Toughie 1170

Toughie No 1170 by Excalibur

Hints and tips by crypticsue

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

A straightforward Toughie to start the week, although I think our setter was in fighting mood when she worked on some of the clues!

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Across

7a One’s fired by company installing organ (7)
{FIREARM} A company or business with an organ of the body inserted.

8a They’re why it wobbles and shifts around (7)
{MOTIVES} Insert a reversal of IT into a verb meaning shifts around.

10a While I drum up business, to speak bluntly (5,2,3)
{SPELL IT OUT} While here is a noun meaning a short period of time which should be followed by I (from the clue) and a verb meaning to drum up business, the result then split 5,2,3.

11a Bloodshed caused by shot, that’s concerning (4)
{GORE} A shot or try followed by the two letters meaning about or concerning, especially in an email subject line.

12a Cast haphazardly in bad ‘B’ Western (8)
{BESTREWN} An old-fashioned way of saying cast about is an anagram (bad) of B WESTERN.

14a Mad with desire, losing head (6)
{RAVING} Simply remove the ‘head’ from a desire or longing for something, quite often food!

15a Not paid yet? That’s just great! (11)
{OUTSTANDING} A way of saying that a bill hasn’t been paid can also be used to describe someone or something really great.

19a Made up to an editor, hugging (6)
{ATONED} AN (from the clue) and the usual abbreviation for editor ‘hugging’ TO (from the clue).

20a Vehicle I parked beside hut is gone (8)
{VANISHED} A small commercial vehicle, I from the clue, and a hut.

22a Transport for penniless hobo (4)
{TRAM} Remove the P (penniless) from a hobo or gentleman of the road.

23a Referee’s instruction is a little mistimed (7,3)
{SECONDS OUT} An instruction from a boxing referee might sound like the time shown by your watch was ever so slightly wrong.

25a Better weather, sure to sprawl outside pub, knocking back (7)
{SUNNIER} An anagram (to sprawl) of SURE with a reversal (knocking back) of a pub inserted.

26a Attacked fliers returning to base (7)
{STABBED} A reversal of fliers quite often found in belfries (we had one flying round ours the other week!) followed by a base or bottom of something.

Down

1d Put L in ‘smile’ (That wasn’t so hard!) (7)
{SIMPLER} Insert L into an affected self-conscious smile.

2d We are going to source (4)
{WELL} Split 2’2, this source of water might sound like we were saying that we were going to do something.

3d Show up without the German driver and are outside (6)
{ARRIVE} The letters left in DRIVER once you have removed the German word for ‘the’ are inserted into ARE (from the clue).

4d Spent one’s energy going walkies? (3-5)
{DOG-TIRED} An expression meaning worn out like an animal that’s been for ‘walkies’.

5d Qualms of girl about being presenter (10)
{MISGIVINGS} Insert a way of presenting something into a young girl.

6d Trying to be sporting (7)
{WEARING} An adjective meaning causing fatigue (trying) or a verb meaning having clothes on (sporting).

9d Declare tip for reliable information? (5,6)
{SOUND ADVICE} Declare or announce followed by a tip or useful piece of counsel.

13d Competition to run, however, meant working (10)
{TOURNAMENT} An anagram (however) of TO RUN followed by another (working) of MEANT.

16d Avoid sun, despite being dressed for it (8)
{SIDESTEP} S (sun) followed by an anagram (being dressed) of DESPITE.

17d Run, wagging, in front with bone (7) (paper version) or Run, wagging in spring with bone (7) (online version)
{STERNUM} I solved this in the paper where it was clear that this was an anagram (wagging) of RUN inserted into the front part of a ship. I only realised the online version was different when the blogging template didn’t match my workings out. Parsing the online version took a little more thought – ‘spring’ and the four-letter word into which the anagram is inserted both mean to arise or come into being.

18d Read through and enjoyed (7)
{PERUSED} The past participle of a verb meaning to read – a preposition meaning through followed by a word meaning enjoyed or took advantage of.

21d How many crammed in boxcar? (6)
{NINETY} The Roman numerals are hidden (crammed) in boXCar.

24d Is unhappy, consequently having case of blues (4)
{SOBS} An adverb meaning consequently followed by the outside letters (case ) of BlueS.