Toughie 1027

Toughie No 1027 by Osmosis

Follow the yellow-brick road

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

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

I found this Toughie to be slow-going at first, but once the answers fell into place things speeded up. For several of the clues it was a case of “guessing” the answers and then fitting them to the wordplay.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought. You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.

Across

1a    Physician‘s fashionable bit of surgery restored chests (11)
{HIPPOCRATES] – this Greek physician is traditionally regarded as the father of medicine – a three-letter, rather outdated, word meaning fashionable followed by the reversal (restored) of a two-letter abbreviation for some surgery restored and some wooden chests

10a    Lecture excited 27 (5)
{ORATE} – this verb meaning to lecture is an anagram (excited) of the answer to 27 across

11a    Cut part of hospital sleeping area in Greece? Nothing odd there (9)
{ENTRECÔTE} – this steak cut from between two ribs is derived from a hospital department followed by a child’s sleeping area inside the even letters (nothing odd there) of gReEcE

12a    Cooler  restaurants serve wine with this? (3,6)
{ICE BUCKET} – two definitions, the second being slightly cryptic

13a    It’s time you texted latest from weather forecast (5)
{AUGUR} – the three-letter abbreviation for the current month followed by the letter used for you when texting and the final letter (latest) from weatheR

14a    Faceless pin-up covering end of dormitory’s an aphrodisiac? (6)
{OYSTER} – drop the initial letter (faceless) from a something that is pinned up on the wall and put what’s left around the final letter (end) of dormitorY

16a    Sucker left in fish sample (8)
{CLODPOLL} – this sucker is a gullible chap – put L(eft) inside a common fish and follow it with a sample of opinion

18a    A number contacted journalist after Marathon character became fast (8)
{TAUTENED} – a three-letter number followed by the usual journalist and preceded by a Greek letter (Marathon character)

20a    Second religious lesson college held in spring (6)
{REJECT} – an item, from a pottery say, that is not top-quality is derived from a two-letter abbreviation for a lesson followed by C(ollege) inside (held in) a spring or spurt

23a    Early bird endlessly taps tree (5)
{LARCH} – an early songbird without its final letter (endlessly) followed by the letters used to identify water taps

24a    Broadcast by virtuous man to raise aid for some OAPs? (9)
{STAIRLIFT} – a verb meaning to broadcast preceded by the two-letter abbreviation for a virtuous man and followed by a verb meaning to raise – this OAP doesn’t need one as he lives in a bungalow!

26a    Women are to vote by the nineteenth? (9)
{AMENDMENT} – a cryptic definition of an addition to the United States Constitution

27a    Poet’s inspiration from many years outside in Tresco (5)
{ERATO} – a long period of time (many years) followed by the outer letters of TrescO

28a    Worker Charlie goes into grand Edwardian dresser for such a pullover? (4-7)
{HAND-KNITTED} – a four-letter word for a worker followed by a Charlie or fool inside the metric abbreviation for 1000 (grand) and a follower of Edwardian fashion, particularly during the fifties

Down

2d    Void that is engulfing elderly relative (5)
{INANE} – the Latin abbreviation for “that is” around an elderly female relative

3d    Opener gets duck facing spin (7)
{PRELUDE} – a verb meaning to duck or avoid preceded by the work of a spin doctor

4d    Groaning backmarkers coming in look weary after swimming race (6)
{CREAKY} – the final letters (backmarkers) of looK and wearY after an anagram (swimming) of RACE

5d    With shrewdness for example, see beneath Egyptian king (8)
{ASTUTELY} – a two-letter word meaning for example or like followed by a three-letter see or diocese itself preceded by (beneath) an Egyptian king

6d    Messenger leaving earliest around periphery of Melbourne, a city in Oz (7)
{EMERALD} – a messenger without his initial letter (leaving earliest) around the outer letters (periphery) of MelbournE gives a city in L. Frank Baum’s fictional world of Oz

7d    Position of drunkard at pub? A fixture near the vault perhaps (10,3)
{HORIZONTAL BAR} – the position a drunkard might find himself in followed by a pub gives a piece of gymnastic equipment

8d    Plant unknown in mist that means nothing (8)
{FOXGLOVE} – a mathematical unknown inside a mist and followed by a word that means a score of nothing in tennis

9d    Fill up here, as puppy maybe lost wandering into allotment (6,7)
{PETROL STATION} – a puppy, or perhaps a kitten, followed by an anagram (wandering) of LOST inside an allotment or share

15d    Hoarder keeps castle in noble line (8)
{SQUIRREL} – the chess notation for a castle or rook inside a noble who attends a knight and followed by L(ine)

17d    Daughter’s absorbed by finest and ‘ighest piece of furniture (8)
{BEDSTEAD} – D(aughter) inside (absorbed by) an adjective meaning finest and followed by a word meaning highest without its initial letter H

19d    Prickly thing welcome in lively dance (7)
{ECHIDNA} – this spiny creature is derived by putting a two-letter greeting inside an anagram (lively) of DANCE

21d    Acquire shelter, overlapping grave (7)
{EARNEST} – the final letter of a four-letter verb meaning to acquire and the initial letter of a four-letter shelter, being the same letter, are overlapped

22d    Lascivious part of Switzerland, with clubs overrun by women (6)
{WANTON} – start with a state of the Swiss Confederation and swap the C(lubs) for a W(omen)

25d    Worked up at centre in Leeds after tax HQ, being contracted (5)
{IRATE} – AT followed by the middle letter (centre) of LeEds and preceded by the two-letter abbreviation for what the Income Tax HQ used to be called – note to setter: it was changed to HMRC years ago

Many thanks to Gazza for giving me a day off from yesterday’s Toughie.