Toughie No 645 by Dada
Hints and tips by Bufo
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
When I started I thought this was going provide a struggle. In fact I found it very straightforward but, just in case I was having a good morning and was on the setter’s wavelength, I have left the difficulty rating at 3* after toying with 2*
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 Insultingly, Irishman not entirely behind European argument (7)
{POLEMIC} A term for an Irishman (which is offensive slang according to Chambers) with the last letter missing goes after a native of a European country to give an argument, especially over a doctrine, belief, etc.
5a Two males in cotton (7)
[BUCKRAM} A male deer or rabbit + a male sheep = a coarse open-weave fabric possibly of cotton
9a Red number fifty backed (5)
{LENIN} A red (communist) Russian statesman is made up of a reversal of a number and L (fifty)
10a Reportedly, arrested character is the king, perhaps? (5,4)
{COURT CARD} A homophone to many (though not to me) of “arrested character” is one of a pack of 52 (a king, queen or jack)
11a Mutual friend’s second police car wrecked (10)
{RECIPROCAL} “Mutual” = the second letter of friend + an anagram (wrecked) of POLICE CAR
12a Round circuit, reversing is something precious (4)
{OPAL} A reversal of O (round) circuit = a gemstone
14a Down mountain, daredevils struggling to hold on (6,6)
{SLIEVE DONARD} A mountain in County Down (the highest in Northern Ireland) is an anagram (struggling) of DAREDEVILS round ON
18a Time passed by without leadership — that’s doubly clear (6-6)
{TWENTY-TWENTY} Take T (time) + “passed” + Y (by without its first letter) and repeat it to give clear (of vision)
21a Extraordinary red (4)
{RARE} 2 meanings: extraordinary/red (as underdone meat)
22a Hot as Jerusalem, head bandages! (10)
{PASSIONATE} AS + a name for Jerusalem (which is not usually spelt this way) goes inside another word for the head to give “hot”
25a Scent wonder about entering list (9)
{ROSEWATER} A scent = a reversal of reverential wonder inside a list of employees, etc., with assigned duties
26a Flower bud’s centre, something drawn round it (5)
{LOTUS} An Egyptian or Indian water lily is formed from U (middle letter of bud) inside what two or more people draw as a means of choosing one person
27a Disputed region remains marginalised, initially in the drink (7)
{KASHMIR} A disputed region in the Indian subcontinent = remains + M (first letter of marginalised) inside a drink made of white wine and blackcurrant liqueur
28a Where one might yawn in boredom, restlessly (7)
{BEDROOM} An anagram (restlessly) of BOREDOM gives somewhere you retire to when you’re tired
Down
1d Buddy shot Mickey Mouse (6)
{PALTRY} A buddy (friend) + a shot (attempt) = “Micky Mouse” when used as an adjective
2d Tranquillity, for example, roughly speaking, madness! (6)
{LUNACY} This word for “madness” roughly sounds like what Tranquillity (where Apollo 11 landed) is an example of
3d Doctor seeing bloke out of bed, one heaven-bound, dead (10)
{MANIPULATE} “To doctor” = bloke + “out of bed” and one reversed (heaven-bound) + dead
4d Firm burying half of acacia tree (5)
{CACAO} A 2-letter abbreviation for a firm goes round the first half of acacia = a tropical American tree with seeds from which chocolate is made
5d Asian winds beneath us (9)
{BHUTANESE} An anagram (winds) of BENEATH US gives an inhabitant of a Himalayan kingdom
6d Resting place required, dove’s ending — here? (4)
{COTE} A resting place for a baby + E (last letter of dove) = a place of shelter for doves
7d Cut fruit, so crop up again? (8)
{REAPPEAR} Cut (4) + fruit (4) = “crop up again”
8d Middle stump firstly taken out, unfortunate opener trapped — a worrying collapse? (8)
{MUDSLIDE} An anagram (taken out) of MIDDLE S (first letter of stump) goes round U (first letter of unfortunate) to give a slippage of a mass of wet earth down a hillside
13d Egg may be dirty, sandwiches of disease? (4-6)
{SOFT-BOILED} How you might like your egg at breakfast time = “dirty” containing (sandwiches) OF and a disease affecting the lungs
15d Device for removing old vehicle (9)
{EXTRACTOR} A device for removing = old + a farm vehicle. This is today’s old chestnut.
16d Cult show’s launch concerning Kirk, primarily (4,4)
{STAR TREK} A cult TV show with a character called Kirk = launch + “concerning” + K (first letter of Kirk)
17d Possible obsession in euros I sadly admitted (8)
{NEUROSIS} A possible obsession is hidden (admitted) in iN EUROS I Sadly
19d Where drums employed, trash on top (6)
{TATTOO} The beating of a drum = trash + “on top” (or “in addition”)
20d Abroad, I raised support for discarded goods (6)
{JETSAM} The French word for “I” + a reversal of a support (for sails) = goods thrown from a ship and washed up on shore
23d Brush switched for broom, perhaps (5)
{SHRUB} An anagram (switched) of BRUSH gives something of which broom is an example
24d Dip some wafers, imagining moist surfaces (4)
{SWIM} A dip (in the sea, possibly) is formed from the first letters (surfaces) of Some Wafers Imagining Moist
A enjoyable puzzle but the enjoyment was over far too quickly
A most enjoyable puzzle that was not overly taxing.
Thanks to Dada, and to Bufo for the write up.
It is annoying isn’t it when you solve a really enjoyable puzzle too quickly. Great fun as usual from Dada, thank you, although perhaps not as tough as some in the past. Thanks to Bufo for the explanations too.
A splendid puzzle and you can guess how I would have illustrated 26a, (actually,I’ve already done it – see 20d in DT26519).
Needed Google for the mountain! Thought it was a mountain in County Down and spotted the anagram but didn’t know the name – filed away for future reference now!
Thanks to Dada and Bufo
Pleasurable puzzle as others say not too taxing but still good fun, favourites 14a and 13d thanks to Dada and to Bufo for the comments.
Great fun and not overly difficult, had to look up the Irish mountain however. Thanks to Dada and Bufo.
Ditto having to check the irish mountain. favourites 22a and 13d. Thanks to Dada and Bufo
Very very good indeed. Laughed my head off when I worked 2D out as I was listening to Dark Side of the Moon as I worked it out.
Don’t understand 12a. Why does mutual = R? I found this more of a 4* and would not have finished it without help. A great exercise for the little grey cells!
That should be 11a …
I took it to be the second letter from friend (r) plus anagram indicated by wrecked of policecar, gives a word meaning mutual.
Mutual is the definition ie a word meaning Mutual = (or is) R + an anagram of POLICE CAR.
I thought this was a really good puzzle with some great clues. 3d gave me a good laugh [heaven-bound -what next`?]. Also liked 1d 18 19 20 and 25. Thanks a lot, Dada.
Thought I’d have a go as the back-page blog was saying it was fairly easy for a Toughie. Really?? No wonder I don’t often attempt them! However, did eventually manage quite a few solo, which pleased me – also pleased that I spotted the anagram for 14a but have to admit I resorted to hints before bothering to Google (am pleased Pommers was in the same boat!) Don’t think I would ever have got 5d or
25a or 22a – but I DID solve 16d, 18a and 20d, plus a few others. Thanks for brain work-out – may try again another day if feeling confident!
Once again playing Ketsup here but 16d was sublime. Thanks to Dada and to Bufo for the review. I didn’t find this easy but enjoyed writing every answer in.
I’m catching up too.
This was very straight for a Dada puzzle, but good fun nonetheless. I also liked 16d.