Toughie 437

Toughie No 437 by Busman

Hints and tips by Bufo

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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment **

I sailed through this one, so much so that I’m only giving it one star for difficulty.

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Across

1a    Maybe open acclaim’s what’s expected of a yes-man (12)
{COMPLAISANCE} An anagram (maybe) of OPEN ACCLAIM’S

9a    Attack on front of London arts venue (4)
{BARB} The first half of a London arts venue is an attack (a deliberately hurtful remark)

10a    He travels unto a star (9)
{ASTRONAUT} An anagram of UNTO A STAR gives someone who might travel there

12a    Pastry cook in charge with earl (6)
{ÉCLAIR} An anagram (cook) of IC (in charge) and EARL

13a    Old relative, awfully rude, showing dignity (8)
{GRANDEUR} An old female relative followed by an anagram (awfully) of RUDE

15a    Over-egg, somewhat! (10)
{EXAGGERATE} I suppose that this is merely a cryptic definition

16a    Eastern fashion is such a mess (4)
{ETON} E (Eastern) + a word for fashion gives a place-name that goes before mess in the name of a dessert consisting of a mixture of strawberries, pieces of meringue and cream

18a    Point-to-point at lodge (4)
{STOW} One point of the compass TO another point of the compass

20a    A safe place (10)
{STRONGROOM} A cryptic definition for somewhere where things are kept safe

23a    Malta pilot losing books about red light (4,4)
{TAIL LAMP} An anagram of MALTA PILOT without OT (books) gives something found on the back of a car

24a    Exactly like a singleton domino? (4,2)
{SPOT ON} This term means exactly (and is hyphenated in Chambers). Is the word singleton meant to imply that the domino in question is blank-one?

26a    Three months to decorate compound (9)
{TRIMESTER} A period of three months is made up of “to decorate” + a chemical compound formed by condensation of an alcohol with an acid

27a    Trickster’s admission is good for image (4)
{ICON} What a trickster might admit to is an image

28a    Panorama’s about to broadcast ‘What’s on the boundary’ (5,7)
{SIGHT SCREENS} Items that can be found on the boundary of a cricket pitch are given by panorama’s put round broadcast (as on TV)

Down

2d    Apparently singular game on paper, and another at seats of learning (8)
{OXBRIDGE} The first two letters represent “nought and cross” (apparently singular game). Then follows a card game.

3d    Brilliant, but outwardly peculiar (4)
{PEAR} The first two and the last two letters of peculiar gives a brilliant (gem)

4d    Heartless row bringing revision (10)
{ALTERATION} Remove the middle letter (C) from an 11-letter word for a row (argument) and get a revision

5d    Old clubs’ courts (6)
{SPOONS} 2 meanings: old-fashioned golf clubs/indulges in (sentimental) courtship

6d    Half our relatives are in home (7)
{NEAREST} ARE in a word for home gives the first word of an expression (7,3,7) for one’s closest family and friends

7d    Work to rule after this act (12)
{ENTHRONEMENT} This act creates a monarch who will then rule

8d    Foreign dish of pickled pea and bits of lentil, leek and aubergine (6)
{PAELLA} An anagram (pickled) of PEA + the first letters of Lentil, Leek and Aubergine

11d    Renders obligatory one’s entry in state midst disorderly scenes (12)
{NECESSITATES} I put inside STATE put inside an anagram (disorderly) of SCENES

14d    Subject to change one-time chart (10)
{ARITHMETIC} A subject studied at school is an anagram of I (one) TIME CHART

17d    Say! Pity about a north African (8)
{EGYPTIAN} An abbreviation for say (for example) + an anagram (about) of PITY + A N (north) gives an African resident

19d    Thinking of love and yearning (7)
{OPINING} O (love) + yearning = thinking

21d    Thirty-one days with French king on duty (6)
{OCTROI} The three-letter abbreviation for a month having thirty-one days + the French word for king gives a duty (toll or tax)

22d    Wake-up call about Black Prince (6)
{ALBERT} The name of a prince consort is given by “wake-up call” around B (black)

25d    Barrister cut cheese (4)
{BRIE} A word for a barrister with its last letter removed gives a type of cheese

Disappointing because it is far from true toughie standard.