Toughie 425

Toughie No 425 by Kcit

Hints and tips by Bufo

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

I enjoyed this Kcit puzzle. It wasn’t too difficult, it contained nothing too obscure, and I couldn’t find anything to complain about.

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Across

1a    Hard current measures, with Tory PM impounding a green urban area (9,5)
{HAMPSTEAD HEATH} H + units of electric current + a 1970’s prime minister put round A gives a grassy public space in north-west London

10a    Little good in tossing and turning in the raw — try this! (9)
{NIGHTWEAR} G (an abbreviation for good) in an anagram (tossing and turning) of IN THE RAW gives what you need to avoid sleeping in the raw

11a    One’s nearly exhausted, reaching city in Colorado (5)
{ASPEN} A + a word meaning “exhausted” with its last letter removed gives a ski resort in Colorado

12a    Satisfied with performers in weather programme (7)
{METCAST} Satisfied + performers (as in a play)

13a    Carried over surplus (2,4)
{DE TROP} An adjectival French term meaning “superfluous” is formed by a reversal of an old-fashioned word meaning “carried”

15a    Prison removing first component of chains (4)
{LINK} Remove the first letter from a prison to give part of a chain

17a    Quiet method of working brought in to identify tradesman (10)
{FISHMONGER} An interjection meaning “hush!” + the abbreviation for modus operandi go inside a chiefly US word meaning “to identify as a criminal or suspect”

18a    Hymn’s way to show sea and fog? (4,2,4)
{ROCK OF AGES} The second and third words are an anagram of SEA FOG. The first word is an anagram indicator. The whole is the title of a well-known hymn

20a    Bubbly stuff, mostly buzzing (4)
{ASTI} An Italian sparkling wine (much beloved by crossword setters) is a word meaning “buzzing” with the last letter removed. On my first read through of the clues I entered FIZZ as the answer and then had problems with the resulting Z in 8 down

22a    Clergyman prompt to restrain scoundrel (6)
{CURATE} Prompt (as in the theatre) contains a scoundrel to give a clergyman. I was confused at first because the first three letters of the answer also means a scoundrel.

23a    Hypothesis in that situation involving old money (7)
{THEOREM} “In that situation” contains O (old) and is followed by M (money)

26a    Inventor of counting device heading off for mountain (5)
{EIGER} A mountain in Switzerland with a famous north face is formed by removing the first letter from a German physicist who developed an instrument for measuring radioactivity

27a    I note big company brought in family doctor (9)
{CLINICIAN} I + N (note) + a large chemical company (now part of Akzo Nobel) are put inside a word for “family” to give a doctor

28a    Covert scheme involving a politician broke up favourite spot (8-6)
{STAMPING GROUND} A MP is put inside a covert scheme (a swindle or robbery). This is followed by a word for broke up (reduced to powder). The answer is a place where a person often spends time

Down

2d    Criminal’s speech, cunning, filled with energy (5)
{ARGOT} Slang, originally that of thieves and vagabonds, consists of a 3-letter word for skill containing a 2-letter word for energy

3d    Stone lots of people cut from excavator (6)
{PITMAN} A fruit-stone (especially in North America) + a word meaning “lots of people” with the last letter removed gives a man who digs coal

4d    Exaggerated two articles with another article unfinished, sadly (10)
{THEATRICAL} Use the definite article + the indefinite article + an anagram (sadly) of ARTICL (article unfinished)

5d    Cautious, with setback in first half? Not true (4)
{AWRY} Take a word for cautious and transpose the first two letters to give a word meaning crooked (not straight)

6d    Slow down man with a capacity to forestall decision? (5,2)
{HEAVE TO} A nautical term meaning “to come to a standstill” consists of a man + A + “to forestall decision”

7d    A fight with a severe blow would be more than enough for this spear-carrier (9)
{ASPARAGUS} A + (to) fight + A sudden blast of wind with its final letter removed gives a plant with spears

8d    Screwed up marginal then weakened government? (4,10)
{HUNG PARLIAMENT} An anagram (screwed) of UP MARGINAL THEN

9d    Manila, as it were, in film comedy (6,8)
{ANIMAL CRACKERS} The first word is an anagram of MANILA. The second word is an anagram indicator. The whole is a Marx Brothers film

14d    Parisian is involved in supporting curtailed budget (10)
{SHOESTRING} The French word for “is” is put inside a word for supporting (with a temporary prop) to give a very small or petty amount of money (as in “on a *********”)

16d    Wild iguana seizing vehicle in American region (9)
{NICARAGUA} A vehicle is put inside an anagram (wild) of IGUANA to give a Central American country

19d    Unpopular farm produce in unexpected area of land (7)
{OUTCROP} Unpopular + farm produce = part of a rock formation that appears at the surface of the earth. I don’t really see why it’s unexpected

21d    Sheep, second that Ireland’s brought in (6)
{MERINO} A sheep of a fine-woolled Spanish breed consists of an archaic or poetic name for Ireland inside a second (or very short time)

24d    Queen elevated in restricting Government’s time in power (5)
{REIGN} The usual abbreviation for the Queen is reversed and followed by G (Government) inside IN

25d    Firm invested in fashionable film star? (4)
{ICON} An abbreviation for a firm is put inside fashionable to give someone venerated or uncritically admired (possibly a film star)

A pleasant solve.