Toughie No 635 by Excalibur
Don’t blame the messenger!
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment *
Same old grid, same old clues, same old …….
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Across
1a One’s present girlfriend since just after midnight? (7,4)
{CURRENT DATE} – a double definition – how one could describe one’s present girlfriend and the period of time that started just after midnight
9a One has nothing against the Army (or very little!) (4)
{IOTA} – a charade of I (one), O (nothing) and the volunteer army gives a very small amount
10a Easy way to deduce there’s been a wedding? (5,2,4)
{PIECE OF CAKE} – a phrase meaning easy could, at a stretch, be a way to deduce there’s been a wedding
11a Drink you’d rather not have in garden (4)
{SLUG} – a double definition – a shot of drink and a garden pest
14a Not invited into nude gathering, want to know why? (7)
{UNASKED} – a word meaning not invited is created from an anagram (gathering) of NUDE with to want to know why inserted
16a He calls for it in a flap, to save face (7)
{VISITOR} – this person who calls is created by inserting IT inside a flap that protects the face
18a Returning to base inconclusively, you put your foot in it (5)
{SABOT} – reverse (returning) TO and BAS(E) without its final letter (inconclusively) to get a wooden shoe that you put your foot in it
19a Young male with young female (4)
{LADY} – a charade of a young male and Y(oung) gives a female
20a Hence, with respect to back leave (4)
{ERGO} – a word of Latin origin meaning hence or therefore is created from a word meaning with respect to or concerning reversed (back) followed by a verb meaning to leave or depart
21a ‘Notices,’ you say, in quotes (5)
{CITES} – this word meaning quotes or mentions sounds like notices or sees
23a Turkish for ‘black out’? (7)
{DELIGHT} – a confection which is usually preceded by the word Turkish could mean to black out (but doesn’t)
24a Keeping gold gates for enclosure unlocked (7)
{STORAGE} – a word meaning keeping or preservation is created by putting the heraldic term for gold inside (enclosure) an anagram (unlocked) of GATES – yet another example of indecipherable Yodaspeak
25a Him heap man! (4)
{RICK} – a man’s name is also a heap or stack
30a A row may get results (5,3,3)
{CLEAR THE AIR} – a part-cryptic double definition – what a row or argument may do could achieve what an anti-pollutionist wants
31a Place that’s perfect for retirement (4)
{SPOT} – a place or location that, when reversed (for retirement), gives a word meaning perfect
32a Having no bumps for phrenologist means ‘sensible’ (5-6)
{LEVEL-HEADED} – this could mean there are no bumps for the phrenologist to read and actually means ‘sensible’
Malt whiskies strong several after back I’ll be. Yoda BD
Down
2d One metal cup coming up! (4)
{UNIT} – one is the definition – reverse (up) a metallic element and a type of cup used as a seal
3d Top off instant pudding (4)
{RICE} – remove the initial T (top off) from an instant to get a type of pudding
4d Heads for comfort food (7)
{NOODLES} – a slang word for heads is also a type of food
5d Avoid being smitten by love (4)
{DUCK} – a double definition – to avoid and a score of zero in cricket – as love is zero in tennis and the answer is zero in cricket, can one be used to define the other?
6d Presumes, when one doesn’t reject the offering (5,2)
{TAKES IT} – a double definition
7d Ambition to capture a record in comeback (4)
{GOAL} – an ambition is, in Yodaspeak, to capture A inside a record or diary reversed (comeback)
8d Return from mission from which one might not have returned (6,5)
{DANGER MONEY} – the return or recompense from a risk mission
12d It should ensure delivery of entire speech (4,7)
{FULL ADDRESS} – what is needed on an envelope, along with a stamp, to ensure it is delivered is also the entire speec
13d On beach alone, removing one item of apparel (6)
{SANDAL} – another word for a beach is followed by AL(ONE) to get an item of footwear
15d It creates suspense when lifeboat’s lowered (5)
{DAVIT} – one of a pair of devices used for lowering a lifeboat
16d Violet’s lost it, seeing! (5)
{VOLES} – remove the separate letters (lost) of IT from V(I)OLE(T)’S to get these small furry creatures
17d River creature rising and surfacing (6)
{TARMAC} – a charade of a river in a university city and a creature is reversed (rising) to get a road surfacing
21d He’s got a fish — a whopper! (7)
{CHARLIE} – this man’s name is a charade of a fish and a whopping untruth
22d Challenge bird (7)
{STRETCH} – a double definition – to challenge or extend and bird (Cockney bird lime) or time in prison
26d Animal scoffing hot dog (4)
{CHOW} – put a farm animal around (scoffing) H(ot) to get a type of dog
27d Said it’s the carriage entrance (4)
{GATE} – this word that sounds like carriage or bearing is an entrance
28d Fellow fed up with Greek food (4)
{FETA} – F(ellow) with a word meaning fed reversed (up) gives a Greek cheese
29d Awful day leading to bad temper (4)
{DIRE} – a word meaning awful is a charade of D(ay) and bad temper
The last clue says it all!
Definitely not a toughie – took me less time than the back page today (and come to that the FT and Times too). Thanks to BD for the review. As Scarlett O’Hara would say ‘tomorrow is another day’!
I used to find Excalibur toughies a struggle but even my limited intellect found this to be on the gentle side however I did quite enjoy it. Thanks Excalibur and BD for the review.
Definitely an easy Toughie! I didn’t enjoy it, mainly because of the grid – 14 “wee stinkers”. It can’t have been much fun for the setter either – unless she chose the grid herself.
Agreed
Childish I know, but I did like 23a.
Just watched “The Listeners” . Congratulations! I’ve set the video up for next week.
29ac.
Or rather 29d
I knew what you meant!
A routine cryptic, not a Toughie nor particularly interesting. Sorry.
Sorry but I did not enjoy this one iota, 15d wasn’t even cryptic best clue probably8d. Thanks to Excalibur and to Bid Dave for his comments. Congratulations to Dave Tilsit and his team on their success last night.
I have to agree with everybody- slightly easier than the back page.
Still, at least there IS a Toughie today, unlike Mondays, which gets my goat.
http://www.railbirds.com/gallery/2009/02/61959wanted_poster.jpg
Laid up with a bad back and very bored don’t usually have time for Toughie but was really pleased I did all but 2 so a gentler one was much appreciated. Thanks to BD for getting me the final 2. I’ll have to continue now
What does “Yodaspeak” mean? Did have a quick go at the toughie today – gardening was “rained off” – managed some (of the crossword I mean rather than the gardening) and needed the hints for lots. Thanks to Excalibur and BD.
Off gardening rained was… Yoda was an ill-advised addition to the characters in the Star Wars films. I think he was intended to add a comedic element – it didn’t work. Some of the surface readings in some crosswords read as if they were spoken by Yoda and it’s one of my bug-bears. I really don’t mind if a clue is fairly easy but I hate contrived and nonsensical surface readings, Of course I may be wrong. Ask BD!
Better myself it I could not have put!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fE8PieLJttY&rel=0&showinfo=0&w=309&h=250]
Thanks birdie and BD.
I had everythiing taped up apart form the NE corner from which I managed to make 7d Hope, 11a Weed, and 8d Wanders over. Oh, how dim, you might well say.
Obviously I could’nt quantify ‘wander sover’. Clearly I was way off the mark with a couple of clues, but thank you to this site for setting me straight.
One can be so easily thrown off the track by believing that one has solved a clue which one ultimately discovers is not the right answer. Big lesson learnt!