Toughie 638

Toughie No 638 by Elgar

Dragged backwards through a hedge!

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

What a difference a few days make.  After finishing this Elgar puzzle I felt as if I’d been mugged by Vlad the Impaler.  I didn’t think it was one of his best, but it was still better than most Toughies.

Tilsit was called away to help a friend, leaving me to explain this one!

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Across

1a    Yens or pounds on what may be followed by gangs with goolies? (8)
{LONGINGS} – then yens or desires come from a charade of the abbreviation for pounds sterling, ON from the clue and the bits that precede the Gangs and the Goolies in what Wikipedia describes as a “gibberish Scouting song written by Robert Baden-Powell”

5a,20d,1d     Some cook reported truck loading up ‘reproductive material’ for show (1,3,2,3,3,6)
{A BIT OF FRY AND LAURIE} – start with a phrase meaning some (1,3,2) then add a word meaning to cook with oil and what sounds like (reported) a truck and finally separate the last two components (loading) with the reversal (up, as it appears in a down component) of a self-replicating material which is present in nearly all living organisms as the main constituent of chromosomes – if you’re still with me you should now have a comedy sketch program

9a    Like the Invincibles, 12 19 22? (8)
{UNBEATEN} –the first part of this clue should lead to the answer – which is just as well as I found the second part to be no help at all

10a    See 2 down

11a    Treatment of indigos, perhaps, with I (8)
{IODISING} – an anagram (perhaps) of INDIGOS with I gives a treatment with the element which has the chemical symbol of I

12a,19d,22a    Militant aggresses with gas? I guess it’s inevitable (2,4,2,4,2,4)
{AS SURE AS EGGS IS EGGS} – an anagram (militant) of AGGRESSES with GAS I GUESS gives a phrase which means “it’s inevitable”

14a    Firm put off, with hidden dangers in store (10)
{DETERMINED} – an adjective meaning firm is a charade of a word meaning to put off and an adjective meaning with dangers buried underground

18a    Dark film cast left in a screw steamer (10)
{OPAQUENESS} – a noun meaning dark is created by putting a film or coating without (cast) the L(eft) inside ONE (a) and a Screw Steamer

22a    See 12 across

23a    Opening for Castle, starting series of rallies in a pickle? (8)
{CONSERVE} – the initial letter (opening) of Castle is followed by a phrase meaning about to start a series of rallies in tennis (2,5) to get a noun meaning a pickle

24a,3d,26a    Despite my opinion seeming big-headed, slimy and offensive, it’s easy to misconstrue (4,2,1,3,2,6)
{EVEN IF I SAY SO MYSELF} – this phrase which means “despite my opinion seeming big-headed” is an anagram (to misconstrue) of SLIMY OFFENSIVE and EASY

25a    Gnats troubling soldier still (8)
{STAGNANT} – an anagram (troubling) of GNATS followed by a soldier insect gives a word meaning still

26a    See 24 across

27a    Opponent of Saracens unusually scared about their game (8)
{CRUSADER} – this opponent of the Saracens comes from an anagram (unusually) of SCARED around the game played by a team called the Saracens

Down

1d    See 5 across

2d,10a,21d    Hit from Simon the reason for deferring to Charles in diary? (6,4,2,6)
{NOBODY DOES IT BETTER} – this hit song from the James Bond movie “The Spy Who Loved Me” was sung by Carly Simon – the rest of the clue is a reference to Charles Pooter, the fictional author of a famous Diary – the book by George and Weedon Grossmith is well worth reading if you haven’t done so already

3d    See 24 across

4d    Live genera winding round poles (5,5)
{GREEN BEANS} – a word meaning to live (2) has an anagram (winding) of GENERA around it and is followed by both poles – the definition in this all-in-one clue is found by reading the whole clue

6d    Summers’ limits may/may not be important to these (8)
{BLOSSOMS} – put the outside letters (limits) of SummerS inside one type of flower to get a word that means more-or-less the same – hence the insertion may or may not be important

7d    Weaving threads, set up prosecution (8)
{TISSUING} – a word meaning the weaving or interweaving of threads is created by reversing (up) a word loosely meaning to set and following it with prosecution in court

8d    Only thirds needed, awful exams botched on the spin: call Mensa? No! (8)
{FATHEADS} – take the third letters of awFul, exAms and boTched and add one of the two options when a coin is spun to get these people unlikely to be members of Mensa

13d    Missile launcher? Sound alarm when leading in lord (10)
{PEASHOOTER} – to get this small tube used by a schoolboy to launch a “missile” put a word meaning to sound an alarm, in a car say, after a synonym for when and all inside a general name for a lord of the realm

15d    Badly miscue, potting one ball at either end in sports venue (8)
{COLISEUM} – put an anagram (badly) of MISCUE around (potting) the letters at each end of One balL to get a sports venue in Ancient Rome

16d    Having no time for empty-palmed occupants of singles bar? (8)
{DATELESS} – a triple definition! – having no time / an empty palm tree / a term describing the occupants of a singles bar

17d    A squalid place to have suspended herb for Spooner (8)
{DUNGHILL} – if this squalid place is split (4,4) and the initial letters are swapped, Spoonerism style, you get a suspended herb

19d    See 12 across

20d    See 5 across

21d    See 2 down

I feel like lying down in a darkened room for a couple of hours, but instead Mrs BD wants me to hang some curtains!