Toughie 616

Toughie No 616 by Excalibur

Rubber Chicken’s on The Menu

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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment **

What a difference 24 hours makes. Yesterday I had a superb cryptic puzzle to blog and today I have a Toughie which (how can I say this without offending?) lacks sparkle. You may agree or you may have found it dazzling and stimulating – in either case give us your view in a comment.

Across Clues

1a  Lot of food in box (6)
{BUFFET} – double definition, the food being contractually bound to include vol-au-vents and tiny sausages on sticks. I have attended some of these where there wasn’t a lot of food!

4a  Skip over years in parts of book (8)
{PASSAGES} – parts of a book are a charade of a verb to skip over (as a Mastermind contestant may with a difficult question) and a synonym for years.

9a  Hit by rear end of this vehicle (6)
{STRUCK} – the rear end of (thi)S is followed by a vehicle.

10a  He is and they are not exceptional (8)
{SINGULAR} – an adjective meaning exceptional could also, in a grammatical sense, apply to “he” but not to “they”.

11a  Delivery service fellow provides (8)
{CHINAMAN} – as all cricket lovers know this is a ball (delivery) bowled by a left-arm bowler that spins in the opposite direction to his or her usual delivery. Put what a set of matching crockery (service) is made from in front of a synonym for fellow.

13a  Put away caricature (4,2)
{SEND UP} – this phrasal verb apparently means to sentence to prison (put away) so it has a similar meaning to the same verb with “down” as the second word. As (4-2) it’s a caricature.

15a  What bee hums returning to its hive? (4,5,4)
{HOME SWEET HOME} – well, I suppose this song title could describe a beehive, but the cryptic definition is pretty weak.

18a  Run with one hand tied behind one’s back? (6,7)
{EASILY MANAGED} – “run” here is a past participle rather than a present tense.

22a  Assessment of lecture (6)
{RATING} – double definition.

24a  Insect circumvents watery grave in drink (8)
{BEVERAGE} – the same insect that was humming away in 15a contains an anagram (watery?) of GRAVE to make a drink.

26a  Before you need to resort to violence and other mayhem (8)
{HITHERTO} – the definition is before or up to now and the “you need” just seems to be a bit of guidance to the solver on how to interpret the clue. Start with a verb meaning to resort to violence and add an anagram (mayhem) of OTHER.

27a  As one fool took residence in, due for demolition (6)
{UNITED} – the definition is “as one”. A word for fool gets inserted (took residence in) an anagram (for demolition) of DUE. The surface is horrible.

28a  Single sun ray dancing about catches it (8)
{SOLITARY} – this is an adjective meaning single. The latin word for sun is followed by an anagram (dancing about) of RAY then IT is inserted (catches),

29a  A party on Left that’s very popular (6)
{ADORED} – a charade of A, the usual Crosswordland party and the colour associated with the political left.

Down Clues

1d  Cut down the middle, little dry inside (6)
{BISECT} – a synonym for little (as in “I’m feeling a little fed up at the moment”) contains (inside) an adjective meaning dry (as a description of wine).

2d  Provides with vessel and trawls around (9)
{FURNISHES} – put a vessel (of the non-seagoing type) inside a verb meaning trawls for a catch to make another verb meaning provides with.

3d  Lapsed demand may make you say ‘Heavens!’? (7)
{EXCLAIM} – a charade of a prefix meaning former or lapsed and a synonym for a demand produces a verb meaning to ejaculate (say ‘Heavens!’).

5d  Among three notes, one is sharp (4)
{ACID} – put I (one) inside three musical notes.

6d  Division of soldiers occupying gets cracking (7)
{SEGMENT} – another word for soldiers goes inside (occupying) an anagram (cracking) of GETS to make a division or portion.

7d  Delightful out to start with, but very cold (5)
{GELID} – an adjective meaning very cold is an anagram (out) of the first bit (to start with) of DELIG(htful).

8d  Very short of money — it’s tied up (8)
{STRAPPED} – double definition.

12d  Take for granted when amount is increased by a quarter (6)
{ASSUME} – a verb meaning to take on trust is a charade of a synonym for when, an amount and a cardinal point (quarter).

14d  Meeting at which there might not be a soul you know (6)
{SEANCE} – weakish cryptic definition of a meeting at which gullible individuals are persuaded that dead people can talk to them.

16d  Painting showing former owner (3,6)
{OLD MASTER} – this can be either a painting or a painter. It’s a charade of synonyms for former and owner. Since there are few opportunities for pictures today, here’s a self-portrait by one of the best of them.

17d  CHIEF LOOKS AROUND AND TRIES TO FIND (8)
{SEARCHES} – why is the clue in capital letters? Who knows? Who cares? (apparently it’s only in capitals in the on-line version, so that’s even more odd). A synonym for chief has a verb meaning looks put around it.

19d  Disconnect line moment mother leaves. It’s not hard (7)
{LENIENT} – this is the opposite of hard or severe. It’s an anagram (disconnect) of LINE followed by (mom)ENT without the informal American mother.

20d  Gathered key was bent (7)
{GLEANED} – a verb meaning gathered (in two senses) is a musical key followed by a verb meaning was bent.

21d  Watched over when time was up (6)
{TENDED} – T(ime) followed by a verb meaning was up or was finished.

23d  A large drink beforehand. That’s all (5)
{TOTAL} – A and L(arge) are preceded by a drink.

25d  Leading, I got out of step (4)
{STAR} – a step with I removed.

I thought the best clue today was 10a. Let us know what you liked.