Big Dave's Crossword Blog

Toughie No 733 by Messinae

Hints and tips by Bufo

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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

This is only the second Messinae puzzle that I have blogged. I gave 4* for difficulty to the last one which was unusual because bloggers usually only give Messinae puzzles 2* for difficulty. This one was 2* at most and I might have been tempted to give it 1* had I not had to think a little about the last couple of answers. So once again we have a Toughie that is anything but tough.

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Across

1a    Long drinks disposed of in American home market (5,2,3)
{YARDS OF ALE} The answer is alcoholic drinks consumed from tall glasses approximately 0.9144 metres long, shaped with a bulb at the bottom, and a widening shaft which constitutes most of the height. It is derived by putting OF inside a sale of second-hand goods held in a garden in America

6a    Mistake knocking back lager (4)
{SLIP} A mistake is a reversal of a type of lager beer

10a    Search over jazz group (5)
{COMBO} ‘To search’ + O (over) = a small jazz band

11a    Inn for particular purpose mostly to get excited about (9)
{ROADHOUSE} The answer is an inn catering for motorists, cyclists, etc. Take a Latin term (2,3) meaning ‘for a particular purpose’, remove the last letter, and put the rest inside ‘to get excited’

12a    Ancient god put back in piece of mosaic (7)
{TESSERA} A reversal of the Greek god of war + ‘put’ gives one of the small pieces of which a mosaic is made

13a    Tackle leading Nazi guarding a navy (7)
{HARNESS} ‘To tackle’ = the surname of a German Nazi leader put round A RN (navy)

14a    Aid for newsreaders somehow let ’em report without pressure (12)
{TELEPROMPTER} A device allowing someone on TV to see a projection of what he or she is to say is an anagram (somehow) of LET ‘EM REPORT round P (pressure)

18a    Putting forward magician’s art concealing shocking treatment (12)
{CONJECTURING} ‘Putting forward’ = a magician’s art (9) round the abbreviation for a form of treatment using electric shocks

21a    One taking on predator endlessly savaged (7)
{ADOPTER} ‘One taking on’ is an anagram (savaged) of PREDATO (predator without the last letter)

23a    Make false representation about alcoholic drink being soft one (7)
{LIMEADE} ‘Make false representation’ surrounds an alcoholic drink made from honey to give a soft drink

24a    18th-century prime minister revelling in confusion (9)
{GRENVILLE} The surname of the British prime minister from 1763 to 1765 is an anagram (in confusion) of REVELLING

25a    Bury football team? (5)
{INTER} ‘To bury’ = a football team from Milan

26a    Daughter feasted on fruit (4)
{DATE} D (Daughter) + ‘feasted’ = a fruit

27a    Official to turn back after hazard (10)
{CHANCELLOR} An official = a reversal of ‘to turn’ following a hazard

Down

1d    Craft with support rising round Switzerland (6)
{YACHTS} Craft (boats) = a reversal of ‘support’ round the IVR for Switzerland

2d    Sloppy about girl (6)
{REMISS} ‘Sloppy’ = about (2) + girl (4)

3d    Crime fighter with dodgy secret vetoed it (5,9)
{STORE DETECTIVE} A crime fighter in a shop is an anagram (dodgy) of SECRET VETOED IT

4d    Secure guys round a traveller’s first canopy (9)
{FIRMAMENT} ‘Secure’ and ‘guys’ round A followed by T (first letter of traveller) = canopy (the sky)

5d    Whip to keep European in line (5)
{LEASH} ‘Whip’ containing E (European) is a line for holding a dog

7d    Gold about to be accepted by former recipient of honour (8)
{LAUREATE} The atomic symbol for gold + about inside ‘former’ gives a person honoured by a distinction

8d    Open country’s beset by sheer delight (8)
{PLEASURE} ‘Open country’ + ‘S inside ‘sheer’ gives delight

9d    Wrapped in flag, brave man locks politician in great power once (3,5,6)
{THE ROMAN EMPIRE} ‘To flag’ (4) goes outside a brave man (4), locks (hair) (4), and politician (2) to give an ancient civilisation that was a great power

15d    Alan, ruder, upset clergyman (5,4)
{RURAL DEAN} An anagram (upset) of ALAN RUDER gives a clergyman

16d    Special constable getting teased attacked (8)
{SCRAGGED} SC (special constable) + ‘teased’ = ‘attacked’

17d    Where 1 down may be found with brass (8)
{INSOLENT} IN + the stretch of water between the Isle of Wight and the mainland (where 1 down may be found) = ‘with brass (effrontery)’

19d    Alliance with former president finally switching sides (6)
{CARTEL} An alliance = the surname of a former US president with the final letter changed from R (right) to L (left)

20d    Servant touring East is more exposed (6)
{BEARER} A native servant in India = ‘more exposed’ round E (East)

22d    Fiennes perhaps — one leading role mostly first-class (5)
{RALPH} The first name of the actor Fiennes = R (the first letter of role) + first-class with the last letter removed

Pleasant enough to do but short on duration (as Gazza put it yesterday)