Toughie 567

Toughie No 567 by Cephas

Nice and easy does it

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

This puzzle from Cephas was at the lower end of Toughie difficulty, so why not give it a go?

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Across

1a    Out cold, come to as arranged (8)
{COMATOSE} – a word meaning out cold or unconscious is an anagram (arranged) of COME TO AS

5a    That which provided speculation? (4,2)
{WHAT IF} – a word meaning “that which” is followed by a word meaning provided to give a short phrase indicating speculation by suggesting a scenario

10a    One unwittingly suffers from it (4,2,9)
{LACK OF KNOWLEDGE} – someone who is uneducated suffers from this

11a    Pot smoker? (7)
{CHIMNEY} – a cryptic definition of a vertical pipe which conducts smoke and combustion gases up from a fire

12a    Did the rounds — Pa went missing and did some fishing (7)
{TROLLED} – take a word meaning did the rounds, as a security guard perhaps, and drop (went missing) the initial PA to get a word meaning did some fishing with a spinning bait

13a    Be said to be made to order (7)
{BESPOKE} – a charade of BE and a verb meaning said gives an adjective meaning made to order or specially tailored

15a    Blunder mismatches some skin (6)
{DERMIS} – hidden inside (some) the first two words of the clue is the true skin

19a    High-spirited lad is hard on pencils (6)
{BOYISH} – an adjective meaning high-spirited is a charade of a lad, IS and H (hard on pencils)

20a    So I might take one over the eight? That would be daft (7)
{ASININE} – a charade of a synonym for so, I and the number which is one over the eight gives an adjective meaning daft

23a    Account for former wife getting even (7)
{EXPLAIN} – a verb meaning to “account for” or “illustrate the meaning of” is a charade of a former wife and a word meaning even or flat

25a    One French flute played outside in musical (7)
{TUNEFUL} – put the French for one inside an anagram (played) of FLUTE to gt an adjective meaning musical

27a    Agile kid ran with haul, about to crack up (5,4,1,5)
{LAUGH LIKE A DRAIN} – an anagram (about) of AGILE KID RAN with HAUL gives a phrase meaning to crack up, as in tp find very amusing

28a    Employment department’s plan to find position (6)
{DEPLOY} – a charade of the Department of Employment and a plan gives a word meaning to take up a strategic position

29a    Set sail from bay in eastern sea (8)
{EMBARKED} – to get a verb meaning set sail put to bay, like a dog, inside E(astern) and the abbreviation of a famous sea

Down

1d    State one’s business — it’s material (6)
{CALICO} – the abbreviation for a US state (three letters – not its zip code!) is followed by I (one) and a short word for a business gives a cotton cloth

2d    Can go round ravine taking right working parts (9)
{MACHINERY} – put an auxiliary verb meaning can around a ravine (like those on the Isle of Wight) and R(ight) to get working parts

3d    Northern god’s anterior point (5)
{THORN} – N(orthern) is preceded by (anterior) the Scandinavian god of thunder to get a point

4d    Dish from southern Britain and two from Rome embracing Asian beast (8)
{SUKIYAKI} – this Japanese dish of sliced meat fried rapidly with vegetables and sauce is built up from S(outhern), the abbreviation for a country often mistakenly confused with Britain and the Roman numerals for two (two from Rome ) placed around (embracing) an Asian wild ox – many setters don’t seem to appreciate that Northern Ireland is not part of Britain!

6d    Hail even masks start of wild night of pranks (9)
{HALLOWEEN} – a greeting and the poetic version of even are separated by W (start of wild) to get a night of pranks

7d    Having ups and downs in liquidity (5)
{TIDAL} – a cryptic definition of an adjective describing the rise and fall of the sea

8d    Pal losing rag initially — his indisposition is extremely unpleasant (8)
{FIENDISH} – start with a pal or mate (6), drop the R (losing Rag initially) and add an anagram (indisposition) of HIS to get an adjective meaning extremely unpleasant

9d    Speaking part (5)
{MOUTH} – a faintly cryptic definition of the part of the body used for speaking

14d    Nut disintegrates as I chop it (9)
{PISTACHIO} – this nut is an anagram (disintegrates) of AS I CHOP IT

16d    Noble cabby (3,2,4)
{MAN OF RANK} – this nobleman could describe a cabby awaiting hire – a question mark might have helped here!

17d    Beadle is struggling having been let down (8)
{ABSEILED} – an anagram (struggling) of BEADLE IS gives a verb meaning let oneself down a rock face using a double rope

18d    Mother is over the line (8)
{ISOTHERM} – an anagram (over) of MOTHER IS gives the contour line of showing equal temperature

21d    A bed in France may be gloomy (5)
{UNLIT} – the French for “a” (2) and “bed” (3) are combined to give a word meaning gloomy

22d    Individual enthralled by disc being copied (6)
{CLONED} – put a word meaning individual (4) inside (enthralled) a Compact Disc to get a word meaning copied

24d    Drop round (5)
{PLUMP} – a double definition – to drop into liquid and round or chubby

26d    Man going up, lady coming down (5)
{NADIA} – reverse a man’s name to get a lady’s name – I bet you didn’t get that one without some checking letters!

By the time you read this I will be on my way to London for the Sloggers & Betters meeting – I hope to see some of you there.