Toughie No 107

Toughie No 107 by Shamus

Shamus sets another relatively easy puzzle

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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***

After yesterday’s epic, today we have a much easier, but nonetheless enjoyable puzzle.  If you are new to Toughies, you should start with one like this.  I should point out that the difficulty ratings that I give are relative to the type of puzzle, so three stars here would be at least four on a regular cryptic.

I’m sure you realise by now that I enjoy creating the linked material.  If you only follow one link for this puzzle, then let it be 7 across!

Across

7a Daily journalist reflected about a pretence (7)
{CHARADE} – the cleaner (daily) and the editor (journalist) reversed (reflected) around A give a pretence which is often played as a game

8a Challenger, perhaps, put back prize garment (4,3)
{TANK TOP} – a Challenger could be (perhaps) a type of military vehicle; follow this with POT (prize) reversed (put back) and you get a garment

10a Note inch I shifted in a vulnerable position (2,4,3)

{ON THIN ICE} – an anagram (shifted) of NOTE INCH I put you in a very vulnerable position

11a NZ region given name in middle of book (5)
{OTAGO} – the name here is not the usual “N”, but TAG, put this inside OO (middle of book) and you have a region in New Zealand

12a Time hard to manage in retreat (5)
{EPOCH} – H(ard) then COPE (to manage) reversed (in retreat) gives a point of time made remarkable by some great event

13a Island firm touring Channel Islands for composition (9)
{CAPRICCIO} – the island which was famous as the home of Gracie Fields then CO(mpany) around (touring) CI (Channel Islands) gives a kind of free musical composition

15a French writer about river just after estuary (7)
{GIRONDE} – a  French writer who is little-known, despite winning a Nobel prize in 1947,  around R(iver) ON (just after) giving an estuary in France

17a Refugee and actor once following road (7)
{MIGRANT} – the road is the M1 again, and that is followed by (Cary) GRANT (actor once) to give a refugee – can anyone tell me at what point an illegal one of these becomes an asylum seeker?

18a Car keys lost? Endless argument takes place in this sacred site (5,4)
{AYERS ROCK} – an anagram (lost) of CAR KEYS around (takes place in) RO(w) (endless argument) gives a famous Australian landmark

20a Fuss in wake of advertising for gallery (5)
{PRADO} – ADO (fuss) after (in wake of) PR (advertising) give a famous museum and art gallery in Spain

21a It’s contracted in Yorkshire Dales (5)
{HIRED} – the weakest clue by far has the answer hidden somewhere in the Yorkshire Dales

23a Pay chap or otherwise get some unofficial books (9)
{APOCRYPHA} – an anagram (otherwise) of PAY CHAP OR  gives some unofficial books which are usually excluded from the Bible

24a Old court star around four returns for comeback (7)
{REVIVAL} – (Rod) LAVER (old tennis court star) around IV (four in Roman numerals) and then all reversed (returns) gives a synonym for a comeback

25a Greatest time with group in river (7)
{EXTREME} – T(ime) and REM (group) are both inside a river in Devon

Down

1d Tour base developed on largely modern resort (10)
{EASTBOURNE} – an anagram (developed) of TOUR BASE then NE(w) (largely modern) to give a not-so-modern resort

2d Free can is put in front of hotel (6)
{LAVISH} – LAV (lavatory / can) IS H(otel) giving a word that is a sort of synonym for free – the slightly risqué nature of the clue more or less compensates for the licence used for the synonym

3d Rather poor creed I’m reworking? Nothing in it (8)
{MEDIOCRE} – an anagram (reworking) of CREED I’M includes O (nothing) to give a word meaning rather poor

4d Titled figures rose around theatre’s entrance for actress (6)
{STREEP} – PEERS (titled figures) reversed (rose – down clues only!) around T(heatre’s entrance) for a famous actress

5d GP soon in after surgery? That’s being nosy (8)
{SNOOPING} – an anagram (after surgery) of GP SOON IN giving a nosy action

6d School missing old Australian, source of fiery outpourings? (4)
{ETNA} – that well-known public school, minus the O(ld) and plus an A(ustralian) gives a volcano in Sicily (source of fiery outpourings)

7d I arrange steps? (13)
{CHOREOGRAPHER} – a cryptic definition of someone who arranges a dance routine

9d Reasonable for head to include speech giving out answer (13)
{PROPORTIONATE} – try to stay awake while I explain this one! – PRO (for) then PATE (head) around OR(a)TION (speech, giving out Answer / without the A) giving a synonym for reasonable

14d Fruit and a roll supplied by place in crescent (4-6)
{CRAB APPLES} – this one has A BAP (a roll) then PL(ace) all inside CRES(cent) to give a fruit usually only eaten by animals – our dog loves them!

16d Video sent endlessly for broadcast showing steep plunge (8)
{NOSEDIVE} – an anagram (for broadcast – this often signals a “sounds like” construct) of VIDEO SEN(t) without the “t” (endlessly) gives a steep plunge

17d Terminate, as it were, change in appearance (4,4)
{MAKE OVER} – almost the end of the puzzle, and here is our first double definition – a cryptic definition and a change in appearance so beloved of  Trinny and Susannah!

19d Rowing boat about to leave? It’s an infallible indication (6)
{ORACLE} – a small rowing boat without C (circa / about, to leave) gives a shrine at Delphi

20d Talk foolishly about institute operating illegally (6)
{PIRATE} – PRATE (talk foolishly) around I(nstitute) and you have an illegal radio station that became famous in the sixties

22d Noble disregarding bishop in party (4)
{RAVE} – a synonym for noble, without (disregarding) the B(ishop) giving a wild party which, despite the implication in its name, was usually organised

A paucity of double definitions and only a couple of weakish clues make for a crossword that was a pleasure to do – and Shamus is even forgiven for inventing a new synonym for free!  [Shamus points out that it is in Chambers – see below – but it foxed not only me but expert cruciverbalist Peter as well!]