Big Dave's Crossword Blog

Toughie No 361 by Kcit

Hints and Tips by Bufo

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

After the puzzles of two weeks ago (too easy) and last week (too obscure) I had hopes that Kcit would pitch it just right. I wasn’t disappointed.  I got becalmed with 4 answers to go but eventually got moving again.
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Across

1a & 5a Short-lived assets: runs to invest in Surrey town and London? (7,7)
{WORKING CAPITAL} The first word consists of R (runs) put inside a town in Surrey. The second word is given by “London?” The whole is defined by “short-lived assets”.

9a           One’s almost bare without tip of branch being this? (2,3)
{IN BUD} Start with one = I. Then take a word for bare without its last letter and put this around (without) B (the tip or first-letter of branch). The whole clue provides the definition.

10a         An important first, perhaps, from revolutionary? (9)
{ANARCHIST} AN + a word meaning important + a representation of “first” leads to a revolutionary.

11a         Chair stuffing to stop floating around? (6,4)
{SETTLE DOWN} A type of chair (a long, high-backed bench) is followed by something used for stuffing (e.g. cushions) to give a phrase meaning “to stop floating around”.

12a         Stop game (4)
{HALT} 2 meanings (stop & game). “Game” here means “lame” and the answer is another word for “lame” and is labelled (Bible, archaic) in Chambers. It appears, for example in Luke’s gospel: “Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the ****, and the blind).

14a         Oscar’s a scoundrel, expression of astonishment interrupting each charge (7,5)
{ACADEMY AWARD} The definition is Oscar (as given to film stars). It is made up of A + a word for scoundrel + an expression of astonishment inside each (abbreviation) charge (care or custody).

18a         The Lancet’s upset with her clinic? (6,6)
{HEALTH CENTRE} Anagram of THE LANCET HER.

21a         Darkness turned peculiar by end of week (4)
{MURK} A word meaning “peculiar” is reversed and K (end of week) is added to give a word meaning “darkness”.

22a         Faithful guy’s wet, embracing no endless bit of fun (10)
{MONOGAMIST} This guy is faithful to one partner. A word for “wet” is put round NO + a “bit of fun” without its last letter.

25a         Watching man following someone he knew at school? (9)
{OBSERVANT} A man (male attendant) follows an old boy (OB) to give a word meaning “watching”.

26a         What top performer going round India’s capital may have? (5)
{SITAR} A word for top performer goes round I (India’s capital) to give something associated with Indian musicians.

27a & 28a             It provides scaled-down opening for theatre performance (7,7)
{KEYHOLE SURGERY}. A cryptic definition. The theatre is of the hospital variety.

Down

1d           Question about one manuscript’s gentle fantasy (6)
{WHIMSY} A word used in asking a question is put round I (one) MS (manuscript) to give a gentle fantasy.

2d           Uneven rhythm’s a difficulty at end of concerto (6)
{RUBATO} A word for a difficulty is followed by AT O (end of concerto) to give a word meaning “uneven rhythm”.

3d           Risqué show, involving a good deal of leg being raised (10)
{INDELICATE} A word meaning “to show” goes round EL (a good deal of leg being raised) to give a word meaning “risqué”.

4d           Article used in elevated medicine security (5)
{GUARD} Put A (article) inside a word for “medicine” which has been reversed.

5d           Meeting convenor suppressing one? Here’s one who does (9)
{CHARWOMAN} Remove I (one) from someone who presides at a meeting to give “one who does” (do = clean, tidy).

6d           Resourcefulness, having forgotten line in Shakespearean role (4)
{PLUCK} Remove L (line) from a word meaning “resourcefulness” to give a Shakespearean character (MND).

7d           Condition for sailing: one organised boat (8)
{TRIMARAN} The answer is a type of boat. It is made up from “condition for sailing” + A (one) + “organised”.

8d           Commonplace ignoring piano’s range (8)
{LATITUDE} Remove P (piano) from the front of a word meaning “commonplace” (as a noun) to give a word meaning “range”.

13d         Girl’s inhaling air, and air’s polluted — it’s a shocking tale (4-6)
{HAIR-RAISER} Put AIR + an anagram (polluted) of AIR’S inside a word for “girl’s” to give a tale of terror.

15d         Spot to make speech about college degree (9)
{DOCTORATE} C (college) is put inside a word for “spot” (as a noun) and a word for “to make speech” to give a degree.

16d         Tribute band’s output? It may be lucky for some (8)
{SHAMROCK} The answer is a plant believed by some to bestow good luck. The name suggests a counterfeit type of music.

17d         Church office, for example, occupied by councillor is ultimately competent (8)
{SACRISTY} The answer is a room in a church. A word for “for example” goes round CR (councillor) IS T (ultimately competent).

19d         Volume One, questionably true, shows inherent power (6)
{VIRTUE} V (volume) I (one) + an anagram of TRUE.

20d         Dirty lie about money (6)
{STORMY} The definition is “dirty” as used in connection with the weather. A word for “lie” (untruth) goes round M (money).

23d         Doomed explorer, giving nothing to comrades, heading off (5)
{OATES} The answer is an explorer who failed to return home made up of O (nothing) = a word for comrades without the first letter. I suppose “heading off” might describe what he did.

24d         Small group orgy? Time to take leading role (4)
{TRIO} A word for “orgy” with the T moved to the front of the word gives a small group.

A competent enjoyable puzzle