Toughie No 411 by Warbler
Warble a happy tune!
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
OK, it’s a corny subheading but I couldn’t think of anything else! Give me something better and I’ll change it.
A straightforward but pleasurable puzzle from Warbler today. About on a level with today’s regular cryptic in terms of difficulty (but only warranting two difficulty stars as it’s a Toughie). I understand some entered a musical note at 27a, a trap I didn’t fall into as I already had 20d.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought. You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.
Across
7a Worthless money, lots of it, starts to overburden new place in Gloucestershire (9)
{BADMINTON} – a charade of worthless, lots of money and the initial letters of O(verburden) and N(ew) gives the country seat of the Duke of Beaufort in Gloucestershire
8a Daughter’s part said to be amusing (5)
{DROLL} – combine D(aughter) with a homophone (said) of a part in a play gives a word meaning curious or unusual in a way that provokes dry amusement
10a Perceptive representation of statue (6)
{ASTUTE} – a word meaning perceptive is an anagram (representation) of STATUE
11a Conservative motorway vehicle check turns into absolute nonsense (8)
{TOMMYROT} – take a Conservative, a M(otorway) and an annual vehicle check and reverse the lot to get absolute nonsense
12a Sharp and dry in the centre of Iberia after redevelopment (6)
Newspaper version – Being very cold bird’s tail fell off (6)
{BITTER} – a word meaning sharp or tart is derived by inserting TeeTotal inside an anagram (after redevelopment) of the centre of I()BERI(A)
14a In danger from rickety stair by front of kitchen (2,4)
{AT RISK} – a short phrase meaning in danger comes from an anagram (rickety) of STAIR followed by the front of K(itchen)
16a Every now and then nerdy guy gets irritable (4)
{EDGY} – the alternate / even letters (every now and then) of nErDy GuY gives a word meaning irritable
17a A hundred and fifty object to demand (5)
{CLAIM} – a hundred and fifty in Roman numerals is followed by an object or purpose to get a demand
18a Support for central portion of rampart (4)
{PROP} – this support is a charade of a word meaning for and the central portion of ramPart
19a Grasp cutter with up and down motion (6)
{SEESAW} – a charade of to grasp or understand and something used to cut wood results in an up and down motion
21a Jazz lover’s unusually sympathetic when rendering of ‘Misty’ is omitted (6)
{HEPCAT} – this old-fashioned jazz lover is an anagram (unusually) of (SYM)PATHE(TI)C when the letters (rendering) of MISTY are omitted – Chambers gives the enumeration as (3-3), the ODE as (6)
24a In the cooking of red meat a touch of tarragon was important (8)
{MATTERED} – into an anagram (cooking) of RED MEAT insert a touch of T(arragon) to get a word meaning was important
26a Assume influence (6)
{AFFECT} – a double definition
27a Note number on back of car (5)
{FIVER} – this colloquial term for a banknote is a charade of a number and the last letter (back) of caR
28a Ruination of all independent English pubs is likely (9)
{PLAUSIBLE} – an anagram (ruination) of ALL I(ndependent) E(nglish) and PUBS gives a word meaning likely
Down
1d Old-fashioned dance step’s odd parts (5)
{PASSÉ} – a word meaning old-fashioned is a charade of a dance in ballet and the odd letters (odd parts) of StEp – Chambers defines the first three letters as “a step or dance especially in ballet”
2d Mischievous kid has a total freedom from punishment (8)
{IMPUNITY} – a charade of a mischievous kid and has a total or a single whole leads to freedom from punishment
3d Design under canvas (6)
{INTENT} – a word meaning design or purpose is where you might be if you were under canvas
4d Left bit of rusk in cup (4)
{PORT} – the nautical term for left comes from a bit of R(usk) inside a trophy cup
5d May I ask the Queen for a petition ? (6)
{PRAYER} – an old-fashioned way of saying “may I ask” is followed by Elizabeth Regina to get a petition
6d Person ruined has trapped look that’s inflamed (9)
{BLOODSHOT} – the person is a BOD! – follow this with a synonym for ruined and then insert (trapped) a short word for look and you get inflamed, invariably in connection with the eye
9d Preserve tree with injection of mould breaking antibodies initially (6)
{EMBALM} – a word meaning to preserve a body from decay is built up by putting a tree (of which there are a lot fewer than there used to be) around the initial letters of M(ould) B(reaking) A(ntibodies) – a sort of allusion to the disease that destroyed a lot of said trees
13d Extend right to everyone (5)
{REACH} – a synonym for to extend comes from R(ight) and everyone
15d With new aid learn to develop hormone (9)
{ADRENALIN} – an anagram (to develop) of N(ew) with AID LEARN gives a hormone
17d Faint-hearted playwright/composer (6)
{COWARD} – a double definition – faint-hearted is an adjective, and I didn’t know this answer could also be an adjective (other than as the ubiquitous nounal adjective) but Chambers says it can
Which gives me the chance to post this spoof version of the Master singing “Rehab”
|
ARVE Error: need id and provider |
18d Couple accommodating non-professional fellow act honestly (4,4)
{PLAY FAIR} – put a couple around (accommodating) non-professional, usually pertaining to people who are not members of the clergy, and F(ellow) to get a phrase meaning to act honestly
20d Fixed support for long seat (6)
{SETTEE} – a word meaning fixed is followed by a support for a golf ball to get a long seat
22d Prince has fever for capital (6)
{PRAGUE} – PR(ince) and a fever lead to the capital of the Czech Republic
23d Climb in exotic places without permission at first (5)
{SCALE) – a word meaning to climb comes from an anagram (exotic) of (P)LACES without the initial letter (without … at first) of Permission
25d Indolence secures benefits (4)
{DOLE} – the first word hides (secures) a slang term for benefits
Hi BD and thanks for the blog. Never been first to comment before!
Enjoyed this aand it’s only the 2nd Toughie I’ve ever finished without a bit of help!
Pommette had your construct for 7a but I thought bad (worthless), lots of money (mint) and the the ON. Don’t need the initial letter of TO.
Perhaps the heat is bringing out my pedantic side!
Put it down to a senior moment! I knew what I meant to say. Now sorted.
I fell into the MINIM trap on 27a! In the paper the clue for 12a is “Being very cold bird’s tail fell off.”
Enjoyable puzzle from Warber. Many thanks to her and to BD for the notes. Favourite clue was 6d.
Oh, forgot to say thanks to Warbler for a great puzzle!
A fun and gentle start to the Toughie week. Favourite clue was 28a followed by 6d.
I think Pommers is right with the Typo at 7a – initials of Overburden and New to finish the word off.
Thanks to BD and Warbler
See above.
Perhaps I should have said that it was deliberate to see if you were all awake!
Agree with Pommers on 7a – the inital letters are of Overburden and New, not To. I can’t see the other explanation.
Any idea why the clue for 12a was changed? Nothing wrong with the paper clue.
See above!
Seems strange as both clues work perfectly well. I prefer the Cluedup one but only because there are thousands of Egrets in this part of Spain!
Can’t quite push the enjoyment factor as far as your 4*, but pleasant enough I suppose. Rather a lot of anagrams, and I’m now prepared for the missing apostrophes (21a) in CluedUp after your explanation the other week, BD
I thought this 4* enjoyment. I was silly enough to fall into the minim trap, despite on first reading the clue thinking “the r from car will be in the answer” – soon sorted once I put in 20d. My main struggle was with 6d which of course I ‘saw; as soon as I invoked the law of the Gnome. Thanks Warbler and BD too.
Gnome’s Law sounds better. I like it.
I like my invention – the Gnome’s Law, closely followed by my other ‘invention’ the “numberal”. Only wish I didn’t have to use the Law at all, saving the email as a draft doesn’t work at all, you just have to click on ‘send’ for enlightenment to dawn.
I didn’t fall into the trap as I had a T as 4th letter – for some reason I had written ‘SETTLE’ instead of SETTEE. I really must be getting dyslexic! So, stuck for ages, and about resort to the hints when the answer hit me!
Is this Gnomey’s Law in action?
No, you have to send him an email – well I do anyway.
Ah, but if we all did that Gnomethang would get loads of emails which don’t need a reply but how is he to know? Verging on Spam I’d say!
I still maintain that you don’t actually have to send the email. The act of writing down your thoughts us enough,
The act of hitting send is merely an addition.
So long as you don’t all start doing it! (although apart from the bloggers only Nubian and Pommers have my address)
Here’s Gnomey’s email address!
*********.*****@*****.com
Simply fill in the stars. S’easy!
Don’t tempt us – nineteenth.hole@goff.com (I ought to grab that myself just in case no-one else has, and despite the fact that I have several sets of my late father’s clubs gathering dust in my barn). commute.xword@train.com etc etc
You also have mine
Thought this was going to be a gentle intro to the week but stummbled a bit at the finish.Resorted to the blog for 27a (no, I didn’t fall into the minim trap, I’d got all the cross letters.) I just couldn’t see it, but it’s so obvious. No clue stood out as an obvious favourite, perhaps 21a.
Completed without use of the hints so feeling very satisfied. Does’t often happen.
Thanks to Warbler and Big Dave.
Very enjoyable and a good workout. These toughies are becoming a lot more doable and I put that down to this Blog site and all the practice at clues over the year, so thanks t one and all.
Still trying to work out how I got 1d. I just can’t see it yet although I know the answer means old fashioned.
Thanks to Warbler and Big Dave.
It’s there now (after a hasty bit of editing)!
Very clever,thanks Dave
Made confusing because most people probably got “dance step” instead of “dance” – I did.
Sorry BD, don’t know what’s got into me today (must be the 37C heat) but shouldn’t 1d read something like –
‘a word meaning old-fashioned is a charade of a dance and the alternate letters (odd parts) of StEps’?
Don’t see where the ‘most parts’ comes from.
Clever clue – like it!
You beat me to it BD!
Been at the pictures all afternoon with my good lady so I have just got round to the toughie, found it most enjoyable and very straightforward, liked 27a.