Toughie No 1551 by Sparks
Hints and tips by Toro
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment **
I’m filling in for Dutch today, who is preparing to go on the piste. This was a more straightforward solve than I was expecting on a rare visit to the Friday Toughie chair, and the style will probably have appealed more to those who enjoy tussling with clue components than to someone like me who has more of a liking for surfaces and inventive definitions.
[POSTSCRIPT: Gazza has suggested below that there is a personal message in six clues beginning with 1d. If there is, and it is what I think he means, then it’s not surprising this puzzle is not exactly brimming with levity (and my ratings are even less relevant than usual).]