Toughie No. 3 — cryptic crossword

A toughie puzzle: 44 clues on a 15×15 grid. Solve it online — check your answers as you go, ask for a hint, and read how each clue works once it is solved.

Across

1. Dance step from fool going backwards (3)
3. Courage in the offensive — what floors a strong man (5,6)
9. Aunts do a wild dance to amaze (7)
10. Hard graft, er, produces a jumper (7)
13. Hence an awkward reshuffle to improve (7)
15. Presses out nothing but a strong coffee (8)
16. Riot broken up by a jazz group, perhaps (4)
17. Hardly ever are models made up (6)
20. One toast to the unknown is bad for you (9)
23. Rubber cut short to delete (5)
24. Broke, taking in a run, and split (5)
26. A pitch is prepared, love, for the nut (9)
29. Possibilities — Spring to be second (6)
31. Composed, and rather groovy (4)
32. Learner with attitude, losing time, gets some leeway (8)
35. Knight loused up, giving lumps (7)
38. Spend a penny in a true flap (7)
39. Cop hare, cooked by the one who took it (7)
40. Coppers make a slight alteration (5,6)
41. Odd characters in reign make Scots run (3)

Down

1. Dish, a posh one, where the climb levels out (7)
2. Frame-up turning up in input estimate (5)
3. Put up the Tories, say, for a country weekend do (5,5)
4. Ideas hammered out by the PM's helpers (5)
5. Huts collapse — nonsense! (4)
6. Next, an article on the Pole (4)
7. The fallout following American arithmetic (9)
8. Oak rake broken up for a pub singalong (7)
11. It has ears, so mind what you say (4)
12. One caught on the hill — a player (5)
14. Grub served up in Welsh songs (4)
18. Looks at what we hear are votes in favour (4)
19. Top a deep attic conversion (10)
21. Mouth organ from hospital macaroni, cooked (9)
22. Time to copy a record (4)
24. Rugby players, say, holding up the reserves (7)
25. Bar losing nothing is a hairdresser's (5)
27. Lies at sea! (4)
28. Take too long: six balls and a single (7)
30. Roughly one short of a boxing round (4)
33. One shaking, as panes do! (5)
34. America and her escort (5)
36. Daughter, ah, left Charlie's creator (4)
37. German river rising in each cell (4)

More: Toughie cryptic crosswords.

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