Jumbo 850

This was a pretty tough jumbo, taking just under an hour in two sessions, though the first of these was late at night. When choosing clues to explain, I marked all but about 10 as worth a note, so I may as well do the lot. One highlight of this puzzle is a very good set of anagrams for long answers – 24, 46, 4 and 28. There are also some very artful definitions and combinations of def and wordplay to produce convincing surfaces. Some jumbos seem like recaps of old material for the benefit of newer solvers (which is no bad thing for the new solvers who discover this), but this was consistently novel and a good puzzle to study if you want to see many of the tricks used in the tougher Times puzzles. And although there’s a bit of literature and other arty stuff, there are no names of obscure poets, painters or composers to help quiz fiends to zoom ahead.

Across
1	POLYPHONIC = (POL(ish), Y, CHOPIN)*
6	UNFATHOMABLE = (FAT,HO(w)) in albumen*
14	EX(C=cape)ITED
15	EXOTICA – toxic* in E,A=area
16	ARCHIVE – CH=church replaces R in ‘arrive’
17	SHOT – three definitions
18	C(h)ANCEL
20	JU(g),DI(C.I.)AL
24	THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME = (mouth, cheekbone, hand, craft)*
25	D(ICK)ENS – ICK being “what’s repetitious in Pickwick“
26	E(M.P.,A)THIC
27	C(HAT)UP – cup = “trophy contest”
29	SHOCK TREATMENT – two defs, one for shampoo and the other for ECT
31	FLY = worldly-wise, PAPER = essay on journal
34	POST-FREE – 2 defs – “what one needs to have to advertise a vacancy” and “without carrying charges”
36	INARTICULATELY = (lunacy, literati)* – an all-in-one / & lit
39	RET URN = “soak vase in water”
41	VERT = green, I(lex), CA. = around, L = lake
43	H(E)AVE TO – “must” = HAVE TO, and “come for a stop for navy” is the def
46	A TASTE OF ONES OWN MEDICINE = (association endowment fee)*
47	EUPHOR(b)IA – one of those classic one-letter insertion pairs like IMP(r)UDENT
48	SEE T(H)E – TE = note from variant spelling of ti in tonic sol-fa
49	TAX = “excise duty”,I = current (physics symbol)
53	ORIGAMI = “work from folder” – A.M. = morning, ORIGI(n) = start before noon (n. = noon)
54	I = one, NKWELL = K for O replacement in Nowell = Christmas
56	UT = note, OP. = opus = work, I = one, AN = an – “ut” is the original version of “doh” in tonic sol-fa, still used in French – read about “Aretinian syllables” in Chambers if this is new material
57	SINGLE = record, HANDED = passed
58	DI = girl, LET = allowed, TA(N)TE
Down
1	PRESS STUD – 2 defs, one whimsical (“virile young editor”)
2	LICK ONE’S CHOPS – another pair of def (“salivate”) and whimsical def.
3	PAT = “tenderly to touch”, H = hearts
4	ORDNANCE SURVEY = (underscore Navy)*
5	cIrClEt
7	NAIL – I from CaIro in rev. of LAN
8	AMANUENSIS – MAN = chap, in (an issue)* – a possible exception to my “no obscure GK” statement, as classical music fiends will recall that it’s almost impossible to read about Delius and Eric Fenby without seeing this word.
9	HYACINTH from busHY lilAC agaIN wiTH
10	MA(CH.)INE, SH=quiet (imperative), OP – “Here may be those turning” is a canny def.
11	BRILL = fish, IANT = A for S replacement in “isn’t”
12	E(ve),DEN – a very concise all-in-one / & lit
13	FOOLSCAP – 2 defs – a sheet (of paper), and “dunce’s cap” (courtesy of Collins)
19	CABLE = telegram, C = note, A = a, R = regina = queen
21	LU(BE)CK – a place-name built for wordplay (“be in luck”)
22	S = succeeded, OFTENER = “in more instances”
23	J((l)EOPARD),Y – JY = “jungly borders”
28	SLAUGHTERHOUSE = (glue, thus a horse)* – another all-in-one / & lit
29	SU(PER, M.A.)N – “Kent at times” is the def. – Clark Kent
30	M(e) IN S(e)T R(e)EL – nicely precise subtraction indication – “almost entirely without energy”
32	P(it),RE,MEDI(T)ATION
33	VI(OLE)NCE with chap = Vince
35	FOR = in favour of, ETOPSAIL = (SEA PILOT)*
37	ADA = girl, G.I. = soldier, O = love, and a little tale of romantic sorrow in the surface
38	DEMO = protest, LIT = ignited, I = one, ON = further forward
40	T = time, RAGE = anger, DI(A)N
42	CHOPS = “cuts of meat”, sUrElY – another all-in-one / & lit
44	O.B.E. = medal, (au)DIENCE = “meeting with queen giving out the gold”
45	MONOLITH – oil* in MONTH
50	BOSS – 3 defs
51	SKYE = keys*
52	BOO,(bes)T
55	LEI – hearts = middle letters, of “garLand influEncing HawaIian’s”