Toughie 1274

Toughie No 1274 by Dada

Back to the Future

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

Once again Dada has chosen to send one of his easier puzzles for the Toughie slot.  Perhaps one day he will put a “Paul” puzzle in the wrong envelope!

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Across

1a    Artificial frequency unit doesn’t start without it (6)
ERSATZ: the derived SI unit of frequency without its initial letter (doesn’t start) around (without) the two-letter abbreviation for “it” or Sex Appeal

5a    Worthless items shut up, and shut up again! (6)
SHLOCK: this word, of Yiddish origin, for worthless items is a charade of a two-letter exhortation to shut up followed by a verb meaning to shut up securely

10a    American event went on and on, endlessly (5)
RODEO: a charade of a verb meaning went on a horse and O[n] without its final letter (endlessly)

11a    Cook only in a case of sauce with onions (9)
LYONNAISE: an anagram (cook) of ONLY IN A and the outer letters (case) of S[auc]E

12a    Butterfly working in spring (7)
MONARCH: a two-letter word meaning working inside a Spring month

13a    Label clocks back to front (7)
STICKER: start with a slang word for clocks or timepieces and then move the final letter (back) to the front

14a    Then for future? Duck as starter (9)
ANTIPASTO: in a sort of negative convoluted way the first eight letters could mean then for the future, but I think it’s a lot to ask, just add O (duck) to get an Italian starter dish – am I missing something her?

17a    Assistant on a round  box (5)
CADDY: this person who assists on a round of golf is also a type of box for storing tea

18a    Better artist, film director (5)
CAPRA: a verb meaning to better followed by the usual artist

19a    Dairy product representative fed to milk drinker? (9)
CAMEMBERT: a representative, like one who represents a constituency in parliament, inside (fed to) a domestic pet that laps up milk

21a    European nation — country near to collapse, describing Italy (7)
UKRAINE: a country that nearly ceased to exist followed by an anagram (to collapse) of NEAR around the IVR code for Italy

23a    Show off snake’s head and dog’s tail? (7)
SWAGGER: the initial letter (head) of S[nake] followed by a word that could be the tail of a dog

25a    Something rounded and transparent, where dog keeps half-cooked dinner (3,6)
BOW WINDOW: a childish term for a dog around an anagram (cooked) of the first half of DIN[ner]

ARVE Error: need id and provider

26a    Unfamiliar story in article (5)
ALIEN: a story or untruth inside the two-letter indefinite article

27a    Cold, strong and hard (6)
FRIGID: the musical notation for strong or loud followed by an adjective meaning hard or unyielding

28a    One dashing  nose? (6)
RUNNER: two definitions – the second being the nose of someone with a cold

Down

2d    Element took charge of welcoming party (5)
RADON: a verb meaning took charge of around the two-letter word for a party

3d    A converted Roman Catholic official initially happy to see texts removed from the Bible (9)
APOCRYPHA: the A from the clue followed by an anagram (converted) of the abbreviation for Roman Catholic with the initial letter of O[fficer] and HAPPY

4d    Nothing left in European city, old city abandoned (5)
ZILCH: L(eft} inside a European city from which the usual two-letter old city has been dropped (abandoned)

5d    Partners — most row badly in bitter experience (9)
SNOWSTORM: two of the usual bridge partners followed by an anagram (badly) of MOST ROW

6d    One after something inspirational? It’s a wrap! (5)
LUNGI: I (one) after the organ used for breathing (inspiring)

7d    After some editing, I checked a flier from North America (9)
CHICKADEE: an anagram (after some editing) of I CHECKED A

8d    Atrocity has a place in war (6)
CRIMEA: an atrocity or misdeed followed by the A from the clue

9d    Robust  sailor? (6)
HEARTY: two definitions – an adjective meaning robust and an old form of address, usually in the plural, for a sailor

15d    First-class prizes brought over (3-6)
TOP-DRAWER: two words for a prize, both reversed (brought over)

16d    Came first — or came after? (9)
SUCCEEDED: two definitions – came first or won and came after or followed

17d    Second invitation — sorry? (4,5)
COME AGAIN: this could be an invitation to pay a repeat visit

18d    Gosh, there’s not much to eat! (6)
CRUMBS: if this is all that’s left then it’s not much to eat!

20d    Seat unseated, say? (6)
THRONE: sounds like (say) an adjective meaning unseated or ousted

22d    Topping passage of music in Gloriana (5)
ICING: hidden (passage of) inside the clue

23d    One working with cloth in filthy place (5)
SEWER: two definitions – someone who works with cloth and a filthy place full of liquid waste

24d    Men discussed appearance (5)
GUISE: sounds like (discussed) some men

Toro should be back from his travels by next week.