Toughie 3452

Toughie No 3452 by Karla
Hints and tips by Gazza

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

Karla has given us a very enjoyable puzzle – many thanks to him. I forgot to look for a Nina in his last Toughie so I spent some time searching for one today, all to no avail – if you’ve had more success than I did do let me know!

Please leave a comment telling us how you fared and what you liked about the puzzle.

Across Clues

1a Staff catching fish: tuna possibly and one sole? (6,4)
MAIDEN AUNT: a verb to staff contains a freshwater fish. Add an anagram (possibly) of TUNA.

6a Instigate naked frolic (4)
ROMP: a verb to instigate or trigger loses its covering letters.

9a Cut sample of rolled weed is potent (7)
TOPSIDE: hidden in reverse.

10a What might be wet in lake emptied after game (7)
WHISTLE: the outside letters of lake follow a card game. The answer may get wet when one takes an alcoholic drink.

12a Excited at Reuters over valuable find (8-5)
TREASURE-TROVE: an anagram (excited) of AT REUTERS OVER.

14a Cricket maybe in view without front of pavilion (6)
INSECT: a verb to view or examine without the front letter of pavilion.

15a Breakfast perhaps mostly left by raised area (8)
PORRIDGE: most of the naval left followed by a raised area (possibly a hilltop).

17a Delivery company shipping just in the sticks (8)
UPRIGHTS: the identity of a delivery company contains a synonym of just or fair.

19a Investigator in black satellite caught life on film (6)
BIOPIC: the abbreviation for a private investigator goes inside the abbreviation for black, a moon of Jupiter and the cricket abbreviation for caught.

22a Flesh-eater cooking bone with rice later (7,6)
CARRION BEETLE: an anagram (cooking) of BONE RICE LATER.

24a Vivid picture framed by excitable Augustinian (7)
TABLEAU: hidden.

25a Garden feature probably set students back (7)
SUNDIAL: join a verb meaning set (the table perhaps) and the abbreviation for the students’ union then reverse it all. I’m not sure why the ‘probably’ is needed.
26a Half of Morse books officer keeps (4)
DOTS: the abbreviation for a CID officer contains the abbreviation for some Biblical books.
27a Small weapon lady discharged in a loud manner (10)
STRIDENTLY: assemble the clothing abbreviation for small, a spear-type weapon and the outer letters of ‘lady’.

Down Clues

1d Tiny piece of encircling defence delivered (4)
MOTE: homophone of an encircling defence (for a castle perhaps).
2d Force shelled shellfish on American (7)
IMPETUS: more than one clinging shellfish without their outer letters are followed by an abbreviation for American.

3d Influencer and artist climb below church in England (8,5)
EMINENCE GRISE: start with the surname of a modern female artist and add a verb to climb following an abbreviation for church inside an abbreviation for England. This term was originally used to describe the ‘power behind the throne’ of Cardinal Richelieu.

4d Reluctant birds crossing river close to bridge (6)
AVERSE: a word, from Latin, for birds contains the abbreviation for river. Append the closing letter of bridge.

5d Young anchors going north for media HQ? (8)
NEWSROOM: an adjective meaning young or fresh and the reversal of a verb meaning anchors.
7d Audibly upset couple follows cycling yob (3,4)
OUT LOUD: reverse a word for a couple following the cycled letters of a yob or ruffian.

8d Cup of tea from Penny going over testimonial (10)
PREFERENCE: the abbreviation for a penny and a synonym of testimonial.

11d Irregularity in right glove Charlie included in letter (13)
INTERMITTENCE: start with IN then insert the abbreviation for right, a type of glove and the Nato Phonetic Alphabet letter representing Charlie into how the twentieth letter of the alphabet is spelled out.

13d One coat animal occupying pit split in two (10)
BIFURCATED: the Roman one, an animal’s coat and a feline animal all go inside what pit is a slang term for.

16d Suspect set out in uniform? (4,4)
ETON SUIT: an anagram (suspect) of SET OUT IN.

18d Snack from tail section when energy has dropped (7)
RAREBIT: synonyms for tail and section with the physics abbreviation for energy dropped down a few places.

20d Divine drink boosted training nurses (7)
PREDICT: an abbreviation for physical training containing the reversal of an alcoholic drink.

21d Instructor who’s belted the setter bearing notice (6)
SENSEI: the subjective pronoun used by the setter follows a verb to notice or become aware of.
23d 14 trapping adult cat (4)
FLAY: a 14a contains the cinema abbreviation for adult. Cat here is a verb not a noun.

The pick of the clues for me today were 1a (one sole – excellent!), 9a and 8d with my favourite being the belted one at 21d. Which one(s) did you favour?