Toughie 479

Toughie No 479 by Cephas

The lull before the storm!

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

Cephas gives us a very gentle start to the week – it could well get tougher in the run-up to Christmas!

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Across

1a    Discordant cheering going round West London borough (9)
{GREENWICH} – put an anagram (discordant) of CHEERING around W(est) to get a South-East London borough

6a    Cover monkey that’s half grey first (5)
{DRAPE} – a verb meaning to cover is built by putting a word meaning to monkey or mimic after DR(ab)

9a    Tell fidgety neurotic one is missing (7)
{RECOUNT} – a word meaning to tell is an anagram (fidgety) of NEUROT(I)C

10a    Consequence of losing one’s balance (9)
{OVERDRAFT} – what you get if you spend more money than you have in your bank account

11a    Not much money once VAT has been removed (7)
{CENTAVO} – this small Spanish American coin is an anagram (has been removed) of ONCE VAT

12a    Down mature fruit first (7)
{PLUMAGE} – down, in the sense of feathers, is derived by putting a verb meaning to mature after a fruit

13a    He dominates a foe becoming too progressive (5,2,4,4)
{AHEAD OF ONE’S TIME} – an anagram ()becoming of HE DOMINATES A FOE gives a phrase meaning too progressive

17a    One calls for item hidden in mask (7)
{VISITOR} – a person who calls on someone is constructed by putting IT (item) inside (hidden in) a mask

19a    With German agreement, he replaced one in path of Noachic descendant (7)
{JAPHETH} – the German for “yes” is followed by PATH with HE replacing the A (one) to get a son of Noah, traditional ancestor of the peoples living round the Mediterranean

22a    Saw something for him to do (9)
{CARPENTER} – a slightly cryptic definition of a tradesman who uses a saw

ARVE Error: need id and provider

23a    Be brave enough to have short skirt in front in Ireland (7)
{KILDARE} – put a word meaning to be brave enough after most of (short) a skirt to get a county in Ireland

24a    Was evasive but did not start having advanced gradually (5)
{EDGED} – drop the leading H (did not start) from a verb meaning was evasive to get a different verb meaning advanced gradually

25a    Brown grease spilt on clothing (9)
{DUNGAREES} – a type of brown followed by an anagram ()spilt of GREASE gives work overalls, especially loose trousers with a bib front and shoulder clothing

Down

1d    Plant fish on top of no end of parasites (6)
{GARLIC} – this plant, whose bulb has a pungent taste and very strong smell, is a charade of a fish and some parasites without their final letter (no end of)

2d    Replace old money (8)
{EXCHANGE} – a verb meaning to replace is a charade of a prefix meaning old and some money

3d    In China use aspirin with feeling of revulsion (6)
{NAUSEA} – hidden inside the clue is this feeling of revulsion

4d    Completely fashionable round, small drink included (2,4)
{IN TOTO} – the Latin for completely or entirely is constructed by taking a word meaning fashionable and O (round) and putting them round (included) a small drink

5d    Rustic having taken a turn in one’s house first (8)
{HOMESPUN} – a word meaning rustic or simple is derived from a verb meaning having taken a turn preceded by a word meaning in one’s house

6d    Duke had mature spirits from equatorial region (8)
{DOLDRUMS} – a charade of D(uke), a synonym for mature and some alcoholic drinks (spirits) gives those parts of the ocean near the equator where calms and baffling winds prevail

7d    A church has articles on mysteries (6)
{ARCANA} – a charade of A, the Roman Catholic church, and two indefinite articles gives these mysteries or secrets

8d    How agreement may be made across the bridge? (3,2,3)
{EYE TO EYE} – this agreement could be made across the bridge o the nose

13d    Recommend one pressing a suit (8)
{ADVOCATE} – a double definition – the suit being pressed in court!

14d    Diane gave article to left-winger who was hesitant (8)
{DITHERED} – a charade of DI(ane), the definite article and a left-winger gives a verb meaning was hesitant

15d    Tree reported, about time, needing emergency attention (5,3)
{FIRST AID} – put a coniferous tree and a verb meaning reported around T(ime) to get this emergency attention – I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who wasted time trying to find a homophone!

16d    Takes fancy diamonds originally from boot! (3,5)
{ICE SKATE} – an anagram (fancy) of TAKES is preceded by a slang word for diamonds to get a boot used on frozen water

18d    Beginning well (6)
{SPRING} – a double definition

19d    Yours truly in Provence right to take nearest and dearest’s coat (6)
{JERKIN} – a charade of the French for I (yours truly in Provence), R(ight) and one’s nearest and dearest gives a sleeveless coat

20d    Father takes two Spanish articles from dish (6)
{PAELLA} – a charade of a short synonym for father and two Spanish articles gives a Spanish dish of rice, saffron, chicken, seafood, etc., cooked and served in a large shallow pan

21d    Poles support own harbours (6)
{HAVENS} – put N(orth) and S(outh) after (support in a down clue) a verb meaning to own to get these harbours

A pleasant, if relatively easy, puzzle.