Toughie 932

Toughie No 932 by Shamus

Hints and tips by Bufo

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

I thought this was a very straightforward puzzle. I’ve nothing else to say

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Across

1a    Writer with record sales initially — sign of strength? (6)
{BICEPS} A make of ballpoint pen (writer) + an abbreviation for a 7″ record + S (first letter of sales) = a muscle

4a    Term for ex-President, Democrat, touring America given improper treatment (6)
{ABUSED} The usual crossword representation of President Lincoln + D (Democrat) round America

8a    For audience, convenient international contest (8)
{HANDICAP} A homophone of ‘convenient’ + a sportsman selected for an international team

10a    Body part seen by cat around a river (6)
{LARYNX} An animal of the cat family goes round A R (river)

11a    Trace source of humour, we hear (4)
{WHIT} A homophone of a humorous person

12a    Fashionable worker’s tips in view — creator of craft? (10)
{SHIPWRIGHT} ‘Fashionable’ and WR (first and last letters of worker) inside a view

13a    Request for mum: pick out stain in new ensemble (3,1,4,2,2)
{PUT A SOCK IN IT} A request fro silence (mum) is an anagram (in new ensemble) of PICK OUT STAIN

16a    Aggressive action in libel disturbed actor and name linked to church (12)
{BELLIGERENCE} An anagram (disturbed) of LIBEL + the surname of an actor called Richard + N (name) + CE (church)

20a    Create issue about post held back for two houses? (10)
{PARLIAMENT} ‘To create issue (a child)’ round a reversal of post (letters) gives two houses in Westminster

21a    Exhausted / marksman (4)
{SHOT} 2 meanings

22a    Judge leaving island with old seafarers for distant world (6)
{URANUS} Remove J (judge) from the start of the name of a Scottish island. Then add the abbreviation for a former trade union of merchant seafarers

23a    Field includes this measure round middle of contraflows — a motorway feature? (4,4)
{SLIP ROAD} A fielding position in cricket + an old measure of distance round A (middle letter of contraflows)

24a    Asian sites of hospitality reportedly for literary promotions (3-3)
{TIE-INS} A homophone of Asian (Siamese) places of hospitality (pubs)

25a    Attitude harboured by nearest ancestors (6)
{STANCE} Hidden in neareST ANCEstors

Down

1d    Stand largely by back of pub entertained by friend, layabout in resort? (5,3)
{BEACH BUM} ‘To stand (endure)’ with the last letter removed + B (last letter of pub) in friend

2d    Trainee in college, skilled figure ignoring pressure (5)
{CADET} C (College) + a skilled person with the letter P (pressure) removed

3d    A cop is trained to keep first of specimens, one often exhibited (7)
{PICASSO} An anagram (trained) of A COP IS round S (first letter of specimens) gives an artist

5d    Former premier left in rotten land (7)
{BALDWIN} L (left) in ‘rotten’ + ‘to land’

6d    Struggle in street abroad to get dining accessory (9)
{SERVIETTE} ‘To struggle’ inside an anagram (abroad) of STREET

7d    Small boat hard to get moored in dark (6)
{DINGHY} H (hard) inside ‘dark’

9d    Pupil’s first mistake getting punishment in school — origin of student’s irritability? (11)
{PRICKLINESS} P (first letter of pupil) + a mistake + a form of punishment in school + S (first letter of student). The word for mistake is one I have never met before

14d    Transport offering expedition to the theatre? (9)
{AMBULANCE} A cryptic definition for a vehicle that expedites getting to the operating theatre

15d    Pass poster that’s garlanded with excellent praise (8)
{ACCOLADE} A mountain pass + a poster inside (garlanded with) ‘excellent’

17d    Affair in capital is briefly concealed by courageous type (7)
{LIAISON} Capital (first-class) and ‘S (is briefly) inside a courageous person

18d    Political manipulator is ousted in sinister revolutionary time (7)
{ENTRIST} An anagram (revolutionary) of SINTER (SINISTER minus IS) + T (time). Not a word that I am familiar with

19d    Repeat incentive offering power for clubs (6)
{PARROT} ‘To repeat by rote’ is an incentive with C (clubs) replaced by P (power)

21d    Source of alarm in mariner I shut up (5)
{SIREN} Hidden in reverse in mariNER I Shut

I’m back on duty again tomorrow when I hope for something more challenging