Toughie 417

Toughie No 417 by Excalibur

Hints and tips by Bufo

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

I found this to be a toughie of above-average difficulty. There were some nice touches but I thought it was spoilt by some rather dodgy anagram indicators.

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Across

1a    Active rookie involved in arrest (8)
{BUSTLING} L (learner = rookie) is put inside the present participle of a verb meaning “to arrest” to give the answer which means “lively and busy”

5a    Managed to join police, though bad (6)
{RANCID} A word for managed + the abbreviation for a department of the police force gives “bad” (as butter might be)

9a    Again give wiggle of ears gesture (8)
{REASSIGN} An anagram (wiggle of) of EARS + a gesture gives “again give”

10a    Get roulette wheel going and in Monaco you can play it (6)
{SPINET} “Get roulette wheel going” + the French word for “and” gives a musical instrument like a small harpsichord

12a    Received as result of one’s complaints? (3-6)
{ILL-GOTTEN} The answer is a word meaning “procured by dishonest or unworthy means” which often precedes “gains”

13a    A shade inconclusive, I think, as you do (5)
{AGREE} Use a colour with the last letter missing

14a    Does like animals (4)
{APES} Two meanings: does like (= imitates) and animals

16a    Sign, as sender, package containing ring (7)
{ENDORSE} This is an anagram of SENDER containing O (ring). I don’t really see how the anagram is indicated

19a    Manages to seize access, arriving at departure points (7)
{RUNWAYS} A word meaning “manages” goes round “access” to give features of an airport

21a    Rules of behaviour one can understand if someone breaks (4)
{CODE} A word meaning “Rules of behaviour” is also something that needs breaking (deciphering)

24a    Childish puzzle, you say. It’s corny (5)
{MAIZE} A type of corn sounds like a type of puzzle

25a    Gives a character reading that is very frank (6,3)
{SPELLS OUT} The answer means “reads laboriously, letter by letter” and “is extremely specific in explaining something”

27a    Can’t disturb dad, who’s came back for rest (6)
{CATNAP} An anagram of CAN’T + a reversal of a word for father gives a brief sleep. I don’t like “disturb” as the anagram indicator. It would need to be “disturbed” to work

28a    Going into pub, too, I’m ordering (2,6)
{IN MOTION} An anagram of TOO I’M goes inside a pub to give a term meaning “moving”. For me “ordering” would only work as an anagram indicator if “order” were an intransitive verb (which it isn’t)

29a    Making south of France home. That’s unforeseen (6)
{SUDDEN} Use the French word for “south” + (an animal’s) home

30a    Soft, put aside to make jam (8)
{PRESERVE} P (soft) + “put aside” gives jam

Down

1d    What you were watching when photographed at golf match? (6)
{BIRDIE} What you are asked to watch when having your photograph taken is also a term used in golf

2d    Won’t fly, though having seats (6)
{STALLS} Two meanings: “stops (an engine) by sudden braking, overloading, etc” and seats (in a church or theatre)

3d    From a saddle bag (5)
{LASSO} A cryptic definition equating to “catch when riding a horse (as cowboys do)”

4d    Seen hurling gun in, denies (7)
{NEGATES} An anagram (hurling) of SEEN contains a gun (chiefly US). I don’t like “hurling” as an anagram indicator

6d    Didn’t let a good turn go unrewarded (9)
{APPLAUDED} Another cryptic definition equating to “showed one’s appreciation of a good turn (performer)”

7d    The opposite of obstinate (8)
{CONTRARY} Two meanings: opposite and perverse (as Mary, Mary)

8d    Having hesitated, did ring at that point (8)
{DITHERED} DID goes round “at that point” to give “hesitated”. I don’t like the use of “ring”. It really needs to be “rings” or “ringing”

11d    Ocean, not Pacific, witnessed a vanishing in the old days (4)
{ONCE} An anagram (not Pacific} of OCEAN without the letter A (a vanishing)

15d    What horse that came second was called? (Florence?) (5,4)
{PLACE NAME} The first word signifies a horse that finishes second (unless there are four or fewer runners) or often third and sometimes fourth. Florence (the city) is an example of the whole.

17d    Expresses displeasure at getting awful cards (8)
{GRIMACES} “Awful” + “high-ranking cards” gives “expresses displeasure by pulling a face”

18d    Not suitable if loose (8)
{UNFITTED} Two meanings: “not suitable” and “loose (as of covers, clothing)”

20d    Likewise, twice as poor (2-2)
{SO-SO} Take a 2-letter word for “likewise” and repeat it to give “neither very good nor very bad”

21d    Figure getting slimmer daily (7)
{CLEANER} A Roman numeral (figure) + slimmer gives a daily (someone who does for you)

22d    ‘He sells lady’s outsize,’ I interposed (6)
{HOSIER} A dealer in stockings, etc., is formed form “lady’s” containing OS (outsize) + I

23d    Attitude with which cuckoo starts, in a nest, hatching (6)
{STANCE} C (with which cuckoo starts) is put inside an anagram of A NEST. I don’t like “hatching” as an angram indicator.

26d    Seems fine, with sun about to rise (5)
{LOOKS} A word meaning “seems” is made up from OK (fine) inside a reversal of the sun personified

I thought the puzzle was OK but it could have been better