Toughie 3322

Toughie  No 3322 by Serpent

Hints and Tips by crypticsue

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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty */** – Enjoyment *****

Another great Toughie from Serpent with some brilliant, and often misleading, surface readings.  I have looked and looked and can’t see anything hidden in the grid although the black squares in the shape of a cross might be telling us that Serpent is aware that this is one of those ‘four crosswords in one’ where each corner of the grid is solved separately (in my case SE + NW + SW +NE)

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Across

1a           Huge deficit almost the whole company faces (8)
COLOSSAL An abbreviated company ‘faces’ or goes in front of a deficit and a synonym for the whole without its final letter (almost)

5a           Orchestra abandoning principal members in Royal Albert Hall upset accompanist? (6)
ESCORT Remove the principal letters of Royal Albert and Hall from OrChESTRa and then make an anagram of the remaining letters

9a           Takes away cold soup perhaps without coming back (8)
RETRACTS The part of a meal where you might eat soup reversed (coming back) and put outside (without) the abbreviation for Cold

10a         Purpose of article (6)
OBJECT Double definition

12a         Mouthpiece of bagpipes pokes mandolinist (9)
SPOKESMAN A lovely, image-inducing,  surface reading – the solution is hidden in the last three words of the clue

13a         I’m amused that man stops where some drive (2-3)
TE-HEE That man ‘stops’ or fills in where some golfers drive

14a         Plant in perfect condition (4)
MINT A herb plant or an adjective meaning in perfect condition

16a         Flat fare that provides better features? (7)
PANCAKE A flat food item or a type of cosmetic which might improve facial features

19a         Letter from Scot on vacation in English mansion (7)
EPISTLE The outside (on vacation) letters of ScoT inserted between the abbreviation for English and an informal term for a large mansion

21a         Worry about paper plates (4)
FRET The abbreviated pink newspaper ‘plates’ or goes round the usual two-letter ‘about, on the subject of’

24a         Two notes produced by reporter from The Sun (5)
SOLAR – Misleading capitals time – homophones (produced by reporter) of two musical notes

25a         Artist who has an arresting power? (9)
CONSTABLE A cryptic definition of the surname of a famous British artist

 

27a         Bishop mocked endlessly about being short of money (6)
BEGGAR The chess abbreviation for Bishop and a reversal (about) of a synonym for mocked without its final letter (endlessly)

28a         Unfortunate lapses during breaks causing no problems (8)
PAINLESS An anagram (unfortunate) of LAPSES into which is inserted (breaks) a preposition meaning (amongst a great number of other things) during

29a         One plus one is prime (6)
ELEVEN Put two lots of the number one next to each other to produce a prime number

30a         Factory working round clock ultimately makes school food (8)
PLANKTON A factory and a simple way of saying working go round the ultimate letter of clocK, school here being a collective noun

Down

1d           Worries about son’s pet (6)
CARESS A synonym for worries goes about the abbreviation for Son – here pet is an action rather than an animal!

2d           Look into changing application (6)
LOTION An archaic interjection meaning look or behold and an anagram (changing)of INTO

3d           Second opinion in the post (5)
STAKE The abbreviation for Second and a person’s opinion of a particular situation or concept

4d           Leaders in athletic tournament induce effort (7)
ATTEMPT The ‘leaders’ in Athletic Tournament and a verb meaning to induce

6d           Journalists can’t supply the first bit of editorial content (9)
SUBSTANCE Some abbreviated journalists, an anagram (supply) of CANT and the first ‘bit’ of Editorial

7d           Pick up extra present for those attending (8)
OVERHEAR An excess (extra) and a homophone (for those attending) of a synonym for present

8d           Restrained tense king who wasn’t prepared to relinquish line (8)
TETHERED The abbreviation for Tense and the king is remembered for not being ready without (to relinquish) the abbreviation for Line

11d         Unexpected answer held up progress initially (4)
SNAP A reversal (held up) of an abbreviated answer followed by the initial letter of Progress

15d         Football players look forward to meeting of two sides? (9)
INTERFACE An informal name for an Italian football team and a verb meaning look forward

17d         Article spreading unorthodox beliefs likely to be accomplished (8)
FEASIBLE An indefinite article inserted (spreading) into an anagram (unorthodox) of BELIEFS

18d         EU work set back discussion (8)
DIALOGUE EU (from the clue) a verb meaning to work and another meaning to set (down) all reversed (back)

20d         Carve piece of sweet chestnut (4)
ETCH Hidden in the last two words of the clue

21d         Cool bloke received adoring letters (3,4
FAN MAIL Cool using a ventilating apparatus and a homophone (received) of a man (bloke)

22d         Sailor ordered to go somewhere other than this place (6)
ABSENT An abbreviated sailor and a synonym for ordered to go

23d         Spooner’s disheartened and confused woman? (6)
PERSON What a nice misleading surface reading!  The only thing this has to do with the dreaded Reverend is his surname!  Remove the middle (dis heartened) of SPOoNER and an anagram (confused) will an individual human being (woman?)

26d         What may join group of players up? (5)
TENON A type of joint is a reversal (up) of a group of nine players of music