I really enjoyed this Jumbo which went in easily, not I think because it was overly simplistic but because it was well clued and entertaining throughout. There was an archaic feel to some of the lingo which would make me surprised if I found it it was by one of the younger setters, but of course I'm surprised nine times out of ten these days.
I shall mostly leave the parsings to speak for themselves on this occasion as people may already be waiting with bated breath for this blog finally to materialise (yeah, right!) but let's make this a competition: whoever can come up with the best suggestion for what 39ac are made out of will be deemed to have won this blog. COD-wise there were some REALLY good anagram clues in here - I liked 44ac a lot especially as it reminded me what we are losing now that Harry's being made an honest man of, and 4dn seemed really neat. Thanks setter!
ACROSS
1 Returning from military hospital, say, following the wrong order (4,2,5)
BACK TO FRONT - if you were fighting at the front, and you left the front due to injury, and returned once fit for active duty again, you would be BACK TO FRONT, just about.
7 Confess losing tail and heart of rare big cat (6)
COUGAR - COUG{h} + {r}AR{e}. To cough meaning to confess is described as "British informal", which I think sometimes means "no one has used this since the days of Ealing comedies".
10 Smart choice to overlook every third (4)
CHIC - CH{o}IC{e}. Nice to see a clue of this type that isn't just every other letter.
14 Tenant wanting extra energy to appear again (2-5)
RE-ENTER - RENTER wanting an extra E somewhere.
15 Reduced money after market? That's reasonable (4,3)
FAIR DO'S - FAIR [market] + DOS{h}. I pondered about whether to apostrophise DOS here but figured doing so would annoy the right kind of people.
16 An opening for Cardinal in his head office makes for a good story (7)
ROMANCE - AN C{ardinal} in ROME [the "head office" of the Pope and all his lieutenants]
17 Less than brilliant? Got near, it's implied (2,5,6)
NO GREAT SHAKES - reverse cryptic, if you apply "shakes" as an anagrind to (NO GREAT*) you get GOT NEAR.
18 Leading attraction? The Queen — among the nobility? (3-6)
TOP-DRAWER - TOP DRAW [leading attraction] + ER [the Queen]
19 Cringe— or one who'll make you do so? (5)
COWER - a cower, as in one who cows, could well make you cower. Oh, English.
21 Working to wrap it in a bandage, showing skill (10)
ADROITNESS - ON [working] "wraps" IT, and put the resulting OITN inside A DRESS [a | bandage].
23 A second error involving Government's head delegate (6)
ASSIGN - A S SIN "involving" G{overnment}
25 Mention about amount of electric current in tourist location (8)
CAMPSITE - CITE [mention] about AMPS [amount of electric current]
26 A liaison with Titian, possibly adopting his way of life? (14)
ITALIANISATION - (A LIAISON + TITIAN*) ["possibly"]
29 King against participating in military display (7)
MONARCH - ON [against] "participating in" MARCH [military display]
30 Wife quitting marriage to Northern scientist (9)
EDDINGTON - {w}EDDING TO N. Sir Arthur Eddington was an early 20th century astrophysicist, though I must confess to not having heretofore known him from Paddington.
31 One doesn't believe prospector's tool will secure silver (5)
PAGAN - PAN [prospector's tool] will "secure" AG [silver]. Cue arguments about pagans believing plenty, just not the things that Christian missionaries would ideally like them to believe.
32 Copper brought in individual at the right moment (2,3)
ON CUE - CU [copper] "brought in" ONE [individual]
34 Notice about caustic liquid, manmade stuff (9)
POLYESTER - POSTER [notice] about LYE [caustic liquid]
37 Old trendy no good in a crisis? (7)
FLAPPER - one who flaps, under pressure, is presumably no good in a crisis.
39 Best thing for Tom, turning himself in? (3,4,7)
THE CAT'S PYJAMAS - if Tom, a cat, is turning himself in, i.e. going to bed, and he is an anthropomorphic cat, he may need these. In a pleasing juxtaposition I imagine this is the kind of phrase a FLAPPER would have used.
41 Sweet medic seized in a police operation (4,4)
ACID DROP - DR "seized in" A CID OP
43 Pondering idiot that's set about crime (6)
MUSING - MUG that's "set about" SIN
44 Riotous single Royal, a new castle-dweller? (10)
ENGLISHMAN - (SINGLE*) ["riotous"] + HM A N [royal | a | new]. "An Englishman's home is his castle."
45 Winner of photography competition half-heartedly revealing subject (5)
TOPIC - TOP PIC, with one P instead of two at its heart
48 Decorate English doctor — he's working with ill (9)
EMBELLISH - E MB + (HE'S ILL*) ["working"]
49 Eventually one will be gripped by dreadful terror also (6,2,5)
SOONER OR LATER - ONE will be "gripped" by (TERROR ALSO*) ["dreadful"]
51 Feature constraining bridge partners is passing (7)
TRANSIT - TRAIT [feature] "constraining" N + S
52 Colour is a factor adopted by successful arts student (7)
MAGENTA - AGENT [a factor] "adopted by" MA [successful arts student, in the sense of having passed their mastery exam]
53 Encourage woman to go round the world without husband (7)
HEARTEN - HEN [woman] "to go round" EART{h}
54 Chances opening items from old and desperately dusty shelves (4)
ODDS - the "opening items" from O{ld} + D{esperately} D{usty} S{helves}
55 Military leader's usual pet (6)
COSSET - CO'S SET
56 Speculative quote recalled in the exam (11)
THEORETICAL - CITE reversed in THE ORAL
DOWN
1 Gloomily romantic farm building mostly in readiness, but lacking final touch (7)
BYRONIC - BYR{e} + ON IC{e}
2 Priest calm? Excited with new orgy (11)
CLERGYWOMAN - (CALM + NEW ORGY*) ["excited"]
3 Bird story I dismissed — what's it called? (5)
TITLE - TIT L{i}E
4 Originally by mail, this voting system? (5-4-3-4)
FIRST-PAST-THE-POST - FIRST [originally] + PAST [by] + THE POST [mail]
5 Support after having turned at sea (8)
OFFSHORE - SHORE [support] after OFF [having turned]
6 Taunted, circling yokel with little sense (5-6)
THICK-WITTED - TWITTED "circling" HICK
7 Firm fails, ditching current sets of ethics (5)
CODES - CO D{i}ES
8 USA isn't perturbed over plant? That's poor (14)
UNSATISFACTORY - (USA ISN'T*) ["perturbed"] over FACTORY [plant]
9 Sailor right about good time being unexpected (6)
ABRUPT - AB [sailor] + RT "about" UP [ups and downs = good times and bad]
11 Fist: worker to twist, absorbing it (11)
HANDWRITING - HAND [worker] + WRING [to twist] "absorbing" IT
12 Pointed design: enthusiastically support having its shape covering middle (7)
CHEVRON - CHE{e->V}R ON, the chevronic V superseding the middle letter of CHEER ON.
13 Fine food article siblings in the end passed up (8)
AMBROSIA - A [article] + BROS in AIM turned upside down
20 Engage soldiers to join army? (7)
RESERVE - RE to SERVE
22 Fabric contributing to many long-johns (5)
NYLON - hidden in {ma}NY LON{g-johns}. I wonder whether THE CAT'S PYJAMAS are made of this or POLYESTER?
24 Partner hinting factories should be relocated (11,5)
SIGNIFICANT OTHER - (HINTING FACTORIES*) ["relocated"]
25 Keep in pursuit of inviting word, mostly for reassurance (7)
COMFORT - FORT [keep] in pursuit of an imperative COM{e}
27 A number dash across drive, avoiding spillage (3-4)
NON-DRIP - NO [a number] + NIP [dash] "across" DR [drive]
28 Healthy men, ones swimming in riverside location (6-2-6)
HENLEY-ON-THAMES - (HEALTHY MEN ONES*) ["swimming"]
31 Praise, or similar encountered in part of theatre (7)
PLAUDIT - LAUD [more praise] encountered in PIT
33 Excellent item to get on later course? (11)
CHEESEBOARD - CHEESE [excellent item] + BOARD [to get on], giving us a course to be consumed late on in a meal. Chambers confirms that CHEESE does mean something excellent, or did a century or so back anyway. Perhaps THE CAT'S PYJAMAS are made of cheese, for mice-attracting purposes?
35 I must participate in elevating uninspired item of correspondence (5)
EMAIL - I "must participate" in upside-down LAME
36 Response to unexpected event requiring intervention by tailor? (5,4,2)
THAT'S TORN IT - a slightly archaic ejaculation, that taken literally, would require the services of a dab hand with needle and thread to rectify.
38 Precipitate moving or travelling (11)
PERIPATETIC - (PRECIPITATE*) ["moving"]
40 One records a couple of names related to celebrities (8)
ANNALIST - A + N N + A-LIST
42 Queen in angry display heading off current measure (8)
AMPERAGE - ER [queen] in {r}AMPAGE
43 Staff run out to welcome English conductor (7)
MAESTRO - MAST RO [staff | run out] "to welcome" E
46 Like some solar emissions, illuminated in pink (7)
CORONAL - ON [illuminated] in CORAL [pink]
47 Pen circling street, to show eatery (6)
BISTRO - BIRO [pen] "circling" ST
49 Overlook losing last of peripheral vision (5)
SIGHT - S{l}IGHT, having ditched the L which is the last letter of {periphera}L
50 Smallest amount filling receptacle — as tested (5)
LEAST - hidden in {receptac}LE AS T{ested}
I shall mostly leave the parsings to speak for themselves on this occasion as people may already be waiting with bated breath for this blog finally to materialise (yeah, right!) but let's make this a competition: whoever can come up with the best suggestion for what 39ac are made out of will be deemed to have won this blog. COD-wise there were some REALLY good anagram clues in here - I liked 44ac a lot especially as it reminded me what we are losing now that Harry's being made an honest man of, and 4dn seemed really neat. Thanks setter!
ACROSS
1 Returning from military hospital, say, following the wrong order (4,2,5)
BACK TO FRONT - if you were fighting at the front, and you left the front due to injury, and returned once fit for active duty again, you would be BACK TO FRONT, just about.
7 Confess losing tail and heart of rare big cat (6)
COUGAR - COUG{h} + {r}AR{e}. To cough meaning to confess is described as "British informal", which I think sometimes means "no one has used this since the days of Ealing comedies".
10 Smart choice to overlook every third (4)
CHIC - CH{o}IC{e}. Nice to see a clue of this type that isn't just every other letter.
14 Tenant wanting extra energy to appear again (2-5)
RE-ENTER - RENTER wanting an extra E somewhere.
15 Reduced money after market? That's reasonable (4,3)
FAIR DO'S - FAIR [market] + DOS{h}. I pondered about whether to apostrophise DOS here but figured doing so would annoy the right kind of people.
16 An opening for Cardinal in his head office makes for a good story (7)
ROMANCE - AN C{ardinal} in ROME [the "head office" of the Pope and all his lieutenants]
17 Less than brilliant? Got near, it's implied (2,5,6)
NO GREAT SHAKES - reverse cryptic, if you apply "shakes" as an anagrind to (NO GREAT*) you get GOT NEAR.
18 Leading attraction? The Queen — among the nobility? (3-6)
TOP-DRAWER - TOP DRAW [leading attraction] + ER [the Queen]
19 Cringe— or one who'll make you do so? (5)
COWER - a cower, as in one who cows, could well make you cower. Oh, English.
21 Working to wrap it in a bandage, showing skill (10)
ADROITNESS - ON [working] "wraps" IT, and put the resulting OITN inside A DRESS [a | bandage].
23 A second error involving Government's head delegate (6)
ASSIGN - A S SIN "involving" G{overnment}
25 Mention about amount of electric current in tourist location (8)
CAMPSITE - CITE [mention] about AMPS [amount of electric current]
26 A liaison with Titian, possibly adopting his way of life? (14)
ITALIANISATION - (A LIAISON + TITIAN*) ["possibly"]
29 King against participating in military display (7)
MONARCH - ON [against] "participating in" MARCH [military display]
30 Wife quitting marriage to Northern scientist (9)
EDDINGTON - {w}EDDING TO N. Sir Arthur Eddington was an early 20th century astrophysicist, though I must confess to not having heretofore known him from Paddington.
31 One doesn't believe prospector's tool will secure silver (5)
PAGAN - PAN [prospector's tool] will "secure" AG [silver]. Cue arguments about pagans believing plenty, just not the things that Christian missionaries would ideally like them to believe.
32 Copper brought in individual at the right moment (2,3)
ON CUE - CU [copper] "brought in" ONE [individual]
34 Notice about caustic liquid, manmade stuff (9)
POLYESTER - POSTER [notice] about LYE [caustic liquid]
37 Old trendy no good in a crisis? (7)
FLAPPER - one who flaps, under pressure, is presumably no good in a crisis.
39 Best thing for Tom, turning himself in? (3,4,7)
THE CAT'S PYJAMAS - if Tom, a cat, is turning himself in, i.e. going to bed, and he is an anthropomorphic cat, he may need these. In a pleasing juxtaposition I imagine this is the kind of phrase a FLAPPER would have used.
41 Sweet medic seized in a police operation (4,4)
ACID DROP - DR "seized in" A CID OP
43 Pondering idiot that's set about crime (6)
MUSING - MUG that's "set about" SIN
44 Riotous single Royal, a new castle-dweller? (10)
ENGLISHMAN - (SINGLE*) ["riotous"] + HM A N [royal | a | new]. "An Englishman's home is his castle."
45 Winner of photography competition half-heartedly revealing subject (5)
TOPIC - TOP PIC, with one P instead of two at its heart
48 Decorate English doctor — he's working with ill (9)
EMBELLISH - E MB + (HE'S ILL*) ["working"]
49 Eventually one will be gripped by dreadful terror also (6,2,5)
SOONER OR LATER - ONE will be "gripped" by (TERROR ALSO*) ["dreadful"]
51 Feature constraining bridge partners is passing (7)
TRANSIT - TRAIT [feature] "constraining" N + S
52 Colour is a factor adopted by successful arts student (7)
MAGENTA - AGENT [a factor] "adopted by" MA [successful arts student, in the sense of having passed their mastery exam]
53 Encourage woman to go round the world without husband (7)
HEARTEN - HEN [woman] "to go round" EART{h}
54 Chances opening items from old and desperately dusty shelves (4)
ODDS - the "opening items" from O{ld} + D{esperately} D{usty} S{helves}
55 Military leader's usual pet (6)
COSSET - CO'S SET
56 Speculative quote recalled in the exam (11)
THEORETICAL - CITE reversed in THE ORAL
DOWN
1 Gloomily romantic farm building mostly in readiness, but lacking final touch (7)
BYRONIC - BYR{e} + ON IC{e}
2 Priest calm? Excited with new orgy (11)
CLERGYWOMAN - (CALM + NEW ORGY*) ["excited"]
3 Bird story I dismissed — what's it called? (5)
TITLE - TIT L{i}E
4 Originally by mail, this voting system? (5-4-3-4)
FIRST-PAST-THE-POST - FIRST [originally] + PAST [by] + THE POST [mail]
5 Support after having turned at sea (8)
OFFSHORE - SHORE [support] after OFF [having turned]
6 Taunted, circling yokel with little sense (5-6)
THICK-WITTED - TWITTED "circling" HICK
7 Firm fails, ditching current sets of ethics (5)
CODES - CO D{i}ES
8 USA isn't perturbed over plant? That's poor (14)
UNSATISFACTORY - (USA ISN'T*) ["perturbed"] over FACTORY [plant]
9 Sailor right about good time being unexpected (6)
ABRUPT - AB [sailor] + RT "about" UP [ups and downs = good times and bad]
11 Fist: worker to twist, absorbing it (11)
HANDWRITING - HAND [worker] + WRING [to twist] "absorbing" IT
12 Pointed design: enthusiastically support having its shape covering middle (7)
CHEVRON - CHE{e->V}R ON, the chevronic V superseding the middle letter of CHEER ON.
13 Fine food article siblings in the end passed up (8)
AMBROSIA - A [article] + BROS in AIM turned upside down
20 Engage soldiers to join army? (7)
RESERVE - RE to SERVE
22 Fabric contributing to many long-johns (5)
NYLON - hidden in {ma}NY LON{g-johns}. I wonder whether THE CAT'S PYJAMAS are made of this or POLYESTER?
24 Partner hinting factories should be relocated (11,5)
SIGNIFICANT OTHER - (HINTING FACTORIES*) ["relocated"]
25 Keep in pursuit of inviting word, mostly for reassurance (7)
COMFORT - FORT [keep] in pursuit of an imperative COM{e}
27 A number dash across drive, avoiding spillage (3-4)
NON-DRIP - NO [a number] + NIP [dash] "across" DR [drive]
28 Healthy men, ones swimming in riverside location (6-2-6)
HENLEY-ON-THAMES - (HEALTHY MEN ONES*) ["swimming"]
31 Praise, or similar encountered in part of theatre (7)
PLAUDIT - LAUD [more praise] encountered in PIT
33 Excellent item to get on later course? (11)
CHEESEBOARD - CHEESE [excellent item] + BOARD [to get on], giving us a course to be consumed late on in a meal. Chambers confirms that CHEESE does mean something excellent, or did a century or so back anyway. Perhaps THE CAT'S PYJAMAS are made of cheese, for mice-attracting purposes?
35 I must participate in elevating uninspired item of correspondence (5)
EMAIL - I "must participate" in upside-down LAME
36 Response to unexpected event requiring intervention by tailor? (5,4,2)
THAT'S TORN IT - a slightly archaic ejaculation, that taken literally, would require the services of a dab hand with needle and thread to rectify.
38 Precipitate moving or travelling (11)
PERIPATETIC - (PRECIPITATE*) ["moving"]
40 One records a couple of names related to celebrities (8)
ANNALIST - A + N N + A-LIST
42 Queen in angry display heading off current measure (8)
AMPERAGE - ER [queen] in {r}AMPAGE
43 Staff run out to welcome English conductor (7)
MAESTRO - MAST RO [staff | run out] "to welcome" E
46 Like some solar emissions, illuminated in pink (7)
CORONAL - ON [illuminated] in CORAL [pink]
47 Pen circling street, to show eatery (6)
BISTRO - BIRO [pen] "circling" ST
49 Overlook losing last of peripheral vision (5)
SIGHT - S{l}IGHT, having ditched the L which is the last letter of {periphera}L
50 Smallest amount filling receptacle — as tested (5)
LEAST - hidden in {receptac}LE AS T{ested}