Toughie No 431 by Excalibur
Better than I expected!
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment **
Fewer Marmite© clues than usual, and there are no complaints about the grid this time.
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
1a One’s point of view, in the main (8)
{PORTHOLE} – a cryptic definition of an opening in the side of a ship
6a Cap for racegoer (6)
{BETTER} – a word meaning to cap or surpass could also be a racegoer who gambles
9a Carrying large crate out — wine (6)
{CLARET} – an anagram (out) of CRATE around (carrying) L(arge) gives a French wine
10a They’re woods, stupid! Mixed set (8)
{THICKETS} – these woods come from a synonym for stupid followed by an anagram (mixed) of SET
11a Year when all goes wrong, regardless of location (8)
{ANYWHERE} – an anagram (all goes wrong) of YEAR WHEN gives a word meaning regardless of location
12a In Italy, you study Italian (6)
{TUSCAN} – The Italian for you is followed by a verb meaning to study gives someone from a region of Italy
13a In which one parades one’s grievances? (7,5)
{PROTEST MARCH} – a cryptic definition of an action by a mass group of people to air their grievances
16a As the snooker player said to Lady Luck? (4,2,1,5)
{GIVE ME A BREAK} – something a snooker player might say is actually an expression used to express exasperation, protest, or disbelief.
19a Rest, unwinding before morning rush (6)
{STREAM} – an anagram (unwinding) of REST followed by the abbreviation for morning gives a rush or surge
21a He looks good in uniform (8)
{CHAPLAIN} – a cryptic definition of a clergyman in uniform
23a Rough sea for yours truly is terrifying (8)
{FEARSOME} – an anagram (rough) of SEA FOR followed by the objective first person pronoun (yours truly) gives a word meaning terrifying
24a Sift through possible material for a children’s book (6)
{RIDDLE} – a double definition – to sift through and possible material for a children’s book (or any puzzle book)
25a Whispers ‘Team’s ahead’ (6)
{ASIDES} – these theatrical whispers come from a synonym for team’s with A at the front (ahead – yuk!)
26a Puts off giving passes to let us in (8)
{SUSPENDS} – a word meaning puts off comes from a synonym for passes, as in passes time, around (let … in) US
Down
2d Figure worktop had been removed ages after (6)
{OBLONG} – this rectangular figure is built up from work without its first letter (work with top removed) and ages
3d Chucked over, it is said (5)
{THREW} – a word meaning chucked is a homophone (it is said) of a synonym for over
4d So then going to pieces when one is about to win (2,3,4)
{ON THE NOSE} – put an anagram (going to pieces) of SO THEN inside (is about) ONE to get a bet that a horse is going to win and not come second or third
5d Great exit. I leave again by myself (7)
{EXTREME} – a synonym for great comes from EX(I)T without the I (I leave) with again and myself
6d Created only to accommodate superstar cast do (5)
{BUILT} – a word meaning created is generated from a word meaning only around (to accommodate) a superstar or hero without the middle two letters (cast DO)
7d Withdraws attempts to get refund (5,4)
{TAKES BACK} – a word meaning withdraws also means returns to the shop to try to get a refund
8d Coming in to hypnotise (8)
{ENTRANCE} – a double definition
13d Favoured, before fellow slipped up (9)
{PREFERRED} – a word meaning favoured is a charade of before, F(ellow) and slipped up or made a mistake
14d Zodiacal sign he’s found in a reference book (9)
{THESAURUS} take a zodiacal sign and insert HE’S to get a reference book that is much used by cruciverbalists
15d Lacking the energy to bend over? (8)
{LISTLESS} – a word meaning lacking energy could be bend over fewer times
17d They support those who are in retreat (7)
{BACKERS} – a double definition
18d Charged for bunk I shall occupy (6)
{BILLED} – a word meaning charged comes from a bunk (or other place to sleep) around I’LL
20d Gets hitched and loves showing the wife round (5)
{MOORS} – hitches a boat is derived from O O (loves) inside the title given to a married woman
22d Be stuck in a home (5)
{LODGE} – a double definition
Quod erat demonstrandum.
I enjoyed both puzzles today thanks to both setters. Don’t see any stars for rating Big Dave ? That’s rating the puzzle not you BD
They are a WordPress feature which is still turned on – I have no idea where they have gone (seems to be a problem with browsers other than IE – I wonder if WordPress has made a change and screwed it up!)
They were here earlier because I voted on the Cryptic.
Enjoyable crossword, not too tough, liked 1a and 12a. Thanks Excalibur and Big Dave.
I quite liked it, and nothing much to moan about, although I did not like 24a much.
7d took a while to justify; I thought that the ‘Takes’ referred to ‘attempts’ (as in making a film).
Thanks to Excalibur, and to BD
That was my first “take” on 7d, but I think it works better as I’ve described.
This was a satisfiying puzzle to solve. Not overly difficult but with enough to keep you going through the grid. Many thanks to Excalibur for the crossword and to BD for the notes. Favourite clues were 1a and 20d.
Not too bad today, I quite liked 20d but share your Yuk! on the ahead bit.
Thanks to BD and to Excalibur.
Make that 3 Yuks! I frowned at the time, but move on.
What did you think of “worktop had been removed” for (J)OB? These were the two main clues that kept my enjoyment rating down to two stars.
Not a great deal.
Not overly keen; another clue I knew the answer, but had to justify. Along similar lines in the Guardian today: They would fight, though comrades refused? (5,6) Anagram (comrades ref)
Have to say that I frowned at that one.
Having started to look with the usual trepidation, I completed the grid in fairly quick time apart from the NE corner (and that was because I had the wrong word in 6a). Was it more of a hard Cryptic than an easy Toughie? I dare to ask! Thanks to Excalibur and BD.
A bit of a slog, but solvable, for me. I thought 11a quite neat. Liked 10a as well. 3 stars.
No puzzle with clues like 25a and 2d will get more than two stars from me!
I’d give it 3 stars if I could. BD’s howlers are offset by 20d and 12a in my “porthole”.
I’ve written to WordPress.
If you use Internet Explorer the ratings are working.
Subjective, I know, but Firefox seems much quicker than IE8 to me.
Not on IE7.
Spoke too soon – they’re back now in time for me to award this a mere 2*, as I wasn’t hugely impressed. Perhaps a slight hangover from my ScrewedUp experience this morning.
Thanks to BD’s advice, I now use Firefox – don’t know about improvement in speed, but it displays the pages on this web-site correctly – and also provides a spell-checker for the comments! Don’t know if many people use this feature. Hopefully, this message will be free of typos!
Ironically, the spell-checker highlighted “Firefox” as an error!
2d was my yuk moment, with ages = long….too forced for me
I don’t get the opportunity to leave a comment very often, but I do check in daily on my phone. I couldn’t do without this blog! I thought today’s offering was on the easier side, but I needed your explanation, Dave, for 6d. Whilst the answer was obvious from the checking letters, I couldn’t for the life of me work out the wordplay.
I still don’t really understand 21a – what has “looks good” got to do with anything? No doubt I’m being incredibly dense. Didn’t like 24a at all. COD for me, 20d.
Thanks for the review.
I thought 21a was pathetic, and didn’t have a Clue Of the Day, I was just glad to finish the blog and move on.
Let’s hope the rest of the week is better.
Started this late last night but had to sleep so continued this morning. Made good progress except with the NW corner apart from 9a and 3d so looked at the blog. 1a was what I missed!
Best for me were 16a & 14d.
A few weak clues!