Big Dave's Crossword Blog

Toughie No 922 by Warbler

All the rage

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

Once again Warbler gives us an excellent, if gentle, start to the Toughie week.

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Across

1a    International survey provides precedent (4,4)
{TEST CASE} – an international cricket or rugby match followed by a survey or investigation

5a    Some think it’s childishly sentimental (6)
{KITSCH} – hidden (some) inside the clue

9a    A new molten outburst could yield hydrogen for example (3-5)
{NON-METAL} – an anagram (outburst) of A N(ew) MOLTEN

10a    Is vote misrepresented in left-wing council? (6)
{SOVIET} – an anagram (misrepresented) of IS VOTE

12a    Though top’s gone missing navigational aid is still going strong (6)
{EXTANT} – drop the initial letter (top’s gone missing) from an old-fashioned navigational aid

13a    Alarmingly out of breath Panther pilot finds where to land (8)
{HELIPORT} – an anagram (alarmingly) of (pant)HER PILOT without the pant (out of breath)

15a    Corrupt set going before judge and jury ultimately (7)
{PUTREFY} – a word meaning to set followed by a judge of a sporting contest and the final letter (ultimately) of jurY

16a    Muscle  complaint (4)
{BEEF} – a double definition – muscle or force and a complaint or grievance

20a    Having lost stern, sloop drifts into Northern capital (4)
{OSLO} – an anagram (drifts) of SLOO(p) without its final letter (having lost stern)

21a    In hospital duty is rigorous (7)
{SPARTAN} – an abbreviated convalescent hospital around a duty or function

25a    Player’s initially happy with stroke (8)
{BACKHAND} – a football defender (player) followed by the initial letter of Happy and a conjunction meaning “with” gives a tennis stroke

26a    Losing heart ruffian turns ugly? (6)
{UNFAIR} – an anagram (turns) of RUF(F)IAN without its middle letter (losing heart)

28a    Priest will get round that woman (6)
{FATHER} – an adjective meaning round or tubby followed by the pronoun for that woman

29a    College in the style of US institute will have final year fiasco (8)
{CALAMITY} – C(ollege) followed by in the style of, a US institute and finally Y(ear)

30a    Belittle exercise in conversation (6)
{LESSEN} – sounds (in conversation) like an exercise or schoolwork

31a    To come to a stop by A-road is normal practice (8)
{STANDARD} – a verb meaning to come to a stop followed the A from the clue and the abbreviation of R(oa)D

Down

1d    Decoration shimmeringly glistens at the centre (6)
{TINSEL} – an anagram (shimmeringly) of the inner letters (at the centre) of (g)LISTEN(s)

2d    To speak about money that will get a return makes sound sense (6)
{SANITY} – a three-letter word meaning to speak around the reversal (that will get a return) of a slang word for money

3d    Most of distinct new fashion is uncluttered (5-3)
{CLEAN-CUT} – all but the final R (most of) of an adjective meaning distinct followed by N(ew) and a word meaning fashion or look

4d    Mascara conceals blemish (4)
{SCAR} – hidden (conceals) inside the clue

6d    Satirical piece starts to infuriate comedian (6)
{IRONIC} – a bit tricky – a slang word for a gun (a piece is also slang for a gun) followed by the initial letters of (starts to) the final two words of the clue

7d    Fancy silver raised work embedded in garment (4-4)
{SLIP-OVER} – an anagram (fancy) of SILVER with the reversal (raised) of an abbreviation for a musical work inside (embedded in)

8d    Stolen goods are the in thing (3,5)
{HOT STUFF} – an adjective meaning stolen followed by some goods

11d    A class act (7)
{PERFORM} – a three-letter word meaning a, as in 50p a pound, followed by a class

14d    Feeling about for nail dropped in booze (7)
{GROPING} – a small nail inside (dropped in) a slang word for booze

17d    Fellow unionist’s participation in restoration of old tub is uncertain (8)
{DOUBTFUL} – F(ellow) and U(nionist) inside (participation in) an anagram (restoration) of OLD TUB

18d    A staple cooked with a touch of class is soothing (8)
{PLACATES} – an anagram (cooked) of A STAPLE with C (a touch of Class)

19d    Keep up feigned animation after love has flown (8)
{MAINTAIN} – an anagram (feigned) of ANIMATI(O)N without the O (after love has flown)

22d    I’m delighted with variable energy scheme (6)
{WHEEZE} – an exclamation indicating delight followed by a mathematical variable and E(nergy)

23d    Lava is treated as a kind of liquid (6)
{SALIVA} – an anagram (treated) of LAVA IS

24d    French vote in favour — Mitterrand finally unravelled (6)
{FRAYED} – FR(ench) followed by a vote in favour and the final letter of MitterranD

27d    Nearly all of dough’s gone (4)
{PAST} – drop the final E (nearly all) from a dough or mush

I have decided to stop using the blog’s Facebook page for the photos taken at Cruciverbal Meetings, as some of the albums have been deleted without prior notice – all power corrupts but absolute power corrupts absolutely.   The pictures of the recent meeting at Little Venice can be seen here.