Toughie 3592

Toughie No 3592 by Elgar
Hints and tips by Gazza

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

Elgar is a smidgen trickier than he was two weeks ago but there are a host of cracking clues here and I enjoyed the challenge. When writing the hints I did notice the large number of reversals.

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

Across Clues

1a Now dead, like socialite eventually gracing us with her presence? (11,4)
FASHIONABLY LATE: an adverb meaning now or following the latest trend and a synonym of dead or deceased.

9a One hard-working hammer-thrower’s being looked after? (9)
CARTHORSE: a mythical Scandinavian hammer-thrower (with his ‘S) is in care.
10a Make inversion new trick on cycle (5)
UPEND: stick together the abbreviation for new and a verb to trick or con then cycle the letters.

11a United supporters counter chaos at Super Bowl? (5)
SNAFU: join the abbreviation for united and a synonym of supporters then reverse it.

12a Command for soldiers not widely known for retreating into dorms after action (5,4)
ORDER ARMS: reverse an adjective meaning ‘not widely known’ or exceptional inside an anagram (after action) of DORMS.

13a Require concessions to be paid back, ready to leave city (8)
ABERDEEN: assemble a verb to require and concessions or discounts, reverse that then remove an adjective meaning ready (on the starting blocks perhaps).

14a Retro vehicle identifier stamped on the first military engine (6)
ONAGER: reverse a vehicle identifier (3,2) containing the first letter of the alphabet. I knew this word as a wild ass – I didn’t know that it also means an old military engine for hurling large stones.

16a Old community that we still intermittently ignored after conclusion of hostilities (6)
SHTETL: this Yiddish word for an old Jewish community comes from regular letters of ‘that we still’ following the concluding letter of hostilities.

18a Was blinking nuisance at entrance given orders to take a day off? (8)
NICTATED: the starting letter of nuisance followed by a verb meaning ‘given orders’ without the first of its abbreviations for day.
22a Continually attack assistant to cathedral dignitary in speech (9)
CANNONADE: this sounds like an assistant to a member of the clergy on the staff at a cathedral (5,4).

23a This much written to report site of old coronations (5)
REAMS: loads of paper sounds like the place where French monarchs were once crowned.
24a Figure auditor’s presented for payment (5)
BUILD: our third homophone in a row. This one sounds like ‘presented for payment’ or invoiced.

25a Held up in winter months finally, then spring (9)
SNOWBOUND: the final letter of months and an instruction to follow up with a spring (3,5).

26 Set of glass tumblers for the junior counter? (3,5,7)
TEN GREEN BOTTLES: cryptic definition of a repetitive song that may help young children to learn to count.

Down Clues

1d Flower a sort of short blow raised from the ground (7)
FUCHSIA: glue together A, a suffix meaning ‘sort of’ and a blow or slap without its last letter. Reverse the lot.

2d/17d Feature of water escalating is disturbing joint champ at Fistral? To begin with (7,7)
SURFACE TENSION: reverse IS inside a woodwork joint. Precede that with a champion sportsperson at Fistral beach perhaps (4,3).
3d It’s very likely one hundred, lots now in circulation (1,8,6)
I SHOULDN’T WONDER: start with the Roman one and add an anagram (in circulation) of HUNDRED LOTS NOW.

4d Rolled over oarswoman in bottleneck? (8)
NARROWER: reverse a verb meaning rolled or flowed and add another word for an oarswoman (or oarsman).

5d Ore book left, almost done (6)
BLENDE: abbreviations for book and left precede a truncated past participle meaning done or finished.

6d Person confirmed OU cuts for Kazakh journo one line up (3,3,3,1,5)
YOU ARE NOT A ROBOT: insert OU into the reversal of a preposition meaning ‘for’, the forename of a fictional Kazakh journalist who starred in a film with the same name, ONE and a line or beam. I presume the definition relates to the test made by many websites to check whether they are communicating with a human being.

7d/19d It’s provocative, putting the Daily Mirror through speculator’s door! (1,3,3,2,1,4)
A RED RAG TO A BULL: the Daily Mirror is a left-wing tabloid so it might be provocative if a newsagent delivered it to a share speculator’s house. The speculator in this case is someone who buys shares hoping to sell them at a higher price later.
8d Buyer finally ensured supply (3-4)
END-USER: an anagram (supply) of ENSURED.

15d Bimbo beginning to tantalise me aggravated dodgy ticker! (4,4)
TIME BOMB: an anagram (aggravated) of BIMBO T[antalise] ME. Lovely definition!
16d Part of brass section of old wine bar (7)
SACKBUT: a dry white wine and a preposition meaning bar or ‘except for’.

17d See 2d

19d See 7d

20d Pop across the pond so daughter can pick up something to sit on (3-1-3)
DOS-À-DOS: concatenate a chiefly North American word for pop or carbonated drink, SO and the genealogical abbreviation for daughter then reverse the lot.

21d Religious view supports equality (6)
PARSEE: a verb to view follows a synonym of equality (possibly on the golf course).

I particularly liked 9a, 26a, 7/19d, 15d and 20d. Which clue(s) stood out for you?