Toughie 745

Toughie No 745 by Kcit

Hints and tips by Big Dave

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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

Bufo is unavailable today so I have moved from the back page to the Toughie.

This is a pleasant if unexciting puzzle.

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Across

7a    Suggestion for positive redevelopment of Laos (8)
{PROPOSAL} – this suggestion is derived from a word meaning for, P(ositive) and an anagram (redevelopment) of LAOS

9a    Use of colour not good for cartoon character (6)
{TINTIN} – drop the final G (not Good) from the use of colour to get the cartoon character who owns a dog called Snowy

10a    African country’s former currency (6)
{GUINEA} – this African country was also a unit of currency worth £1.05

11a    Oscillation strength: average (4,4)
{SINE WAVE} – this oscillation comes from a charade of physical strength or muscle and AVE(rage)

12a    Feature of boat vendor brings in sailors to support (5,9)
{SCREW PROPELLER} – to get this feature of a boat put a vendor around (brings in) a company of sailors and a support

15a    He avoids pounds in quantity (4)
{MASS} – drop (avoids) HE from a verb meaning pounds to get this weight

17a    One who’d link love with Italian city (5)
{ROMEO} – put O (love) after an Italian city to get a lover from a different Italian city

19a    Old man elected torture? (4)
{PAIN} – a charade of two-letter words meaning old man or father and elected gives this torture

20a    Badly jolt the reader with note such as this? (4,4,6)
{DEAR JOHN LETTER} – an anagram (badly) of JOLT THE READER with N(ote) gives a note from a woman to her boyfriend ending their relationship

23a    Antiquated dispute recalled in Lords by first of officials (3-5)
{OLD-WORLD} – to get this hyphenated adjective meaning antiquated a dispute is reversed (recalled) in lords by first of officials

25a    Pale rocks, very large, back in US city (2,4)
{EL PASO} – an anagram (rocks) of PALE is followed by the reversal (back) of a very large clothes size to get this US city – popularised by the late great Marty Robbins

ARVE Error: need id and provider

27a    Eccentric party located behind dam (6)
{WEIRDO} – to get this eccentric person start with a party and then put it behind a dam

28a    Chap endlessly cuddling a bird like his mother? (8)
{MATERNAL} – put this chap or man without his final E (endlessly) around (cuddling) A from the clue and a bird to get a word meaning motherlike

Down

1d    A university supporting French union member in Germany (4)
{FRAU} – put A and U(niversity) after (supporting in a down clue) FR(ench) to get a German wife

2d    Marine creature’s scent found in most of ocean (6)
{SPONGE} – this marine creature is created by putting a scent or bad smell inside most of another word for an ocean

3d    Reduction in sumptuous bonus (4)
{PLUS} – drop the final H from (reduction in) an adjective meaning sumptuous to get a bonus

4d    Expert adopting fashion immediately (2,4)
{AT ONCE} – put an expert around a fashion to get a phrasal adverb meaning immediately

5d    Adverse cold weather event beginning to separate new head from spring flower (8)
{SNOWSLIP} – this small avalanche is an adverse cold weather event – the initial letter (beginning to) Separate is followed by N(ew) and a species of primrose with fragrant yellow flowers without its initial letter (head from)

6d    Second-placed team with some beef (10)
{SILVERSIDE} – what could describe the second-placed team in an Olympic event is actually a cut of beef taken from the rump

8d    Quick move beginning to seem more theatrical? (7)
{SCAMPER} – a quick move results from the initial letter of (beginning to) Seem and an adjective meaning more theatrical

13d    Is it involving candle hire? (10)
{CHANDELIER} – this ornamental lighting fixture which is suspended from the ceiling and could hold candles is an anagram (involving) of CANDLE HIRE

14d    Regular payments low but rising, showing enthusiasm (5)
{OOMPH} – take an abbreviation of for regular payments against a loan and a low made by a cow and reverse the lot (rising) to get this enthusiasm or vitality

16d    Famous actor was seen around right film (4,4)
{STAR WARS} – start with a general word for a famous actor and then ass WAS around R(ight) to get this George Lucas film

18d    Most unctuous love stories will be found in it (7)
{OILIEST} – to get this adjective meaning most unctuous start with O (love) and then add some stories or fibs inside (found in) IT

21d    Propel boat, chasing vessel in Northern town (6)
{JARROW} – put a verb meaning to propel a boat with oars after (chasing) a vessel to get this northern town famous for its marchers

22d    Lights positioned around theatre, uplifting (6)
{TAPERS} – to get these long thin spills used to light something put a verb meaning positioned around an abbreviation of a theatre where a variety of plays are performed by a company at regular short intervals and then reverse the lot (uplifting in a down clue)

24d    Have calming effect on power-crazed uprising (4)
{DAMP} – this verb meaning to have a calming effect is derived from P(ower) and an adjective meaning crazed all reversed (uprising in a down clue)

26d    Evidence of wound a source of alarm? Not entirely (4)
{SCAR} – this evidence of a prior wound is most of (not entirely) a source of alarm

Is this the calm before the storm? Find out tomorrow.