (i.e. “dock”) once the H has been removed (indicated by “having left hospital”, H being a recognised abbreviation of “hospital”), like so: A-BER(RAN)T.

36. Indifferent over after spinner on song initially (2-2)

Answer: SO-SO (i.e. “indifferent”). Solution is O (a recognised abbreviation of “over” used in cricket) placed “after” SOS (i.e. “spinner on song initially”, i.e. the first letters of SPINNER ON SONG), like so: SOS-O.

39. Sailor Yates at the margins marks depth (5)

Answer: ABYSM (i.e. “depth”). Solution is AB (i.e. “sailor” of Able Bodied rank) followed by YS (i.e. “Yates at the margins”, i.e. the first and last letters of “Yates”) and M (a recognised abbreviation of “marks”, the former German currency).

40. Subdue popular Greek goddess at later stage in play? (10)

Answer: INACTIVATE (i.e. “subdue”). Solution is IN (i.e. “popular”) followed by ATE (i.e. “Greek goddess” of mischief) once placed “at” or after ACT IV (i.e. “later stage of play”), like so: IN-(ACT-IV)-ATE.

42. Party repelled masses in vote (6)

Answer: BALLOT (i.e. “vote”). Solution is LAB (i.e. “party”, short for the Labour Party) reversed (indicated by “repelled”) and followed by LOT (i.e. “masses”), like so: BAL-LOT.

44. House representative’s brilliant crime netting grand (4,4)

Answer: STAR SIGN (i.e. “house representative” – “house” can mean a sign of the zodiac). Solution is STAR (i.e. “brilliant”) followed by SIN (i.e. “crime”) once wrapped around or “netting” G (a recognised abbreviation of “grand” or £1,000), like so: STAR-SI(G)N.

46. Salt needed – I could dish more out (6,8)

Answer: SODIUM CHLORIDE (i.e. “salt”). “Out” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of I COULD DISH MORE.

48. You are stopping boyfriend about to divulge secrets: that’s official! (10)

Answer: BUREAUCRAT (i.e. “official”). Solution is UR (i.e. “you are” in textspeak – seems a popular thing for setters these days) placed in or “stopping” BEAU (i.e. “boyfriend”). This is followed by C (i.e. “about”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of “circa”) and RAT (i.e. “to divulge secrets”), like so: B(UR)EAU-C-RAT.

49. Restore IT to US centre ransacked (12)

Answer: RECONSTITUTE (i.e. “restore”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “ransacked”) of IT TO US CENTRE.

53. The Doldrums as Lennon put it, oddly dismissive? (5)

Answer: ENNUI (i.e. “the doldrums”). “Oddly dismissive” indicates the solution is derived by taking every other letter of LENNON PUT IT. Appeared in grid 1627, also back in July, and also on odd intersecting letters, so…

54. Beyond silly covering banker’s last debt (9)

Answer: OVERDRAFT (i.e. “debt”). Solution is OVER (i.e. “beyond”) and DAFT (i.e. “silly”) all wrapped around or “covering” R (i.e. “banker’s last” letter), like so: OVER-D(R)AFT.

55. Substance from cinchona tree – one of five in east (7)

Answer: QUININE (i.e. “substance from cinchona tree”). Solution is QUIN (i.e. “one of five”) followed by IN and E (a recognised abbreviation of “east”).

56. Small volume’s middle covering current literature (10)

Answer: CENTILITRE (i.e. “small volume”). Solution is CENTRE (i.e. “middle”) wrapped around or “covering” I (a recognised abbreviation of an electric “current” used in physics) and LIT (a recognised abbreviation of “literature”), like so: CENT(I-LIT)RE.

57. Such a person is male and flirtatious? (6,3)

Answer: LADIES MAN. The solution satisfies the clue as a whole but is also an anagram (indicated by “flirtatious” of IS MALE AND. An excellent clue, probably the best of the lot.

Down clues

1. Martians at last in American airspace (5)

Answer: SINUS (i.e. “airspace” or an air-filled cavity in the skull connecting with the nose). Solution is S (i.e. “Martians at last”, i.e. the last letter of “Martians”) followed by IN and US (i.e. “American”). Another clue I liked.

2. Time at home in seaside resort – distant location? (4,6)

Answer: EAST INDIES (i.e. “distant location”, from the UK at least). Solution is T (a recognised abbreviation of “time”) and IN (i.e. “at home”) both placed “in” an anagram (indicated by “resort”) of SEASIDE, like so: EAS(T-IN)DIES.

3. Casey Jones to give instruction to staff? (8)

Answer: TRAINMAN (i.e. “Casey Jones”, a US train driver who died in 1900 when his passenger train collided with a stalled freight train. His heroism meant he was the only casualty. Quite a strong US theme to this week’s Jumbo, don’t you think? I don’t mind as I rather like the US, but I know this can stick in the craw of some Jumbo addicts. By the way, of the 2,000 or so views my site attracts each week, around 1% comes from the US. If you’re reading this from over the pond, drop in and say howdy). Solution is TRAIN (i.e. “to give instruction”) followed by MAN (i.e. “staff” – I usually think of this in terms of staffing an organisation). This solution appeared in grid 1606 back in April and also on odd intersecting letters, so…

4. Metal rod for this hand-to-hand engagement? (5)

Answer: POKER. Solution satisfies “metal rod” and, playfully, “hand-to-hand engagement”, referring to hands of cards in a game of poker. This took way longer to nail than it ought to. Sometimes I just don’t see ‘em.

5. Learner brought in becoming fond of lecture (7,2)

Answer: TALKING TO (i.e. “lecture”). Solution is L (a recognised abbreviation of “learner”, e.g. on L-plates) placed “in” TAKING TO (i.e. “becoming fond of”), likes so: TA(L)KING-TO.

6. Display anti-aircraft gun, having disregarded second order (4)

Answer: POMP (i.e. “display”). Solution is POM-POM (i.e. informal name for an “anti-aircraft gun”, apparently imitative of its sound. A new one on me, but I like it) with the last OM removed (indicated by “having disregarded second order”, OM being short for the Order of Merit), like so: POM-P.

7. Best known champion shearer down under? (6)

Answer: OUTGUN (i.e. to “best” someone). Solution is OUT (i.e. “known”) followed by GUN (apparently slang for a “champion shearer down under” – valid clueing, sure, but, come on, who on earth is going to know this? Apart from Australian sheep shearers, obviously. Strewth…)

8. Old man keeps the French lawyers winning in legal practice (4,10)

Answer: PLEA BARGAINING (i.e. “legal practice”). Solution is PA (i.e. “old man”, both informal references to one’s father) wrapped around or “keeping” LE (i.e. “the French”, i.e. the masculine form of “the” in French). This is then followed by BAR (i.e. “lawyers”) and GAINING (i.e. “winning”), like so: P(LE)A-BAR-GAINING.

9. Sin here acknowledged dreadful lesson of Cain (12)

Answer: CONFESSIONAL (i.e. “sin here acknowledged”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “dreadful”) of LESSON OF CAIN.

10. Asian craft capsized one mile south of old Baltic port (7)

Answer: ORIGAMI (i.e. “Asian craft” of paper-folding). Solution is I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”, again, again) and M (a recognised abbreviation of “mile”) all reversed (indicated by “capsized” – this being a down clue) and placed after or “south of” O (a recognised abbreviation of “old”) and RIGA (i.e. “Baltic port”, capital of Latvia), like so: O-RIGA-(M-I). ORIGAMI is surely the mother of all repeats, now appearing for the fourth time in the space of a year, having previously appeared in grid 1589 in December, grid 1604 in March, and grid 1614 in April, each time on odd intersecting letters. I get the value of vowelly words when constructing grids, setters, but this is getting silly.

11. Margaret embraced by gangster eschewing force, the rascal (10)

Answer: SCAPEGRACE (i.e. “rascal”). Solution is PEG (i.e. a shortened form of “Margaret”) placed in or “embraced by” SCARFACE (i.e. “gangster”, nickname of Al Capone) once the F has been removed (indicated by “eschewing force” – F being a recognised abbreviation of “force”), like so: SCA(PEG)RACE. An excellent word. I thought the same back in 2020, the last time this appeared in a Jumbo cryptic.

15. Laurel perhaps remaining fresh and vital (9)

Answer: EVERGREEN. Solution satisfies “laurel perhaps” – other evergreens are available – and “remaining fresh and vital”.

18. Fish from Scotland – central region? (8)

Answer: ALBACORE (i.e. “fish”). Solution is ALBA (i.e. “Scotland” to Gaelic Scots) followed by CORE (i.e. “central region”). Quite nice to find this was the first 8-letter fish listed in my Bradford’s. Saved a bit of time.

20. Worker beset by terrible malady relentlessly (9)

Answer: ADAMANTLY (i.e. “relentlessly”). Solution is ANT (i.e. “worker”) placed in or “beset by” an anagram (indicated by “terrible”) of MALADY, like so: ADAM(ANT)LY.

21. A bachelor, eccentric, having lived in the country from the start (10)

Answer: ABORIGINAL (i.e. “having lived in the country from the start”). Solution is A followed by B (a recognised abbreviation of “bachelor”, e.g. in a Bachelor of Arts) and ORIGINAL (i.e. unusual or “eccentric” – a bit of a stretch for my money, but whatever).

23. Replace dogs brought round to guard artist in foundation (10)

Answer: SUBSTRATUM (i.e. “foundation”). Solution is SUB (i.e. “replace”, short for substitute) followed by MUTTS (i.e. “dogs”) once reversed (indicated by “brought round”) and wrapped around or “guarding” RA (i.e. “artist”, specifically a Royal Academician), like so: SUB-(ST(RA)TUM).

27. Home Office head blocking one hundred and one commoners? (3,6)

Answer: HOI POLLOI (i.e. “commoners”). Solution is HO (I guess this is supposed to be a recognised abbreviation of the “Home Office” – trouble is none of my dictionaries seem to support it. Yellow card?) followed by POLL (i.e. “head”, both meaning to remove the top of something; the former of a tree) once placed in or “blocking” IOI (i.e. letters resembling “one hundred and one”), like so: HO-I(POLL)OI.

28. Where children are taught to get on? (8,6)

Answer: BOARDING SCHOOL (i.e. “where children are taught”). The remainder of the clue plays on how BOARDING can mean to “get on”. Another clue I liked.

31. Doing nothing in group when leader vanishes (8)

Answer: INACTION (i.e. “doing nothing”). Solution is IN followed by FACTION (i.e. “group”) once the first letter has been removed (indicated by “when leader vanishes”), like so: IN-ACTION.

33. Military supplier’s aromatic cooking drawing in young woman (12)

Answer: COMMISSARIAT (i.e. “military supplier”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “cooking”) of AROMATIC wrapped around or “drawing in” MISS (i.e. “young woman”), like so: COM(MISS)ARIAT.

34. Reasonable advantage retaining a religious work, not the first (9)

Answer: PLAUSIBLE (i.e. “reasonable”). Solution is PLUS (i.e. “advantage”) wrapped around or “retaining” A and followed by BIBLE (i.e. “religious work”) once its first letter has been removed (indicated by “not the first”), like so: PL(A)US-IBLE.

37. Not inclined to be fair (2,3,5)

Answer: ON THE LEVEL. Solution satisfies “not inclined” and “be fair”.

38. Upright character must stop malign duo, criminal element (10)

Answer: GADOLINIUM (i.e. chemical “element”, a rather toxic metal). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “criminal”) of MALIGN DUO once wrapped around or being “stopped” by I (i.e. “upright character”), like so: GADOL(I)NIUM. I liked the clue significantly more than the solution. It’s tempting to remember this one solely on the off-chance I’ll be asked by a Pointless researcher one day to name a chemical element. And on the off-chance that “chemical elements” gets chosen as a category by a contestant on Pointless. And on the off-chance that said contestant on Pointless smugly offers GADOLINIUM as a pointless answer, believing themselves quids-in. And on the off-chance I’ll happen across said episode of Pointless when it is broadcast to see the smile wiped from said contestant’s face as Richard Osman (if he still does Pointless) says one person actually did say GADOLINIUM. I would find that incredibly funny, perhaps even rolling on the floor cackling “That was me! That was me what did that! A-ha-ha-ha-ha-haaaa!” It would be quite a long way to go for a joke, though, I admit, considering 1) only I would get it, and 2) I don’t even watch Pointless.

41. Immoral habit by newspaper keeping old phone messages (9)

Answer: VOICEMAIL (i.e. “phone messages”). Solution is VICE (i.e. “immoral habit”) and MAIL (i.e. “newspaper”) all wrapped around or “keeping” O (a recognised abbreviation of “old”), like so: V(O)ICE-MAIL.

43. Feeling of anger going round confused shy figure (8)

Answer: PHYSIQUE (i.e. “figure”). Solution is PIQUE (i.e. “feeling of anger”) wrapped “round” an anagram (indicated by “confused”) of SHY, like so: P(HYS)IQUE. Appeared in grid 1583 back in November, also on even intersecting letters, so…

45. Settle musical scores? (7)

Answer: ARRANGE. Clue plays on the solution satisfying “settle” and “musical scores” being arrangements. Something like that, anyway.

47. Ability explosive: is it drink-fuelled? (6)

Answer: TALENT (i.e. “ability”). Solution is TNT (i.e. “explosive”, short for trinitrotoluene) wrapped around or “fuelled” by ALE (i.e. “drink”), like so: T(ALE)NT. Appeared in grid 1610 back in April, but on that occasion on odd intersecting letters.

50. Repetitious complaint about old volunteers in four pairs? (5)

Answer: OCTAD (i.e. a set of eight, or “four pairs”). Solution is OCD (i.e. “repetitious complaint”, short for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) wrapped “about” TA (i.e. “old volunteers”, the Territory Army – it’s not often you find a setter acknowledge the TA doesn’t exist any more), like so: OC(TA)D.

51. Confederacy or those who opposed it? (5)

Answer: UNION (i.e. “confederacy”). The remainder of the clue plays on the American Civil War, fought between the Union (the North) and the Confederacy (the South) of the US.

52. Grunge band, unconvincing here, finally shows bite (4)

Answer: EDGE (i.e. “bite”). “Finally” indicates the solution is formed from the last letters of GRUNGE BAND UNCONVINCING HERE.

A relatively straightforward Jumbo this week that was noticeably more fun to complete than it was to write up. Repeats are a given by this point, but the number of times I was writing “man’s name” or “woman’s name” was getting silly. I recall a previous Jumbo that came across like a baby names book, so maybe this a particular setter’s calling card. If so, I can’t say I’m a fan.

Anyway, 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 trampled your daisies 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, and thanks also to those of you dipping your toes in the comments for the first time. You’ll find a good bunch here, far better than the curmudgeonly bugger writing the posts deserves. 😀 Till next time, stay safe out there kids.

LP

RBV (Repeats-By-Volume): 10.3% (including a biggie)

Across clues

1. Woman entertaining cricket side in Italian city (6)

Answer: VERONA (i.e. “Italian city”). Solution is VERA (i.e. “woman’s” name) wrapped around or “entertaining” ON (i.e. “cricket side”, also known as leg side), like so: VER(ON)A.

5. Piece of writing originally studied in father’s day (7)

Answer: PASSAGE (i.e. “piece of writing”). Solution is S (i.e. “originally studied”, i.e. the first letter of “studied”) placed “in” PA’S (i.e. “father’s”) and AGE (i.e. “day”, as in “back in my day”), like so: PA’S-(S)-AGE.

9. Independence of a university man receiving high honour (8)

Answer: AUTONOMY (i.e. “independence”). Solution is A followed by U (a recognised abbreviation of “university”) then TONY (i.e. a “man’s” name) once wrapped around or “receiving” OM (i.e. “high honour”, specifically the Order of Merit), like so: A-U-TO(NO)MY.

13. Suffer verbal abuse? A stranger on a bus may ask to (2,4,5,3,4,3)

Answer: BE TOLD WHERE ONE GETS OFF. Solution satisfies “suffer verbal abuse” and “a stranger on a bus may ask to”, if you follow it with the whole solution.

14. Objections of experts holding trial (8)

Answer: PROTESTS (i.e. “objections”). Solution is PROS (i.e. “experts”, short for professionals) wrapped around or “holding” TEST (i.e. “trial”), like so: PRO(TEST)S.

15. Comfortless role in school sickbay (7)

Answer: SPARTAN (i.e. “comfortless”). Solution is PART (i.e. “role”) placed “in” SAN (i.e. boarding “school sickbay”, short for sanatorium), like so: S(PART)AN.

16. Like a coward, react noisily to sudden pain (6)

Answer: YELLOW (i.e. “like a coward”). When written as YELL OW! The solution also satisfies “react noisily to sudden pain”.

17. Uncommonly loud surgical appliance, one used in Algerian port (10)

Answer: STENTORIAN (i.e. “uncommonly loud”). Solution is STENT (i.e. “surgical device”) followed by I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”) once placed “in” ORAN (i.e. “Algerian port”), like so: STENT-OR(I)AN.

20. Old method of punishment avoiding spades and drill, say (7,5)

Answer: DUCKING STOOL (i.e. “old method of punishment”). Solution is DUCKING (i.e. “avoiding”) followed by S (a recognised abbreviation of “spades” used in some card games) and TOOL (i.e. “drill, say” – other tools are available).

23. Dress Mickey’s mousy girlfriend talked of? (4)

Answer: MINI (i.e. “dress”). Solution is a homophone (indicated by “talked of”) of MINNIE (i.e. “Mickey’s mousy girlfriend”).

24. Son making fun of ornamental needlework (8)

Answer: SMOCKING (i.e. “ornamental needlework”). Solution is S (a recognised abbreviation of “son”) followed by MOCKING (i.e. “making fun of”).

26. His sonata endlessly contrived to amaze (8)

Answer: ASTONISH (i.e. “to amaze”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “contrived”) of HIS SONATA once the last letter has been removed (indicated by “endlessly”).

29. Docker yearns to meet equestrian? Not so, at first (12)

Answer: LONGSHOREMAN (i.e. “docker”). Solution is LONGS (i.e. “yearns”) followed by HORSEMAN (i.e. “equestrian”) once the S has been removed (indicated by “not so, at first”, i.e. the first letter of “so”), like so: LONGS-HOREMAN.

30. Looking into Irish lineage, one gets shot (10)

Answer: IRIDESCENT (i.e. “shot” – over to Chambers for a few variant meanings: “with warp and weft of different colours, as in shot silk; showing a play of colours”). Solution is I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one” again) placed “into” IR (a recognised abbreviation of “Irish”) and DESCENT (i.e. “lineage”), like so: IR-(I)-DESCENT. IRIDESCENCE appeared in grid 1584 back in November, also on odd intersecting letters. Close enough for me, so…

32. Servant girl disturbed diner in wine store, right away (10)

Answer: CINDERELLA (i.e. “servant girl” of the Brothers Grimm tale). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “disturbed”) of DINER placed “in” CELLAR (i.e. “wine store”) once the R has been removed (indicated by “right away”, R being a recognised abbreviation of “right”), like so: C(INDER)ELLA.

34. Single state of Society playwright arresting second gangster (12)

Answer: SPINSTERHOOD (i.e. “single state”). Solution is S (a recognised abbreviation of “society”) followed by Harold PINTER (i.e. “playwright”) once wrapped around or “arresting” S (a recognised abbreviation of “second”). This is all then followed by HOOD (i.e. “gangster”), like so: S-PIN(S)TER-HOOD.

36. For example, a woman’ll collect good thin porcelain (8)

Answer: EGGSHELL (i.e. “thin porcelain”). Solution is E.G. (i.e. “for example”, after the Latin exampli gratia) and SHE’LL (i.e. “woman’ll”) all wrapped around or “collecting” G (a recognised abbreviation of “good”), like so: E.G.-(G)-SHE’LL.

38. Manxman possibly, one dogged by malicious defamation (8)

Answer: ISLANDER (i.e. “Manxman possibly”, other islanders are available). Solution is I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”, again again) followed by SLANDER (i.e. “malicious defamation”).

39. Sort of test covering a defensive water-filled ditch (4)

Answer: MOAT (i.e. “defensive water-filled ditch”). Solution is MOT (i.e. “sort of test”, named after the old Ministry of Transport) wrapped around or “covering” A, like so: MO(A)T.

41. Incompatibility of trendy crook thus meeting granny at church (12)

Answer: INCONSONANCE (i.e. “incompatibility”). Solution is IN (i.e. “trendy”) followed by CON (i.e. “crook”), then SO (i.e. “thus”), then NAN (i.e. “granny”) and CE (i.e. “church”, specifically the Church of England).

43. Composer briefly hemmed in by bounder’s dog (10)

Answer: ROTTWEILER (i.e. “dog”). Solution is Kurt WEILL (i.e. “composer” who brought us The Threepenny Opera with Bertolt Brecht. I’ll now have Mack the Knife stuck in my head for the rest of this post, which is no bad thing) with the last letter removed (indicated by “briefly”) and the remainder placed in or “hemmed in by” ROTTER (i.e. “bounder”), like so: ROTT(WEIL)ER.

44. Current taking explorer from one side to the other (6)

Answer: ACROSS (i.e. “from one side to the other”). Solution is AC (i.e. alternating “current”) followed by John ROSS (i.e. polar “explorer” of the nineteenth century).

46. Film brought back to plug old injury in back of head (7)

Answer: OCCIPUT (i.e. “back of head”, anatomically speaking). Solution is PIC (i.e. “film”, short for picture) reversed (indicated by “brought back”) and placed in or “plugging” O (a recognised abbreviation of “old”) and CUT (i.e. “injury”), like so: O-C(CIP)UT.

48. Sour woman taking chap round north-east (8)

Answer: VINEGARY (i.e. “sour”). Solution is VI (i.e “woman’s” name) and GARY (i.e. “chap’s” name) all wrapped “round” NE (a recognised abbreviation of “north-east”), like so: VI-(NE)-GARY. Good grief, this is four forenames used in solutions to this point, and we’re not even out of the across clues yet. Chuck in a couple of real-world people and it starts to feel a little one-track.

50. Issue a challenge that’s involved hero that’s now performing at Bayreuth? (5,4,3,2,3,4)

Answer: THROW ONE’S HAT IN THE RING (i.e. “issue a challenge”). A quick aside: thanks in part to restrictions placed on the amount of gambling advertising on UK TV, there are so few advertisers across Sky Sports these days that Sky often have to fill most or all of their ad breaks with show trailers or ads for their own umpteen spurious services. Meanwhile, those few adverts that aren’t for Sky are created by agencies who rarely create more than one TV ad per campaign. As a result, pretty much every ad break across Sky Sports comprises a vanishingly small pool of adverts on heavy rotation. TV types don’t seem to appreciate that when viewers are plagued with the same shit over and over and over again, they grow averse to the stuff being advertised. If I cease posting soon, it might be because I’ve stolen all the conservatory insulation, Sky “smart tech” (please…) and knob drugs I can get my hands on and burnt them all in a big pit. Sirram’s comment last week about me posting from prison may be strangely prophetic.

All this waffle is to say, in short: familiarity breeds contempt. Which brings me to this solution. Fans of the Jumbo cryptic will know we had virtually the same solution in grid 1632 barely over a month ago (also on odd intersecting letters). Now, a few five-letter repeats each week we can perhaps expect, but a 20+ letter phrase so soon after its last appearance? No. Not good enough. Not even close. Now, the temptation here would be for me to unload on this week’s setter in my usual graceless way, but, really, the problem lies squarely with The Times’ puzzles editor. A stronger editor would have rejected this grid due to the jarring repeat, or at the very least arranged for it to be published much later. But no, the editor just blindly published it unchallenged as he always does. It’s pathetic, and it’s getting really boring now. The fact that Max ERNST has made an appearance again this week, when I keep using him as a past example of dull repeats, is the cherry on the cake.

Right, that’s my customary rant about repeats out of the way for this week. On with the show…

The solution is an anagram (indicated by “involved”) of HERO THAT’S NOW followed by IN THE RING (indicative of “at Bayreuth” – The Bayreuth Festival was created to celebrate Richard Wagner’s works, in particular his Ring Cycle. Apparently the festival was his idea, which is some impressive next-level egotism).

51. One offering to be more affectionate (8)

Answer: TENDERER. Solution satisfies “one offering” and “more affectionate”. TENDERLY appeared in grid 1628 a couple of months ago, but on odd intersecting letters on that occasion.

52. Furtiveness of duck taking time in quiet environment (7)

Answer: STEALTH (i.e. “furtiveness”). Solution is TEAL (i.e. “duck”) and T (a recognised abbreviation of “time”) all placed “in” SH (i.e. “quiet”), like so: S(TEAL-T)H. STEALTHY appeared in grid 1588 in December and again in grid 1637 only last week, but on both occasions on even intersecting letters. Still, quite a popular word, isn’t it?

53. A piece of cake daughters received in hand-out (6)

Answer: DODDLE (i.e. a cinch or “piece of cake”). Solution is D and D (i.e. “daughters” – D being a recognised abbreviation of “daughter”) both placed “in” DOLE (i.e. “hand-out”), like so: DO(DD)LE. Appeared in grid 1625 in July, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

Down clues

2. Something that glows at the end of three months? (5)

Answer: EMBER (i.e. “something that glows”). The solution also satisfies the remainder of the clue, given EMBER is found “at the end of” SEPTEMBER, NOVEMBER and DECEMBER. This would have been a good clue were it not for the fact we had virtually the same thing in last week’s Jumbo. Almost worth a meme in itself.

3. Exceptional? Not in status (11)

Answer: OUTSTANDING (i.e. “exceptional”). Solution is OUT (i.e. “not in”) followed by STANDING (i.e. “status”).

4. Reference initially understood in the whole of Jerusalem (8)

Answer: ALLUSION (i.e. “reference”). Solution is U (i.e. “initially understood”, i.e. the first letter of “understood”) placed “in” ALL (i.e. “the whole of”) and SION (i.e. “Jerusalem”, variant spelling of Zion – Chambers doesn’t want to know, but my Oxford backs it up), like so: ALL-(U)-SION.

5. Wartime captives transfixed by unknown part of Wales (5)

Answer: POWYS (i.e. “part of Wales”). Solution is POWS (i.e. “wartime captives”, or Prisoners of War) wrapped around or “transfixed by” Y (i.e. “unknown” – setters love referring to X, Y or Z in solutions as unknowns), like so: POW(Y)S.

6. Family member’s measures, old and new (7)

Answer: STEPSON (i.e. “family member”). Solution is STEPS (i.e. “measures”) followed by O (a recognised abbreviation of “old”) and N (ditto “new”).

7. Fellow embracing Roman law, an Egyptian citizen (11)

Answer: ALEXANDRIAN (i.e. “Egyptian citizen”). Solution is ADRIAN (i.e. “fellow’s” name – another forename) wrapped around or “embracing” LEX (i.e. “Roman law”, i.e. the Latin for law) and AN, like so: A(LEX-AN)DRIAN.

8. He painted sailors in east of France (5)

Answer: Max ERNST (i.e. “he painted”). Is he back for another residency in Times Jumbos? Could be. Solution is RN (i.e. “sailors”, the Royal Navy) placed “in” EST (i.e. “east of France”, i.e. the French for “east”), like so: E(RN)ST.

9. Country bloke in sports stadium having change of heart (9)

Answer: ARGENTINA (i.e. “country”). Solution is GENT (i.e. “bloke”) placed “in” ARENA (i.e. “sports stadium”) once its middle letter or “heart” has been “changed”, like so: AR(GENT)ENA => AR(GENT)INA. I’m seldom a fan of “change of heart” wordplay. It’s valid, but it always feels lazy to me. Meanwhile, the solution appeared in grid 1588 back in December, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

10. Worn out Rechabite thrown into Scottish river (5)

Answer: TATTY (i.e. “worn out”). Solution is TT (i.e. “Rechabite”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of a teetotaller. Over to Chambers again: “a descendant of Jonadab, son of Rechab, who did not drink wine or dwell in houses”) placed “into” TAY (i.e. “Scottish river”), like so: TA(TT)Y.

11. Like a branch of philosophy misrepresented in a plot once (3-8)

Answer: NEO-PLATONIC (i.e. “like a branch of philosophy”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “misrepresented”) of IN A PLOT ONCE.

12. Second note about a woman member of Cosa Nostra (7)

Answer: MAFIOSO (i.e. “member of Cosa Nostra”, or the Mafia). Solution is MO (i.e. “second”, short for a moment) and SO (i.e. musical “note” of the sol-fa scale) all wrapped “about” A and FI (i.e. “woman’s” name, the sixth forename now), like so: M(A-FI)O-SO.

18. In Herts town, worry over cut of clothes (9)

Answer: TAILORING (i.e. “cut of clothes”). Solution is TRING (i.e. “Herts town”) wrapped around or having “in” AIL (i.e. “worry”) and O (a recognised abbreviation of “over” used in cricket), like so: T(AIL-O)RING.

19. Dissolute males involved in current exam (7)

Answer: IMMORAL (i.e. “dissolute”). Solution is M and M (i.e. “males”, much like DD for daughters earlier, M being a recognised abbreviation of “male”) both placed “in” I (a recognised abbreviation of an electrical “current” used in physics) and ORAL (i.e. “exam”), like so: I-(MM)-ORAL.

21. Perception of minor employee no one can set up (9)

Answer: COGNITION (i.e. “perception”). Solution is COG (i.e. “minor employee”) followed by NO, I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one” again again again) and TIN (i.e. “can”) once these last three have been reversed (indicated by “set up” – this being a down clue), like so: COG-(NIT-I-ON).

22. As harvest is in autumn, it’s understood (8)

Answer: GATHERED. Solution satisfies “as harvest is in autumn” and “understood”.

25. Friend of fellow member with girl about ten (9)

Answer: COMPANION (i.e. “friend”). Solution is CO (i.e. prefix denoting “fellow”) followed by MP (i.e. “Member” of Parliament), then ANN (i.e. “girl’s” name, the seventh forename now) once wrapped “about” IO (i.e. “ten”), like so: CO-MP-AN(IO)N.

27. Ultimately many poets can somehow give an offbeat performance? (9)

Answer: SYNCOPATE (i.e. “give an offbeat performance”. Chambers offers: “to alter the rhythm (of music etc) temporarily by transferring the accent to a normally unaccented beat”. Whatever any of that means). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “somehow”) of Y (i.e. “ultimately many”, i.e. the last letter of “many”) and POETS CAN.

28. People demanding payment for battery boosters (8)

Answer: CHARGERS. Solution satisfies “people demanding payment” and “battery boosters”.

31. Examine pitch initially during cricket, perhaps (7)

Answer: INSPECT (i.e. “examine”). Solution is P (i.e. “pitch initially”, i.e. the first letter of “pitch”) placed in or “during” INSECT (i.e. “cricket, perhaps” – other flavours of insect are available), like so: INS(P)ECT.

33. Shamed donor hides outside entrance to United’s ground (11)

Answer: DISHONOURED (i.e. “shamed”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “ground”) of DONOR HIDES wrapped around or placed “outside” of U (i.e. “entrance to United”, i.e. the first letter of “United”), like so: DISHONO(U)RED. Solution appeared in grid 1603 back in March, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

34. Sadly reveal split in tableware, perhaps (6,5)

Answer: SILVER PLATE (i.e. “tableware, perhaps”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “sadly”) of REVEAL SPLIT.

35. One that hovers, smelling rat at first in offer (11)

Answer: HUMMINGBIRD (i.e. “one that hovers”). Solution is HUMMING (i.e. “smelling”) followed by R (i.e. “rat at first”, i.e. the first letter of “rat”) placed “in” BID (i.e. “offer”), like so: HUMMING-BI(R)D. Solution appeared in grid 1592 back in December, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

37. Squire at lower level in country road by river (9)

Answer: LANDOWNER (i.e. “squire”). Solution is DOWN (i.e. “at lower level”) placed “in” LANE (i.e. “country road”) and R (a recognised abbreviation of “river”), like so: LAN(DOWN)E-R.

40. Bird-keeper pale woman’s located in South Dakota (8)

Answer: SWANHERD (i.e. “bird-keeper”). Solution is WAN (i.e. “pale”) and HER (i.e. “woman’s”, read as possessive instead of a contraction of “woman is”) both placed “in” SD (US state abbreviation of “South Dakota”), like so: S(WAN-HER)D.

42. Canoodle on moor – in formal wear! (7)

Answer: NECKTIE (i.e. “formal wear”). Solution is NECK (i.e. “canoodle”) followed by TIE (i.e. to “moor”).

43. Further hearing set up in a while outside Rhode Island (7)

Answer: RETRIAL (i.e. “further hearing”). Solution is LATER (i.e. “in a while”) reversed (indicated by “set up” – this being a down clue) and wrapped “outside” of RI (US state abbreviation of Rhode Island), like so: RET(RI)AL.

45. Thus you and I originally recognised a broadcaster? (5)

Answer: SOWER (i.e. “broadcaster”). Solution is SO (i.e. “thus”) followed by WE (i.e. “you and I”) and R (i.e. “originally recognised”, i.e. the first letter of “recognised”).

47. Bags patients? (5)

Answer: CASES. Solution satisfies “bags” and “patients”.

48. Make an impression supporting head of vehicle plant (5)

Answer: VETCH (i.e. “plant”). Solution is ETCH (i.e. “make an impression”) placed after or “supporting” – this being a down clue – V (i.e. “head of vehicle”, i.e. the first letter of “vehicle”), like so: V-ETCH.

49. Equipment used by the Spanish star (5)

Answer: RIGEL (i.e. a “star” of the constellation Orion). Solution is RIG (i.e. “equipment”) followed by EL (i.e. “the Spanish”, i.e. the Spanish for “the”).

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

1. 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).

7. 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”).

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. Dead – brown bread (5)

Answer: TOAST. Solution satisfies “dead” and “brown bread”. Simple, but very neat.

16. 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).

17. 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…

18. Finished, fly in swamp (7)

Answer: OVERRUN (i.e. “swamp”). Solution is OVER (i.e. “finished”) followed by RUN (i.e. to “fly”).

20. 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.

23. 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.

24. 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.

26. 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.

28. 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”).

29. 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.

32. 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.

35. 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).

36. 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.

37. 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.

39. 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.

41. 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.

44. 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.

45. 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.

49. 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.

50. 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.

51. 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.

53. 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.

54. 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.

55. 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.

56. 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.

57. Thriving – as is traveller? (5,6)

Answer: GOING PLACES. Solution satisfies “thriving” and “as is traveller”.

Down clues

1. 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“.

2. 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.

3. 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”.

4. 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”).

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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…

8. 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.

9. Animals, so otters, I suspect (9)

Answer: TORTOISES (i.e. “animals”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “suspect”) of SO OTTERS I.

10. 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).

11. Teardrop of predator, for example (7)

Answer: ANAGRAM. Solution satisfies the clue as a whole, given the example “predator” is an anagram of “teardrop”.

12. 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.

19. 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).

21. 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.

22. 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.

23. 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…

25. Sense voice (5)

Answer: TENOR. Solution satisfies “sense” and a singing “voice”.

27. Picture note? (3,5,2,5)

Answer: THE SOUND OF MUSIC. Solution satisfies a 1965 motion “picture” and, playfully, a musical “note”.

30. 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…

31. 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).

33. 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).

34. 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).

38. 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”).

40. 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.

42. 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”).

43. 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.

45. 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.

46. 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).

47. 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.

48. 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.

50. 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.

52. 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…

A toughie after last week’s stinker, but this was a pretty good one. Sure, there were a couple of iffy clues and a jarring repeat (specifically TYROL – ah the Marconi GridFill 4000^TM, what would Times setters do without you?), but there was also a solid showing of well-written and inventive 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 done for you 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 comments as I’ve slowly caught up. While it’s fairly obvious I’ve grown jaded toward the Times Jumbo Cryptic of late, and I did seriously consider jacking these posts in (if only to reclaim my Saturdays), it was heartening to read the appreciation some of you have for the content I chuck out. I know I’d also miss the opportunity to act up and be silly, so I’ll keep the posts going a little while longer. I can’t promise another 280-odd Jumbo solutions, but let’s see where we get to.

Till next time, stay safe out there kids.

LP

RBV (Repeats-By-Volume): 8.1%

Across clues

1. Sat before fantastic Sunday lunch? (5,4)

Answer: ROAST BEEF (i.e. “Sunday lunch”). “Fantastic” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of SAT BEFORE. And straight off the bat we have a repeat, appearing in grid 1606 back in April, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

6. Defiant bachelor: nothing can stop what he is! (7)

Answer: UNBOWED (i.e. “defiant”). Solution is B (a recognised abbreviation of “bachelor”) and O (i.e. “nothing”) both placed in or “stopping” UNWED (i.e. “what [bachelor] is”), like so: UN(B-O)WED.

10. One next to do lively dance for a change (5)

Answer: REJIG (i.e. “change”). Solution is RE (i.e. “one next to do” in the sol-fa scale, i.e. do re mi fa so la ti do – there are a few variant spellings of each note) followed by JIG (i.e. “lively dance”).

13. Fancied rogue’s seductive embraces (7)

Answer: GUESSED (i.e. “fancied”). “Embraces” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, like so: RO(GUE’S SED)UCTIVE.

14. Start a fight (3-2)

Answer: SET-TO (i.e. “fight”). When written as SET TO the solution also satisfies “start” or apply oneself to something.

15. Make portent involving youth predicting disaster (4-5)

Answer: DOOM-LADEN (i.e. “predicting disaster”). Solution is DO (i.e. “make”) followed by OMEN (i.e. “portent”) once wrapped around or “involving” LAD (i.e. “youth”), like so: DO-OM(LAD)EN.

16. Old PM was familiar with pop song (5,6,4,2,6)

Answer: LLOYD GEORGE KNEW MY FATHER (i.e. a “song”). Solution satisfies the clue as a whole, taking “pop” to be an informal reference to one’s FATHER. Good grief, if it wasn’t for 50a I’d have questioned whether there is a single Times setter under the age of 100.

17. Hamper, medium one, not large, is in fashion (6)

Answer: STYMIE (i.e. to “hamper”). Solution is M (a recognised abbreviation of “medium”) and I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”) placed “in” STYLE (i.e. “fashion”) once the L has been removed (indicated by “not large” – L being a recognised abbreviation of “large”), like so: STY(M-I)E. While there are a fair number of good clues in this week’s Jumbo, this is a bit of a clunker. The phrasing of the clue doesn’t really match how the solution works.

18. Rambler getting stick before run (8)

Answer: WANDERER (i.e. “rambler”). Solution is WAND (i.e. “stick”) followed by ERE (poetic form of “before”) and R (a recognised abbreviation of “run” used in some ball games).

19. I note there’s little room outside section of glacier (7)

Answer: ICEFALL (i.e. “section of glacier” – over to Chambers for this one: “a steep broken place in a glacier”. A new one on me). Solution is I followed by FA (i.e. “note” of the sol-fa scale, already discussed) once placed in or having “outside” of it CELL (i.e. “little room”), like so: I-CE(FA)LL.

22. Bath for one to lie in really after one’s dropped temperature (10)

Answer: UNIVERSITY (i.e. “Bath for one” – other universities are available). Solution is SIT (i.e. “to lie”) placed “in” VERY (i.e. “really”) and the whole then placed “after” UNIT (i.e. “one”) once the T has been removed (indicated by “dropped temperature”- T being a recognised abbreviation of “temperature”), like so: UNI-(VER(SIT)Y).

23. Stories being spread of a coup, ultimately baseless (6,6)

Answer: AESOP’S FABLES (i.e. “stories”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “spread”) of OF A, P (i.e. “coup, ultimately”, i.e. the last letter of “coup”) and BASELESS.

27. When turning blue, tip of tongue was hanging out (5)

Answer: DWELT (i.e. “was hanging out” or inhabiting). Solution was LEWD (i.e. “blue”) reversed (indicated by “when turning”) and followed by T (i.e. “tip of tongue”, i.e. the first letter of “tongue”), like so: DWEL-T.

29. Tune that’s simple and sweet – a heaven-sent relief? (7)

Answer: AIRDROP (i.e. “a heaven-sent relief”, taking the heavens to be the sky). Solution is AIR (i.e. “tune that’s simple” – Chambers doesn’t make that distinction, so I might not have that right) followed by DROP (i.e. “sweet”).

30. Worn out after month dealing with excavation (8)

Answer: DECREPIT (i.e. “worn out”). Solution is DEC (i.e. “month”, short for December) followed by RE (i.e. “dealing with” or regarding – think email replies) and PIT (i.e. “excavation”).

32. Despot’s wife moving a way back (8)

Answer: TSARITSA (i.e. “despot’s wife”). Solution is ASTIR (i.e. “moving”), A and ST (i.e. “way”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of “street”) all reversed (indicated by “back”), like so: TS-A-RITSA.

34. Chapter in St John, maybe, one moving men to great effect (7)

Answer: Bobby FISCHER (i.e. 1960s chess grandmaster, or “one moving men to great effect” – chess pieces are sometimes referred to as “men”). Solution is C (a recognised abbreviation of “chapter”) placed “in” FISHER (i.e. “St John, maybe”, seemingly a reference to an English Catholic bishop from the 1500s. Bloody hell, perhaps I ought to have questioned whether there were any Times setters under the age of 500), like so: FIS(C)HER.

36. Can’t wait beyond day for scrap (5)

Answer: DITCH (i.e. abandon or “scrap”). Solution is ITCH (i.e. “can’t wait” for something) placed after or “beyond” D (a recognised abbreviation of “day”), like so: D-ITCH.

39. Annoys head that Pole’s put in for redundancy (12)

Answer: NEEDLESSNESS (i.e. “redundancy”). Solution is NEEDLES (i.e. “annoys”) and NESS (i.e. “head”, both geographic features) all wrapped around or having “put in” S (i.e. a “pole”, ignoring the misleading capitalisation, this is a recognised abbreviation of “south”), like so: NEEDLES-(S)-NESS.

41. Misery and scandal after blackguard has gone out (10)

Answer: CURMUDGEON (i.e. a right old “misery”). Solution is MUD (i.e. “scandal”) placed “after” CAD (i.e. “blackguard”) and followed by an anagram (indicated by “out”) of GONE, like so: CUR-MUD-GEON.

44. Increasingly wary of strange opening hands (7)

Answer: LEERIER (i.e. “increasingly wary of”). Solution is EERIE (i.e. “strange”) placed in or “opening” L and R (both “hands”, taking them to be recognised abbreviations of “left” and “right” respectively), like so: L(EERIE)R.

46. One making 29 yard bursts no fan of hard toil (8)

Answer: SKYDIVER (i.e. “one making 29” – the solution to 29a being AIRDROP; the word can relate to personnel as well as supplies). Solution is YD (a recognised abbreviation of “yard”) placed in or “bursting” SKIVER (i.e. “no fan of hard toil”), like so: SK(YD)IVER.

48. Old court to make a fool of as it were? (6)

Answer: ASSIZE (i.e. “old court” superseded by the Crown Courts). The rest of the clue playfully satisfies “to make a fool of”, or to ASS-IZE someone. (Probably better to read it with an -ISE suffix instead.) “As it were” is a joking acknowledgement the setter is rather stepping outside the bounds of the dictionary. I’m rarely keen on these kinds of clues.

50. Hit song from Il Trovatore head disliked, somehow (5,6,3,5,4)

Answer: VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR (i.e. 1979 “hit song” by Buggles). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “somehow”) of IL TROVATORE HEAD DISLIKED.

53. Missing uniform marred retinue fit for a queen (9)

Answer: NEFERTITI (i.e. “queen” of Ancient Egypt). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “marred”) of RETINUE FIT once the U (“uniform” in the phonetic alphabet) has been removed or gone “missing”.

54. Daily charge hitting the roof? (5)

Answer: IRATE (i.e. “hitting the roof”). Solution is I (i.e. a “daily” newspaper in the UK) followed by RATE (i.e. “charge”).

55. Change ending of popular film – oddly shocking treatment! (7)

Answer: INFLECT (i.e. to “change ending” of words). Solution is IN (i.e. “popular”) followed by FL (i.e. “film – oddly”, i.e. every other letter of FILM) and ECT (i.e. “shocking treatment”, short for electroconvulsive therapy).

56. Fancy putting answer forward without digressing (2,3)

Answer: AD REM (i.e. to the point or “without digressing”, from the Latin. No, me neither). Solution is DREAM (i.e. “fancy”) with the A (a recognised abbreviation of “answer”, as in Q&A) put “forward” to the front, like so: DRE(A)M => (A)DREM.

57. Finally taking a very short vacation, acquiring fuel (7)

Answer: GASOHOL (i.e. “fuel”). Solution is G (i.e. “finally taking”, i.e. the last letter of “taking”) followed by A, then SO (i.e. “very”) and HOL (i.e. “short vacation”, i.e. short for “holiday”).

58. Uncle Sam pauses to drop one off on time (3,6)

Answer: THE STATES (i.e. “Uncle Sam”, a nickname thereof). Solution is HESITATES (i.e. “pauses”) with the I removed (indicated by “to drop [Roman numeral] one off”) and the remainder placed “on” or after T (a recognised abbreviation of “time”), like so: T-HESTATES.

Down clues

1. Ply that’s cut very fine (5)

Answer: REGAL (i.e. “very fine”). I’m not 100% sure on this one, so watch out. My solution, for what it’s worth, is REGALE with its last letter removed (indicated by “that’s cut”). Trouble is I can’t find much overlap between “ply” and REGALE, the nearest being “to keep supplying or assailing (with)” for “ply”, and “to treat to (stories, etc; with with)” for REGALE (both from Chambers). Another clunker for me. REGAL appeared in grid 1576, just outside my threshold for recent repeats.

2. One that could – or couldn’t? – bring to mind a riddle? (1,6,4,1,5)

Answer: A MEMORY LIKE A SIEVE. Clue plays on a variant meaning of “riddle” being a large SIEVE. The solution therefore playfully satisfies both variations of the clue: “one that could bring to mind a riddle”, i.e. one with a memory of a sieve, and “one that couldn’t bring to mind a riddle”, implying one with a memory like a sieve. I rather liked this one.

3. Shot played by Ashes batter, maybe, evaluating spin (4-5)

Answer: TEST-DRIVE (i.e. “evaluating spin”, taking “spin” to mean a car journey). When written without the hyphen the solution playfully satisfies “shot played by Ashes batter, maybe”, given the Ashes is played over a series of TEST matches. Appeared in grid 1624 a couple of months ago, also on odd intersecting letters, and using a very similar clue, so…

4. Quickly twisted sad news from journal’s head office? (6)

Answer: EDDIED (i.e. “quickly twisted”). When written as ED DIED the solution also playfully satisfies “sad news from journal’s head office”, taking ED to be short for a newspaper editor.

5. Energy provider, very good one, in food: ham, perhaps (4,7)

Answer: FAST REACTOR (i.e. “energy provider”, apparently “a nuclear reactor using fast neutrons, and little or no moderator” (Chambers). That was basically a bunch of words strung together, but okay). Solution is ST (i.e. “very good one”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of a “saint”) placed “in” FARE (i.e. “food”) and followed by ACTOR (i.e. “ham, perhaps”), like so: FA(ST)RE-ACTOR.

6. New Year turned lively in square (8)

Answer: UNTRENDY (i.e. “square”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “lively”) of N (a recognised abbreviation of “new”), Y (ditto “year”) and TURNED.

7. There’s a case for butter, and one having more chocolate? (7)

Answer: BROWNER (i.e. “more chocolate” in colour). Solution is BR (i.e. “a case for butter”, i.e. the first and last letters of “butter”) followed by OWNER (i.e. “one having”).

8. Being left by Dutch with passport, maybe, one in red headpiece (11)

Answer: WIDOWERHOOD (i.e. “being left by Dutch” – we’ve seen this a few times now, Dutch is supposedly cockney rhyming slang for “wife”, perhaps after the Dutchess of Fife; a widower, meanwhile, is a man whose wife has died). Solution is W (a recognised abbreviation of “with”) followed by ID (i.e. “passport, maybe” – other flavours of ID are available. For example, I know there are an awful lot of people in Norfolk who have shotgun licences. And you thought it was just Tony Martin), then OWER (i.e. “one in [the] red”) and HOOD (i.e. “headpiece”).

9. Old tyrant’s sins you and I’d laid out (9)

Answer: DIONYSIUS (i.e. “old tyrant” of Syracuse, ancient Sicily. Hmm. Perhaps I ought to have questioned whether there were any Times setters under the age of 2400). “Laid out” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of SINS YOU and I’D.

10. Centre for trek, facility across lake, is free (7)

Answer: RELEASE (i.e. to “free”). Solution is RE (i.e. “centre for trek”, i.e. the middle letters of “trek”) and EASE (i.e. “facility”) all wrapped around or placed “across” L (a recognised abbreviation of “lake”), like so: RE-(L)-EASE.

11. You must stop pilgrimage after upsetting ancient tribe (5)

Answer: JUDAH (i.e. “ancient tribe”, one of the twelve Tribes of Israel, “whose eponymous ancestors were the 12 sons of Jacob” (Brewers). JUDAH was Jacob’s fourth son.) Solution is U (i.e. “you”, informally) placed in or “stopping” HADJ (i.e. the annual Muslim “pilgrimage” to Mecca) once reversed (indicated by “after upsetting” – this being a down clue), like so: J(U)DAH.

12. Facts are put up on register – for polymath? (10)

Answer: GENERALIST (i.e. “polymath”). Solution is GEN (i.e. information or “facts”) followed by ARE reversed (indicated by “put up”, again this being a down clue) and LIST (i.e. “register”), like so: GEN-ERA-LIST.

17. Group heading for Scotland Yard (5)

Answer: SQUAD (i.e. “group”). Solution is S (i.e. “heading for Scotland”, i.e. the first letter of “Scotland”) followed by QUAD (i.e. “yard”, ignoring the misleading capitalisation). Appeared only a few weeks ago in grid 1632, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

20. Hitch or take plane home, stopping at hotel on time – ten – surprisingly (1,3,2,3,8)

Answer: A FLY IN THE OINTMENT (i.e. “hitch”). Solution is FLY (i.e. “take plane”) and IN (i.e. at “home”) all placed in or “stopping” AT and H (“hotel” in the phonetic alphabet). This is all then followed by an anagram (indicated by “surprisingly”) of ON TIME and TEN, like so: A(FLY-IN)T-H-EOINTMENT.

21. Inclined unfortunately to promote surfing primarily before books (6)

Answer: ASLANT (i.e. “inclined”). Solution is ALAS (i.e. “unfortunately”) with the S (i.e. “surfing primarily”, i.e. the first letter of “surfing”) moved up or “promoted”. This is then followed by NT (i.e. “books”, specifically the New Testament of The Bible), like so: ALA(S)-NT => A(S)LA-NT.

24. Old flame put out (6)

Answer: EXPOSE (i.e. to “out” someone or something). Solution is EX (i.e. “old flame”) followed by POSE (i.e. “put”).

25. Each to come up (5)

Answer: AHEAD. A triple-header, I believe. When written as A HEAD the solution satisfies “each”; as is, the solution also satisfies what is “to come”, and being “up” or winning. Nicely worked, but this appeared in grid 1588 back in December, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

26. Clues roughened up for the solver originally show the setter can win! (6)

Answer: CRUFTS (i.e. “show the setter can win”, taking setter to be a breed of dog). “Originally” indicates the solution is derived from the first letters of Clues Roughened Up For The Solver.

28. High state of versatility – role-player’s content! (5)

Answer: TYROL (i.e. a “high state” of Austria, being situated in the Alps). “Content” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, like so: VERSATILI(TY ROL)E-PLAYER’S. As mentioned, the office GridFill 4000^TM strikes again, luring another setter along the same path trodden in July’s grid 1625. This too appeared on odd intersecting letters, so…

31. Car’s exterior showing this off? (6)

Answer: CHROME. The solution satisfies the clue as a whole, given its use in wear-resistant metal coating, but “car’s exterior” also hints at the solution, given Cr (i.e. the first and last letters of “car”) is the chemical symbol of chromium. Very nicely worked.

33. Targets relatives and friends (4,7)

Answer: AUNT SALLIES (i.e. “targets” of abuse or ridicule). Solution is AUNTS (i.e. “relatives”) followed by ALLIES (i.e. “friends”).

35. Sacked a user, others being kept in one’s place (5,6)

Answer: HOUSE ARREST (i.e. “being kept in one’s place”). “Sacked” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of A USER OTHERS.

37. It follows bloke around enclosure (5)

Answer: HENCE (i.e. “it follows”). Solution is HE (i.e. in reference to a “bloke”) wrapped “around” ENC (a recognised abbreviation of “enclosure”), like so: H(ENC)E.

38. Reflecting indeed after Victor’s involved in foul play (5,5)

Answer: UNCLE VANYA (i.e. “play” by Anton Chekov). Solution is AY (i.e. “indeed”) reversed (indicated by “reflecting”) and placed “after” V (“victor” in the phonetic alphabet) once it has itself been placed or “involved in” UNCLEAN (i.e. “foul”), like so: UNCLE(V)AN-YA. One I remembered from its last appearance in the cryptic Jumbo, if I’m honest.

40. Trying hard to conceal aim with tweet (9)

Answer: STRAINING (i.e. “trying hard”). Solution is TRAIN (i.e. to “aim”, say, a gun sight) “concealed” in SING (i.e. to “tweet”), like so: S(TRAIN)ING.

42. Dance with married tailor to cause embarrassment (9)

Answer: DISCOMFIT (i.e. “to cause embarrassment”). Solution is DISCO (i.e. “dance”) followed by M (a recognised abbreviation of “married”) and FIT (i.e. to “tailor”).

43. Angle to follow in aeroplane manoeuvre (8)

Answer: FISHTAIL (i.e. “aeroplane manoeuvre” where the pilot swings the tail of the plane from side to side while descending in order to slow it down). Solution is FISH (i.e. to “angle”) followed by TAIL (i.e. “to follow”).

45. One’s awful blunder on drive, making line on map (7)

Answer: ISOGRAM (i.e. “line on map”). Solution is I’S (i.e. “one’s”, with one expressed as its Roman numeral equivalent) followed by OG (i.e. “awful blunder” or Own Goal) and RAM (i.e. to “drive” home).

47. Shy? Did wrong to hold one’s tongue (7)

Answer: YIDDISH (i.e. language or “tongue”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “wrong”) of SHY DID wrapped around or “holding” I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”), like so: Y(I)DDISH.

49. Tip trailer, needing something to grip (6)

Answer: ADVICE (i.e. “tip”). Solution is AD (i.e. “trailer” or advertisement) followed by VICE (i.e. “something to grip”).

51. Ruin suit (2,3)

Answer: DO FOR. Solution satisfies “ruin” and “suit”. Short and very sweet.

52. Legal permission to broadcast ceremonies (5)

Answer: RITES (i.e “ceremonies”). “To broadcast” indicates homophone. Solution is a homophone of RIGHTS (i.e. “legal permission”).

Stinker time! This was mercifully a much better Jumbo than the godawful trash of grid 1630. I did find it a touch uneven, however, with the bottom-right-hand quarter noticeably tougher than the rest of the grid. With stinkers I suppose that’s more likely to happen. Two or three tough buggers can be all it takes to cut off a decent chunk of the grid.

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 flummoxed then my Just For Fun page might be of use, where you’ll find links to solutions for hundreds of the things.

Thanks again for the kind words while I catch up. Till next time, later, y’all.

LP

RBV (Repeats-By-Volume): 13.3%

Across clues

1. In retrospect, reveals cuts a long way down (9)

Answer: MISERABLE (i.e. “down”). Solution is BARES (i.e. “reveals”) reversed (indicated by “in retrospect”) and placed in or “cutting” MILE (i.e. “a long way”), like so: MI(SERAB)LE.

6. Parking in a side street, nearly managed to get free of traffic (13)

Answer: PEDESTRIANISE (i.e. “get free of traffic”). Solution is P (a recognised abbreviation of “parking” used on maps and signage) followed by an anagram (indicated by “managed”) of IN A SIDE and STREET once the last letter has been removed (indicated by “nearly”), like so: P-EDESTRIANISE.

13. Country regularly dismissed Freud, really (5)

Answer: RURAL (i.e. of the “country”). “Regularly dismissed” indicates the solution is derived from every other letter of FREUD REALLY.

14. Proposes changing king and tyrant (9)

Answer: OPPRESSOR (i.e. “tyrant”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “changing”) of PROPOSES followed by R (i.e. “king”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of the Latin Rex), like so: OPPRESSO-R.

15. Bank even holding concession back (7)

Answer: DEPOSIT (i.e. to “bank” money). Solution is TIED (i.e. “even”) wrapped around or “holding” SOP (i.e. “concession”) and the whole then reversed (indicated by “back”), like so: DE(POS)IT. Appeared in grid 1608 back in April, and again in grid 1614 the next month, both on odd intersecting letters, so have a double meme…

16. Instructional film for union of gold-diggers? (3,2,5,1,11)

Answer: HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE (i.e. 1953 “film” starring Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall and Betty Grable). Solution also playfully satisfies the clue as a whole, taking HOW TO for “instructional”, MARRY for “union” and so on. You get the idea.

18. Where plane flies and displays speed (8)

Answer: AIRSPACE (i.e. “where plane flies”). Solution is AIRS (i.e. “displays”) followed by PACE (i.e. “speed”).

20. Lady is twice affected by this kidney treatment (8)

Answer: DIALYSIS (i.e. “kidney treatment”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “affected”) of LADY and IS IS (indicated by “is twice”).

21. Drive to install green furnishings (5)

Answer: DÉCOR (i.e. “furnishings”). Solution is DR (a recognised abbreviation of “drive” used on addresses) wrapped around or “installing” ECO (i.e. “green”), like so: D(ÉCO)R.

23. Strip art going down quickly? (6)

Answer: DIVEST (i.e. to “strip” of). Solution is DIVING (i.e. “going down quickly”) playfully expressed in ye olde language (indicated by “art”, taken to mean ye olde “are”). 285 Jumbo Cryptic solutions later, I’m still not keen on “art” clues.

24. Losing out, wants to see every other pair going native in US? (6)

Answer: SIOUAN (i.e. “native in US”, a member of the Sioux tribe). “To see every other pair” indicates the solution can be found taking… well, every other pair of LOSING OUT WANTS.

25. Goodness or, conversely, bad behaviour includes one’s initial deterioration (9)

Answer: CORROSION (i.e. “deterioration”). Solution is COR (i.e. “goodness”, both exclamations) followed by OR reversed (indicated by “conversely”), then SIN (i.e. “bad behaviour”) once wrapped around or “including” O (i.e. “one’s initial” letter), like so: COR-RO-SI(O)N.

28. Cocktail – or bigger animal’s other end? (6,4)

Answer: HORSE’S NECK (i.e. “cocktail”, apparently of brandy, ginger ale and a twist of lemon peel. Sounds rather nice). Clue plays on a HORSE being a “bigger animal” than a cock, and it’s NECK being the opposite end to it’s “tail”. You get the idea.

29. Liberate at no cost (4)

Answer: FREE. Solution satisfies “liberate” and “at no cost”.

30. Golf in November, chosen for lack of action (7)

Answer: NEGLECT (i.e. “lack of action”). Solution is G (“Golf” in the phonetic alphabet) placed “in” N (ditto “November”) and ELECT (i.e. “chosen”), like so: N-E(G)LECT.

32. Uncooked food is sent back, when the fellow tucks in (7)

Answer: SASHIMI (i.e. “uncooked food” of raw fish). Solution is IS reversed (indicated by “sent back”) and wrapped around or “tucking in” AS (i.e. “when”) and HIM (i.e. “the fellow”), like so: S(AS-HIM)I.

34. You’ve always selectively looked through coloured section (4)

Answer: UVEA (i.e. “looked through coloured section”, or a part of the iris of the eye – a bit naughty of the setter here, as “looked through” ought really to have been hyphenated, but then I suppose the clue wouldn’t scan very well). “Selectively” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, like so: YO(U’VE A)LWAYS. Chalk one to my Bradford’s. It was this clue that made me realise we were dealing with a stinker this week, especially considering the more mundane words that could have fit the letters U_E_.

35. Turned to assist staff with spike of ice (10)

Answer: DIAMANTINE (i.e. “of ice”, taking ice to be slang for diamonds). Solution is AID (i.e. “to assist”) reversed (indicated by “turned”) and followed by MAN (i.e. to “staff” an organisation), then TINE (i.e. “spike” on a fork), like so: DIA-MAN-TINE.

38. Basis for web pages, hardly contentless, with forward extension (9)

Answer: HYPERTEXT (i.e. “basis for web pages”. The “https” you see prefixing web addresses, for example, stands for “hypertext transfer protocol secure”). Solution is HY (i.e. “hardly contentless”, i.e. the word “hardly” with its middle letters removed) followed by PERT (i.e. “forward” or impudent) and EXT (a recognised abbreviation of, say, a phone “extension”).

39. Flirted almost randomly, which isn’t important (6)

Answer: TRIFLE (i.e. that “which isn’t important”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “randomly”) of FLIRTED once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “almost”). TRIFLED appeared in grid 1605 back in March, also on odd intersecting letters. I’m claiming it, so…

40. Reinforcement for low-level digital protection (6)

Answer: TOECAP. Solution satisfies the clue as a whole, taking TOECAPs to be “reinforcements” added to shoes to help “protect” the toes, or “low-level digits”.

43. Recall most of way out stuff (5)

Answer: SERGE (i.e. “stuff” – I believe both refer to a kind of woollen fabric. Chambers has this for SERGE: “a strong-twilled fabric, now usually of worsted” – worsted being a fine wool fabric, and this for “stuff”: “cloth, especially woollen”). Solution is EGRESS (i.e. an exit or “way out”) with the last letter removed (indicated by “most of…”) and the remainder reversed (indicated by “recall”).

45. Order half of card-carrying actors to enter staged scene (8)

Answer: SEQUENCE (i.e. “order”). Solution is EQU, or “half of” EQUITY (i.e. “card-carrying actors”), placed in or “entering” an anagram (indicated by “staged”) of SCENE, like so: S(EQU)ENCE.

47. Fraternity man welcomes retired personnel (8)

Answer: BRETHREN (i.e. “fraternity”). Solution is BEN (i.e. “man’s” name) wrapped around or “welcoming” RET (a recognised abbreviation of “retired”) and HR (i.e. “personnel”, or Human Resources), like so: B(RET-HR)EN.

49. Antagonism to PC joining the wrong party? (9,13)

Answer: POLITICAL INCORRECTNESS. Solution satisfies “antagonism to PC”, taking PC to be Political Correctness, and, playfully, “joining the wrong [political] party”.

52. Who found a way to treasure a liberal and an arts graduate? (3,4)

Answer: ALI BABA (i.e. “who found a way to treasure” from a tale collected in the One Thousand And One Nights). Solution is A followed by LIB (a recognised abbreviation of “Liberal”) and A BA (i.e. “an arts graduate”, or a Bachelor of Arts).

53. “Putting on airs!”, I pompously interjected, making comeback with a nasal tone (9)

Answer: ADENOIDAL (i.e. “with a nasal tone”). Solution is LA-DI-DA (i.e. “putting on airs”) wrapped around or “interjected” by ONE (i.e. “I pompously”) and the whole then reversed (indicated by “making comeback”), like so: AD-(ENO)-ID-AL.

54. Style of page with answer in final letter, in triplicate (5)

Answer: PZAZZ (i.e. with “style”). Solution is P (a recognised abbreviation of “page”) followed by A (ditto “answer”) once placed “in” Z (i.e. “final letter” of the alphabet) repeated three times or “in triplicate”, like so: P-Z(A)ZZ.

55. Changing one’s mind for the better? (13)

Answer: PSYCHOTHERAPY. Solution satisfies the clue as a whole. Not a huge amount more to say about it, really.

56. Lead in edible parts of asparagus and cabbage (9)

Answer: SPEARHEAD (i.e. “lead”). Solution is SPEAR and HEAD (i.e. “edible parts of asparagus and cabbage”, respectively).

Down clues

1. Arrange to move up lake above northern delta that’s often flooded (9)

Answer: MARSHLAND (i.e. “that’s often flooded”). Solution is MARSHAL (i.e. to “arrange”) with the L (a recognised abbreviation of “lake”) “moved up” or back a notch – this being a down clue. This is then followed by N (a recognised abbreviation of “northern”) and D (“delta” in the phonetic alphabet), like so: MARSHA(L)-N-D => MARSH(L)A-N-D.

2. Keen on running water, if about substitutes for hard drink (11)

Answer: SCREWDRIVER (i.e. “drink”, specifically vodka and orange). Solution is SHREWD (i.e. “keen”) and RIVER (i.e. “running water”) with the H (a recognised abbreviation of “hard” used in grading pencils) of SHREWD swapped “for” C (i.e. “about”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of “circa”), like so: S(H)REWD-RIVER => S(C)REWD-RIVER. With this, HORSE’S HEAD, SASHIMI, TRIFLE and other EATS, it sounds like the setter is throwing a party.

3. Turn over Norse hero (5)

Answer: ROLLO (i.e. “Norse hero” and, apparently, the great-great-great-grandfather of William the Conqueror). Solution is ROLL (i.e. “turn”) followed by O (a recognised abbreviation of “over” used in cricket). Man, this reminded me of the old King Rollo cartoon series that was on TV when I was a nipper. If next week’s grid features CHORLTON AND THE WHEELIES, ROOBARB or JAMIE AND THE MAGIC TORCH then that’ll be my small controlling forces at work.

4. Involvement of Marco and Ben? (8)

Answer: BROMANCE. Solution satisfies the clue as a whole, being a close friendship between two blokes, but is also formed of an anagram (indicated by “involvement of”) of MARCO and BEN. Nicely worked.

5. Tear up yen after former loss of currency (6)

Answer: EXPIRY (i.e. “loss of currency”, taking currency to mean up-to-date-ness). Solution is RIP (i.e. “tear”) reversed (indicated by “up”, this being a down clue) and, with Y (a recognised abbreviation of “yen”), all placed “after” EX (i.e. “former”), like so: EX-(PIR-Y). Another good un.

6. Exposed to risk, facing future tooth decay? (10)

Answer: PRECARIOUS (i.e. “exposed to risk”). The solution also playfully satisfies “facing future tooth decay”, CARIOUS being a decayed state, derived from CARIES or tooth decay.

7. Record one Roman statesman’s written about Arabian concerned with punishment (12)

Answer: DISCIPLINARY (i.e. “concerned with punishment”). Solution is DISC (i.e. “record”) followed by I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”), then PLINY the Younger (i.e. “Roman statesman”, and also writer of one of the earliest haunted house stories) once wrapped “about” AR (a recognised abbreviation of “Arabian”), like so: DISC-I-PLIN(AR)Y. DISCIPLINED appeared in grid 1610 back in April, also on odd intersecting letters. I’ll let it slide.

8. Never completed, certainly luxurious, more than needed (7)

Answer: SURPLUS (i.e. “more than needed”). Solution is SURE (i.e. “certainly”) and PLUSH (i.e. “luxurious”) once the last letter of both words has been removed (indicated by “never completed”), like so: SUR-PLUS. Appeared in grid 1603 back in March, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

9. Inspection of space in microwaves? (5,9)

Answer: RADIO ASTRONOMY. Solution satisfies the clue as a whole, taking “space” to be the big beyond up there and “microwaves” to be the kind of thing you find in physics, as opposed to those things in the kitchen that re-heat cold cups of tea.

10. Commend article on reverse of double pages (7)

Answer: APPLAUD (i.e. “commend”). Solution is A (i.e. “article”, a word like a, an or the) followed by DUAL (i.e. “double”) and PP (a recognised abbreviation of “pages”) once the latter pair have been “reversed”, like so: A-(PP-LAUD).

11. Supplying information during struggle to limit disastrous cut (11)

Answer: INSTRUCTIVE (i.e. “supplying information”). Solution is IN (i.e. “during”) followed by STRIVE (i.e. “struggle”) once wrapped around or “limiting” an anagram (indicated by “disastrous”) of CUT, like so: IN-STR(UCT)IVE.

12. Selection of fare at steakhouse? (4)

Answer: EATS (i.e. meals or “fare”). “Selection of” indicates the clue has been hidden in the clue, like so: FAR(E AT S)TEAKHOUSE. A little bit of recycling there. Appeared in grid 1591 in December, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

17. Coarse man about to snare dark lady (8)

Answer: BRUNETTE (i.e. “dark lady”). Solution is BRUTE (i.e. “coarse man”) wrapped “about” NET (i.e. “to snare”), like so: BRU(NET)TE.

19. Tries desperately to get into deprived seat (9)

Answer: POSTERIOR (i.e. “seat”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “desperately”) of TRIES placed “into” POOR (i.e. “deprived”), like so: PO(STERI)OR.

22. Title’s six seconds matter (8)

Answer: VISCOUNT (i.e. a “title”. You’re still a biscuit to me, son). Solution is VI (i.e. “six” expressed in Roman numerals) followed by S (a recognised abbreviation of “seconds”) and COUNT (i.e. to “matter”).

25. Nothing left in neck after cutting fabric (8)

Answer: CHENILLE (i.e. “fabric”). Solution is NIL (i.e. “nothing”) and L (a recognised abbreviation of “left”) all placed “in” CHEEK (i.e. “neck” or impudence) once the last letter has been removed (indicated by “after cutting”), like so: CHE(NIL-L)E. Appeared in grid 1623 only a couple of months ago, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

26. Played along for start of toccata – sitting here? (5,4)

Answer: ORGAN LOFT (i.e. “here” within the context of the clue, an organ loft is a gallery for an organ found in a concert hall or church). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “played”) of ALONG FOR followed by T (i.e. “start [letter] for toccata”), like so: ORGANLOF-T.

27. Way to get rid of bead collection? (14)

Answer: ANTIPERSPIRANT. Solution satisfies the clue as a whole, taking “bead” to be a bead of sweat. Another I rather liked.

28. What keeps son repeating secret? (4-4)

Answer: HUSH-HUSH (i.e. “secret”). Solution is HUH (i.e. “what”, eh?, pardon?) wrapped around or “keeping” S (a recognised abbreviation of “son”). This is then all “repeated”, like so: HU(S)H-HU(S)H.

31. Victim of Achilles’ heel is wretched one in confined area (12)

Answer: PENTHESILEIA (i.e. “victim of Achilles”, an Amazonian queen killed during the Trojan War). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “wretched”) of HEEL IS and I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”) both being placed “in” between PENT (i.e. “confined”) and A (a recognised abbreviation of “area”), like so: PENT-(HESILE-I)A. Not being one for the classics, this was one that took me most of the grid to solve. I was only able to see where the obvious anagram fitted once I had most of the intersecting letters. I figured the solution would start with PEN, so it didn’t take much Googling after that to locate the solution. I’d have been goosed under exam conditions, mind.

33. Prosecute urgent matter with exchange at meeting being better (11)

Answer: SUPERIORITY (i.e. “being better”). Solution is SUE (i.e. “prosecute”) and PRIORITY (i.e. “urgent matter”) with the last letter of SUE and the first letter of PRIORITY “exchanged” where they meet, like so: SU(E)-(P)RIORITY => SU(P)-(E)RIORITY.

36. Bang up smart vehicle, dilapidated one absorbing energy (11)

Answer: INCARCERATE (i.e. “bang up” or imprison). Solution is IN (i.e. “smart” or fashionable) followed by CAR (i.e. “vehicle”), then CRATE (i.e. “dilapidated [car]”) once wrapped around or “absorbing” E (a recognised abbreviation of “energy”), like so: IN-CAR-C(E)RATE.

37. Subtraction operation applied to column (10)

Answer: DISCECTOMY. Solution satisfies the clue as a whole, taking “column” to mean one’s spinal column. The “operation” involved the removal or “subtraction” of part of a vertebral disc.

41. Small beer made water-resistant? (4-5)

Answer: PINT-SIZED (i.e. “small”). Solution is PINT (i.e. “beer”) followed by SIZED (i.e. “made water-resistant”, a variant meaning of SIZE).

42. Unwaveringly faithful rabbi – not his impostor! (4-4)

Answer: TRUE-BLUE (i.e. “unwaveringly faithful”). The remainder of the clue plays on “Rabbi” Lionel BLUE – no, me neither – and how “not his impostor” would infer he is the TRUE BLUE.

44. Words to live by? Hardly! (7)

Answer: EPITAPH, an inscription on a tombstone, which can “hardly” be described as “words to live by”. Appeared in grid 1585 back in November, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

46. As Iago, exposed in the earlier cost to Moor (7)

Answer: QUAYAGE (i.e. “cost to moor”, ignoring the misleading capitalisation). Solution is QUA (i.e. “as”, or the Latin for “in the capacity of”) followed by AG (i.e. “Iago, exposed”, i.e. “Iago” with its first and last letters removed) once placed “in” YE (i.e. “the earlier”, i.e. ye-olde form of “the”), like so: QUA-Y(AG)E. I doubt any of you started the Jumbo with this tough bugger.

48. Party during peak – for the most part people believe them (6)

Answer: CREDOS (i.e. “people believe them”). Solution is DO (i.e. “party”) placed “during” CREST (i.e. “peak”) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “for the most part”), like so: CRE(DO)S. CREDO appeared in grid 1605 back in March, but on odd intersecting letters on that occasion.

50. Animal Crackers, part one (5)

Answer: TAPIR (i.e. an “animal”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “crackers”) of PART and I (i.e. “one”). Appeared in grid 1588 in December, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

51. Basically accompany America’s top couple, hosted by their second-in-command (4)

Answer: VAMP (i.e. “basically accompany” – a variant meaning of VAMP is “to improvise crude [musical] accompaniments” (Chambers)). Solution is AM (i.e. “America’s top couple” of letters) placed in or “hosted by” VP (i.e. “[America’s] second-in-command”, short for Vice President), like so: V(AM)P.

A medium strength Jumbo and another that was riddled with recent repeats. At least on this occasion we had a healthy number of good 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 the horrors then you might find my Just For Fun page of use, where you’ll find links to solutions for hundreds of the things.

Thanks for the kind words as I continue to catch up. I’ve not been as focused on timeliness since grid 1630 exhausted virtually all the enjoyment I had left for Jumbo Cryptics, so thanks for sticking around. Till next time, laters peeps.

LP

RBV (Repeats-By-Volume): 11.7%

Across clues

1. In denial, said to speak rudely of a letter (9)

Answer: DISAVOWAL (i.e. “denial”). “Said” indicates the solution is a homophone, in this case of of DIS A VOWEL (“speak rudely of a letter”).

6. Enterprising few go on river after a time in December (13)

Answer: ADVENTURESOME (i.e. “enterprising”). Solution is SOME (i.e. “few”) placed “on” or after URE (a “river” of North Yorkshire), which is itself placed “after” ADVENT (i.e. “a time in December”), like so: ADVENT-URE-SOME.

13. Champion in car is a speed merchant (5)

Answer: RACER (i.e. “speed merchant”). Solution is ACE (i.e. “champion”) placed “in” RR (i.e. “car”, a Rolls Royce, after its logo – my Bradford’s supports it, but none of my dictionaries list it), like so: R(ACE)R.

14. Translated from the Italian side, quietly discourage going back (11)

Answer: INTERPRETED (i.e. “translated”). Solution is INTER Milan (i.e. “Italian [football] side”) followed by P (i.e. “quietly”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of “piano” used in musical lingo) and DETER (i.e. “discourage”) once the latter has been reversed (indicated by “going back”), like so: INTER-P-RETED.

15. Seize up almost solid inside (5)

Answer: USURP (i.e. “seize”). Solution is UP with SURE (i.e. “solid”) placed “inside” once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “almost”), like so: U(SUR)P. Appeared in grid 1618 in May, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

16. Firm with people fed up about parking getting repaid (11)

Answer: COMPENSATED (i.e. “repaid”). Solution is CO (i.e. “firm”, short for company) followed by MEN (i.e. “people”, or at least 48% of them) and SATED (i.e. “fed up”, Chambers supports this usage as an obsolete phrase) all wrapped “about” P (a recognised abbreviation of “parking” used on maps etc), like so: CO-M(P)EN-SATED.

17. Sort of writing: in it, learner is struggling (11)

Answer: INTERLINEAR (i.e. “sort of writing”). “Struggling” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of IN IT LEARNER. Appeared only last week, also on odd intersecting letters. As I keep saying, this happens far, far too often in Jumbos. Have a meme.

18. Old ass rejected a herb (7)

Answer: OREGANO (i.e. “herb”). Solution is O (a recognised abbreviation of “old”) followed by ONAGER (a kind of donkey or “ass”) once reversed (indicated by “rejected”), like so: O-REGANO. This is a solution that makes a regular appearance in crosswords because 1) all its odd letters are vowels, and 2) it ends in a useful ‘O’. A lot of the time, cryptic setters also use ONAGER in the construction of their clue, in a similar way they always use LIGNITE and IGNITE, or DISRAELI and ISRAELI. It gets to be a bit repetitive, and you know what they say about familiarity. To be fair, the last time OREGANO appeared (grid 1615 in May, also on odd intersecting letters) the setter at least used a different approach in their clue, using Regan from Shakespeare’s King Lear. Doesn’t stop the meme, though…

20. Roughly cut last of cake to be handed round outside (7)

Answer: SHEARED (i.e. “roughly cut”). Solution is E (i.e. “last [letter] of cake”) placed in or having “outside” of it SHARED (i.e. “handed round”), like so: SH(E)ARED. We had SHEARER in grid 1592 back in December and SHEAR in grid 1603 in May, all on odd intersecting letters. I’m claiming it, which means, ladies and gentlemen, we have a HAT TRICK!!!

21. Sibling perhaps gets free of temperature and aches (7)

Answer: TWINGES (i.e. “aches”). Solution is TWIN (i.e. “sibling perhaps”, other flavours of sibling are available) followed by GETS once the T has been removed (indicated by “free of temperature”, T being a recognised abbreviation of “temperature”), like so: TWIN-GES.

23. Hot in quad, fellows heartlessly tend to revise work (3,5,5,3,3)

Answer: AND QUIET FLOWS THE DON (i.e. a “work”, specifically a laugh-a-minute novel of four volumes by Mikhail Sholokhov detailing the struggles of a Cossack family during the early 20th century. Sounds great! Just the thing I need to prop up a few wonky tables). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “to revise”) of HOT IN QUAD, FELLOWS once its middle letter has been removed (indicated by “heartlessly”) and TEND. In my previous post I wanged on about Russia being a solid number 2 (if you’ll forgive the expression) behind France for Times setters when it comes to squeezing foreign references and words into their solutions and clues. I was half-joking at the time, but now I’m not so sure. Have I accidentally stumbled upon something? Could we have a cabal of pinko setters, quietly promoting Russia during wartime through the medium of cryptic crosswords? Gasp! Is this the drip-drip dissolution of democracy, achieved not through workers seizing the means of production but a subliminal softening of upper and middle-class bias against socialism?! (Obviously not, before you all go hunting for reds under the bed.)

27. Artist captures one valley (3)

Answer: RIA (i.e. “valley”, specifically a drowned valley. From the Spanish, apparently). Solution is RA (i.e. “artist”, specifically a Royal Academician) wrapped around or “capturing” I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”), like so: R(I)A.

28. Has TV dinner perhaps each time: wrong! (4,2)

Answer: EATS IN (i.e. “has TV dinner perhaps”). Solution is EA (a recognised abbreviation of “each”) followed by T (ditto “time”) and SIN (i.e. “wrong”).

29. We hear a tower is a fascinating sight (6)

Answer: EYEFUL. Solution playfully satisfies “we hear a tower”, i.e. a homophone of EIFFEL, and “a fascinating sight”.

31. Flexible about day, open to change (9)

Answer: AMENDABLE (i.e. “open to change”). Solution is AMENABLE (i.e. “flexible”) wrapped “about” D (a recognised abbreviation of “day”), like so: AMEN(D)ABLE.

34. Opening of story lacks tension at first for companion (9)

Answer: CHAPERONE (i.e. “companion”). Solution is CHAPTER ONE (i.e. “opening of story”) with the T removed (indicated by “lacks tension at first”, T being the first letter of “tension”). I rather liked this one.

35. One decidedly getting the better of someone’s communications equipment (6)

Answer: ROUTER. Solution satisfies “one decidedly getting the better of someone”, taking ROUT to be a heavy defeat, and “communications equipment”.

36. One regularly inside ordered to remove initial insulation (3,3)

Answer: OLD LAG (i.e. “one regularly inside” prison). Solution is TOLD (i.e. “ordered”) with its “initial” “removed” and the remainder followed by LAG (i.e. “insulation”).

39. Dull start to good book (3)

Answer: MAT. Solution satisfies “dull” and “start to good book” – the Gospel of Matthew is the first book of the New Testament of The Bible.

40. Forgotten about, if not in my view (3,2,5,3,2,4)

Answer: OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND. Hmm. I’m not sure taking a well-known phrase and simply writing it a little differently counts as a clue, but what do I know?

42. I arrest criminal that lives in a tree (7)

Answer: TARSIER (i.e. a monkey, or something “that lives in a tree”. It also looks like it would win any staring competition, hands down). “Criminal” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of I ARREST.

43. Scots own being busy, over the moon (7)

Answer: TITANIA (i.e. a “moon” of Uranus). Solution is AIN (i.e. “Scots own”, i.e. a Scots word for “own”) followed by AT IT (i.e. “being busy”) all reversed (indicated by “over”), like so: TI-TA-NIA.

45. Regularly glad about a dead figure brought to life (7)

Answer: GALATEA (i.e. “figure brought to life” – I had to refer to my Brewer’s here: “According to Ovid’s Metamorphoses, [Pygmalion] fell in love with his own ivory statue of his own ideal woman. At his earnest prayer the goddess Aphrodite gave life to the statue and he married it.” I guess it would have been ungoddesslike of Aphrodite to say to Pygmalion, “Just wank it off, son.”) Solution is GA (i.e. “regularly glad”, i.e. every other letter of GLAD) wrapped “about” A and LATE (i.e. “dead”), like so: G(A-LATE)A.

47. Fat French consumer minds being so poor at concentrating? (11)

Answer: GRASSHOPPER (i.e. “minds being so poor at concentrating” – can’t say I’ve ever heard the phrase “grasshopper minds” before, but I rather like it). Solution is GRAS (i.e. “fat French”, i.e. the French for “fat”) followed by SHOPPER (i.e. “consumer”).

49. Checking son gets out of bed: urgent! (11)

Answer: SUPPRESSING (i.e. blocking or “checking”). Solution is S (a recognised abbreviation of “son”) followed by UP (i.e. “out of bed”) and PRESSING (i.e. “urgent”).

51. Emerging adult’s single paper round (5)

Answer: IMAGO (i.e. “emerging adult” insect form). Solution is I (i.e. “single” or Roman numeral one) followed by MAG (i.e. “paper”, short for magazine) and O (i.e. “round”). Nicely worked.

52. Suitable little room head of state finds attractive (4-7)

Answer: GOOD-LOOKING (i.e. “attractive”). Solution is GOOD (i.e. “suitable”) followed by LOO (i.e. “little room” or toilet) and KING (i.e. “head of state”).

53. In need of exercise, force contributes to one (5)

Answer: UNFIT (i.e. “in need of exercise”). Solution is F (a recognised abbreviation of “force”) placed in or “contributing to” UNIT (i.e. “one”), like so: UN(F)IT.

54. Charitable undertaking, replanting lake with snow drops (9,4)

Answer: SPONSORED WALK (i.e. “charitable undertaking”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “replanting”) of LAKE and SNOW DROPS. Appeared in grid 1587 back in December, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

55. Hurtle around, covering the country in this? (6,3)

Answer: ESTATE CAR (i.e. “this”, within the context of the clue). Solution is RACE (i.e. “hurtle”) reversed (indicated by “around”) and wrapped around or “covering” STATE (i.e. “country”), like so: E(STATE)CAR.

Down clues

1. Urgent case taken round to the management (11)

Answer: DIRECTORATE (i.e. “management”). Solution is DIRE (i.e. “urgent”) and CRATE (i.e. “case”) all wrapped “round” TO, like so: DIRE-C(TO)RATE.

2. Entertainer Harry becomes wild (7)

Answer: SECOMBE (i.e. “entertainer Harry”, he of The Goons). “Wild” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of BECOMES. Another nicely worked clue.

3. Caretaker trimmed edge of grass (5)

Answer: VERGE (i.e. “edge” – a verge can be the edge of anything, really). Solution is VERGER (i.e. church “caretaker”) with its last letter removed (indicated by “trimmed”).

4. Covered in panels, cart sped along, spilling nothing (10)

Answer: WAINSCOTED (i.e. “covered in panels”). Solution is WAIN (i.e. a “cart”) followed by SCOOTING (i.e. “sped along”) once one of the Os has been removed (indicated by “spilling nothing”), like so: WAIN-SCOTED. It might surprise nobody that I know this word solely from Monty Python’s ‘Rat Catcher’ sketch.

5. A rhetorical figure is not truthful about child (7)

Answer: LITOTES (i.e. “a rhetorical figure” employing understatement, e.g. not a little unwieldy). Solution is LIES (i.e. “is not truthful” wrapped around TOT (i.e. “child”), like so: LI(TOT)ES. One I recalled from its appearances in a few previous Jumbos, the last one being grid 1607 in April, also on odd intersecting letters. Have another meme…

6. War film cut excessively (1,6,3,3)

Answer: A BRIDGE TOO FAR (i.e. “war film”). When written as ABRIDGE TOO FAR the clue also playfully satisfies “cut excessively”. Another peach, probably my favourite clue of the puzzle.

7. Green coat of composer is patched with grey (9)

Answer: VERDIGRIS (i.e. “green coat”). Solution is Giuseppe VERDI (i.e. “composer”) and IS wrapped around or “patched with” GR (a recognised abbreviation of “grey”), like so: VERDI-(GR)-IS.

8. Drooped, having changed form, disregarding a stroke (7)

Answer: NUTATED (i.e. “drooped” or nodded). Solution is MUTATED (i.e. “changed form”) with the M changed to an N (indicated by “disregarding a stroke” – probably best to think of a lower case m).

9. Reserves not enough rooms (12)

Answer: UNDERSTUDIES (i.e. “reserves” in theatreland). Solution is UNDER (i.e. “not enough”) followed by STUDIES (i.e. “rooms”). Another cracker. I’ve got to say, the clues in this Jumbo are night-and-day compared to the garbage in grid 1630. It’s like comparing someone who can tell a joke to someone who can only explain one.

10. Learning one of the basic lessons in Brussels’ way of speaking caught out (9)

Answer: ERUDITION (i.e. “learning”). Solution is R (i.e. “one of the basic lessons”, referring to the three Rs: reading, writing and arithmetic – an idiot phrase of old that never ceases to amuse me) placed “in” EU (i.e. “Brussels”, or the European Union) followed by DICTION (i.e. “way of speaking”) once the C (a recognised abbreviation of “caught”) as been taken “out”, like so: E(R)U-DITION.

11. Valuable safety device, nothing superior (2,3)

Answer: OF USE (i.e. “valuation”). Solution is FUSE (i.e. electrical “safety device”) with O (i.e. “nothing”) placed above it (indicated by “superior”), this being a down clue, like so: O-FUSE.

12. Part of America is temperate, but that is changing (6,5)

Answer: EMPIRE STATE (i.e. “part of America”, New York State). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “but that is changing”) of IS TEMPERATE.

19. Vehicle I have to support area offensive (7)

Answer: ABUSIVE (i.e. “offensive” or containing abuse). Solution is BUS (i.e. “vehicle”) and I’VE (a contraction of “I have”) both placed after or “supporting” – this being a down clue – A (a recognised abbreviation of “area”), like so: A-(BUS-I’VE).

22. Biscuit I dropped in clothes store (9)

Answer: GARIBALDI (i.e. “biscuit”). Solution is I “dropped in” to GARB (i.e. “clothes”) and ALDI (i.e. a supermarket chain or “store”), like so: GAR(I)B-ALDI. Also appeared in grid 1593 in January, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

24. Slater’s rubbish wheeled over (9)

Answer: DETRACTOR (i.e. “slater” or one who harshly criticises). Solution is ROT (i.e. “rubbish”) and CARTED (i.e. “wheeled”) all reversed (indicated by “over”), like so: DETRAC-TOR.

25. Knowing possible insertion into table, but it’s blank (7)

Answer: FLYLEAF (i.e. “it’s blank”, being an empty page at the beginning or end of a book). Solution is FLY (i.e. slang for “knowing”) followed by LEAF (i.e. “possible insertion into table”, being “a broad thin part, structure or extension, hinged, sliding or inserted at will, for folding doors, window-shutters, table tops, drawbridges, etc” (Chambers)).

26. Rejection of call for effort (5-2)

Answer: HEAVE-HO. Solution satisfies “rejection”, as in being given the heave-ho, and “call for effort”.

30. Evidently amused by where one holds rifle: the butt (8,5)

Answer: LAUGHING STOCK (i.e. “the butt” of a joke). Solution is LAUGHING (i.e. “evidently amused”) followed by STOCK (i.e. “where one holds rifle”).

32. Miserable, with government aid not quite generous? (7)

Answer: DOLEFUL (i.e. “miserable”). Solution is DOLE (i.e. “government aid”) followed by FULL (i.e. “generous”) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “not quite”), like so: DOLE-FUL.

33. Barrow boy needing grocer’s men to supply (12)

Answer: COSTERMONGER (i.e. “barrow boy” or street trader). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “supply”, as in being supple) of GROCER’S MEN TO.

34. Tackle aeroplane disaster in field with tears (4,2,5)

Answer: COME TO GRIPS (i.e. “tackle”). Solution is the de Havilland COMET (i.e. “aeroplane”) followed by OG (i.e. “disaster in field”, specifically an Own Goal) and RIPS (i.e. “tears”).

37. One receiving sponsorship graded tough to break (11)

Answer: GODDAUGHTER (i.e. “one receiving sponsorship”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “to break”) of GRADED TOUGH.

38. Performance nerves, losing heart as the audience left (5,5)

Answer: STAGE RIGHT (i.e. “as the audience left” – stage right is the audience’s left, so this is probably better read as “as the audience, left”). Solution is STAGE FRIGHT (i.e. “performance nerves”) with the phrase’s middle letter, F, removed.

40. Gaps in bulbs when young lady replaces narcissi in the front (9)

Answer: OMISSIONS (i.e. “gaps”). Solution is ONIONS (i.e. “bulbs”) with the first N (indicated by “narcissi in the front”, i.e. the first letter of “narcissi”) “replaced” by MISS (i.e. “young lady”), like so: O(N)IONS => O(MISS)IONS.

41. Pause when Victor’s forgotten one answer among many (5,4)

Answer: INTER ALIA (i.e. Latin for “among many”). Solution is INTERVAL (i.e. “pause”) with the V (“Victor” in the phonetic alphabet) is removed or “forgotten”. This is then followed by I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”) and A (a recognised abbreviation of “answer”, as in Q&A), like so: INTERAL-I-A.

43. Recommendation for our chief went forward nervously (7)

Answer: TIPTOED (i.e. “went forward nervously”). When written as TIP TO ED the solution also playfully satisfies “recommendation for our chief”, from the perspective of the setter, ED being short for “editor”.

44. Inform of an award over the phone (7)

Answer: APPRISE (i.e. to “inform of”). “Over the phone” indicates homophone, in this case of A PRIZE (i.e. “an award”).

46. Wicked stinging plant about to fell daughter (7)

Answer: TRIFFIC (i.e. “wicked”, both slang for excellent). Solution is TRIFFID (i.e. “stinging plant” of John Wyndham’s novel The Day Of The Triffids) with the C (i.e. “about”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of “circa”) replaced or “felled” by D (a recognised abbreviation of “daughter”), like so: TRIFFI(D) => TRIFFI(C).

48. Mission that has infiltrated site of nuclear bomb development? (5)

Answer: ALAMO (i.e. “site of nuclear bomb development”). I believe the first half of the clue is playing on the codename of the first nuclear bomb test, Trinity. Trinitians, meanwhile, were “members of a religious order founded at Rome in 1198 to redeem Christian captives from the Muslims” (Chambers), which you could call a “mission”.

50. Marshal’s military order sent to the rear (5)

Answer: SHUNT (i.e. to “marshal” or usher). Solution is SHUN (i.e. “military order”, short for attention) followed by T (i.e. “sent to the rear”, i.e. the last letter of “sent”).

A medium-strength Jumbo, blighted by dastardly repeats. Yuck. Still, at least there were a few inventive clues to savour.

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 tripped you up 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. I’m still catching up, so I’ll see you shortlyish in the next one. Tatty-bye!

LP

RBV (Repeats-By-Volume): 14.5%

Across clues

1. She’d forget I perhaps could be prescient (11)

Answer: FORESIGHTED (i.e. “prescient”). “Perhaps could be” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of SHE’D FORGET I.

7. Cover for spy leading to arrest for government? (6)

Answer: SYSTEM (i.e. “government”). Solution is SY (i.e. “cover for spy”, i.e. the first and last letters of “spy”) followed by STEM (i.e. to stop or “arrest”).

10. What leg, wing, arm and member progressively reveal? (4)

Answer: LIMB. The solution satisfies the four examples listed, while “progressively reveal” indicates the solution is also derived from the first, second etc letters of each word, i.e. LEG, WING, ARM, MEMBER. A very creative clue. I loved it.

14. Subject being needing to wash (7)

Answer: ENSLAVE (i.e. to “subject”). Solution is ENS (i.e. “being”, philosophically speaking. One I recalled faintly from a previous Jumbo) followed by LAVE (i.e. “to wash”).

15. Jar where Romanian dance follows current measure (7)

Answer: AMPHORA (i.e. “jar”). Solution is HORA (i.e. a “Romanian dance” performed in a circle, apparently) placed after or “following” AMP (i.e. “current measure”), like so: AMP-HORA. Appeared in grid 1589 back in December, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

16. One putting up with English clergyman (7)

Answer: ERECTOR (i.e. “one putting up”). Solution is E (a recognised abbreviation of “English”) followed by RECTOR (i.e. “clergyman”). Appeared in grid 1602 back in March, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

17. Why do deletion possibly unlikely to change (4-2-3-4)

Answer: DYED-IN-THE-WOOL (i.e. “unlikely to change”). “Possibly” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of WHY DO DELETION.

18. Church service see backed is known to very few? (3,6)

Answer: TOP SECRET (i.e. “known to very few”). Solution is TERCE (i.e. “church service”, “one of the hours of the Divine Office, originally held at the third hour of the day (9am)” (Chambers). This reminded me of a recent playthrough of Pentiment, an adventure game set in a fictional Reformation-era town in which a murder mystery plays out across the canonical hours. Worth a look, if you have the patience) and SPOT (i.e. “see”) all reversed (indicated by “backed”), like so: TOPS-ECRET.

19. What chopper needs right over to run? (5)

Answer: ROTOR (i.e. “what chopper needs”, taking “chopper” to mean a helicopter). Solution is R (a recognised abbreviation of “right”) followed by O (ditto “over”, used in cricket), then TO and R (ditto “run”, used in cricket and some other ball games). Appeared in grid 1624 a couple of months ago, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

21. Concerned with plant around river that’s unruly (10)

Answer: REFRACTORY (i.e. “unruly”). Solution is RE (i.e. “concerned with” – think email replies) followed by FACTORY (i.e. “plant”) once wrapped “around” R (a recognised abbreviation of “river”), like so: RE-F(R)ACTORY. One of those words I could have sworn meant something else. (Not entirely unusual, to be fair. I often make catachresis an art form.)

23. Stereo milkman regularly used in vehicle (6)

Answer: TROIKA (i.e. a Russian horse-drawn “vehicle”). “Regularly used” indicates the solution is derived by taking every other letter of STEREO MILKMAN. One I remembered from its last appearance, if I’m honest.

25. Doctor in a university left social worker able to walk (8)

Answer: AMBULANT (i.e. “able to walk”). Solution is MB (i.e. “doctor”, specifically a Doctor of Medicine, or Medicinae Baccalaureus) placed “in” between A and U (a recognised abbreviation of “university”). This is then followed by L (ditto “left”) and ANT (i.e. “social worker” insect), like so: (A-(MB)-U)-L-ANT.

26. Putting out woven marine drag-nets (14)

Answer: DISARRANGEMENT (i.e. “putting out”). “Woven” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of MARINE DRAG-NETS.

29. Support in Calais, say, returning for crown (7)

Answer: TREETOP (i.e. “crown” – can be the top of anything, not just a tree). Solution is TEE (i.e. “support” for a golf ball) placed “in” PORT (i.e. “Calais, say” – other ports are available, as solvers are all too painfully aware) and the whole then reversed (indicated by “returning”), like so: TR(EET)OP.

30. Gin and tonic and old-fashioned going by another name (9)

Answer: INCOGNITO (i.e. “going by another name”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “fashioned”) of GIN, TONIC and O (a recognised abbreviation of “old”).

31. Going over accumulated knowledge about new recruit (5)

Answer: ENROL (i.e. “recruit”). Solution is LORE (i.e. “accumulated knowledge”) wrapped “about” N (a recognised abbreviation of “new”) and the whole reversed (indicated by “going over”), like so: E(N)ROL.

32. Correct me over the last point (5)

Answer: EMEND (i.e. “correct”). Solution is EM (i.e. “me over”, or the word “me” reversed) followed by END (i.e. “the last point”). Appeared in grid 1590 back in December, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

34. Never returning? Small cod’s back again (2-7)

Answer: RE-ENDORSE (i.e. “back again”). Solution is NE’ER (poetic form of “never”) reversed or “returning”, followed by DORSE (i.e. a “small cod” – bizarrely, if you search for DORSE in Google images you’ll see a lot more images of weird dog/horse or duck/horse hybrids than you will of fish), like so: RE’EN-DORSE.

37. We finally deserve backing about river boat for rowers (7)

Answer: TRIREME (i.e. “boat for rowers”). Solution is E (i.e. “we finally”, i.e. the last letter of “we”) followed by MERIT (i.e. “deserve”) all reversed (indicated by “backing”) and wrapped “about” R (a recognised abbreviation of “river” – again), like so: T(R)IREM-E. And for the umpteenth time since I started these posts, you can literally see the solution two pages earlier in the Saturday Review, sitting there in grid 1630. This is one reason I’m beginning to tire of these Jumbos. It’s sad, really. Anyway, TRIREME appeared in grid 1630 on odd intersecting letters, so…

39. Russian soldier perhaps, then a sailor, initially made second officer (8,2,4)

Answer: SERGEANT AT ARMS (i.e. “officer”). Not 100% here, but I guess the solution comprises SERGE (i.e. “Russian”, I’m assuming a shortened form of Sergei, though I’m hoping there’s a bit more to it than that. Either way, I often find it interesting the nationalities setters gravitate toward when composing their clues. (Consider that Serge could just as easily have been Spanish or Italian.) The French get a comical amount of love in Jumbos, as I have highlighted before once or twice, but Russia gets a solid showing too. Twice so far this week, in fact, and we’re not even halfway through the clues. Hmm. Excuse me a moment while I call MI6…) followed by ANT (i.e. “soldier perhaps” – we’ve already covered other types of ant), then A, then TAR (i.e. informal word for a “sailor”), then M (i.e. “initially made”, i.e. the first letter of “made”) and S (a recognised abbreviation of “second”).

41. Row during opening curtain (8)

Answer: PORTIERE (i.e. a door “curtain”. French, obviously, as if almost immediately proving my previous point). Solution is TIER (i.e. “row”) placed in or “during” PORE (i.e. “opening”), like so: POR(TIER)E.

43. Arduous journey for US school: record-breaking energy! (6)

Answer: SCHLEP (i.e. “arduous journey for US”, or US slang for a right old slog). Solution is SCH (a recognised abbreviation of “school”) followed by E (ditto “energy”) once placed in or “breaking” LP (i.e. a “record” of the long-play variety), like so: SCH-L(E)P.

44. Steal key unit for part of frame? (10)

Answer: COLLARBONE (i.e. “part of frame”, I this case a skeleton). Solution is COLLAR (i.e. “steal”) followed by B (a musical “key”) and ONE (i.e. “unit”).

45. Ruminant of Eastern country area (5)

Answer: ELAND (i.e. “ruminant”). Solution is E (a recognised abbreviation of “eastern”) followed by LAND (i.e. “country area”).

48. Conservative academic, not professional priest (9)

Answer: CONFESSOR (i.e. “priest”). Solution is CON (a recognised abbreviation of “Conservative”) followed by PROFESSOR (i.e. “academic”) once the PRO has been removed (indicated by “not professional”), like so: CON-FESSOR.

49. Operatic style turning out cliché-ridden (13)

Answer: STEREOTYPICAL (i.e. “cliché-ridden”). “Turning out” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of OPERATIC STYLE.

51. Quarry operative is born survivor (7)

Answer: BLASTER (i.e. “quarry operative”). Solution is B (a recognised abbreviation of “born”) followed by LASTER (i.e. “survivor”).

52. Herald quietly broadcast decree (7)

Answer: PRECEDE (i.e. “herald”, a bit too loose for me). Solution is P (i.e. “quietly”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of “piano” in musical lingo) followed by an anagram (indicated by “broadcast”) of DECREE, like so: P-RECEDE.

53. Bribe involving Royal Navy inquiry’s beginning to be urgent (7)

Answer: BURNING (i.e. “urgent”). Solution is BUNG (i.e. “bribe”) wrapped around or “involving” RN (a recognised abbreviation of “Royal Navy”) and I (i.e. “inquiry’s beginning” letter), like so: BU(RN-I)NG.

54. Textile worker needing water remover, one right away (4)

Answer: DYER (i.e. “textile worker”). Solution is DRYER (i.e. “water remover”) with the first R removed (indicated by “one right away”, R being a recognised abbreviation of “right”). Disappointing to have DYER and DYED-IN-THE-WOOL in the same grid. Almost worth another meme…

55. Superficially another garishly lame style with diamonds (6)

Answer: ARGYLE (i.e. “style with diamonds”). “Superficially” indicates the solution is derived from the outer letters of ANOTHER GARISHLY LAME.

56. Minister to reportedly put in negligible aid for drivers? (11)

Answer: STREETLIGHT (i.e. “aid for drivers”). Solution is a homophone (indicated by “reportedly”) of TREAT (i.e. to “minister”) placed or “put in” SLIGHT (i.e. “negligible”), like so: S(TREET)LIGHT.

Down clues

1. Condition needs raising with older cricketer (7)

Answer: FIELDER (i.e. “cricketer”). Solution is IF (i.e. a “condition” upon an outcome) reversed (indicated by “needs raising” – this being a down clue) followed by ELDER (i.e. “older”), like so: FI-ELDER.

2. Regarding show, book for clubs, with good standing (11)

Answer: RESPECTABLE (i.e. “with good standing”). Solution is RE (i.e. “regarding” – think email replies) followed by SPECTACLE (i.e. an eye-popping “show”) once the C (a recognised abbreviation of “clubs” in some card games) has been swapped “for” B (a recognised abbreviation of “book”), like so: RE-SPECTA(C)LE => RE-SPECTA(B)LE.

3. India stomachs rising Hindu mystic (5)

Answer: SWAMI (i.e. “Hindu mystic”). Solution is I (“India” in the phonetic alphabet) and MAWS (i.e. “stomachs”) all reversed (indicated by “rising” – again this being a down clue), like so: SWAM-I.

4. Are not after large piano over small piano? That’s relative (5-11)

Answer: GREAT-GRANDPARENT (i.e. a “relative”). Solution is AREN’T (a contraction of “are not”) placed “after” GREAT (i.e. “large”), GRAND (i.e. a type of “piano”) and P (i.e. “small piano”, i.e. a recognised abbreviation of “piano” used in musical lingo), like so: (GREAT-GRAND-P)-AREN’T.

5. Exchange following enemy missile heading skywards (5-3)

Answer: TRADE-OFF (i.e. “exchange”). Solution is F (a recognised abbreviation of “following”), FOE (i.e. “enemy”) and DART (i.e. “missile”) all reversed (indicated by “heading skywards” – again again this being a down clue), like so: TRAD-EOF-F.

6. Alcoholic declines in a coma, unfortunately (11)

Answer: DIPSOMANIAC (i.e. “alcoholic”). Solution is DIPS (i.e. “declines”) followed by an anagram (indicated by “unfortunately”) of IN A COMA, like so: DIPS-OMANIAC. DIPSOMANIA appeared in grid 1576 last September, just within my threshold for repeat solutions, and also on odd intersecting letters, so…

7. Lower barge onto loch (5)

Answer: SCOWL (i.e. to “lower”). Solution is SCOW (i.e. a “barge”) followed by L (a recognised abbreviation of “loch”).

8. Not able to focus snapping eastern catbird? (14)

Answer: SCATTERBRAINED (i.e. “not able to focus”). “Snapping” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of EASTERN CATBIRD.

9. Discharge in river miles above port (6)

Answer: EXEMPT (i.e. to “discharge”). Solution is EXE (an English “river”) followed by M (a recognised abbreviation of “miles”) and PT (ditto “port”).

11. Bury fifty-one close in space between rows? (11)

Answer: INTERLINEAR (i.e. “space between rows”). Solution is INTER (i.e. to “bury”) followed by LI (i.e. “fifty-one” expressed as Roman numerals) and NEAR (i.e. “close”).

12. Cap, black one milliner runs up – not hard (7)

Answer: BIRETTA (i.e. “cap”). Solution is B (a recognised abbreviation of “black”) followed by I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”) and HATTER (i.e. “milliner”) once the H has been removed (indicated by “not hard” – H being a recognised abbreviation of “hard”) and the remainder reversed (indicated by “runs up” – again again again this being a down clue), like so: B-I-RETTA.

13. Go through red – not the last vehicle (8)

Answer: REHEARSE (i.e. “go through”). Solution is RED with its last letter removed (indicated by “not the last”) and the remainder followed by HEARSE (i.e. a “vehicle”), like so: RE-HEARSE.

20. Reported queen delighted (7)

Answer: RELATED (i.e. “reported”). Solution is R (i.e. “queen”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of the Latin Regina) followed by ELATED (i.e. “delighted”).

22. Beginning on guitar, want to play this? (5)

Answer: TWANG, a sound you might “play” on a “guitar”. Solution is G (i.e. “beginning [letter] on guitar”) placed “on” or after an anagram (indicated by “to play”) of WANT, like so: TWAN-G.

24. I note sporty car contains turbo, oddly undeniable (16)

Answer: INCONTROVERTIBLE (i.e. “undeniable”). Solution is I followed by N (a recognised abbreviation of “note”) and CONVERTIBLE (i.e. “sporty car”) once wrapped around or “containing” TRO (i.e. “turbo, oddly”, i.e. every other letter of TURBO), like so: I-N-CON(TRO)VERTIBLE. Appeared in grid 1613 back in May, also on even intersecting letters, so…

25. One looking for parts of a key and lock (7)

Answer: ACTRESS (i.e. “one looking for parts”). Solution is A followed by C (i.e. a musical “key”) and TRESS (i.e. a “lock” of hair).

27. Solvent is blue, not black, in colour (7)

Answer: TOLUENE (i.e. a “solvent”, methyl benzene… yeah, me neither). Solution is BLUE with the B removed (indicated by “not black” – B being a recognised abbreviation of “black” used in chess) and the remainder placed “in” TONE (i.e. “colour”), like so: TO(LUE)NE. One nailed solely from the wordplay.

28. Projected artistic movement? (14)

Answer: CINEMATOGRAPHY, “motion picture photography” (Chambers). Clue plays on how you’ll find “projectors” in a CINEMA. You get the idea.

31. Letter pi found in pestle, not p? (7)

Answer: EPISTLE (i.e. “letter”). Solution is PI placed “in” PESTLE once the P has been removed (indicated by “not p”), like so: E(PI)STLE.

33. Lug article with new Hertfordshire town pottery (11)

Answer: EARTHENWARE (i.e. “pottery”). Solution is EAR (i.e. “lug”, slang thereof) followed by THE (i.e. “article”, being a word like a, an or the), then N (a recognised abbreviation of “new”) and WARE (i.e. “Hertfordshire town”). Appeared in grid 1585 back in November, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

35. What makes speech slow and drag with length (5)

Answer: DRAWL (i.e. “what makes speech slow”). Solution is DRAW (i.e. “drag”, both pulls on a ciggie) followed by L (a recognised abbreviation of “length”).

36. Mutant sorrel seems unstoppable (11)

Answer: REMORSELESS (i.e. “unstoppable”). “Mutant” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of SORREL SEEMS. I rather liked the imagery of this clue.

38. What hook-fastener is intended to be striking (3-8)

Answer: EYE-CATCHING (i.e. “striking”). Clue also playfully satisfies “what hook-fastener is intended to be”, an EYE being a hole in something.

40. The Spanish race with horse not quite in the top ten (8)

Answer: ELEVENTH (i.e. “not quite in the top ten”). Solution is EL (i.e. “the Spanish”, i.e. the Spanish for “the”) followed by EVENT (i.e. “race”) and H (i.e. “horse”, both slang for heroin).

42. Refrain from introducing European predecessor (8)

Answer: FOREBEAR (i.e. “predecessor”). Solution is FORBEAR (i.e. “refrain from”) wrapped around or “introducing” E (a recognised abbreviation of “European”), like so: FOR(E)BEAR.

43. So sheep parasite bites billions? One might improve here (7)

Answer: SICKBED (i.e. “one might improve here”). Solution is SIC (i.e. “so” in Latin) followed by KED (i.e. a “sheep parasite” – I mean, good grief) once wrapped around or “biting” B (a recognised abbreviation of “billions”), like so: SIC-K(B)ED.

46. What may come by Turkish transport (7)

Answer: DELIGHT. Solution satisfies “transport”, taken to mean “to throw into an ecstasy” (Chambers), and “what may come by Turkish”, referring to the delicacy Turkish Delight.

47. Money-lender certainly found in city once (6)

Answer: USURER (i.e. a “money-lender” charging extortionate rates of interest). Solution is SURE (i.e. “certainly”) placed “in” UR (i.e. “city once” of ancient Mesopotamia), like so: U(SURE)R. Appeared in grid 1588 back in December, also on even intersecting letters, so…

49. Situation grasped in report (5)

Answer: SCENE (i.e. “situation”). “In report” indicates homophone. Solution is a homophone of SEEN (i.e. to have “grasped” or learned). SCENERY appeared in grid 1616 back in May, also on intersecting letters, but I’ll let it slide. All these Michael Palin memes are draining the hell out of my laptop’s battery.

50. Fairy left in danger (5)

Answer: PERIL (i.e. “danger”). Solution is PERI (i.e. a “fairy”) followed by L (a recognised abbreviation of “left”).

Bank Holiday Monday’s Jumbo was a relatively straightforward affair. There were a handful of pinch points, but nothing too much to grumble about.

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 pulled your pants down then you might find my Just For Fun page of use, where you’ll find links to solutions for hundreds of the things.

Thanks for the kind words ‘pon my return. Still catching up, so I’ll be back with another post shortlyish. Till then, laters taters.

LP

RBV (Repeats-By-Volume): 9.7%

Across clues

1. Very much allowed to go to alternative provider of legal services (9)

Answer: SOLICITOR (i.e. “provider of legal services”). Solution is SO (i.e. “very much”) followed by LICIT (i.e. “allowed”) and OR (i.e. “alternative”).

6. Removes mention of prospector’s successes (7)

Answer: STRIKES. Solution satisfies “removes mention of” and “prospector’s successes”, as in striking it rich.

10. Occult behaviour in women’s group account backed (5)

Answer: WICCA (i.e. “occult behaviour”, another word for witchcraft). Solution is WI (i.e. “women’s group”, in this case the Women’s Institute) followed by ACC (a recognised abbreviation of “account”) once the latter has been reversed (indicated by “backed”), like so: WI-CCA.

13. Financial assessor reduced concrete supplied to railway (7)

Answer: ACTUARY (i.e. “financial assessor” in insurance). Solution is ACTUAL (i.e. “concrete”) with its last letter removed (indicated by “reduced”) and the remainder followed by RY (a recognised abbreviation of “railway”), like so: ACTUA-RY.

14. Barely securing last place in judo tournament (5)

Answer: JOUST (i.e. “tournament”). Solution is JUST (i.e. “barely”) wrapped around or “securing” O (i.e. “last place in judo”, i.e. the last letter of “judo”), like so: J(O)UST.

15. Sad phase I encountered in each US state (9)

Answer: ELEGIACAL (i.e. “sad”). Solution is LEG (i.e. “phase”) and I both placed “in” EA (a recognised abbreviation of “each”) and CAL (i.e. “US state”, short for California), like so: E(LEG-I)A-CAL.

16. Offer to participate in facilitating bowler’s participation in boxing? (5,4,3,4,3,4)

Answer: THROW ONE’S HAT INTO THE RING (i.e. “offer to participate”). The remainder of the clue plays on “bowlers” being a type of HAT and “boxers” duking it out in a RING.

17. Sea creature? Quiet – disturbed part of sea is home to millions (6)

Answer: SHRIMP (i.e. “sea creature”). Solution is SH (i.e. “quiet”) and RIP (i.e. “disturbed part of sea”) all wrapped around or being “home to” M (a recognised abbreviation of “millions”), like so: SH-RI(M)P.

18. Half-hearted physician with weapon (8)

Answer: LUKEWARM (i.e. “half-hearted”). Solution is Saint LUKE (i.e. “physician”, apparently. One for the God-squadders) followed by W (a recognised abbreviation of “with”) and ARM (i.e. “weapon”).

19. Competent secretary blocking radio message (7)

Answer: CAPABLE (i.e. “competent”). Solution is PA (i.e. “secretary” or Personal Assistant) placed in or “blocking” CABLE (i.e. “radio message”), like so: CA(PA)BLE. Appeared in grid 1595 back in January, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

22. Second rune translated in full (10)

Answer: UNCENSORED (i.e. “in full”). “Translated” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of SECOND RUNE.

23. Man in royal office replaced printer cable (6,6)

Answer: PRINCE ALBERT (i.e. “man in royal office”). “Replaced” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of PRINTER CABLE.

27. Medic describing their patients is a bore (5)

Answer: DRILL (i.e. “a bore”). Solution is DR (i.e. “medic”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of “doctor”) followed by ILL (i.e. “describing [a doctor’s] patients”). Appeared in grid 1598 in February and also in grid 1625 in July, on odd intersecting letters on all occasions, so have a double meme…

In fact, much the same clue for DRILL was used on each occasion:
– “Physician heal thyself!” we might thus infer is the instruction (grid 1598)
– Bore medic with symptoms (grid 1625)
Disappointing.

29. Daughter put out about old Queen’s flaw (7)

Answer: DEMERIT (i.e. “flaw”). Solution is D (a recognised abbreviation of “daughter”) followed by EMIT (i.e. “put out”) once wrapped “about” ER (i.e. “old Queen”, specifically Elizaberh Regina), like so: D-EM(ER)IT.

30. Following London style, perhaps, welcoming King in eagerness (8)

Answer: ALACRITY (i.e. “eagerness”). Solution is A LA CITY (i.e. “following London style, perhaps” – “a la” meaning “in the manner of”) wrapped around or “welcoming” R (i.e. “king”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of the Latin Rex), like so: A-LA-C(R)ITY.

32. One mill at work, filled with high-class floor covering (8)

Answer: LINOLEUM (i.e. “floor covering”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “at work”) wrapped around or “filled with” U (i.e. “high-class” – U is often a recognised abbreviation of the upper class, at least within cryptic crosswords), like so: LINOLE(U)M.

34. Passing through place after one has disembarked from coach (7)

Answer: TRANSIT (i.e. “passing through”). Solution is SIT (i.e. “place”) put “after” TRAIN (i.e. “coach”) once the I has been removed (indicated by “[Roman numeral] one has disembarked from…”), like so: TRAN-SIT.

36. Compulsion to ditch uniform or other clothes (5)

Answer: DRESS (i.e. “clothes”). Solution is DURESS (i.e. “compulsion”) with the U removed (indicated by “to ditch uniform” – “uniform” being U in the phonetic alphabet).

39. Port sensibly distributed seafood (5,7)

Answer: SPINY LOBSTER (i.e. “seafood”). “Distributed” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of PORT SENSIBLY. Nicely worked.

41. Bad weather in spring mostly does for attachment to mill (10)

Answer: WATERWHEEL (i.e. “attachment to mill”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “bad”) of WEATHER placed “in” WELL (i.e. “spring”) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “mostly”), like so: W(ATERWHE)EL.

44. Poet, borderline dreadful, seen around University (7)

Answer: Arthur RIMBAUD (i.e. “poet” – straight to Bradford’s for this one, and with nary a hint of shame. Why? Because “poet” is a nothingburger clue, like “plant” or “port”; a clue where there are simply too many solutions for solvers to reasonably know. Are such clues valid? Of course, but when have they ever been fun? When was the last time you felt enriched by the solution? Which is why you should never feel guilty about being a big cheating bastard, like me. To their credit, most setters – this week’s included – sensibly keep the number of nothingburgers to a minimum, but it doesn’t stop them being a pain in the arse). Solution is RIM (i.e. a “borderline”) and BAD (i.e. “dreadful”) all wrapped “around” U (a recognised abbreviation of “university”), like so: RIM-BA(U)D.

46. Seasonal flower I left out in the wind (8)

Answer: EASTERLY (i.e. “wind”). Solution is EASTER (i.e. “season”) followed by LILY (i.e. “flower”) once the I and L have been removed (indicated by “I left out” – L being a recognised abbreviation of “left”), like so: EASTER-LY.

48. Settlement overseas an unknown quantity after interruption to sentence? (6)

Answer: COLONY (i.e. “settlement overseas”). Solution is Y (i.e. “an unknown quantity” – setters love referring to X, Y or Z in solutions as unknowns) placed “after” COLON (i.e. a ‘:’ or “interruption to sentence”), like so: COLON-Y.

50. Collection of clocks from across the country and across the years? (8,8,7)

Answer: NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY. Clue plays on “clocks” being a slang word for faces. The rest pretty much slots into place after that.

53. Timekeeper encountered refusal to break into capital (9)

Answer: METRONOME (i.e. “timekeeper”). Solution is MET (i.e. “encountered”) followed by NO (i.e. “refusal”) once placed in or “breaking into” ROME (i.e. “capital”), like so: MET-RO(NO)ME.

54. Old Duke getting worried by another Duke (5)

Answer: DATED (i.e. “old”). Solution is D (a recognised abbreviation of “duke”) followed by ATE (i.e. “worried”) and D (a recognised abbreviation of “duke”, again).

55. A good hit? Democrat gratified (7)

Answer: TOUCHED (i.e. “gratified”). Solution is TOUCHÉ (i.e. “a good hit”) followed by D (a recognised abbreviation of “Democrat”).

56. No good straddling beam? On the contrary, very leggy (5)

Answer: RANGY (i.e. “very leggy”). Solution is N (a recognised abbreviation of “no”) and G (ditto “good”) both placed in (the opposite of “straddling”, as indicated by “on the contrary”) RAY (i.e. “beam”), like so: RA(N-G)Y.

57. Warmer weather, mostly in the centre (7)

Answer: THERMOS (i.e. “warmer” – I’d disagree. A Thermos reduces heat loss from its contents, but I don’t think it actively warms). “In the centre” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, like so: WEA(THER MOS)TLY.

58. Face recent backtracking about chapter covering local language (9)

Answer: DIALECTAL (i.e. “covering local language”). Solution is DIAL (i.e. a clock “face”) followed by LATE (i.e. “recent”) once reversed (indicated by “backtracking”) and wrapped “about” C (a recognised abbreviation of “chapter”), like so: DIAL-E(C)TAL.

Down clues

1. Viewpoint from street about computer network (5)

Answer: SLANT (i.e. “viewpoint”). Solution is ST (a recognised abbreviation of “street”) wrapped “about” LAN (i.e. “computer network”, specifically a Local Area Network), like so: S(LAN)T.

2. Assessment of artistic content: lyric items missing English criteria, sadly (8,9)

Answer: LITERARY CRITICISM (i.e. “assessment of artistic content”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “sadly”) of LYRIC ITEMS and CRITERIA once one of the Es has been removed (indicated by “missing English” – E being a recognised abbreviation of English).

3. One who did without, swamped with delight on getting a note (9)

Answer: CHARWOMAN. Solution is W/O (a recognised abbreviation of “without”) placed in or “swamped with” CHARM (i.e. to “delight”). This is all then followed by A and N (a recognised abbreviation of “note”), like so: CHAR(W/O)M-A-N. That leaves “one who did” left. Is that sufficient to get you CHARWOMAN? Really? Pfff, my arse.

4. Work in the justice system is causing stress (6)

Answer: TRYING. Solution satisfies “work in the justice system” and “causing stress”. Appeared in grid 1607 back in April, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

5. UK’s juries with two months to reform Dutch institution (11)

Answer: RIJKSMUSEUM (i.e. “Dutch institution”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “to reform”) of UK’S JURIES along with MM (i.e. “two months”, M being a recognised abbreviation of a “month”).

6. Special forces holding operation leading to snags down under? (8)

Answer: SAUSAGES (i.e. “snags down under” – apparently a snag is an Aussie slang word for a sausage). Solution is SAS (i.e. “special forces”, specifically the Special Air Service) wrapped around or “holding” USAGE (i.e. “operation”), like so: SA(USAGE)S.

7. Soaks at home with a drink (7)

Answer: RETSINA (i.e. “drink”). Solution is RETS (i.e. “soaks”) followed by IN (i.e. “at home”) and A.

8. Disorder for which you must take something (11)

Answer: KLEPTOMANIA. Solution satisfies the clue as a whole.

9. Group seizing power, with line in excellent pageantry (9)

Answer: SPECTACLE (i.e. “pageantry”). Solution is SECT (i.e. “group”) wrapped around or “seizing” P (a recognised abbreviation of “power”). This is then followed by L (a recognised abbreviation of “line”) once placed “in” ACE (i.e. “excellent”), like so: S(P)ECT-AC(L)E. Appeared in grid 1611 back in April, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

10. Auditor’s correct over completed report (5-2)

Answer: WRITE-UP (i.e. “report”). Solution is a homophone (indicated by “auditor’s”) of RIGHT (i.e. “correct”) followed by UP (i.e. “completed”).

11. Congreve’s initial opening scenes: they are naturally juicy! (5)

Answer: CACTI (i.e. “they are naturally juicy”). Solution is C (i.e. “Congreve’s initial”, i.e. the first letter of “Congreve”) followed by ACT I (i.e. “opening scenes” of a play).

12. Everyone is sorry to lose right to musical direction (10)

Answer: ALLEGRETTO (i.e. “musical direction”, somewhat brisk). Solution is ALL (i.e. “everyone”) followed by REGRET (i.e. “is sorry” – would that not be REGRETS?) once the R has been removed (indicated by “to lose right” – R being a recognised abbreviation of “right”). This is all then followed by TO, like so: ALL-EGRET-TO.

17. Sergeant’s foremost one of four in troop (5)

Answer: SQUAD (i.e. “troop”). Solution is S (i.e. “sergeant’s foremost” letter) followed by QUAD (i.e. “one of four”).

20. Traveller’s tale of experiences, maybe: “… then to Aberdeen and the upset” (4,5,4,4)

Answer: BEEN THERE DONE THAT (i.e. “traveller’s tale of experiences, maybe”). “Upset” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of THEN TO ABERDEEN THE.

21. Diamonds in Dorset resort? One follows the rich, perhaps (6)

Answer: POODLE (i.e. “one follows the rich, perhaps”). Solution is D (a recognised abbreviation of “diamonds” used in some card games) placed “in” POOLE (i.e. “Dorset resort”), like so: POO(D)LE.

24. Sailor spinning brown cane (6)

Answer: RATTAN (i.e. “cane”). Solution is TAR (i.e. informal term for a “sailor”) reversed (indicated by “spinning”) and followed by TAN (i.e. “brown”), like so: RAT-TAN.

25. Sensational attraction closing early one day (5)

Answer: LURID (i.e. “sensational”). Solution is LURE (i.e. “attraction”) with its last letter removed (indicated by “closing early”) and the remainder followed by I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”) and D (a recognised abbreviation of “day”), like so: LUR-I-D.

26. Twist horse being shoved into pen (6)

Answer: WRITHE (i.e. “twist”). Solution is H (i.e. “horse”, both slang for heroin) placed “into” WRITE (i.e. to “pen”), like so: WRIT(H)E.

28. Returned fund with unknown amount without reason (5)

Answer: LOOPY (i.e. “without reason”). Solution is POOL (i.e. “fund”) reversed (indicated by “returned”) and followed by Y (i.e. “unknown”, already covered earlier), like so: LOOP-Y.

31. Mike supporting articles identifying emotional song (6)

Answer: ANTHEM (i.e. “emotional song”). Solution is M (“Mike” in the phonetic alphabet) placed after or “supporting” – this being a down clue – AN and THE (both “articles”), like so: (AN-THE)-M.

33. Mother’s carrying second dessert: cake without filling, a wonderful creation (11)

Answer: MASTERPIECE (i.e. “a wonderful creation”). Solution is MATER (i.e. “mother”) wrapped around or “carrying” S (a recognised abbreviation of “second”) and followed by PIE (i.e. “dessert”) and CE (i.e. “cake without filling”, i.e. the word “cake” with all its middle letters removed), like so: MA(S)TER-PIE-CE. Appeared in grid 1586 back in November, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

35. Petty document written up about shops actually overlooking latest in evidence (5-6)

Answer: SMALL-MINDED (i.e. “petty”). Solution is MS (i.e. “document”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of “manuscript”) reversed (indicated by “up” – this being a down clue) and wrapped “about” MALL (i.e. “shops”). This is all then followed by INDEED (i.e. “actually”) once one of the Es has been removed (indicated by “overlooking latest in evidence”, or the last letter of “evidence”), like so: S(MALL)M-INDED.

37. Pen penning a line with wit (5)

Answer: SALTY (i.e. “with wit”). Solution is STY (i.e. animal “pen”) wrapped around or “penning” A and L (a recognised abbreviation of “line”), like so: S(A-L)TY.

38. Lunar expert? Moore, television’s ultimate star, possibly (10)

Answer: ASTRONOMER (i.e. “lunar expert”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “possibly”) of MOORE, N (i.e. “television’s ultimate” letter) and STAR.

40. Amount, say – a distinctive figure (3,3,3)

Answer: ODD MAN OUT (i.e. “a distinctive figure”). The first half of the clue plays on how the solution cryptically satisfies “amount”, being an anagram (indicated by ODD) of MAN OUT. Nicely done.

42. Court custom involving elevation of ancient crustacean (9)

Answer: WOODLOUSE (i.e. “crustacean”). Solution is WOO (i.e. to “court”) and USE (i.e. “custom”) all wrapped around or “involving” OLD (i.e. “ancient”) once reversed (indicated by “elevation of” – this being a down clue), like so: WOO-(DLO)-USE.

43. Source of debris, it’s true, scattered? (8)

Answer: DETRITUS (i.e. “debris…scattered”). Solution is D (i.e. “source of debris”, i.e. the first letter of “debris”) followed by an anagram (indicated by “scattered”) of IT’S TRUE, like so: D-ETRITUS.

45. A chap playing sport ignoring United? A very poor example (7)

Answer: APOLOGY (i.e. “a very poor example”). Solution is A POLO GUY (i.e. “a chap playing sport”) once the U has been removed (indicated by “ignoring United” – U being a recognised abbreviation of “united”).

47. Reversed approaches keeping French in slavery (7)

Answer: SERFDOM (i.e. “slavery”). Solution is MODES (i.e. “approaches”) wrapped around or “keeping” FR (a recognised abbreviation of “French”). This is all then “reversed”, like so: SE(RF)DOM.

49. Detective writer’s cry of discovery, holding label up (6)

Answer: AGATHA Christie (i.e. “detective writer”). Solution is AHA! (i.e. “cry of discovery”) wrapped around or “holding” TAG (i.e. “label”) once reversed (indicated by “up” – this being a down clue), like so: A(GAT)HA.

51. Giant upset at puncturing metal (5)

Answer: TITAN (i.e. “giant”). Solution is AT reversed (indicated by “upset”, again this being a down clue) and placed in or “puncturing” TIN (i.e. “metal”), like so: TI(TA)N.

52. Alpine herder’s call – way to lead cattle uphill, ultimately (5)

Answer: YODEL (i.e. “alpine herder’s call”). “Ultimately” indicates the solution is derived from the last letters of WAY TO LEAD CATTLE UPHILL.

It’s taken a while but the corpse-like stench of grid 1630 has finally cleared. For a moment there I thought it would never go away. Even now, weeks on, I’m having flashbacks to what a joyless chore it was. Ugh. And yet here I am, back for more.

But why? you might ask. Why return to something that gobbles up hours of time every weekend when, oh, I dunno, an equally compelling timesink like Starfield is imminently due to launch (to pick an example entirely at random).

Why indeed. Could it be an

addiction (n) the state of being addicted; a habit that has become impossible to break

(Chambers 12th Edition)

“Impossible to break”? Blimey, that’s a bleak way of putting it. The prospect of posting solutions to the Times Jumbo Cryptic 4000 and beyond is positively chilling. At that age I’d hope to be knocking back cocktails of statins, stem cells, Southern Comfort and cocaine, all in the back of my flying limo.

Let’s try again.

exhibitionism (n) extravagant behaviour aimed at drawing attention to oneself; perversion involving public exposure of one’s sexual organs

(Chambers 12th Edition)

Okay, getting warmer. I’d say that’s at least half-right.

One more go…

obstinate (adj) blindly or excessively firm; unyielding; stubborn; not easily subdued or remedied

(Chambers 12th Edition)

Ah, yes, that’ll be it. Sheer bloodymindedness. It’s usually the way with me.

Anyway, as mentioned, I’m back – hello again! – so let’s get some housekeeping done. First up, the solution to last Saturday’s Jumbo. This, for me, was a medium strength effort that was pleasant enough to chip away at while tackling my laundry pile. The only fly in the ointment was the sheer number of repeated solutions. Michael Palin’s ears will be burning by the end of this post.

You can find my completed grid below along with explanations to my solutions where I have them. I hope you find them helpful. If a recent Jumbo gave you the shivers then you might find my Just For Fun page of use, where you’ll find links to solutions for hundreds of the things.

Thanks for the kind words while I was away. I’m glad to hear it wasn’t just me who’d had quite enough of last week’s setter’s shenanigans. Thanks also to the mysterious She for netting me the Jumbos in my absence. All being well, I’ll be back shortlyish with the next one. Till then, TTFN.

LP

RBV (Repeats-By-Volume): 18.3%

Across clues

1. Pledge made by leftist leader in Hanoi (5)

Answer: TROTH (i.e. a formal or archaic word for “pledge”). Solution is TROT (i.e. “leftist”, short for a Trotskyite) followed by H (i.e. “leader in Hanoi”, i.e. the first letter of “Hanoi”).

4. A jazzy ensemble gathering ace ratings (4,6)

Answer: ABLE SEAMEN (i.e. “ratings” – a rating is “the class of any member of a crew” and also “a sailor of such a class” (both Chambers)). Solution is A followed by an anagram (indicated by “jazzy”) of ENSEMBLE once wrapped around or “gathering” A (a recognised abbreviation of “ace” used on playing cards), like so: A-BLESE(A)MEN.

9. Buffoonish, irrational boss goes around (6)

Answer: STUPID (i.e. “buffoonish”). Solution is PI (an “irrational” number in mathematics, “a real number that cannot be expressed as a fraction whose denominator and numerator are both integers” (Chambers again)) placed in or having “around” it STUD (i.e. a projecting knob, “boss” or pin), like so: STU(PI)D. Appeared in grid 1592 on New Years Eve, also on even intersecting letters, so…

14. Articles about small, extinct bovid in reference work (9)

Answer: THESAURUS (i.e. “reference work”). Solution is THE and A (both “articles”) wrapped “about” S (a recognised abbreviation of “small”) and followed by URUS (i.e. an aurochs or “extinct bovid” apparently last seen in the 17^th century. Pffff, give over, setter), like so: (THE-(S)-A)-URUS. Appeared in grid 1585 back in November, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

15. This confirms what criminals do in my address (13)

Answer: CORROBORATION (i.e. “this confirms”). Solution is ROB (i.e. “what criminals do”) placed “in” between COR (i.e. “my”, both exclamations) and ORATION (i.e. “address”), like so: COR-(ROB)-ORATION.

16. Reportedly cut grass and dig soil? I’m resigned to it (5-2)

Answer: HEIGH-HO (i.e. expressive of “I’m resigned to it”). “Reportedly” indicates homophone. Solution comprises homophones of HAY (i.e. an amount of “cut grass”) and HOE (i.e. to “dig soil”). Appeared in grid 1595 back in January, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

17. Shown two wines which a Yankee tucks into (9)

Answer: PORTRAYED (i.e. “shown”). Solution is PORT and RED (i.e. “two wines”) wrapped around or having “tucked in” A and Y (“Yankee” in the phonetic alphabet), like so: PORT-R(A-Y)ED.

18. Ardent knight’s not seen in splendid clothes (5)

Answer: FIERY (i.e. “ardent”). Solution is FINERY (i.e. “splendid clothes”) with the N (a recognised abbreviation of “knight” used in chess) removed or “not seen”.

19. Cool star caught English composer in a stew (6,3,5)

Answer: CHILLI CON CARNE (i.e. “stew”). Solution is CHILL (i.e. “cool”) followed by ICON (i.e. celebrity or “star”), then C (a recognised abbreviation of “caught” used in some ball games) and Thomas ARNE (i.e. “English composer”).

22. Flirted and got together with daughter at first (7)

Answer: DALLIED (i.e. “flirted”). Solution is ALLIED (i.e. “got together”) “with” D (a recognised abbreviation of “daughter”) placed “at first”, like so: D-ALLIED.

25. As Spooner says, that lady disturbs cabinet-making procedures (10)

Answer: RESHUFFLES (i.e. “cabinet-making procedures”, politically). Solution is a “Spoonerism” of SHE RUFFLES (i.e. “that lady disturbs”).

27. Travelling Aussies bring cultivation on a large scale? (12)

Answer: AGRIBUSINESS (i.e. “cultivation on a large scale”). “Travelling” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of AUSSIES BRING.

30. Ornamental fabric I had appended to underwear (5)

Answer: BRAID (i.e. “ornamental fabric”). Solution is I’D (a contraction of “I had”) placed after or “appended to” BRA (i.e. “underwear”), like so: BRA-I’D.

31. Visiting South Bank attraction entertains the setter’s friend (8)

Answer: INTIMATE (i.e. a “friend”). Solution is IN TATE Gallery (i.e. “visiting South Bank attraction”) wrapped around or “entertaining” I’M (i.e. “the setter’s”, i.e. a contraction of I AM from the point of view of the setter), like so: IN-T(I’M)ATE.

32. Kind of letter from a person using a postbox, we hear (8)

Answer: ASCENDER (i.e. “kind of letter”, a printing term for a letter such as b, d, h or k, apparently). Solution is A followed by a homophone (indicated by “we hear”) of SENDER (i.e. “person using a postbox”), like so: A-SCENDER.

35. When texting, you are, in conclusion, going on and on (8)

Answer: ENDURING (i.e. “going on and on”). Solution is UR (i.e. “when texting, you are” – not me, guv. I’m a gr8 believer in writing things out in full) placed “in” ENDING (i.e. “conclusion”), like so: END(UR)ING.

36. Soldier welcoming group of fliers with appropriate tags (8)

Answer: GRAFFITI (i.e. “tags”, slang thereof – I think the tag is the signature or identifying mark of the artist rather than the graffiti itself, but I could be wrong). Solution is GI (i.e. US “soldier”) wrapped around or “welcoming” RAF (i.e. “group of fliers”, the Royal Air Force) and FIT (i.e. “appropriate”), like so: G(RAF-FIT)I.

37. Man, perhaps on line, providing fine, strong material (5)

Answer: LISLE (i.e. “fine, strong material”). Solution is ISLE (i.e. “Man, perhaps” – other isles are available) placed “on” or after L (a recognised abbreviation of “line”), like so: L-ISLE. Appeared in grid 1616 back in May, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

39. Lunatic reliably defending role for outdated politicians (7,5)

Answer: LIBERAL PARTY (i.e. “outdated politicians” – the Liberal Party ceased in the late 1980s). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “lunatic”) of RELIABLY wrapped around or “defending” PART (i.e. “role”), like so: LIBERAL(PART)Y.

41. One’s perhaps served left-leaning 39’s popular goal (6,4)

Answer: TENNIS BALL (i.e. “one’s perhaps served”). Solution is L and LAB’S (i.e. “39’s” – the solution to 39a is LIBERAL PARTY: L is a recognised abbreviation of “Liberal”, while LAB is a recognised abbreviation of “Labour”, another political PARTY. Setters usually place an indicator in the clue when some cryptic translation is required. Not on this occasion, it seems. A bit naughty), followed by IN (i.e. “popular”) and NET (i.e. “goal”) all reversed (indicated by “left-leaning” – this being an across clue), like so: TEN-NI-S’BAL-L.

43. Men who might have trunks down? (7)

Answer: FELLERS. Solution satisfies “men” and “who might have trunks down”, referring to tree fellers.

45. Living beside town, heard vagrant’s good in a fight (5,2,3,4)

Answer: QUICK ON THE DRAW (i.e. “good in a [gun] fight”). Solution is QUICK (i.e. “living”, archaically or Biblically speaking) followed by an anagram (indicated by “vagrant”) of TOWN HEARD.

48. Learner in top class is unique (5)

Answer: ALONE (i.e. “unique”). Solution is L (a recognised abbreviation of “learner”) placed “in” A ONE (i.e. “top class” or A1), like so: A-(L)-ONE.

49. Fix sets of computer data? Digitally, these may smooth things out (9)

Answer: NAILFILES (i.e. “digitally, these may smooth things out”). Solution is NAIL (i.e. to “fix” in place) followed by FILES (i.e. “sets of computer data”).

51. Nice area has German figure breaking into flipping song (7)

Answer: RIVIERA (i.e. “Nice area”, Nice being a French city). Solution is VIER (i.e. “German figure”, specifically the German for four) placed or “breaking into” AIR (i.e. “song”) once reversed or “flipped”, like so: RI(VIER)A. Appeared in grid 1604 back in March, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

53. After Sprite, kid’s given plum – it’s this or nothing (7,6)

Answer: HOBSON’S CHOICE (i.e. “it’s this or nothing” – over to Brewer’s for this one: “the saying derives from Thomas or Tobias Hobson (c. 1544-1631), a Cambridge carrier well known in his day (John Milton commemorated him in two epitaphs), who refused to let out any horse except in its proper turn”). Solution is HOB (i.e. “sprite”, e.g. Robin Goodfellow) followed by SON’S (i.e. “kid’s”) and CHOICE (i.e. “plum” or thing of excellence).

54. Sitting at home, lying about going missing (9)

Answer: INCUMBENT (i.e. “sitting”). Solution is IN (i.e. “at home”) followed by RECUMBENT (i.e. reclining or “lying”) once the RE has been removed (indicated by “about going missing”, taking RE to be regarding or “about” – think email replies), like so: IN-CUMBENT.

55. Group’s second degree, not the last from Princeton (6)

Answer: SEXTET (i.e. “group” of six). Solution is S (a recognised abbreviation of “second”) followed by EXTENT (i.e. “degree”) once the N has been removed (indicated by “not the last from Princeton”, the last letter of “Princeton” being an N), like so: S-EXTET.

56. One who’s still growing a bouquet pockets hand-out (10)

Answer: ADOLESCENT (i.e. “one who’s still growing”). Solution is A and SCENT (i.e. “bouquet”) wrapped around or “pocketing” DOLE (i.e. “hand-out”), like so: A-(DOLE)-SCENT. Appeared in grid 1618 back in May, also on even intersecting letters, so…

57. Satisfied scripture from the east shows symbolic item (5)

Answer: TOTEM (i.e. “symbolic item”). Solution is MET (i.e. “satisfied”) and OT (i.e. “scripture”, specifically the Old Testament of The Bible) all reversed (indicated by “from the east” – this being an across clue), like so: TO-TEM. Appeared in grid 1587 back in December, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

Down clues

1. Your old clothing and so on is unpleasantly short (6)

Answer: TETCHY (i.e. “unpleasantly short”). Solution is THY (i.e. “your old”, or ye olde “your”) wrapped around or “clothing”) ETC (i.e. “and so on”, short for et cetera), like so: T(ETC)HY.

2. Fling bottle finally in place of bedside light? (3-5,5)

Answer: ONE-NIGHT STAND (i.e. “fling”). Solution is E (i.e. “bottle finally”, i.e. the last letter of “bottle”) placed “in” ON NIGHT STAND (i.e. “place of bedside light”), like so: ON-(E)-NIGHT-STAND.

3. Tory leader no longer has to entertain European (5)

Answer: Edward HEATH (i.e. former “Tory leader”). Solution is HATH (i.e. “no longer has”, or ye olde “has”) wrapped around or “entertaining” E (a recognised abbreviation of “European”), like so: H(E)ATH. Appeared in grid 1575 back in September, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

4. Theoretically, troops must be engaged by 11/04 (1,6)

Answer: A PRIORI (i.e. “theoretically”). Solution is OR (i.e. “troops”, specifically the Other Ranks of the British Army) placed in or “engaged by” APR II (i.e. “11/04”, with 11 expressed as two consecutive Roman numeral Is), like so: APR-I(OR)I.

5. Where mislaid items are thrown, fitting Tony’s jacket (4,8)

Answer: LOST PROPERTY (i.e. “where mislaid items are”). Solution is LOST (i.e. “thrown”, usually losing deliberately) followed by PROPER (i.e. “fitting”) and TY (i.e. “Tony’s jacket”, i.e. the first and last letters of “Tony”).

6. Dismiss people in activity for bounders (4,4)

Answer: SACK RACE (i.e. “activity for bounders”, given you can’t do much else racing with one’s legs in a sack). Solution is SACK (i.e. “dismiss”) followed by RACE (i.e. “people”).

7. More attractive female’s left clothes horse (5)

Answer: AIRER (i.e. “clothes horse”). Solution is FAIRER (i.e. “more attractive”) once the F has been removed (indicated by “female’s left”, F being a recognised abbreviation of “female”).

8. What may create a strong bond, before admitting rotten crime (5,5)

Answer: EPOXY RESIN (i.e. “what may create a strong bond”). Solution is ERE (i.e. poetic form of “before”) wrapped around or “admitting” POXY (i.e. “rotten”) and followed by SIN (i.e. “crime”), like so: E(POXY)RE-SIN.

10. Sad time, given ticking off (7)

Answer: TEARFUL (i.e. “sad”). Solution is T (a recognised abbreviation of “time”) followed by EARFUL (i.e. “ticking off”). Appeared in grid 1608 back in April, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

11. Prepare to screen film with one million viewers expected now? (5,4)

Answer: PRIME TIME (i.e. “one million viewers expected now”). Solution is PRIME (i.e. “prepare”) wrapped around or “screening” ET (i.e. “film”, specifically ET: The Extra Terrestrial), I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”) and M (a recognised abbreviation of “million”), like so: PRIM(ET-I-M)E.

12. Lacking light boat, wanting horse (5)

Answer: DINGY (i.e. “lacking light”). Solution is DINGHY (i.e. “boat”) with the H removed (indicated by “wanting horse”, “horse” and H being slang terms for heroin).

13. Rich adventure I go on, oddly, is a kind of trap (6,8)

Answer: LOADED QUESTION (i.e. “a kind of trap”). Solution is LOADED (i.e. “rich”) followed by QUEST (i.e. “adventure”), then I and ON.

20. Cleaner city south of Ecuador’s borders (9)

Answer: LAUNDERER (i.e. “cleaner”). Solution is LA (i.e. “city”, specifically Los Angeles) followed by UNDER (i.e. “south of”) and ER (i.e. “Ecuador’s borders”, i.e. the first and last letters of “Ecuador”).

21. Immediately meriting a tick and meriting a cross (5,3)

Answer: RIGHT OFF (i.e. “immediately”). Solution is RIGHT (i.e. something correct or “meriting a tick”) followed by OFF (i.e. something incorrect or “meriting a cross”).

23. Associate of drunk detective, crafty concealing rank (10)

Answer: DISORDERLY (i.e. “associate of drunk” in the phrase “drunk and disorderly”). Solution is DI (i.e. “detective”, in this case a Detective Inspector) followed by SLY (i.e. “crafty”) once wrapped around or “concealing” ORDER (i.e. “rank”), like so: DI-S(ORDER)LY.

24. Rebel felt bothered about first of contracts staff sign (6,4)

Answer: TREBLE CLEF (i.e. “staff sign”, taking “staff” to mean the lines upon which musical notes are hung). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “bothered”) of REBEL FELT wrapped “about” C (i.e. “first [letter] of contacts”), like so: TREBLE(C)LEF.

26. New stuffing cooked by bar head being sadly unaccompanied (14)

Answer: FRIENDLESSNESS (i.e. “being sadly unaccompanied”). Solution is N (a recognised abbreviation of “new”) placed in or “stuffing” FRIED (i.e. “cooked”) and followed by LESS (i.e. “bar” or except for) and NESS (i.e. “head”, the geographic feature), like so: FRIE(N)D-LESS-NESS.

28. Thought a lot of trade is covered by newspaper editor (9)

Answer: IDEALISED (i.e. “thought a lot of”). Solution is DEAL (i.e. “trade”) and IS placed in or “covered by” I (a British “newspaper”) and ED (short for “editor”), like so: I-(DEAL-IS)-ED.

29. Little cherubs in capital keeping extra dry (8)

Answer: AMORETTI (i.e. cupids or “little cherubs”). Solution is AI (i.e. “capital”, excellent, i.e. A1 with the 1 written as its Roman numeral equivalent) wrapped around or “keeping” MORE (i.e. “extra”) and TT (i.e. “dry”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of teetotal), like so: A(MORE-TT)I.

33. Knocking shop emptied in Reading with team deployed (13)

Answer: DISPARAGEMENT (i.e. “knocking”). Solution is SP (i.e. “shop emptied”, i.e. the word “shop” with all its middle letters removed) placed “in” an anagram (indicated by “deployed”) of READING and TEAM, like so: DI(SP)ARAGEMENT.

34. Moving in readiness, catching husband’s rousing remark (4,3,5)

Answer: RISE AND SHINE (i.e. “rousing remark”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “moving”) of IN READINESS wrapped around or “catching” H (a recognised abbreviation of “husband”), like so: RISEANDS(H)INE.

38. Overcome, queen was no longer seen going outside (10)

Answer: VANQUISHED (i.e. “overcome”). Solution is QU (a recognised abbreviation of “queen”) with VANISHED (i.e. “no longer seen”) placed “outside” of it, like so: VAN(QU)ISHED. VANQUISHING appeared in grid 1574 back in September, but on odd intersecting letters on that occasion.

40. British assign part of pitch into which a cross may go? (6,3)

Answer: BALLOT BOX (i.e. “into which a cross may go”, taking a cross or X to mean a vote). Solution is B (a recognised abbreviation of “British”) followed by ALLOT (i.e. “assign”) and BOX (i.e. “part of [football] pitch”).

42. Pans theatre performances without lines and energy (8)

Answer: SKILLETS (i.e. “pans”). Solution is SKITS (i.e. “theatre performances”) wrapped around or placed “without” LL (i.e. “lines”, L being a recognised abbreviation of “line”) and E (a recognised abbreviation of “energy”), like so: SKI(LL-E)TS.

44. Start to embezzle deposit? After fine, I won’t appeal! (7)

Answer: EYESORE (i.e. “I won’t appeal”). Solution is E (i.e. “start [letter] to embezzle”) and ORE (i.e. “deposit”) once the latter has been placed “after” YES (i.e. “fine”, both words of agreement or acceptance), like so: E-(YES)-ORE. Appeared in grid 1588 back in December, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

46. Hard fruit, not soft French food (7)

Answer: HARICOT (i.e. “French food”, specially the French bean or kidney bean). Solution is H (a recognised abbreviation of “hard”) followed by APRICOT (i.e. “fruit”) once the P has been removed (indicated by “not soft”, P being a recognised abbreviation of “piano” or quietly in musical lingo), like so: H-ARICOT.

47. Noise made by blow catching six-footer, a boxer (6)

Answer: BANTAM (i.e. “a boxer”). Solution is BAM (i.e. “noise made by blow”) wrapped around or “catching” ANT (an insect or “six-footer”), like so: B(ANT)AM. I rather liked this clue when I twigged it.

48. Taking day off, runs a series of tests (5)

Answer: ASHES (i.e. “a series of [cricket] tests” between England and Australia). Solution is DASHES (i.e. “runs”) with the D removed (indicated by “taking day off”, D being a recognised abbreviation of “day”).

50. Flounce or run wearing stuff (5)

Answer: FRILL (i.e. “flounce”). Solution is R (a recognised abbreviation of “run” used in some ball games) placed in or “wearing” FILL (i.e. to “stuff”), like so: F(R)ILL. Appeared in grid 1599 back in February, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

52. Raised some subject I’m overexcited to bring up (5)

Answer: VOMIT (i.e. “to bring up”). “Some” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, while “raised” indicates the solution has been reversed – this being a down clue – like so: SUBJEC(T I’M OV)EREXCITED.