Toughie 3681

Toughie No 3681 by Chalicea
Hints and tips by Whybird

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BD Rating – Difficulty *   – Enjoyment ****

A welcome return to the Setter’s Chair for Chalicea today, and whilst this is generally at the gentle end of the spectrum (and a very much needed emollient for the bruises left after the battering from Elgar’s Friday Beast) there are a few that required a bit of thought, and a new word for me necessitating a dive into the BRB. Whilst 1a, 16a, 17d and 18d get honourable mentions, I can’t look beyond 7d for my gold medal place today. Thank you, Chalicea, for a very enjoyable start to the Toughie Week.

Please let us know how you fared and what you thought of the puzzle. 

Across Clues

1a Dejected maladroit old canoeists (12)

DISCONSOLATE An anagram (maladroit) of “old canoeists”

8a Ordinary amount allowed for formal speech (7)

ORATION The usual letter for “Ordinary” followed by a synonym of “amount allowed”

9a Be promising heaps conceivably at college (5,2)

SHAPE UP An anagram (conceivably) of “heaps” followed by a term meaning “at college” (typically Oxbridge)

11a More turbulent leader with crazy rise (7)

NOISIER A (2,1) term meaning “leader” using a letter that resembles the relevant digit is followed by an anagram (crazy)of “rise”

12a Uncovered girl is so memorably nimble and flexible (7)

LISSOME The answer is lurking (uncovered) amongst the letters of “girl is so memorably”

13a Like mythical monster I ignored thus far (2,3)

AS YET A charade of a synonym for “like” and a (hairy) monster lacking its terminal “I” (I ignored)

14a Main principle of senior teacher’s vocal inflection (9)

HEADSTONE A charade of the possessive form of a school’s senior teacher and a synonym of “vocal inflection”

16a Rag wraps neep maybe (9)

NEWSPAPER An anagram (maybe) of “wraps neep”

19a Bird’s perch essentially invisible in part of tree (5)

ROOST The central letter (essentially) of “invisible” is inserted into a vital part of a tree’s structure

21a Struggles with force entering English strongholds (7)

EFFORTS Take the letter indicating “English” and a synonym of “strongholds” and insert the usual letter indicating “force” (entering)

23a Next of kin live in comfortable residence (7)

NEAREST Insert a three-letter synonym of “live” (second person or third person plural) into a “comfortable residence” that may serve for 19a

24a Putting letters in boxes, as you are doing? (7)

SOLVING An all-in-one, the first four words being a very literal description of part of the activity of those tackling this puzzle

25a Complaint of upper-class during wild gambol (7)

LUMBAGO The Mitford sisters’ “upper-class” letter is inserted into an anagram (wild) of “gambol”

26a Commandos stopping arsonist, a crooked criminal (12)

ASSASSINATOR The abbreviated name of an elite British special forces unit is inserted into (stopping) an anagram (crooked) of “arsonist a”

Down Clues
1d I praise raised border of tapestry showing light and dark, say (7)

DUALITY A (1,4) expression meaning “I praise” is inverted (“raised” in a Down clue) and followed by the first and last letters (border) of “tapestry” to give an example of what “showing light and dark” is an example (say)

2d Satirical sketch about unfinished career in type of transport (3,4)

SKI LIFT Take a four-letter “Satirical sketch” and insert (about) a synonym of “career” (or existence) lacking its final letter (unfinished) then split as instructed

3d Possession when pro is involved (9)

OWNERSHIP An anagram (involved) of “when pro is”

4d Plant cultivated for fibre is biostable disregarding odds (5)

SISAL This fibrous plant is formed from the even-numbered letters (disregarding odds) of “is biostable”

5d Links section of Australia is establishing (7)

LIAISES The solution is lurking amongst (section of) the letters of “Australia is establishing”

6d Wavering effect of start and end of trembling solo (7)

TREMOLO The solution is found by putting together the first four letters of “trembling” and the final three letters of “solo”

7d Are such people drawn to scale? (12)

MOUNTAINEERS A wonderful, cryptic clue, “scale” here being a verb associated with the aspiration of the solution

10d Potentially opt in earnest for performance (12)

PRESENTATION An anagram (Potentially) of “opt in earnest”

15d Processed in Ireland an endocrine hormone (9)

ADRENALIN An anagram of (Processed in) “Ireland an”

17d Batter cakes for rabbits (7)

WAFFLES A double definition

18d Revolutionary singer in a hip-hop composition (7)

PARTITA Insert a three-letter bird into “a” from the clue and a spoken musical part associated with hip-hop, then insert the lot (Revolutionary)

19d Concerning a daughter Massachusetts Institute of Technology let in again (7)

READMIT A charade of a two-letter term meaning “Concerning”, “a” from the clue, the usual letter meaning “daughter” and the abbreviation for the given academic institution

20d Old livestock enclosure, warm and dry out of doors (4-3)

OPEN-AIR A charade of the usual letter indicating “old”, a three-letter “livestock enclosure” and a verb meaning (to) “warm and dry” (think laundry)

22d Tales from the north and from the south (5)

SAGAS In a Down clue, “from the north and from the south” indicates that you are looking for a palindromic solution