54a eye a snake off and on, continually showing pluck...(4) think it may be yank... but why?
9d reportedly, you first book, then finally take in an opera, but only first half(6) e?g?n? tough setter this week!!
Just finished Jumbo 852 cryptic and thought it was indeed very hard and rather odd - some clues really were off the wall, though technically within the rules. Some answers were outside normal range for this crossword. So yes - I agree! Reassuring to see others thought so as well.