Toughie 3662

Toughie  No 3662 by Kcit

Hints and Tips by crypticsue

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

I enjoyed solving this crossword – I know it wasn’t Kcit at his Toughiest,  and we did have the annoying task of squeezing the final clue onto the bottom of the first page’s printout, not to mention having to check in the BRB that two clearly clued words did match the definitions

I’d like to thank Telegraph Towers for moving the day’s puzzles to the top on the Puzzles page as it makes it so much easier to find them, print them off, solve them and create the blog template .  Now all they have to do is slightly reduce the size of the grid so that it and all the clues would fit on one piece of paper, and we will all be happy solvers

Please let us know what you thought

Across

1a           Overly snazzy dresser – male, female in hi-vis coat, possibly (7,6)
FASHION VICTIM An anagram (possibly) of M (male) F (female) IN HI VIS COAT

9a           Charge, one very serious, involving force asking questions urgently? (5-4)
RAPID-FIRE A slang name for a criminal charge, the Roman numeral for one, an adjective meaning extremely serious, into which is inserted (involving) the symbol for Force

10a         I’m abandoning hobby making imitation jewellery (5)
PASTE Remove IM from a hobby

11a         Rotation of Earth limiting depth in swimming pools (5)
LIDOS A reversal (rotation) of some earth into which is inserted (limiting) the abbreviation for Depth

12a         Old can getting twisted: it’s round, but not circular (4)
OVAL The abbreviation for Old and a reversal (twisted) of another informal name for a toilet (can)

13a         Charlie invested in profitable piece of information (4)
FACT The letter represented by Charlie in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet inserted into (invested in) an adjective meaning fruitful or profitable

15a         Source of lamb in exotic stew is something of a joke (3,4)
TAG LINE The ‘source’ of Lamb inserted into a North African stew

17a         Reckless opportunity that is securing diamonds (2-2-3)
DO-OR-DIE A means of approach (opportunity) and the abbreviation meaning that is ‘securing’ the abbreviation for the card suit of Diamonds

18a         Cuts out former heretical groups? (7)
EXSECTS The usual two-letter former and some heretical groups

20a         In front of detective, whips gem (4-3)
CATS-EYE Some whips go in front of an informal name for a detective

21a         Lady’s fingers are almost withdrawn after one kiss initially (4)
OKRA A reversal of almost all of ARe goes after the initial letters of One and Kiss

22a         Couple shunning cold Scottish hillside (4)
BRAE A pair or couple without (shunning) the abbreviation for Cold

23a         University linked computers – about 1,000? Not satisfied (5)
UNMET The abbreviation for University and some linked computers go about the Roman numeral for one thousand

26a         Error when cutting second large part of jacket (5)
LAPEL An error without (when cutting) the abbreviation for Second, the abbreviation for Large being added at the end of the remaining letters

27a         Border difficulties recalled in safe surroundings (9)
PERIMETER A reversal of a problematical situation inserted into a slang name for a safe

28a         Academic’s trouble accepting ordinary legal notion (6,2,5)
BURDEN OF PROOF The apostrophe S in academic’s is very significant.  The trouble of an abbreviated academic, the latter ‘accepting’ the abbreviation for Ordinary

Down

1d           Entirely available in every country? (3,3,3,5)
FOR ALL THE WORLD Something available for every country

2d           Engaging source of some help about parking (5)
SAPID Engaging or agreeable – the ‘source’ of Some and help or assistance, the latter going around the abbreviation for Parking

3d           Gut feeling about day one is ill-defined (10)
INDISTINCT A gut feeling goes ‘about’ the abbreviation for Day and the Roman numeral for one (again)

4d           Negative response is bad sign, mostly unpleasant (7)
NOISOME A negative response, IS (from the clue) and most of a bad sign

5d           European amongst family probing documents in European country (7)
ICELAND The abbreviation for European inserted into family, the result when inserted into (probing) abbreviated documents

6d           Slip in smutty poem? (4)
TYPO Hidden in the last two words of the clue

7d           Mike is name to use roughly (9)
MISHANDLE The letter represented by Mike in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet, IS (from the clue – the repetition radar beeped again here) and slang for a name

8d           Best prevent gambler’s conviction? Not entirely (3,3,6,2)
GET THE BETTER OF An expression which might mean to save a gambler from a criminal conviction without the final letter of the fourth word

14d         Indicator of hills? Crampon out, active (7,3)
CONTOUR MAP An anagram (active) of CRAMPON OUT

16d         Gossip about translation of Proust in classy eatery (9)
GASTROPUB An informal verb meaning to gossip goes about an anagram (translation) of PROUST

19d         Verse criticism supported by that chap (7)
STROPHE An informal word for criticism followed (supported) by ‘that chap’

20d         See you applaud international orchestra at the outset (7)
CHEERIO Applaud, the abbreviation for International and the first letter (at the outset)of Orchestra

24d         Message for family seat turned up, with start missing (5)
MOTTO A reversal (turned up) of a type of seat without (missing) the first two letters of the reversed word  No idea how this equates to ‘start’ but I’m sure someone will tell me   I thought of the wrong sort of seat – simply remove the first letter from that part of the body known as the seat and then reverse (turned up)

25d         Pop group reduced promotional material (4)
BLUR We finish with an ‘old friend’ – some promotional material without (reduced) the final letter