Toughie 799

Toughie No 799 by Excalibur

Not for me

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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment **

Not one of my favourite puzzles.

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Across

1a    Resources may be in question, nevertheless (11)
{WHEREWITHAL} – these resources or means are a charade of a question (5) and an archaic word meaning nevertheless

9a    Say nothing, nothing, nothing — just go! (4)
{SHOO} – a two-letter word meaning say nothing or keep quiet is followed by a double dose of nothing to get a verb meaning just go away

10a    Alternately, the whole time (5,6)
{EVERY SECOND} – a double definition – alternately or taken in turn and the whole time

11a    Loot was distributed by gang leader (4)
{SWAG} – this loot comes from an anagram (distributed) of WAS followed by the initial letter (leader) of Gang

14a    Taking no time about getting letters after one’s name (7)
{HONOURS} – put NO inside some time to get these letters after one’s name

16a    Did nothing, as agent possibly does (7)
{REPOSED} – to get this verb meaning did nothing start with an agent and add an anagram (possibly) of DOES

18a    Got up to do cartwheels at one point (5)
{STOOD{ – a verb meaning got up is derived from TO, DO reversed (cartwheels) preceded by a compass point

19a    Little container for a part of angler’s equipment (4)
{BAIT} – put little or a small amount around (container for) A to get this part of an angler’s equipment

20a    As a performer, he’s superior to the other chaps (4)
{ALTO} – this singer has the highest male voice

21a    Subdued, turn round and drive back (5)
{REPEL} – put the musical notation for subdued or quiet inside a verb meaning to turn to get a verb meaning to drive back

23a    Having caught the germ, was furious (7)
{SEETHED} – put THE inside (having caught) a germ to get a verb meaning was furious

24a    Dope cut work when going to college, say (7)
{DECLARE} – drop OP (work) from D(OP)E and add a Cambridge college to get a verb meaning to say

25a    Headless ghost wandering about? Piffle! (4)
{TOSH} – an anagram (wandering about) of (G)HOST without its initial letter (headless) to get this piffle

30a    For ‘Journey’s End’, Keaton got less (3,8)
{BUS TERMINUS} – the end of a journey by public transport comes from a charade of the first name of comic actor Keaton followed by a word meaning less or without

31a    Make complaint after fellow takes over (4)
{MOAN} – a verb meaning to make a complaint is derived by putting a fellow around (takes) O(ver)

32a    Both passport and birth certificate do look old (4,4,3)
{SHOW ONE’S AGE} – something that a passport and a birth certificate both do is actually a phrase meaning to look old

Down

2d    Be forced to pare the top off (4)
{HAVE} – to get a verb meaning be forced to drop the initial S from (top off) a verb meaning to pare

3d    Bloody marvellous! (4)
{RARE} – a double definition – bloody as a lightly cooked steak and marvellous

4d    Do they keep taps clean? (7)
{WASHER} – a part of a tap is also someone who cleans

5d    Second credit (4)
{TICK} – this double definition is an old chestnut

6d    Crotchety when anyone goes off key (7)
{ANNOYED} – an adjective meaning crotchety comes from an anagram (goes off) of ANYONE followed by a musical key

7d    After church people came back to eat (4)
{CHEW} – after CH(urch) put you and me reversed (came back) to get a verb meaning to eat

8d    Set on producing home-made bread (6,5)
{FORGED NOTES} – the answer could be a clue for an anagram of SET ON but it actually means counterfeit currency made at home

12d    When it would be most opportune to produce a record? (3,4,4)
{THE BEST TIME} – the most opportune period would produce a record for a race

13d    With sound perception, urge on (6)
{INCITE} – with what sounds like perception is actually a verb meaning to urge on

15d    Horse detested jogging, finally dislodging man (5)
{STEED} – this horse is an anagram (jogging) of DETES(TED) without (dislodging) the man’s name at the end (finally)

16d    Travelled by water and land route for the hearing (5)
{ROWED} – this verb meaning travelled by water using oars sounds like (for the hearing) a land route

17d    It’s an insult, kind of, dropping in to see ruler (6)
{SULTAN} – an anagram (kind of) of AN (IN)SULT without (dropping) IN gives a ruler

21d    Concerned with caress, this should improve image (7)
{RETOUCH} – a charade of a two-letter word meaning concerned with and a caress gives what should improve a photographic image

22d    One girl hobbled — by this? (3-4)
{LEG IRON} – an anagram (hobbled) of ONE GIRL gives something that could hobble a girl

26d    It remains after the theatre’s closure (4)
{SCAR} – this is what remains after being closed up in an operating theatre

27d    Pack, sweetheart gone, and cry (4)
{STOW} – this verb meaning to pack comes from S(wee)T without its inside letters (heart) and a cry

28d    In these times, one is overwhelmed — son helps (4)
{AIDS} – inside what some now call the Common Era (these times) put I (one) and add S(on) to get a verb meaning helps

29d    Climbing animals performed (4)
{SUNG} – another old chestnut – reverse (climbing in a down clue) some animals to get a verb meaning performed a vocal

QED.