Toughie 3672

Toughie  No 3672 by Elgar

Hints and Tips by crypticsue

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

Exactly what you expect from Elgar’s fortnightly visit to the middle of the paper. As clearly indicated by the clue to 21d, the Across solutions are all hiding items which a 15d might catch

Please let us know what you thought

Across

1a           21 Down eclipsing mashed potato – except to mum (3,1,4)
NOT A PEEP Mum here being an interjection requesting silence.  Another Scottish name for the solution to 21d into which is inserted (eclipsing) POTAto (except to indicating the need to omit the last two letters)

5a           Like some rum special on the rocks? (6)
SPICED The abbreviation for special and what a drink is when served ‘on the rocks’

9a           Deviously work situation left chicken off when eating out (6,2)
WANGLE IT An anagram (out) of WhenEATING without the ‘chicken’

10a         Trimming beef, bar worker has cut double (6)
FRINGE The final letter of beeF (without, bar, the worker) and a double without the final letter (cut)

12a         It’s rather creepy, chap out of university getting in our fourth drink (6,3)
GROUND IVY  An informal name for a chap without (out of) the abbreviation for University into which is inserted (getting in) a set of drinks bought in at one time and the Roman numeral for four

13a         Last of bread and cheese is restorative, it’s said (5)
HEELS Bottoms or ends of loaves of bread or pieces of cheese sounds like (it is said) part of a verb meaning is restorative

14a/21a Fray Bentos finally withdrawing their swan in a pie (4,4)
WEAR THIN An anagram (in a pie or mixed state) of THEIR sWAN without the final letter of bentoS

16a         Mean gunners tucked into an artichoke perhaps off table (7)
AVERAGE The abbreviation for the Royal Artillery (gunners) ‘tucked’ into what an artichoke is without (off) the TABLE at the end of the word

19a         Ruined hut circles on verge of find in allotment? (7)
UNEARTH An anagram (ruined) of HUT ‘circles’ or goes round a simple way of saying on the verge of

21a         See 14a

24a         Like lobster, maybe, served initially covered in greenery (5)
SPINY The initial letter of Served and covered in greenery from a particular type of tree

25a         Film juicy fruit overspreading area in garden? (4,5)
HOME ALONE A type of juice fruit goes round (overspreading) the abbreviation for Area, the result then inserted into a verb meaning to garden with a tool for loosening the earth and digging up weeds

27a         Back to front division of e.g. brain protein (6)
GLOBIN Dividing into, for example, the divisions of the brain with the letter at the back moved to the front of the word

28a         That has new stuffing for bird (8)
WHINCHAT The abbreviation for New ‘stuffing’ an adjective meaning that has

29a         First to table ahead of bunfight, a theme on ship (6)
TEREDO The whole of the solution is part of the theme, this genus found on ships – there’s a hidden themed item there too.  The first letter of Table, a literary word meaning before (ahead of) and a party (bunfight)

30a         Empty A1 case of advocaat (light bottles) (8)
DEFLATED A slang adjective meaning excellent (A1) and the outside letters (case) of AdvocaaT inserted into (bottles) a type of light

Down

1d           Where to find Jarrow worker’s demand, 1980s-style? (3-3)
NEW-AGE Where to find Jarrow and the demand of workers there

2d           Good egg flips worthless (6)
TINPOT A reversal (flips) of a synonym for good and an insect egg

3d           Discussed Mrs Lovett’s speciality line beside Tower (5)
PYLON A homophone (discussed) of the speciality of Sweeney Todd’s accomplice, Mrs Lovett, the abbreviation for Line and a preposition meaning beside

4d           Recipe I supply; do I supply les ingrédients? (7)
EPICIER An anagram (supply) of RECIPE I gives the name of a shop where a French cook might purchase their ingredients

6d           Competitive board meeting standard of e.g. Brie at reception? (9)
PARCHEESI A norm or standard and a homophone (at reception) of a word meaning having the nature of Brie for example

7d           Units excitedly deal in preserves (8)
CANDELAS An anagram (excitedly) of DEAL inserted into preserves in tins

8d           Comparatively formal medic closes series on cooking (8)
DRESSIER An abbreviated medic covers (closes in a Down solution) an anagram (on cooking) of SERIES

11d         Mimic of gastronomy? Naturally (4)
MYNA Hidden in the last two words of the clue

15d         Buffet by rail ultimately better value – and, like Across answers, one has the pick (5,4)
EARLY BIRD An anagram (buffet) of BY RAIL and the ultimate letters of betteR, valuE, and anD

17d         Goes hunting game, wanting one? (8)
GUNSIGHT An anagram (game) of GoeS HUnTING without (wanting) the letters ONE

18d         Declining light object into which one tipped juice (4-4)
DEMI-JOUR A verb meaning to object into which is inserted the Roman numeral for one and a reversed (tipped) abbreviation for a juice made from a particular fruit

20d         Tea for two cents no longer available, which is funny (2-2)
HA-HA Two lots of another name for tea without the abbreviation for Cents

21d         Campbell’s vegetable corporation goes short (7)
TUMSHIE Campbell being the name of a Scottish clan.  The solution is a Scottish word for a turnip or swede.  An informal name for the stomach (corporation) and goes or has an attempt without the final letter (short)

22d         Why does it matter pork supplier’s taken over Derby? (2,4)
SO WHAT A female supplier of pork and a type of headwear such as a Derby

23d         Chap enjoyed dish, rather lacking out of the oven? (6)
HEATED A phrase (2.3.4)meaning chap enjoyed dish without (lacking) the suffix meaning rather or somewhat

26d         A record for starters at Nando’s, not at Leon (5)
ANNAL Solved as I was writing the clue on the print out – the starters of At Nando’s Not At Leon