Toughie 2281

Toughie No 2281 by Kcit

Hints and tips by Bufo

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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

A gentle work-out this morning with no significant hold-ups.

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Across

1a    Food and sleep blocked by father (6)
REPAST: A meal = ‘sleep’ or ‘repose’ round ‘father’

4a    Hot day — and climbing outside (8)
SCALDING: ‘Hot (like water near boiling point)’ = D (day) inside ‘climbing’

9a    Ring to evoke military service (4,2)
CALL UP: 3 meanings: to ring or telephone/to evoke/(with a hyphen) conscription into the armed forces

10a    Something arousing? Aroused, I must cut sexual desire (8)
STIMULUS: An anagram (aroused) of I MUST + sexual desire with the last letter removed

11a    Get rid of the clergy in show of penitence (9)
SACKCLOTH: ‘To get rid of’ or ‘dismiss from employment’ + the clergy = coarse material formerly worn in penance

13a    Mostly fit to consume mum’s rice dish (5)
SUSHI: ‘To fit’ with the last letter removed round ‘Mum!’ or ‘Not a word’ = a Japanese rice dish

14a    Fellow handling striker — may win this? (3,2,3,5)
MAN OF THE MATCH: In the cryptic reading the striker is something used to strike a light

17a    Like kind people that rendered condolence ultimately when in distress (6-7)
TENDER-HEARTED: An anagram (when in distress) of THAT RENDERED E (last letter of CONDOLENCE)

21a    Completed penning opening of radical flyer (5)
DRONE: ‘Completed’ round the first letter of RADICAL

23a    Again impose eco-squad, say, with gallons going to waste (2-7)
RE-ENFORCE: What could be an eco-squad (5,5) with the letter G (gallons) removed from the front

24a    Describing vision embracing many years of dramatic spectacles (8)
OPERATIC: ‘Relating to sight’ round an age

25a    Cactus to look short? Small variety coming up inside (6)
PEYOTE: ‘To look narrowly or closely’ with the last letter removed round a reversal of a dwarf breed (e.g. a dog). This would have been better as a down clue

26a    Allies retreating a small amount in disorderly fashion (8)
SLAPDASH: A reversal of allies or friends + a small amount of added ingredient

27a    Arrived with artist, a provider of pictures (6)
CAMERA: ‘Arrived’ + a Royal Academician

Down

1d    About to engage in leisure in a different form (6)
RECAST: An abbreviation denoting ‘about’ inside leisure or refreshing inactivity. A similar construction to 1 across

2d    Much of country retaining reserve militia primarily as law enforcer (9)
POLICEMAN: A European country with the last letter removed round ‘reserve’ and the first letter of MILITIA

3d    A little misrepresentation regarding a course? (7)
SOUPCON: A hardly perceptible quantity = a course of a meal’ and a misrepresentation or swindle

5d    Some difficulty in speaking on stage involving actor’s latest slogan (11)
CATCHPHRASE: An indistinctness in speaking caused by strong emotion + a stage round the last letter of ACTOR

6d    Consequences of assault, perhaps, with some hesitation, producing single pay-out? (4,3)
LUMP SUM: Swellings (which might be caused by an assault) + an interjection denoting hesitation

7d    ‘Inches‘ is not so much when trimmed (5)
ISLES: IS + ‘not so much’ with the last letter removed

8d    Silver reflected delicate illumination (8)
GASLIGHT: A reversal of the atomic symbol for silver + ‘delicate’ = a form of illumination

12d    Mistakenly hail efforts appearing disorganised (3,3,5)
OFF THE RAILS: An anagram (mistakenly) of HAIL EFFORTS

15d    English symbol died in uplifting defeat, and then became more prominent (5,4)
TUDOR ROSE: The heraldic emblem adopted by Henry VII = a reversal of ‘defeat’ round D (died) + ‘became more prominent’

16d    Thoughtful bosses accepting promise of recompense (8)
STUDIOUS: Projecting bosses round a promise to pay back a loan

18d    Gem Queen set in ornate medal (7)
EMERALD: Our queen inside an anagram (ornate) of MEDAL

19d    Thin stuff, reverse of rich, sort of cheese (7)
TAFFETA: A thin glossy silk fabric = a reversal of ‘rich’ + a Greek cheese

20d    Greeting knight, say, after climbing in Swiss location (6)
GENEVA: A reversal of a greeting, the letter denoting a knight in chess, and an abbreviation denoting ‘say’ or ‘for example’

22d    Nothing of great significance in the end (5)
OMEGA: O (nothing) + ‘of great significance’

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