Toughie 1866

Toughie No 1866 by Kcit

Hints and tips by Bufo

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

A slight hold-up at the very top of the grid pushed this pleasant puzzle up to the average difficulty level.

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Across

1a    Gamble, without question in pursuit of money? That shows guts! (11)
BREADBASKET: A slang term for money + ‘gamble’ round ‘to question’ = a slang word for the stomach

10a    Club heading off for the Cam? (5)
RIVER: Remove the first letter from a golf club used to hit the ball from the tee

11a    Nice exclamation from unhappy cable user (5,4)
SACRÉ BLEU: A French expression of surprise, exasperation, or dismay (as used in Nice) is an anagram (unhappy) of CABLE USER. An expression I learnt from Luck of the Legion in the Eagle comic many years ago

12a    Deceptive activity of the French in part (9)
SEDUCTION: The French for ‘of the’ inside a part or portion

13a    Grassy, about to be covered in dirt? (5)
GREEN: ‘About’ inside dirt or low-down or gossip

14a    Somewhat eccentric about key expression of commitment (6)
FEALTY: ‘Eccentric’ or ‘slightly mad’ (3) round a key on a computer keyboard (3) = the vassal’s obligation of fidelity to his feudal lord. I knew this was a word but I didn’t know what it meant

16a    Carnal activity — various names about that from uncultured guy (5,3)
ESSEX MAN: An anagram various) of NAMES round carnal activity = an archetypal SE English working-class male without cultural interests or good taste but with a large disposable income which he spends freely, mainly on consumer goods and entertainment. That’s not one of the more concise definitions to be found in Chambers

18a    Price set after collapse in takings (8)
RECEIPTS: An anagram (after collapse) of PRICE SET

20a    Health centre to confirm accepting one, not hospital (6)
CLINIC: Put ‘to confirm’ round I (one) and remove H (hospital)

23a    Rough having to dispose of a farm animal (5)
HORSE: Remove A from ‘rough and husky’

24a    Delayed arrival dispersed morale etc (9)
LATECOMER: An anagram (dispersed) of MORALE ETC

26a    Fruit having city vermin back in square (9)
NECTARINE: The postcode for the City of London and a reversal of ‘vermin’ inside a square number

27a    Register name entered in scholarship after setback (5)
ENROL: ‘To register’ = N (name) inside a reversal of ‘scholarship’ or ‘learning’

28a    Organise religious figure, chap caught between eras (5-6)
STAGE-MANAGE: The abbreviation for a canonised person + an era + a chap + an era

Down

2d    Attended a music event — loved keeping volume turned up (5)
RAVED: A reversal of ‘loved’ or ‘beloved’ round V (volume)

3d    Tree, mostly formal, occupying a bed (7)
APRICOT: A fruit tree = ‘formal’ with the last letter removed inside A and ‘bed’

4d    Rouse top former tax officials? (6)
BESTIR: ‘Top’ or ‘most excellent’ + the abbreviation for the Government department formerly responsible for the collection of direct taxation

5d    It’s not looking good as an option for union (8)
SICKNESS: This was my last one in and I assume that it’s to do with the traditional wedding vows

6d    Energy subordinate to power in revised Green table display (7)
EPERGNE: P (power) and E (energy) inside an anagram (revised) of GREEN = a branched ornamental centrepiece for a table. Again I knew this was a word but I didn’t know what one was

7d    Boast about ship, remote and insubstantial? It’s hardly worth anything (5,8)
BRASS FARTHING: ‘To boast’ goes round the abbreviation for a steamship, ‘remote’ and ‘insubstantial’ to give something of very little or no value

8d    Local politician from the South called US city about Republican (8)
ALDERMAN: A reversal (from the South) of ‘called’ and a Californian city round R (Republican)

9d    Going off associates in revolutionary movement (7,6)
TURNING CIRCLE: ‘Going off (like milk does)’ + a group of associates = a revolutionary movement of a vehicle

15d    Precision in account supplied by church office (8)
ACCURACY: An abbreviation for ‘account’ + the office of a clergyman

17d    Start to see gossip providing unwanted attention? (8)
STALKING: S (first letter of SEE) + gossip

19d    This writer subsequently will accept a Conservative being not wholly Right (7)
INEXACT: A personal pronoun representing ‘this writer’ + ‘subsequently’ round A and C (Conservative)

21d    From which speaker delivers story I missed about bird (7)
LECTERN: A story or fib with the letter I removed + ‘about’ + an aquatic bird related to the gulls

22d    Quantity of water power involving river (6)
STREAM: A small body of running water = ‘power’ round R (river)

25d    Girl in Scotland right to swap litres for gallons (5)
MORAG: A Scottish girl’s name = ‘right’ or ‘ethical’ with L (litres) replaced by G (gallons)