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Thank you for the replies. I find this crossword wildly variable, going from the interesting and accessible to weeks like this one, which for me was impenetrable and joyless.

As I am nowhere near completing this puzzle, let alone helping anyone, all I can do is add an interesting fact (at least I hope it's a fact! It's only something I've heard!)

"Bis" referenced earlier, meaning "twice" etc., is what our French friends would cry out if the want an encore. Why they don't shout encore, or why we do, (or even whether this is actually true), I don't know , but there it is.

Stay well, everyone!

nauticalnick
"bis" in France is also the equivalent of our HR or "holiday route". It is short for "bison fute", or "wily bison"!

Strangelybrown, FIRST COME FIRST SERVED is an anagram of F (female) TERRIFIC STRESS MOVED. The anagram indicator is SUFFERING and the definition is AS QUEUE DEALT WITH. Hope this helps.

Malone: It is the main prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
I agree also with your comment about apostrophes. Since hyphenated words are indicated, should it not also be the case that an apostrophe is indicated in the same way e.g. (5,1'2)?

Parallelogram, thanks for the Palme D'Or info.

I don't know when or why the marking of apostrophes disappeared from clues, but it has resulted in a few headshaking moments for me!

I do not usually get round to trying the Times Saturday Jumbo until the following Wednesday or Thursday. Having had my first read through of all the clues without solving a single one and now having read the comments about this puzzle and explanations of some of the answers, I am going to abandon any further time-wasting and wait for the next one.

like many others i found this week's way above my pay grade! I too resorted to digital assistants. Agree about the variability between weeks but I am pleased to do so well in general as I only got one O level before leaving school.
Can you help with the following:
5 down. What shows highs and lots of plot to remove the old guard? (6,3)
r?t?e? m?p
guess the second word is map, like contour map, but doesn't fit.

34 down. Serializes (sic) a fine novel, not interfering with anything? (7-5)
?a?s?e? f???e

57 ac. Military command dispatched divisions in advance? (7,4)
p?e???t, ?r??

55 ac. Real nice uniform that's worn (9)
e???e?t??

solving these will give me a leg up to continue head scratching
thanks

34 laissez-faire

57 present arms? Don't see the parsing