Toughie 3946

Toughie  No 3496 by Elgar

Hints and Tips by crypticsue

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

One of those ‘who are you and what have you done with Elgar?’ crosswords as I don’t think I have ever known him quite as benevolent (crossword-wise) as this.   All solved in my 3* Toughie time and when I looked at the clock after I had parsed it all, I can’t tell you how much time had elapsed, so let’s just say I was amazed.  A Toughie that was enjoyable both to  solve and blog

Please let us know what you thought

Across

6a           Couples may share these stories about spliffs? (5,8)
JOINT ACCOUNTS These things shared by couples do look as though they might refer to stories about spliffs

8a           Translated the Legend of Prince Victor in the region of Grenoble (1,5)
I SERVE The translation of the motto of the Prince of Wales – the letter represented by Victor in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet inserted into the region of France where Grenolbe is to be found

9a           It’ll help one seeing 13 fine aluminium parts (3-5)
EYE-SALVE A word of agreement (fine) and the chemical symbol for aluminium ‘parts’ the solution to 13d

10a         Recognise individual (3)
OWN To recognise or belonging to one (individual)

11a/23a  Dancer performing on rigs packs separate tents (6,6)
GINGER ROGERS An anagram (performing) of ON RIGS ‘packs’ two Mongolian tents made of light skins, ‘separate’ telling you that they are inserted in different places

12a         Spooner’s fish and cabbage feed me! (4,4)
CAKE HOLE A slang name for the mouth is obtained by treating a type of fish and the general name for a plant of the cabbage family in the same way as Reverend Spooner might have done

14a/16a  Brown lines change, boring senior painter (7,7)
STANLEY SPENCER  A brown colour, straight lines between features of the landscape, small coins (change) all inserted into (boring) the abbreviation for senior

16a         See 14 Across

20a         What for Manuel Mark spelt out: “V.I.P.” (5,3)
QUEEN BEE The Spanish word (for Manuel) for what and a way of spelling out the abbreviation meaning mark or note well

23a         See 11 Across

24a         Essential feature picked up in 17s (3)
ART Hidden in reverse in the solution to 17d

25a         Someone who investigates strengthener of building (8)
TECTONIC  An adjective meaning relating to building – an informal investigator and a medicine that invigorates and strengthens

26a         Censure AB assessment (6)
RATING A telling off (censure), a sailor (AB) or an assessment

27a         Lilliputians responsible for decisions now? (2-2-3-6)
UP-TO-THE-MINUTE This expression meaning now does look as though small people like the Lilliputians could be responsible for decisions

Down

1d           What’s laid out in Roget under “N” … (8)
NITROGEN An anagram (laid out) of IN ROGET goes under N (from the clue)

2d           … in second revision of Roget, perhaps, looking up “martyr” (2,6)
ST GEORGE The abbreviation for Second, an anagram (revision) of ROGET and a reversal (looking up) of the abbreviated way of saying perhaps, for example

3d/19d    Mould endlessly accreting, cheese stinks (7,7)
SCIENCE TEACHER Stinks is school slang.  An anagram (mould) of ACCRETINg (endlessly telling you to omit the g) and CHEESE

4d           Not much change for Putin, put down a lot (6)
KOPECK  Knock out (put down) and a measurement of capacity used to indicate an indefinitely great amount (a lot)

5d           Object remains colon replacement? (2,4)
EN DASH A punctuation mark used to replace a colon – an object aimed at and some remains

6d           Erstwhile leader only butted in to exchange diamonds for gold (6,7)
JUSTIN TRUDEAU A former leader of Canada – a synonym for only and another way of saying butted in, where the abbreviation for the card suit of Diamonds is ‘exchanged’ for the chemical symbol for gold

7d           Fruit limits after sign post is erected (7,6)
SEVILLE ORANGE Limits or extents of something goes after a Sign of the Zodiac, which in turn goes after (post) a reversal (erected) of a synonym for is

13d         One woman in seven … (3)
EVE Easily spotted in the last word of the clue

15d         … Waugh will have joined together with this one? (3)
LYN The forename of Mr Waugh, the British writer and journalist, is obtained by joining this woman to the woman in 13d

17d         Left artist having acquired it? (8)
PORTRAIT The left side of a ship, perhaps, and an abbreviated artist into which is inserted (acquired) IT (from the clue)

18d         Time you enjoy approaching solicitor (5,3)
NIGHT OUT Approaching or drawing near and some who offers things for profit (solicitor)

19d         See 3 Down

21d         Property close to Providence, say, Rhode Island? (6)
ESTATE The ‘close’ to providencE and a verb meaning to say.  Rhode Island could be described as this too

22d         Surprising shout carrying can upset fish (6)
BONITO A shout intended to surprise into which is inserted (carrying) a reversed (upset) can