Toughie 3776

Toughie No 3776 by Elgar

Hints and Tips by crypticsue

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

I read all the clues; I wrote in the solution to 25d and then I stared at the rest of the clues for what seemed like ages before slowly and surely the grid began to fill.  Although this was a proper Elgar Toughie, it wasn’t as difficult as I first thought it might be

Apparently today is the 65th anniversary of the release on the 16th October 1961 of the song entitled 2d, written by Willie Nelson and sung by Patsy Cline.  A number of words from the lyrics feature in the grid – 5a, 13a, 27a and 19d

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Across

1a           Big payouts make bundled notes for Spooner (8)
JACKPOTS Spooner would have mangled these big payouts into make into bundles and sets down briefly or notes

5a/17a   It’s circulated in good company for supping a little vino after meal finally over (6,3)
LOVING CUP Solving the clue is fairly straightforward compared to parsing and explaining it – The final letter of meaL followed by a reversal (circulated) an abbreviategd company into which is inserted almost all of VINo and the abbreviation for Good, the result followed by at an end or finished (over)

9a           See 19 Down

10a         Cocktail counter attached to top function (9)
MANHATTAN A piece used in playing chess or draughts (counter), a covering for the head (top) and a short form of a mathematical function

12a         Curry is this spicy, doing for current CERN staff? (10)
PHYSICISTS An anagram (curry) of iS THIS SPICY without one of the Is representing symbol for electrical current

13a         See 4 Down

15a         Worried less – if ever – about constant DIY (4-7)
SELF-SERVICE An anagram (worried) of LESS IF EVER into which is inserted (about) the abbreviation for a Constant in maths

16a         See 28 Across

17a         See 5 Across

18a         It’s not natural rating restaurant trolley’s wheels (8,3)
ABSTRACT ART An abbreviated sailor (rating) and a reversal (wheels) of the short form of an Italian restaurant and a type of trolley

20a/2d   Prison film reviews retracted line about walls of Alcatraz (4,5)
STIR CRAZY The title of a 1980’s comedy film – A reversal of some informal criticisms (reviews) followed by an abbreviated railway line which goes ‘about’ the outside letters (walls) of AlcatraZ

21a         A caging area for each game not the threat it seems (5,5)
PAPER TIGER A or for each ‘caging’ or going round the abbreviation for Area, another ‘for each’ and a playground game of chase

24a         Is 28 Across about answer – get so agitated over it (9)
COGITATES The Latin abbreviation for about and an anagram (agitated) of A (answer) GET SO into which is inserted IT (from the clue)

26a         Saffie’s first home on Classic mount (5)
SINAI The first letter of Saffie, the usual ‘home’ and classic or first-rate

27a/23d Will outfitter’s assistant recommend this audacious behaviour? (6,2,2)
TRYING IT ON Something an outfitter’s assistant might recommend or audacious behaviour

28a/16a Limit for Henry VIII, not(!) what to wear when working out (8,3)
THINKING CAP A limit on something goes after a two-word phrase describing what Henry VIII wasn’t, especially in later life

Down

1d           Record cuts in joke coat (6)
JOSEPH A caped overcoat worn by women in the 18^th century.   A type of vinyl record ‘cuts’ joke or ridicule

2d           See 20 Across

3d           Thermoplastic stuff needed by girl to keep law (10)
PLEXIGLASS A slang word meaning to eat greedily (stuff) and a young girl into which is inserted (to keep) the Latin word for law

4d/13a Factor this colour represents in Beaufort scale? (3-4)
ICE-BLUE The last two words of the clue are an anagram (represents) of the letters FACTOR and a colour.  The first word of the solution can be used as a description of one shade of this colour

6d           Fine wines taken out of case (4)
OKAY A word of acceptance (fine) is some Hungarian wines without their outside letters (taken out of case)

7d           28 Across new client’s accepted rent going up (9)
INTELLECT An anagram (new) of CLIENT into which is inserted a reversal (going up) of rent or hire out

8d           Energise doctor, holding in urge to dance (6,2)
GINGER UP An abbreviated doctor ‘holding’ IN (from the clue and an anagram (to dance) of URGE

10d         In Monk’s Head Tavern, drunk “helps” young woman downstairs (11)
MAIDSERVANT The ‘head’ of Monk and an anagram (drunk) of TAVERN into which is inserted helps or provides assistance to

11d         Who’s 2 Down given 2 Down Christmas items? (11)
NUTCRACKERS Someone who could be informally described as the solution to 2 Down followed by another informal synonym for 2 Down

14d         Clown and mechanic supported by different factions? (10)
BIPARTISAN The stage persona of Marcel Marceau (clown) and a mechanic or handicraftsman

15d         Piecemeal introduces standard measure in small quantities (9)
SPARINGLY One by one (piecemeal) into which is inserted (introduces) a norm or standard

16d         Roo possibly went against the grain (8)
CROSSCUT Roo has nothing to do with Winnie-the-Pooh but something you’d find in a church without its final letter – the solution if split 5,3 would describe this perfectly

19d/9a In charges libertine, wanting my pity (6,5)
CRYING SHAME An anagram (libertine) of IN CHARGES and MY

22d         In the beginning God created … great talents (5)
GENII  The first part of the clue is the beginning of the first verse of the first chapter of the first book of the Old Testament, an abbreviation for which can be a word meaning great talents

23d         See 27 Across

25d         Indulge in repasts, periodically (3)
EAT The even (periodically) letters of rEpAsTs