Toughie 964

Toughie No 964 by Shamus

Hints and tips by Bufo

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

Yet another gentle Thursday Toughie.

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Across

1a    Fellow, sort packed with passion? (9)
{FIREBRAND} F (Fellow) and a sort goes round passion. The whole clue provides the definition

6a    Risk taken in chopper I landed (5)
{PERIL} Hidden in chopper I landed

9a    Extremely gentle lead not acting possibly in film (7)
{MILDEST} An anagram (possibly) of LED (lead minus A for acting) inside a film

10a    Seat shifted amid loud anticipation (9)
{FORETASTE} An anagram (shifted) of SEAT in the musical term for ‘loud’

11a    Make pictorial record of artist endlessly in sensational development (7)
{SCANDAL} ‘Make pictorial record’ + the name of a Spanish artist with the last letter removed

12a    Notice a record once backed by eccentric figure (7)
{PLACARD} A reversal of A record once (going at 33 rpm) + an eccentric

13a    Gentle ride Rover represented for man’s best friend? (6,9)
{GOLDEN RETRIEVER} An anagram (represented) of GENTLE RIDE ROVER gives a breed of dog

17a    Note held in sign to withdraw account of meeting (7)
{MINUTES} The seventh note of the scale goes inside a mathematical sign that denotes ‘subtract’

19a    Short Californian inmate maybe, one foremost in criminality (7)
{LACONIC} A Californian city + a prisoner + I (one) + C (first letter of criminality)

22a    Woman in part hooked in prolonged discussion (9)
{TALKATHON} A woman’s name goes inside part of a bird that is hooked

23a    Association giving aid for vision (7)
{CONTACT} 2 meanings: association/something worn instead of spectacles

24a    Medical body interrupted by English female in line? (5)
{NIECE} A body within the NHS that provides advice on the use of medicines, etc., goes round E (English)

25a    Rode tram precariously around back of district in foreign port (9)
{ROTTERDAM} An anagram (precariously) of RODE TRAM round T (last letter of district)

Down

1d    Noted endless commotion about a way of working (6)
{FAMOUS} A commotion with the last letter removed goes round A + a 2-letter abbreviation denoting a way of working

2d    Rumble phone being used as a way to check who’s in (4-4)
{ROLL-CALL} ‘To rumble’ + ‘to phone’

3d    Wife amid strain describing tea? (6)
{BREWED} W (wife) inside a strain

4d    Description of packed gallery, perhaps — almost masterly (6)
{ARTFUL} What is seen in a gallery + ‘packed’ with the last letter removed

5d    Like a banger and pancake with trimming in awful diet (8)
{DECREPIT} A pancake with the last letter removed (trimmed) goes inside an anagram (awful) of DIET

6d    Nice pal following historical recipe for beef (8)
{PASTRAMI} The word a person from Nice would use for pal follows ‘historical’ and R (recipe)

7d    American vessel in affected manner promoted in foreign country (6)
{RUSSIA} A 3-letter abbreviation found at the start of names of American ships goes inside a reversal (promoted) of a manner

8d    Blue / sitcom actor (8)
{LAVENDER} 2 meanings: a shade of blue/the surname of a member of the Dad’s Army cast

13d    Character played by Hanks, Shakespearean lead lacking at heart common sense (8)
{GUMPTION} The surname of a character played by Tom Hanks (for which he won an Oscar) + a title character in a Shakespeare play with the middle letter omitted

14d    Place for admitting / transport (8)
{ENTRANCE} 2 meanings: place for admitting (letting in)/to transport

15d    Bolt, ace, say, not performing in period of heavy activity (4,4)
{RUSH HOUR} ‘To bolt’ + a top card in bridge (such as an ace) with ON (performing) removed

16d    Leading group, security for a Black Maria? (8)
{VANGUARD} When split (3,5) it could be someone providing security for a Black Maria

18d    Characteristic encapsulating the Italian riverside dweller (6)
{NILOTE} A characteristic goes round the Italian word for ‘the’ to give an inhabitant of the banks of a large African river

19d    Point employed by orderly number broaching secure unit’s closure (6)
{LANCET} A pointed instrument that might be used by an orderly in a hospital = N (number) inside ‘to secure (with string or cord)’ + T (last letter of unit)

20d    Shift / procedure in bell tower? (6)
{CHANGE} 2 meanings: to shift/any of the various orders in which a peal of bells can be rung

21d    Ignored order about southern trade (6)
{CUSTOM} ‘Ignored’ and an abbreviation for an order goes round S (southern)

Toughies should be tougher than this