Toughie 3474

Toughie  No 3474 by Kcit

Hints and Tips by crypticsue

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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***

A very strange solving process this morning – I was not expecting Kcit to be the setter for a start (he usually appears on a Thursday), I didn’t write anything in the grid between solving 1a and 21a,  but  I ended up finishing in a time more suited to a Thursday/Friday backpager

Please let us know what you thought

Across

1a           Religious leader is hot, participating in dance (6)
BISHOP IS (from the clue) and the abbreviation for Hot inserted into (participating in) a 1950s dance with or to pop music

4a           Heartlessly abandoning playing the violin (8)
SCRAPING Abandoning or discarding without the middle letter (heartlessly)

10a         Quash disposing of a reject (5)
REPEL Quash reject completely without the A

11a         Honour is excellent, involving new bow (9)
OBEISANCE An abbreviated honour, IS (from the clue -again!) and excellent, of the highest quality, into which is inserted (involving) the abbreviation for New

12a         Audibly criticise where beer glasses may be stored … (7)
BARRACK To see where beer glasses may be stored, split this verb meaning to audibly criticise 3,4

13a         … and where barrels may be unloaded losing last of many in interior regions (7)
INNARDS A 3,5 place where barrels may be unloaded, without the last letter of manY

14a         Bugs? Uproar about European recording cruel fictions involving Conservative (6-8)
CREEPY-CRAWLIES Loud utterances (uproar) goes ‘about’ the abbreviation for European, a type of record, an adjective meaning cruel and some fictions, into which is inserted (involving) the abbreviation for Conservative

17a         Bacteria possibly found on bar – revolting idea? (14)
COUNTERCULTURE Bacteria grown in a laboratory found on or after a bar

21a         Leader of blokes in base in charge of automated equipment (7)
ROBOTIC The ‘leader’ of Blokes inserted n the base or foundation of something followed by the abbreviation for In Charge

23a         Stories about child not entirely credible, for example (7)
LITOTES Understatement, especially when affirming the negative, as shown in the example in the clue.  Some stories (the fictions we met earlier) go about a small child

24a         Restaurant’s appearance, with outrageous paintings etc – revolutionary (9)
TRATTORIA A reversal (revolutionary) of appearance, the abbreviated way of saying outrageous and some paintings etc

25a         Inspire personal expression of sadness after losing pound (5)
IMBUE I’m feeling miserable (personal expression of sadness) without (losing) the abbreviation for Pounds Sterling

26a         Barrel in shed wrecked? On the contrary, ready to go here (4,4)
CASH DESK Do the oppositive of what the clue says and put an anagram (wrecked) of SHED into a barrel

27a         Agricultural output formerly not in progress? True (6)
CEREAL An adverb meaning formerly without the ‘in progress’ followed by a synonym for true

Down

1d           Bank restored to former location keeping English in direct contact with Arab? (8)
BAREBACK A bank and a simple way of saying restored to former location into which is inserted (keeping) the abbreviation for English

2d           Sure hope spider finally transformed Spider-Man? (9)
SUPERHERO An anagram (transformed) of SURE HOPE and the final letter of spideR

3d           Zero quantity of current securing unfavourable illumination (3,4)
OIL LAMP The letter representing zero and an abbreviated unit of electrical current ‘securing’ an adjective meaning unfavourable

5d           Ministerial feature of administrative work leading to arrest (8,6)
CLERICAL COLLAR Relating to administrative work and a slang word meaning arrest

6d           Ways R&A upset exponents of a different sport (7)
ARSENAL A reversal upset of some narrow roads (ways) and R and A

7d           More central London suburb is without parking (5)
INNER A London suburb without the abbreviation for Parking

8d           Bribe old King with facility (6)
GREASE The regnal cipher of one of six old kings with a synonym for facility

9d           Irish city’s gang – scoundrels circumventing large locks (9,5)
CORKSCREW CURLS An Irish city’s (don’t forget the S), a gang, and some scoundrels ‘circumventing’ the abbreviation for Large

15d         Fair cut in supply given to board (9)
EQUITABLE Remove the last letter (cut) of a verb meaning to supply and add a board

16d         Information film, recently made, raised dirty looks (8)
NEWSREELS Recently made and some reversed (raised) dirty looks

18d         Famous, accepting cheers, as recorded (7)
NOTATED An informal expression of thanks (cheers) inserted into a synonym for famous

19d         High-level venue located within the French network (7)
LATTICE A high-level space in a building ‘located’ in the French definite article

20d         Reviewer mostly a pain in the neck about it (6)
CRITIC Most of a pain in the neck goes ‘about’ IT (from the clue)

22d         British authorisation offering no power to make money (5)
BRASS The abbreviation for British and an authorisation without (offering no) the symbol for Power