Toughie 2774

Toughie No 2774 by Serpent

Hints and tips by crypticsue

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

Serpent provides a Toughie of a difficulty level right in the middle of the Toughie spectrum. He always hides something in his grids – did you spot the compass points in the appropriate places in the solutions??

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a    Nonconformity of odd characters from next door confused with youth (11)
UNORTHODOXY An anagram (confused) of the odd characters from NeXt DOOR with YOUTH

7a    Man weighed down by the world taking time off finally (5)
ATLAS Remove the abbreviation for Time from a two-word phrase meaning finally. This character from Greek mythology was condemned to hold the heavens on his shoulders. The image of him with the world on his shoulders was used as an illustration in a book of Mercator’s maps published in 1595

8a    Strongly criticised adult in accepted role (4,5)
TOOK APART The abbreviation for Adult inserted into a way an actor might say they accepted [the] role

10a    Prohibition era bungled attempt to clip mob’s wings (7)
EMBARGO An anagram (bungled) of ERA and an attempt into which is inserted (to clip) the outside letters (wings) of MoB

11a    Right for one motoring club to hold races in sporting event (7)
REGATTA The abbreviations for Right and for example (for one) followed by a motoring organisation, some abbreviated motorcycle races being inserted (to hold) in the latter.

12a    What has a pronounced effect on El Niño? (5)
TILDE A sign used over a letter n in Spanish to indicate a particular sound – if you printed off the Puzzles site version of this crossword, the last word of the clue was shown as “Ni�o” but provided you knew how to write down the second word of the climate pattern, the solution was clear

13a    Demanding son lives in temporary shelter outside (9)
INSISTENT IN (from the clue) and a temporary shelter go ‘outside’ of the abbreviation for Son and a synonym for lives

16a    Flasher wearing ripped coat covered with lots of dirt (9)
INDICATOR A preposition meaning wearing and an anagram (ripped) of COAT, the latter covered with the first three (lots of) letters of DIRt

18a    Marine creature more likely to bleed when caught (5)
SEPIA This cuttlefish sounds like (when caught) a word meaning more likely to bleed

19a    Takes issue with the idea of making money illegally? (7)
KIDNAPS A cryptic definition of the action of a child-taking criminal

22a    First floor is managed by those in power (3-4)
TOP-DOWN A synonym for first and a verb meaning to knock to the ground (floor) combine to give an adjective meaning controlled by the most important or powerful people

23a    Held back career winning acceptance for disheartened, vulnerable youngster (9)
NURSELING A reversal (held back) of a synonym for career or race and a way of saying winning acceptance for without its middle letter (disheartened)

24a    Generally, underwear is filled with this elastic material (5)
OSIER The inside letters of a term for knitted goods, especially underwear

25a    Quiet American politician not backing out blocks major settlement (11)
SOUTHAMPTON An instruction to be quiet, the abbreviation for American, a politician and a reversal (backing) of NOT, into which is inserted (blocks) OUT (from the clue)

Down

1d    Murder victim featured in French article after another died in America, nameless (9)
UNLABELED The American spelling of a synonym for nameless – the first murder victim in the Old Testament inserted between (featured in) a French indefinite article and a French definite article, the result finished with the abbreviation for Died

2d    Comply with notice (7)
OBSERVE Double definition

3d    Person who gets under your skin and makes a lasting impression? (9)
TATTOOIST A cryptic definition of someone who makes a lasting impression on your skin

4d    Pervasive character associated with US party lines (5)
ODOUR Sneaky capitals time – a party ‘lines’ a possessive pronoun meaning associated with us

5d    Fruit loop rants about end of civilisation (7)
ORANGES The loop-shaped letter is followed by a synonym for rants which goes ‘about’ the letter at the end of civilisatioN

6d    Means of raising votes in favour of parliament’s closure (5)
YEAST Some votes in favour and the ‘closure’ of parliament

7d    We aren’t sick, hurt or knocked out (3-8)
AWE–STRICKEN An anagram (hurt) of WE ARENT SICK

9d    Filter tricky question about school (3-8)
TEA–STRAINER A tricky question goes about a verb meaning to school

14d    Concocted plan to serve up great dishes (9)
STRATAGEM A reversal (to serve) up of a synonym for great and some dishes

15d    Former political organisation is upset about bombing? (9)
EXPLOSION The usual two-letter ‘former’, an abbreviated Middle Eastern political organisation, a reversal (upset) of IS (from the clue) and a preposition meaning about

17d    Church had gold and property in France (7)
CHATEAU The abbreviation for church, a synonym for had and the chemical symbol for gold

18d    Second of two drinks (7)
SUPPORT Two drinks, the first a verb and the second a type of fortified wine

20d    Parties stopped by King lead to Independence Day? (5)
DORIS Some parties (we had one of them before in 4d) into which are inserted (stopped by) the Latin abbreviation for King and the ‘lead’ to Independence. Had this particular ‘Day’ not appeared elsewhere recently, it might have taken me slightly longer to recognise the definition in this clue

21d    Smart point that’s not particularly precise? (5)
SWISH A two-letter compass point and the suffix used to indicate that something is not particularly precise

As this is my last review of the year, I’d like to take the opportunity to wish Serpent and all the other setters, bloggers and commenters a Happy and Healthy New Year – I sincerely hope that it will be a better one than the last two years for all of us, especially Mr and Mrs BD