Toughie 839

Toughie No 839 by Petitjean

Hints and tips by Big Dave

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

A Toughie in which you have to work hard to resolve many of the clues, but lacking in that je-ne-sais-quoi quality that makes it of more than average enjoyment.

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Across

6a           Sheltered from reality minor celebrity welcomes round journalist (10)
{CLOISTERED} – a minor celebrity (1-6) around a round letter followed by Crosswordland’s usual journalist – am I the only one that doesn’t like this use of “round”? I could just about accept “round letter” but on its own it doesn’t work for me, even though it’s in Mrs Bradford’s Dictionary

8a           Get away with singing nonsense (4)
{SCAT} – a double definition

ARVE Error: need id and provider

9a           Greeting beaten leader in retreat or one taking a stand perhaps (9)
{EXHIBITOR} – a two-letter greeting followed by the initial letter (leader) of Beaten inside a retreat or departure then the OR from the clue

11a        Half of what’s done in a lab is mischievous (4)
{ARCH} – drop the RESE (half of what’s done in a lab)

12a        Endless caterwaul of bagpipes could lead one to drink (3)
{KIR} – drop the S and L (endless) from a caterwaul of bagpipes

13a & 2d    Gawp over early pop star, humorist and husband or stay pro (4,5,4)
{KEEP FAITH WITH} – reverse a verb meaning to gawp, follow it with early pop star Adam, a three-letter word for a humourist and H(usband) – presumably the definition is meant to mean to stay in favour of

16a        Savour wine event from which sparkling white is almost entirely banned (4)
{TANG} – start with an event at which wines are sampled and drop (banned) most of (almost entirely) (A)STI (sparkling white)

17a        Medium and large primarily in gipsy-styled clothing (3,4)
{GYM SLIP} – the initial letters (primarily) of Medium and Large inside an anagram (styled) of  GIPSY styled

18a        Good name for dog should involve nothing trendy (7)
{GROOVER} – G(ood) and a common name for a dog around (should involve) O (nothing)

20a        Chefs‘ sauce? (4)
{ROUX} – a double definition – Michel Snr and Jnr can also be a sauce made of equal quantities of butter and flour cooked together

21a        Bake teeny crackers that might be a risk (6,3)
{YANKEE BET} – an anagram (crackers) of BAKE TEENY gives a type of wager on four horses in four races, consisting of six doubles, four trebles and one accumulator

23a        Idiot highlighted regularly (3)
{GIT} – regularly here means the third, sixth and ninth letters

24a        Housemistress’s inclusive accommodation (4)
{SEMI} – hidden inside (inclusive) the first word of the clue

25a        Amateur artist upended in crush in front of electronic painting (9)
{AQUARELLE} – Start with A(mateur) the reverse (upended) the usual artist inside a verb meaning to crush and in front of E(lectronic) – the use of upended to indicate reversal is usually restricted to down clues

29a        Dracula’s not quite last to linger over neck (4)
{GALL} – the penultimate letter (not quite last) of DracuLa followed by a verb meaning to linger all reversed

30a        Passing Edinburgh’s first Morrison’s note odour (10)
{EVANESCENT} – the initial letter (first) of Edinburgh followed by musician Morrison, a musical note and an odour

Down

1d           Fuel made a mess of chimney (4)
{FLUE} – an anagram (made a mess) of FUEL

2d           See 13 across

3d           Objections over cigarette end (4)
{STUB} – reverse (over, correctly used in a down clue!) some objections

4d           Pointer about one of life’s essentials (7)
{PROTEIN} – an anagram (about) of POINTER

5d           Ill-disposed to clam up about new hospital department (10)
{MALCONTENT} – reverse (up in a down clue) TO CLAM around (about) N(ew) and add a hospital department

7d           Insufficiently lit to mount long shot (4,5)
{DARK HORSE} – a word meaning Insufficiently lit followed by an equine mount

8d           Anticipating flop Sting is source of surprise hit (5,4)
{SMART BOMB} – before (anticipating) a verb meaning to flop put a verb meaning to sting

10d        Rogue knocking back half pint around noon (3)
{IMP} – reverse (knocking back) half of PI(NT) around a one-letter abbreviation for noon

13d        Butler’s tool? (7,3)
{KEYHOLE SAW} – a tool used by the butler to make something to look through?  Does the question mark excuse this cryptic definition – not for me

14d        Common female society up against it in, say, Ireland (5,4)
{ESSEX GIRL} – S(ociety) followed by (up against) “it” inside the abbreviation of the Latin phrase for say or for example followed by the IVR code for Ireland

15d        Organ keeping fresh left in attache case — that’s unbelievable! (5,4)
{FAIRY TALE} – the pink organ (that’s a newspaper!) goes around a four-letter adjective meaning fresh and is followed by L(eft) inside the outer letters (case) of AttachÉ – a pity that attaché is spelt incorrectly in the clue

19d        American city in ruins, abandoned and surrounded by water (7)
{INSULAR} – put a two-letter abbreviation for an American city inside an anagram (abandoned) of ruins

22d        Perhaps Jacob knew Esau could hold the key (3)
{EWE} – hidden inside (could hold the key) the clue is a sheep, of which Jacob is a breed

26d        Learn by ear clarinet part (4)
{REED} – a homonym (by ear) of a verb meaning to learn

27d        Lap up endless old films (4)
{LICK} – drop the F and S from the outside (endless) of an old word for films or movies

28d        Wise wanting island to exhibit eagle? (4)
{ERNE} – drop the I(sland) from the first name of Eric Morecambe’s partner

No particular favourites, just a few grumbles.  Looks like things will be better tomorrow.