Toughie 1228

Toughie No 1228 by MynoT

A load of 20 across?

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment **

A relatively straightforward Toughie from MynoT. One enjoyment star has been docked for the howler in 6 down.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought. You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.

Across

1a    Writing from time to time (4)
TEXT – a two-letter prefix meaning from followed by T(ime) and preceded by T(ime)

3a    Remark about German with loyalty (10)
COMMITMENT – a remark around the German for with

8a    Sign of stone in Italy (6)
GEMINI – this sign of the zodiac is a charade of a precious stone, IN and the IVR code for Italy

 

9a    Local man returns to English class able to solve problems with figures (8)
NUMERATE – a dialect word for man is reversed and followed by E(nglish) and a verb meaning to class or categorize

10a    Objectively-speaking they died as gangsters (3,3)
THE MOB – the objective form of they followed by the two-letter Latin abbreviation for died

11a    My author’s terrible port (8)
YARMOUTH – an anagram (terrible) of MY AUTHOR

12a    Pepper old gangster every so often (8)
SEASONAL – a verb meaning to add pepper followed by the usual old gangster

14a    One that supports a parasite  horde (4)
HOST – two definitions – an organism on which another lives as a parasite and a horde or crowd

16a    Devious people, they’re often pickled (4)
EELS – two definitions – some devious people and a fish that is often pickled but more usually jellied

18a    Cast off under manoeuvres, keeping low (8)
UNMOORED – an anagram (manoeuvres) of UNDER around a verb meaning to low like a cow

19a    Raised space in front of chief journalist (8)
EMBOSSED – one of the usual spaces used in printing followed by (in front of) a chief or manager and the usual journalist

20a    Talk of cake (6)
WAFFLE – two more definitions

21a    Officer and men notice nothing in river (8)
COLORADO – a charade of a three-letter abbreviation for a military officer, the usual uncommissioned army men , a two-letter notice and O (nothing)

22a    ‘This plant is yellow,’ child is told (6)
ORCHID – the heraldic term for yellow/gold followed by what sounds like (is told) a child

23a    Former breakfast pastry is superfluous (10)
EXCRESCENT – a two-letter word meaning former, as in a former partner, followed by another name for a croissant (breakfast pastry)

24a    Mark made in red not allowed (4)
SCAR – a shade of red from which LET (allowed) has been dropped (not)

Down

1d    Mellow temperature? It’s high for exercising (8)
TIGHTISH – T(emperature) followed by an anagram (for exercising) of IT’S HIGH

2d    Short distance in unfinished Italian port is most tidy (8)
TRIMMEST – the two-letter abbreviation for short metric distance inside most of (unfinished) a port on the Adriatic coast of Italy

3d    Bill upset in necklace perhaps causing inflammation (9)
CHILBLAIN – an anagram (upset) of BILL inside what could be (perhaps) a necklace

4d    Only food emperor chewed: a piece of cake? (5,3,3,4)
MONEY FOR OLD ROPE – this anagram (chewed) of ONLY FOOD EMPEROR gives a phrase meaning a piece of cake or very easy

5d    Warm heart confused with beginnings of mutual love (7)
THERMAL – An anagram (confused) of HEART with the initial letters beginnings of the last two words in the clue

6d    Going west in Spain, St Anthony’s cross with warning from Rome to move away from danger (8)
EVACUATE – something went wrong with this clue as “going west” is an across clue construct so it should have read “going north” – the IVR code for Spain followed by the type of cross associated with St Anthony, named after the Greek letter it resembles, and the Latin (from Rome) warning used by schoolboys in old books, all reversed (going west north) – ridiculous as it may seem in retrospect, as a child I was 6’d to Sheffield in 1944

7d    Force supporter to get over Tottenham Hotspur taking the lead twice (5)
TEETH – a support used for a golf ball followed by the initial letters (taking the lead twice) of T[ottenham] H[otspur]

13d    Point to or read up what Victorians put in puddings (9)
ARROWROOT – a point or indicator followed by the reversal (read up in a down clue) of TO OR

15d    Representative, following return of my son, cast out acid from vehicle? On the contrary (8)
SYMBOLIC – to get this adjective meaning representative MY S(on) is reversed and followed by, not an acid cast out from s vehicle but, a type of acid without (cast out) CAR (vehicle)

16d    European takes a risk about providing buildings (8)
EDIFICES – E(uropean) followed by a verb meaning takes a risk around the usual two-letter word meaning provided / providing

17d    Socialist rising against little beast is more astute (8)
SHREWDER – the usual communist (socialist) is reversed (rising in a down clue) and preceded by (against) a small creature (little beast)

18d    Rising swell American eating soft egg (7)
UPSURGE – the two-letter abbreviation for American around the musical notation for soft anf followed by a verb meaning to egg or persuade

19d    Gallantry award for 14 spelt out (5)
EMCEE – two definitions, both spelt out – a gallantry award and a different meaning of 14 across

Bufo should be back next week.