Toughie 1153

Toughie No 1153 by Sparks

An Agony in 8 Fits

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

Tilsit has been unexpectedly called back to his second home, leaving me to review this superb puzzle from Monk’s Telegraph alter ego. Once again it was the four-letter answers that caused the most grief, especially 12 & 25 across where it took a while to understand the meaning of “fuzzy type” and “court Arthur”, the former raising the biggest smile in the whole puzzle.

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Across

1a    Cook Islands toured by British attache on vacation (6)
{BRAISE} – I(sland)s inside (toured by) BR(itish) and AttachE without its inner letters (on vacation)

4a    He struck cracking bargain (8)
{HUCKSTER} – this semi-&Lit clue is an anagram (cracking) of HE STRUCK

9a    Love of Hero’s heartless source of inspiration (6)
{LEADER} – Drop (heartless) the middle letter from the name of Hero’s lover, who drowned while swimming across the Hellespont to be with her

10a    Harmful nuclear reaction that’s not fine — can you believe it? (8)
{ILLUSION} – an adjective meaning harmful or bad followed by a nuclear reaction without (that’s not) F(ine)

12a    Fuzzy type of soft sticky mass about to go off (4)
{PLOD} – one of those who are disparagingly referred to as The Fuzz is derived from the musical notation for soft and a sticky mass without (to go off) the C (circa / about)

13a    One sacked in disgrace somehow prepares for battle (5)
{GIRDS} – an anagram (somehow) of DISGR(ace) without the one / ace

14a    Disturb state broadcast (4)
{FAZE} – sounds like (broadcast) a state, as in the state of a substance as a solid, liquid, or gas

17a    They guide pilots by area code, mainly on airbase manoeuvres (5,7)
{RADIO BEACONS} – an anagram (manoeuvres) of most of COD(E) with ON AIRBASE

20a    Boasting rivals endlessly go on flapping about debt (12)
{VAINGLORIOUS} – an anagram (flapping) of RIVALS, most of (endlessly) G(O) and ON around the written evidence of a debt

23a    Legendary warrior’s not to cross river to escape (4)
{AJAX} – an old favourite re-emerges – if a door is not to (closed) then it might be this, plus the letter shaped like a cross and minus (to escape) R(iver)

24a    Board requiring scheme 11? (5)
{PLANK} – split as (4,1) this could be the eleventh scheme

25a    Court Arthur, possibly like a man or a woman? (4)
{ASHE} – The surname of a former Wimbledon Men’s Singles Champion could mean “like a man” if split (2,2) or “a woman” if split (1,3)

28a    A national saint put forward by schoolboys (8)
{ESTONIAN} – a national from a Baltic state is derived from some posh schoolboys by moving the S(aint) forward towards the beginning of the word

29a    Ultimately, couples in white wedding dream about what’s attractive (6)
{MAGNET} – the final (ultimately) two letters (couples) from three words in the clue all reversed (about)

30a    US author once chasing loan initially needed a writ (8)
{SUBPOENA} – the three-letter surname of a former (once) US author follows (chasing) a three-letter loan or advance and is followed by the initial letter of Needed and finally the A from the clue

31a    Weigh female animal? (6)
{ASSESS} – start with an animal and then add the suffix that usually means the female of the species, but doesn’t in this instance, hence the question mark

Down

1d    Every charge arising in book is rough (8)
{BALLPARK} – a three-letter word meaning every and the reversal (arising) of a slang word for a criminal charge inside B(oo)K

2d    Reptile, caught on entering country, shedding its cover (8)
{ANACONDA} – C(aught) and ON inside a country without (shedding) its initial letter (cover)

3d    Hunt for stylish line set aside (4)
{SEEK} – an adjective meaning stylish without (set aside) the L(ine)

5d    One billed in the future — that would be better (4,8)
{UGLY DUCKLING} – a cryptic definition of a fairytale bird that will grow up to be a swan

6d    Old ruler‘s part in secret unknown uprising (4)
{KNUT} – an alternative spelling of an 11th century English king is hidden (part) and reversed (uprising) inside the clue

7d    Want diverted main route to divide foreign island (6)
{TAIWAN} – an anagram (diverted) of WANT around (to divide) a main British arterial route

8d    Cash put up for cheesy setter? (6)
{RENNET} – the reversal (put up) of some cash gives a preparation used to curdle milk to make cheese

11d    Experience bad back, having also to pick something up (4,3,5)
{LIVE AND LEARN} – the reversal (back) of an adjective meaning bad followed by a conjunction meaning also and a verb meaning to pick something up or gain knowledge

15d    Destroy net profit, systematically withdrawn by gangster (5)
{TOTAL} – this verb meaning to destroy completely or kill comes from every third letter (systematically withdrawn) of two words in the clue followed by the first name of a famous US gangster

16d    One famously hunted spy that undermines society (5)
{SNARK} – the creature famously hunted in a poem by Lewis Carroll

18d    About to stop Poles seen tipping rubbish (8)
{NONSENSE} – a two-letter word meaning about or concerning inside (to stop) two poles and followed by an anagram (tipping) of SEEN

19d    It’s difficult to fire one protected by this (8)
{ASBESTOS} – a cryptic definition of a fire-resistant fibrous mineral

21d    Who fights these dukes, on and off, when drinking alcohol? (6)
{DALEKS} – the necessary capitalisation of Who, as in Doctor Who, is concealed by placing it as the first word in the clue – the odd letters (on and off) of a word in the clue around (drinking) some alcohol

22d    Is unable to answer bachelor of a university (6)
{CANTAB} – a word meaning is unable to (3’1) followed by A(nswer) and B(achelor)

26d    Loosen up, no doubt, once starting (4)
{UNDO} – the initial letters (starting) of four words in the clue

27d    Deep  fish (4)
{BASS} – two definitions – a deep voice and a sea fish

Someone said that Tuesday’s puzzle was a hard act for the next three to follow. I never look at puzzles by Tuesday’s setter, but for those of us who love our Toughies to be tough, the next three have succeeded handsomely.