Toughie 1132

Toughie No 1132 by Giovanni

It didn’t cause much bother

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

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

I didn’t find this particularly difficult despite the presence of several unfamiliar answers and the thought needed to work out the wordplay for the last 2 or 3 answers

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Across

4a    Thus paper company has sent out man to provide computer info (4,4)
{SOFT COPY} Thus + a newspaper printed on pink paper + COMPANY with the letters M, A and N removed = material stored on a computer as distinct from data that is printed out

8a    Malevolent god to move in desultory fashion across lake (6)
{MOLOCH} A Semitic god to whom children were sacrificed = ‘to move in a desultory fashion’ round L (lake)

9a    Naughty nudes about to have a meal on the floor? (8)
{UNSEATED} An anagram (naughty) of NUDES goes round ‘to have a meal’

10a    Traveller in conflict around start of year given food (8)
{WAYFARER} A conflict goes round Y (first letter of year) and food

11a    Judge top commander slowing down inside (6)
{CRITIC} The abbreviation for Commander-in-Chief goes round an abbreviated form of a musical term indicating a sudden slowing-down of tempo

12a    Old officer to leave something behind for waiters? (8)
{TIPSTAFF} When split (3,5) this would mean ‘to give a gratuity to the employees’

13a    Fish ordered for Spooner? Get a grip! (4,4)
{TAKE HOLD} Spooner’s version of this would mean ‘fish given orders’

16a    A bloke gets to eat a candle maybe! (8)
{AMANDINE} A + bloke + to eat = a candle which gives off the aroma of almonds

19a    Changes ways whenever one needs to be accommodated (8)
{MODIFIES} Ways (methods) goes round (accommodates) ‘whenever’ and I (one)

21a    Eastern term of respect engraved into nation’s monument (6)
{STATUE} A one-letter Burmese title of respect goes inside a nation

23a    It’s nuts crossing ravine, as one may get a stitch (8)
{MACHINED} Nuts (crazy) goes round a ravine (e.g. on the Isle of Wight)

24a    Small portion at end of meadow has iron fence? It won’t cause much bother (4-4)
{FLEA-BITE} The atomic symbol for iron goes round (fences) a small portion preceded by a meadow to give a slight inconvenience (such as a type of insect might give you)

25a    Maiden’s exclamation of surprise with atmosphere created by fabric (6)
{MOHAIR} M (maiden) + an exclamation of surprise + atmosphere

26a    Harsh voices finally coming against nuclear missile (8)
{STRIDENT} S (the last letter of voices) + the name of a submarine-launched nuclear-powered missile

Down

1d    Star with nothing left trapped in foreign capital (7)
{POLARIS} O (nothing) and L (left) inside the capital of France

2d    One against possible energy source? Shame! (9)
{CONFUSION} Someone who is against something (as opposed to a pro) + a source of nuclear energy

3d    Quiet song conveys a religious code (6)
{SHARIA} ‘Quiet!’ + a song = the body of Islamic religious law

4d    Unpremeditated fun with mother — spot me looking excited (4-2-3-6)
{SPUR-OF-THE-MOMENT} An anagram (excited) of FUN MOTHER SPOT ME

5d    Is child upset having tucked into inauthentic food item? (4,4)
{FISH CAKE} IS and a reversal of CH (child) in ‘inauthentic’

6d    Animal I found lying under garment (5)
{COATI} I follows a garment

7d    Quietly try again to call up rural slave (7)
{PREDIAL} P (quietly) + to try again to call up (on the phone) = a slave working on the land

14d    Henry sitting on stairs in the gloom? (4-5)
{HALF-LIGHT} Henry + a series of steps

15d    Domestic situation? Take steps ahead of finding new team (8)
{FIRESIDE} Before you hire a new team you might have to sack the existing one

17d    Sailor‘s friend, man with backward-looking wife (7)
{MATELOT} A friend + a reversal of the name of a biblical character whose wife looked back

18d    Torment base and wicked (7)
{BEDEVIL} ‘To torment’ = a base + wicked

20d    Make off from city area bathed in mist? (6)
{DECAMP} The postcode for the City of London inside mist

22d    Available in Exmouth, a light meal at the Indian (5)
{THALI} Hidden in ExmouTH A LIght

I’ll see some of you in Bristol. I’m looking forward to a good afternoon