Toughie No 3506 by Kcit
Hints and Tips by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ***
The temperature might have dropped fourteen degrees since yesterday evening but inside the house, it is still very hot, so I am thankful that this extremely wordy crossword (there wasn’t much room left on the paper to write in the parsings) was relatively easy to parse and hint, so that I could get back outside into the breeze
Please let us know what you thought
Across
1a Rebellions in film about disruption Germany stops (5,1’4)
COUPS D’ETAT A layer or covering (film) goes ‘about’ a disruption or disturbance into which is inserted (stops) the IVR Code for Germany
6a Scratching head, dispose of irritation(4)
ITCH Remove the first letter (scratching head) of a slang word meaning to get rid of

9a A quirk, ignoring South Island jaggedness (10)
ANGULARITY A (from the clue) and a quirk ignoring the abbreviations for South and Island at the start of the word
10a Several parties back horse, putting in pounds (4)
BLOC A reversed (back) strong horse into which is inserted the abbreviation for Pound Sterling
12a Delegate incites legislators to ignore a European in singular issue?(12)
SPOKESPERSON Part of a verb meaning incites and some legislators in the House of Lords without one of the abbreviations for European, inserted into one male child (singular issue)
15a Traditional stories about a hospital in Pakistani city (6)
LAHORE Traditional stories go ‘about’ A (from the clue) and the abbreviation for Hospital
16a Standard right-winger, ignoring leader, receiving money from Arab country (8)
ORDINARY Remove the first letter (ignoring leader) from an informal way of referring to someone with right-wing political views and insert some currency used in Arab countries
18a Entertainment not imagined to suppress energy associated with death (8)
FUNEREAL Pleasure or entertainment and not imagined, the latter ‘suppressing’ the symbol for Energy
19a A car reversed on beginning to move the smallest distances? (6)
MINIMA A reversal of A (from the clue) and a small car go on or after the first letter (beginning) of Move
21a Laugh about possessing male toiletry (7,5)
SHAVING CREAM A shrill laugh goes about a synonym for possessing

24a Charged material covering source of rare item on course (4)
IRON An electrically charged particle ‘covering’ the first letter (source) of Rare
25a Judge restricting northern newspaper, one offering a backward look (4,6)
WING MIRROR A slang name for a judge ‘restricting’ the abbreviation for Northern, followed by the name of our tabloid newspapers

26a English critical comment set back French author (4)
GIDE The abbreviation for English and a critical comment reversed (set back)
27a Physical training in moorland leads to losing one new Olympic event (10)
HEPTATHLON The abbreviation for Physical Training inserted into barren open land (moorland) followed by the ‘leads’ to Losing One New

Down
1d Persuade military chief over peace, yielding power … (4)
COAX An abbreviated Commanding Officer (military chief) and the Latin word for peace without (yielding) the symbol for Power
2d … in removal of rivals? Persuade insistently (4)
URGE The ellipsis indicates the need to remove the symbol for Power from a verb meaning to clear of undesirable persons (rivals)
3d Representation of life and arts around Amsterdam? Rembrandt’s speciality (4-8)
SELF-PORTRAIT An anagram (representation) of LIFE and ARTS around a town with a harbour such as Amsterdam

4d Naked, uncovered – regret turning up shouting this? (6)
EUREKA The inside (uncovered) letters of nAKEd and a verb meaning to regret reversed (turning up)
5d Music for instrument (not piano) is test showing skill (8)
ARTISTRY A piece of music for an instrument without the musical abbreviation Piano, IS (from the clue) and a verb meaning to test
7d Satanic mill mostly abandoned as an indicator of good luck (10)
TALISMANIC An anagram (abandoned) of most of SATANIC MILl
8d Arrest after journo snaps leaders of Ealing Young Conservatives in hired vehicle (7,3)
HACKNEY CAB An informal word meaning to arrest goes after a journalist, and then the leaders of Ealing Young Conservative are inserted (snaps [up])

11d One of top four if included in shortened version of important register (12)
SEMIFINALIST IF (from the clue) inserted into a shortened adjective meaning influential in future development (important) and a register
13d Focus of casting decisions? Mostly dubious, in brief (3-7)
FLY-FISHING Most of an informal word meaning dubious inserted into a brief period

14d Say one’s thoughts: talk rudely about husband in upset couple (5,5)
THINK ALOUD An anagram (rudely) of TALK goes ‘about’ the abbreviation for Husband and IN (from the clue), a reversed couple being added at the end
17d Hopeful and reasonable about one in care of Rev?(8)
SANGUINE A synonym for reasonable or rational into which is inserted (about) the Roman numeral for one inserted into a verb meaning to open the throttle (the capital R in Rev being there to mislead)
20d Contest interrupted by Republican scare (6)
FRIGHT A contest ‘interrupted’ by the abbreviation for Republican
22d One drink excluded from initial examination (4)
ORAL Remove the Roman numeral for one and an alcoholic drink from a synonym for initial
23d Little bird not previously seen soaring around river (4)
WREN A word meaning not previously seen reversed (soaring) goes ‘around’ the abbreviation for River

The way Kcit manages to construct fairly complicated composite and subtraction clues whilst maintaining such smooth surface reading, really is impressive.
There is often so much going on in his clueing, that arriving at an answer is the easy part: the real enjoyment comes only when a clue is fully parsed and the setter’s skill can be fully appreciated.
Joint winners today are 14d and 17d, with so many others in the frame, this was a real blanket finish.
Thanks to Kcit and CS.
Top, top stuff and it’s only Wednesday!
Had a wry smile reading the opening 2 paragraphs of your comment Frankie (which I fully agree with btw) – arriving at the answers was by no means easy for me with this one & I’ve a good few unparsed.
Maybe started it too late & tired so will have another gander with fresh eyes & brain tomorrow.
I thought this a cracking lunchtime puzzle, a very satisfying solve. As Frankie rightly says, so much going on in the clueing, but good surfaces and all scrupulously fair. Re-reading it all afterwards I realised I’d put ticks next to a large number of clues, from the short 4-letter answers to the longer ones. Will limit the honours to 8d, 14d, 17d with runner-up 21a.
Many thanks indeed to Kcit & CS
A pleasant puzzle from Kcit with loads of his trademark single-letter deletions – thanks to him and CS.
The clues I liked best were 4d, 13d and 17d.
I found that really difficult and nearly gave up a couple of times. I persevered and managed to stumble over the line but needed to check s couple of my answers as I couldn’t see how i got there. Favourite was 21a. Thanks to Kcit and CS.
I agree with FrankieM and MustafaG re kcit’s clueing although I was not completely persuaded by 2d where it seems that “yielding” must also be carried over as well as “power”. But I was very taken with 13, 14 and 17d.
Thanks to kcit and CS.
I found that trickier than others above, but enjoyed the challenge.
17d LOI
21a COD
Thank you Kcit and CS.
Fun toughie today!
To mention – the description for 5d says ‘with’ when referring to the part of the clue ‘(not piano)’
I think it’s a typo but it should be ‘without’ of course!
Anyway thank you for your work, I always enjoy the blog
Welcome to the blog, Max.
A bit harder for me than for CS, but I agree on enjoyment. I couldn’t parse 2d but I’d not twigged that use of ellipsis. 4d was my standout. Thanks to Kcit for the workout and to CS for the continuing education.
We found all the unpicking quite tricky and took us somewhat longer than our blogger is reporting but we did eventually get everything sorted. A pleasant solve.
Thanks Kcit and CS.
Very enjoyable. Not often i venture into toughie country because i don’t usually fare very well.
I’m very pleased i did with this one. Maybe i’ll try more often
Thanks CS