Toughie 1201

Toughie No 1201 by Osmosis

Ne quís mirétur quí sim; paúcis éloquár

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

I found this to be a bit of a slog, especially the North West East corner. The answers are obvious when you know them, but a lot of them had to be prised out one by one, a bit like pulling teeth.

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Across

1a & 10a    Perhaps jumper acquires hairs, caused when preparing part of meal (11,5)
{HORSERADISH SAUCE} – an animal that jumps over fences followed by an anagram (when preparing) of HAIRS CAUSED

10a    See 1 Across

11a    Give papers to idiot who’s content seeing coarse material (9)
{SACKCLOTH} – a verb meaning to give papers to or dismiss followed by an idiot and the middle letter (content) of [w]H[o]

12a    US writer‘s earlier expression of joy enriches passage (4,5)
{ALEX HALEY} – a two-letter word meaning earlier or former and a two-letter expression of joy inside (enriches) a passage or, for the Northerners among you, a ginnel or snicket

13a    Language throughout Nabokov somewhat contrary (5)
{BANTU} – hidden (somewhat) and reversed (contrary) inside the clue

14a    Musician likely to vacate joint, having missed opening (6)
{LYRIST} – L[ilel]Y without its inner letters (to vacate) and a joint without (having missed) its initial letter (opening)

16a    Supporter, given magnitude of the cup, keeps supporting City (8)
{BRADFORD} – the usual supporter (support garment) followed by a magnitude of the cup associated with said garment around (keeps) a three-letter word meaning supporting

18a    Musical chap that’s played on board (8)
{CHESSMAN} – a Sir Tim Rice musical followed by a chap

20a    Key work by Magritte withdrawn (6)
{OPENER} – the usual two-letter musical work followed by the reversal (withdrawn) of Magritte’s first name

23a    Loosen pressure to enter marriage as ring’s avoided (5)
{UNPIN} – P(ressure) inside (to enter) a marriage without (avoided) the O (ring)

24a    Artist is in dismay, given valuation (9)
{APPRAISAL} – the usual artist and IS inside a verb meaning to dismay

26a    Most of liqueur consumed in big vehicle by a star (9)
{SUPERNOVA} – most of an aniseed-flavoured liqueur inside a type of four-wheel-drive vehicle and followed by the A from the clue

27a & 28a    Dead-weight restrains eager and active explorer? (5,11)
{DAVID LIVINGSTONE} – D(ead) and a measurement of weight around (restrains) adjectives meaning eager and active

28a    See 27 Across

Down

2d    Nifty wolf cub seen intermittently (2,3)
{OF USE} – the even letters (seen intermittently) of two words in the clue

3d    Actor half-ignored coming from butcher’s gets agitated (7)
{SEETHES} – drop the second half () of a word meaning an actor and precede it (coming from) a word meaning a butcher’s hook (look)

4d    Seaman, slightly less sick, enters year in retreat with optimism (6)
{ROSILY} – one of the usual two-letter abbreviations for a seaman or sailor and most of (slightly less) a word meaning sick inside the reversal (in retreat) of Y(ea)R

5d    Where does one export clip first in YouTube? Difficult when entry denied (8)
{DOCKYARD} – a verb meaning to clip followed by the initial letter of (first in) Y[ouTube] and an adjective meaning difficulty without (denied) its initial letter (entry)

6d    Dicky types here thus, on computer unit, alongside journalist (7)
{SICKBED} – this place where you might people (types) who are dicky or unwell is a charade of the three-letter Latin word for thus, a unit of computer memory and the usual journalist

7d    With a season unfinished, announced physical test (7,6)
{ASSAULT COURSE} – sounds like (announced) A followed by a verb meaning to season food and an adjective meaning unfinished

8d    Having date, individual repeatedly checks time in urban area (8)
{DOWNTOWN} – D(ate) followed by the three-letter pronoun meaning individual twice (repeatedly) separated by (checks) T(ime)

9d    Must youngster, consumed by beer, broadcast some of joint? (8,5)
{SHOULDER BLADE} – a verb meaning must or be obliged followed by a youngster inside (consumed by) an anagram (broadcast) of BEER

15d    One produces notes, ready to collect drugs with extremists in docu-soap (4,4)
{REED PIPE} – an adjective meaning ready around a couple of the usual single-letter drugs and the outer letters of (extremists in) D[ocu-soa]P

17d    The writer is about to describe diner perhaps addicted to food at trattoria? (8)
{MACARONI} – a phrase meaning “the writer is” (1,2) reversed (about) around the the part of a train of which a diner is an example and a two-letter word meaning addicted to

19d    Unoccupied schoolmate passed over two verses (7)
{SENARII} – S[choolmat]E without its inner letters (unoccupied) followed by the reversal (over in a down clue) of a verb meaning passed or proceeded and the Roman numerals for two gives some verses each consisting of six iambs – see the subheading for an example!

21d    Raised gratuity, receiving twofold approval (7)
{PLAUDIT} –a gratuity around an adjective meaning twofold all reversed (raised)

22d    Disaster after latest of cheques bounced (6)
{SPRANG} – a disaster for a motorist after the final letter (latest) of [cheque]S

25d    Number of sisters in Sussex heading for school uniform? (5)
{SEVEN} – the initial letter (heading) of S[chool] followed by an adjective meaning uniform

Tilsit hopes to be able to return next week.