Toughie 2793

Toughie No 2793 by Robyn

Hints and tips by Miffypops

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Chris M Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

Good morning from the Trough of Bowland where the day has began with an excellent Tuesday Toughie from Robyn, an inventive setter, fast becoming a favourite. I plodded more than I raced through this puzzle but enjoyed the solve. How are you finding this setter?

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

7a        Don, say, headgear before Scottish smoker (7)
HOODLUM:  A head covering such as the one attached to a duffel coat is followed by a Scottish chimney. As the old well known saying goes:

May the wind be always at your back,

The sun shine warm on your face,

The rain fall soft upon your fields,

Lang may yer lum reek!

8a        Lie on front, hiding face and thighs (7)
OVERLAP:  The word front here is an appearance or form of behaviour assumed by a person to conceal their genuine feelings or persona. Begin with that synonym for front minus its first letter (hiding face) Add the part of the body (thighs) where your children or grandchildren sit and fidget

10a      Dry wine bottles cool after six-pack? (9)
ABSTINENT: The three-letter name given to muscles known as the six pack is followed by a type of red wine which sits around a word meaning cool, hip, trendy or with it

11a      Men plugging means to animate old palace companion (5)
CORGI: It is Toughieland abbreviation time. The military men known as the other ranks sit inside a form of animation known as computer generated imagery

12a      As some say, blade did some cutting (5)
SAWED:  A homophone (as some say) based upon the name of a weapon with a long metal blade and a hilt with a hand guard, used for thrusting or striking and now typically worn as part of ceremonial dress and a word meaning used a saw to cut wood

13a      Stir a lot of citrus fruit, and appeal for date to finish (4,5)
TIME LIMIT: Stir here is a prison sentence. Begin with another term for a prison sentence, add most of a green citrus fruit and a short word meaning sex appeal

15a      Wrong person setting exam that absorbs two minutes (7)
IMMORAL: Begin with a person.  Oneself. The first person singular (if I remember correctly) Add a spoken exam. Insert two abbreviations for minutes

17a      Two pints then eight emptied, or four (7)
QUARTET: The regular term for two pints (a fourth of a gallon, how fitting) is followed by the outer letters of the word eight

18a      Old noble German? Get serious! (9)
LANDGRAVE: A synonym of the word get is followed by a word meaning serious. Just what the clue says

20a      Catherine II’s son is an eminent scientist (5)
PAULI:  I’m going with the German physicist and Nobel prize winner here. I’m sure Catherine the second’s son has something to do with it. If you are so minded Google is your friend

21a      Quietly leaving stage, getting censure (5)
ODIUM:  This stage is a small platform upon which one might stand to give a speech or conduct an orchestra. Remove the musical abbreviation for quiet

23a      Drop off returning ex-PM, drunk after drive (2,2,5)
GO TO SLEEP: Find the surname of the only  prime minister that suits the solution to this clue. Add a drunkard. Reverse what you have (returning) and add it to a short word meaning drive or energy. As usual with this vague type of clue bung in the obvious answer and reverse engineer

24a      Run into less chubby person training (7)
LEARNER: A word meaning thinner or less fatty needs the abbreviation for run to be placed somewhere inside

25a      Exposed poet’s entreaty to songwriter? (4-3)
OPEN AIR: Correct me if I am wrong. Split 1,3,3 of what a poet might say to a lyricist or one who writes songs. I do hope Mr Dylan was never entreated in such a way. Or perhaps that’s what drove him to drink and drugs. The answer is obvious from the definition

Down

1d        Imbecile somehow ran Amazon? (10)
HORSEWOMAN:  Anagram (imbecile) of SOMEHOW RAN

2d        Taking top off, had a fling in partnership (6)
ALLIED:  Begin with a word meaning had a casual romantic liaison with. Remove its first letter

3d        Peanuts regularly in novel, large Swiss roll’s filling (8)
EMMENTAL: A three part charade. 1. The alternate letters of the word peanuts 2 A novel. A particular well known novel. 3 The abbreviation for large. Arrange as indicated by the wording of the clue. An amusing and misleading definition for a stunning clue

4d        Bishop saw elevated character who’s a bit of an ass (6)
BOTTOM:  Just as we are directed to a vague novel in the previous clue, we are vaguely directed towards one of Shakespeare’s characters here. Begin with the abbreviation for Bishop. Add the reverse of a saw, proverb, saying or adage

5d        My bad food, consuming case of Cointreau and pop (3,5)
MEA CULPA:  Another charade in three parts.  1 A word for some food. Dinner, tea or supper possibly. 2 The outer letters of the word Cointreau 3 An endearing term for your Pop or father

6d        Slight, short sound from sucker (4)
SLUR: The sound made by someone sucking loses its last letter

7d        Teacher has slop on bread — the chop’s coming! (5,4,4)
HEADS WILL ROLL:  Nothing to do with vasectomies I’m pleased to say  Begin with the teacher at the top of the chain. The big cheese. Add some slop, kitchen waste and scraps of food which we used to feed to pigs. Add a small round piece of bread. If you haven’t got a small round piece of bread you can borrow one from 3 down.

9d        It removes coat or undies worn by one traveller (5-8)
PAINT STRIPPER:  One’s undies or smalls surround the letter that looks like the number one. This is followed by one who travels or makes multiple trips

14d      Yours truly, so fit, spinning the bottle (10)
METHUSELAH: A personal pronoun meaning yours truly is followed by a word meaning so. Finish off with the reverse (spinning) of fit, well or healthy

16d      Order something on plate, people tucking into it (8)
REGIMENT: Something on the number plate of your car is followed by some people (males) sitting inside the word it from the clue

17d      Continue expedition, eating starter from Italian grill (8)
QUESTION:  Split 5,2 find a phrase suggesting an expedition is taking place. Place what you have around the starter or initial letter of the word Italian

19d      It makes clothing market that shuts in November (6)
ANGORA: A Greek market surrounds the abbreviation for November used in phonetic alphabets

20d      Harry Potter, on vacation, touring east of France and Spain (6)
PESTER: The outer letters of the word Potter surround the French word for east and the IVR code for Spain

22d      This person’s a leader in Mecca? (4)
IMAM:  A contraction of I am (this person) is followed by the letter A from the clue and the initial letter of the word Mecca

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