Big Dave's Crossword Blog

Toughie No 1245 by Firefly

It’s all Greek to me!

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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

One of the easiest Friday puzzles for quite a while. A lot of the clues are of the kind recently described as “cut-and-paste”, requiring various bits and pieces to be added or removed.

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Across

1a    Gossip involving Cameron lands government in it (13)
SCANDALMONGER: – an anagram (involving) of CAMERON LANDS around G(overnment)

9a    Sappers force is on ship to regain … (9)
REPOSSESS: – a charade of the usual sappers, a force of constables (popular in Westerns!) and the usual SteamShip

10a    … leading position during initial phase (5)
ALPHA: – hidden (during) inside the clue

11a    Period without Mark at home makes relationship (3-2)
TIE-IN: – a period or duration without the M(ark) and followed by the usual two-letter word for at home

12a & 13a    Spike holding dance in the edge of the wood (4,4)
TREE LINE: – a spike, typically one on a fork, around a Scottish or Irish dance

13a    See 12 Across

15a    He’s so distraught — being about stumped for dance partner (7)
HOSTESS: – an anagram (distraught) of HE’S SO around ST(umped)

17a    Convinced about truth? Not quite — it’s a facade (7)
SURFACE: – an adjective meaning convinced around most of a truth or reality

18a    As for an inclination, no dreamer he! (7)
REALIST: – a two-letter word meaning as for or concerning followed by the indefinite article (from the clue) and an inclination or tilt

20a    Beach on Ostend’s front shelters old thingamajig (2-3-2)
SO-AND-SO: – a beach followed by the initial letter (front) of O[stend] and around (shelters) O(ld)

21a & 22a    Visitors using one route reported rain (4,4)
AWAY TEAM: – the visitors who come to play against the home side are derived from A (one), a route or course and what sounds like (reported) a verb meaning to rain heavily

22a    See 21 Across

23a    Slow start for bus on incline (5)
BRAKE: – the initial letter (start) of B[us] followed by an incline or slope

26a    Meal punctuated by suggestions of hilarity and tomfoolery in letter from abroad (5)
THETA: – a light meal around separately (punctuated by) the initial letters (suggestions) of H[ilarity] and T[omfoolery]

27a    A black mark against leaders of exciting race in TT (9)
ABSTAINER: – the A from the clue followed by B(lack), a mark or stain and the initial letters (leaders) of E[xciting] R[ace] gives someone who doesn’t drink alcohol (TT)

28a    Singlet and smalls to launder? Odoriferous, them! (8,5)
SMELLING SALTS: – an anagram (to launder) of SINGLET and SMALLS

Down

1d    Two slices of tripe eaten by lively Chester gathering occasioning ambulance crew? (9,5)
STRETCHER PARTY: – the first two letters (slices) of TR[ipe] inside (eaten by) an anagram (lively) of CHESTER and followed by a social gathering

2d    Politician in drink is expansive (5)
AMPLE: – the usual politician inside an alcoholic drink

3d    Garibaldis in her Italian cases cast aside by Will (10)
DISINHERIT: – hidden (cases) inside the clue

4d    Put up scenery with genuine character from Elsinore (7)
LAERTES: – the reversal of (put up) some scenery used in a film and an adjective meaning genuine gives this character in Shakespeare’s Hamlet

5d    Poultry parts unknown in odd stores (7)
OYSTERS: – these parts of chicken or other poultry, so named because of their similarity in shape to some bivalve molluscs, are derived by putting a mathematical unknown inside an anagram (odd) of STORES

6d & 25d    Chain guard up with bag? Agree to differ about this (4-4)
GEAR CASE: – this covering which guards the chain of a bicycle comes from the reversal of a bag or pouch inside an anagram (to differ) of AGREE – i always called this a chain guard!

7d    Lecture given by agent — on edge moreover (9)
REPRIMAND: – a three-letter agent followed by an edge and a three-letter word meaning moreover

8d    Spread provided by Peter — of age said to be ambiguous (4,2,4,4)
PÂTÉ DE FOIE GRAS: – this spread or delicacy made from fattened goose liver is an anagram (ambiguous) of PETER OF AGE SAID

14d    Heads follow secondary route with veggies (5,5)
BROAD BEANS: – a slang word for heads follows a secondary route (1,4)

16d    Limeys from a long distance among spectators (9)
SEAFARERS: – these limeys or sailors, so-called because of the use of lime juice on British ships to prevent scurvy, are derived by putting a word meaning from a long distance inside some spectators or viewers

19d    Oblique connection one’s formed, in conclusion (7)
TOENAIL: – this obliquely driven fastener comes from an anagram (formed) of ONE inside a conclusion or rear

20d    Instrument Mum’s taken up is leading to extremes of emotion (7)
SAMISEN: – I’d never heard of this Japanese guitar-like instrument with three strings, but it is easily derived from the wordplay – the reversal of a two-letter word meaning Mum and the S from ‘S followed by IS and the outer letters (extremes) of E[motio]N

24d    With southern area cleared, plant is void (5)
ANNUL: – start with a plant that lives for one year only and drop (cleared) the lower (southern) occurrence of the letter A(rea)

25d    See 6 Down

Let’s hope for a Tougher challenge next week (forever the optimist!).