Toughie 442

Toughie No 442 by Firefly

Extending the boundaries

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

A good puzzle from Firefly that is a little let down by a handful of poor clues. At least it gives me an opportunity to include a favourite YouTube clip.

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Across

1a    Merseyside Lane leads to Orbison Aluminum plant — where extensions are planned (10)
{PENNYROYAL} – a charade of a Merseyside Lane made famous by the Beatles, the first name of the Big O (Orbison) and the chemical symbol for ALuminum (don’t you just hate the use of the American spelling of this word?) gives a species of mint, once valued in medicine – the rest of the clue is a rather unnecessary indication that this clue is used, in part, in a number of other clues

No Beatles clip from me when I can link to the Big O!

ARVE Error: need id and provider

6a    Guadalajara’s opened up (4)
{AJAR} – a word meaning opened up, of a door, is hidden and reversed (up!) in the first word of the clue

10a    Time wasted in histrionic measure (5)
{OPTIC} – remove an era (time) from inside a word meaning histrionic or theatrical to get a drinks measure

11a    Both uncles sadly lose a bit of self-confidence when laid off (2,3,4)
{ON THE CLUB} – an anagram (sadly) of BOTH UNCLE(S) without the S (lose a bit of Self-confidence} gives a slang phrase meaning certified unfit to work

12a    This extension makes 1ac’s west wing novel (8)
{DREADFUL} – put after the left-hand half of 1a this gives a cheap trashy novel

13a    Authority derives from regular scary ASBOs … (3-2)
{SAY-SO} – an authority or permission derives from the odd letters (regular) of ScArY ASBOs

15a    … to such an extent, in Chesterfield, resistance shows (2,2,3)
{IN SO FAR} – a phrase meaning to such an extent is a charade of IN, the piece of furniture of which a Chesterfield is an example and R(esistance) – the final word (shows) appears to be unnecessary padding

17a    These extensions make west wing of 1ac an amusing place to be (7)
{ARCADES} – put after the left-hand half of 1a this gives places of amusement where you would find slot machines

19a    Free up international organisation’s team … (7)
{UNSCREW} – a verb meaning to free up is a charade of an international organisation’s (not forgetting the ‘S) and a team on a ship

21a    … as IMF and Civil Service exercise rigid enforcement of precept (7)
{FASCISM} – an anagram (exercise) of AS IMF C(ivil) S(ervice) gives a political system that involves rigid enforcement

22a    This extension makes east wing of 1ac ideally suited (5)
{FLUSH} – put after the right-hand half of 1a this gives a winning hand of cards, all of the same suit

24a    Admirer takes marriage vow eventually (8)
{IDOLATER} – this admirer, when split (1,2,5) is an old chestnut! – what those getting married say followed by a synonym for eventually

27a    To prevail against leaderless positions, fires again (9)
{REIGNITES} – a charade of a word meaning to prevail or rule followed by some positions without the initial S (leaderless) gives a verb meaning fires again

28a    Southampton’s first extremely Liberal seat (5)
{STOOL} – a charade of S (Southampton’s first), a synonym for extremely and L(iberal) gives a seat with three or four legs

29a    Scottish way to add this extension to east wing of 1ac (4)
{MILE} – a succession of streets which form the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of the city of Edinburgh in Scotland is derived by putting this answer after the right-hand half of 1a

30a    Eagles seen flying among West Africans (10)
{SENEGALESE} – an anagram (flying) of EAGLES SEEN gives these West Africans

Down

1d    Concert where a memory’s preordained (4)
{PROM} – a concert like those at the Royal Albert Hall each year is also a type of computer memory that is programmable – which is presumably the function of “preordained” in the clue as this memory, once programmed, cannot be erased

2d    They barely manage a turn on IT without singular suggestion of shivering (9)
{NATURISTS} – an anagram (manage) of A TURN is followed by IT outside (without) S(ingular) and finally S (suggestion of Shivering) – presumably meant to be an semi-all-in-one, but it doesn’t work for me

3d    Ugh! Sounds like a serving of tapioca! (5)
{YUCCA} – the first part sounds like yuk (ugh) which is followed by A to give the plant from which tapioca is produced – note, this is not the same as the ornamental tree and is usually spelt with a single C

4d    Uncertain — I’m hesitant, but available (2,5)
{ON OFFER} – a charade of a two word expression (2,3) meaning uncertain and an interjection that indicates hesitancy give a phrase meaning available

5d    Conclusions from Anatolia cousin — that Amanda will enjoy a Turkish delight! (7)
{ANTALYA} – the final letters (c onclusions from) seven words in the clue leads to a Turkish city famous for its delights

7d    This extension makes east wing of 1ac demonstrate workers’ efforts (5)
{JELLY} – put after the right-hand half of 1a this gives a substance produced by worker bees

8d    Comes out again when sombre loss is tempered (10)
{REBLOSSOMS} – comes out again, as a flower might, is an anagram (is tempered) of SOMBRE LOSS

9d    Posh husband receives award for footwear (8)
{BEDSOCKS} – put the nickname of Posh’s husband around a military award to get these items of footwear which are word at night

14d    One’s into various fluids and stuff — it helps to cut down on alcohol (10)
{DISULFIRAM} – put I (one) into an anagram (various) of FLUIDS and add a verb meaning to stuff to get this drug used to treat chronic alcoholism

16d    This extension makes west wing of 1ac one for high-rollers (8)
{FARTHING} – put after the left-hand half of 1a this gives an old-fashioned bicycle

18d    Stress importance of return to base (5,4)
{DRIVE HOME} – a double definition

ARVE Error: need id and provider

20d    This extension makes west wing of 1ac a windy contraption (7)
{WHISTLE} – put after the left-hand half of 1a this gives a small instrument made from a thin metal tube, with six finger holes of varying size on top and no thumb holes

21d    Shared activity under the table? (7)
{FOOTSIE} – a cryptic definition of the action of touching someone’s feet lightly with one’s own feet, especially under a table, as a playful expression of romantic interest – Gazza has pointed out that shared activity could be referring to the stock exchange index – doesn’t work as a double definition for me as each definition would have to “share” the word activity

23d    Neighbour I eloped with turns out an angel! (5)
{URIEL} – hidden inside the first three words is an archangel

25d    Such as tea? (2,3)
{AT SEA} – this answer is both the anagram indicator and the anagram of AS TEA

26d    This extension makes east wing of 1ac shady (4)
{BLUE} – put after the right-hand half of 1a this gives a colour

Once you have unravelled 1a, this is quite an easy puzzle