Big Dave's Crossword Blog

NTSPP – 192

A Puzzle by Alchemi

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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.

A review of this puzzle by Crypticsue follows.

Alchemi returns with a themed crossword just right for the Saturday afternoon slot.

Across

1a   Underground experiment precedes what’s needed in the lab (4,4)
{TEST TUBE}  A simple experiment precedes  the informal way we refer to the London Underground.

5a   Hotel welcomes policeman with a hot meal (6)
{INDIAN}   Insert the abbreviation for a detective inspector (policeman) and A from the clue into a small  hotel .

9a  Sort of constant girl providing happy ending (8)
{CLASSIFY}   The abbreviation for constant, a girl, a conjunction meaning providing that and the ‘ending’ or last letter of happy.

10a  Figurative 23 getting no return on vehicles (6)
{CARSON}    Follow some motor vehicles with a reversal (return) of NO.

11a  Man hugs soft tree (5)
{MAPLE}   Insert the letter  used in musical notation to mean ‘soft’ into a masculine person (man).

12a  Guarantee working for old city which sounds similar (9)
{ASSONANCE}  Remove the two-lettered Biblical city so helpful to crossword setters from a synonym of guarantee and replace with the two letters which signify that something is working.

14a  Pressure to replace nobleman’s line coming from figurative 23 (4)
{EARP}  Remove the L for line from the end of a nobleman’s title and replace with P (pressure).

15a  Chemist stocking drug for stars (6)
{BOOTES}   A constellation beside the Great Bear, containing the bright star Arcturus,  is obtained by inserting the single letter by which  the drug Ecstasy is known into a well-known chain of chemists.

19a  Magic potion for short golfer with 9-iron not working (6)
{ELIXIR}  The first two letters of the surname of Ernie the golfer (short tells you  not to include the third letter) ,  the Roman numeral for nine and then part of IRON, once you have removed  the ‘working’ bit.   [This may assist you with solving 12a, or vice-versa!]

20a/3d  Drink expert brews teas during cold weather (4,6)
{WINE TASTER}   Insert an anagram (brews) of TEAS into the season of cold weather, split the result 4,6 and write it in the correct places in the grid.

24a Newscaster having setback in race’s final stage (6,3)
{ANCHOR LEG}   The last stage of a relay race.   The abbreviated way of referring to a newscaster or someone who keeps dialogue running smoothly on television, followed by a reversal of a verb meaning to set.  [I am aware that the picture doesn’t fit the definition, but just wanted to share my amusement at what turns up when you put those two words in a on-line image search engine ]

25a  Regulator has grain covering empty furrow (5)
{OFWAT}  The body that regulates our water services.   Insert the outside letters (empty) of FurroW into a  grain used to make porridge.

26a  One in business follows sister to be a messenger (6)
{NUNCIO}  A messenger or ambassador from the Pope.   Follow a religious sister with the abbreviation for company (business) into which has been inserted I (one).

27a  Relaxed man eating awful bun to get browned off? (8)
{SUNBATHE}  Insert an anagram (awful) of BUN into part of a verb meaning relaxed (in a chair) and finish with the  masculine form of the third person singular (man).

28a  Country rube gets the green light from 23 (6)
{HICKOK}  Rube and the first part of the solution are both derogatory ways of referring to an unsophisticated person from the country.   The final two  letters signify that you have the green light and can go ahead and do something.

29a  One sharing toys puts Winehouse back in the picture (8)
{PLAYMATE}  A reversal of the late Ms WInehouse’s Christian name is inserted into a term for an illustration (picture) in a book.

Down

1d  Edge up to the heartless copper concealing small 5 (8)
{TECUMSEH}  Start by removing the middle letter (heartless) of THE, add the chemical symbol for copper and finish with a reversal (up in a down clue)  of an edge or border into which has been inserted the abbreviation for Small.

2d Normal beginning for Spooner in leading role (4,4)
{STAR PART}  Take a word for normal or standard and a synonym for beginning and transpose the initial sounds in the manner of Reverend Spooner.

4d  23‘s cattle invoice (7,4)
{BUFFALO BILL}  Follow an example of large American  cattle with an invoice.

6d  Good order for head of cattle? (8)
{NEATNESS}    An archaic term for cattle followed by a headland.

7d Hospitalised European is bonkers (6)
{INSANE}    The first five letters of this solution if split 2, 3, might imply one was in a convalescent hospital.   The final letter is the abbreviation for European.

8d  Breton city‘s new workers have a point (6)
{NANTES}   N (new) insects known as workers, particularly in crosswordland, with the compass point E (east) inserted.

13d 5 left shortly after subtitling went awry (7,4)
{SITTING BULL}   An anagram (went awry) of SUBTITLING followed by the abbreviation (shortly) for Left.

16d  5 found hiding up in Sierra del Palomino region (8)
{GERONIMO}   Well hidden in  PalOMINO REGion.

17d Reportedly employ revolting peasant, having arranged initially for 5 (8)
{HIAWATHA}  A homophone (reportedly) of a  verb meaning to employ for wages, the Christian name of Mr Tyler, the leader of the Peasants’  Revolt,  and the initial letters of Having Arranged.

18d  Mischievously tease the sensitive fellow (8)
{AESTHETE}  A person who expresses an extravagant love of art is an anagram (mischievously) of TEASE THE.

21d  Small dose of arrowroot in mixed drink will make you fat (6)
{PAUNCH}   Fat in the tummy area!   Insert A (small dose of arrowroot) into a drink made from spirits, water, sugar, lemon juice and spice.

22d Third-rate police station said to be very pretty (6)
{SCENIC}   A homophone of both  the letter used to indicate something is third-rate (A being first rate…) and an informal way of referring to a police station.

23d  Builder taking dangerous short-cuts will scare child (6)
{COWBOY}  A verb meaning to lower the spirits of (scare) and a male child.