Toughie No 908 by Kcit
Hints and tips by Bufo
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ***
Another gentle puzzle of the standard we have come to expect from Kcit
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 Shame about gardens with heart ripped out — an absolute mess (6)
{PIGSTY} ‘Shame’ goes round the first and last letters of gardens
4a Money invested in major film about Panama firm (8)
{EMPHATIC} M (money) goes inside a major film which contains the item of apparel that Panama exemplifies
10a Region incorporating new sports ground (5)
{ARENA} A region goes round N (new)
11a Joint problem? It is provided by conjunction of skill and human resources (9)
{ARTHRITIS} Inflammation of a joint is given by IT IS after ‘skill’ and HR (human resources)
12a US state containing gold deposit (7)
{MORAINE} A state of New England goes round gold to give material deposited by a glacier
13a Church opposing importing Italy’s alcoholic drink (7)
{CHIANTI} CH (church) and ‘opposing’ round I (Italy)
14a Infection ought to lead to engineer, looking hot, being shunned (4-10)
{COLD-SHOULDERED) A common infection + ‘ought + the first letter of engineer + ‘looking hot’
17a Leading philosopher’s usual aims recur with working (6,8)
{MARCUS AURELIUS} A Roman emperor who is considered to be one of the most important Stoic philosophers is an anagram (with working) of USUAL AIMS RECUR
21a Laundry machine is no longer central feature around third of kitchens (7)
{WASHTUB} ‘Is no longer’ = a central feature round the third letter of kitchen
23a For example, engrossed by flashing leg in informal dress (7)
{NÉGLIGÉ} ‘For example’ goes inside an anagram (flashing) of LEG IN
24a Festival‘s to harm excavation — spots left incomplete (5,4)
{MARDI GRAS} ‘To harm’ + an excavation + spots (on the skin) with the last letter removed
25a When tucking into tripe … you wouldn’t be eating this! (5)
{ROAST} ‘When’ goes inside tripe (rubbish) to give another meal that certainly doesn’t contain tripe
26a Cheap tickets, perhaps, through going in where the spectators are (5-3)
{STAND-BYS} ‘Through’ goes inside where spectators sit at a sporting event
27a I named sea, wild sea, huge, but not hot (6)
{AEGEUS} A character in Greek mythology after whom a sea was named = an anagram (wild) of SEA UGE, i.e. HUGE less H (hot)
Down
1d Shop quick to restrict damage (8)
{PHARMACY} A shop where medicines are obtained = ‘quick’ round ‘damage’
2d Irregular fighter I left in care of harassed regular (9)
{GUERRILLA} I L (left) goes inside an anagram (harassed) of REGULAR
3d They bring sycophancy to a day in Ancient Rome (7)
{TOADIES} TO + A + the Latin word for ‘day’
5d No Times clues (dodgy) around us — you’ll get extreme care here (14)
{METICULOUSNESS} An anagram (dodgy) of NO TIMES CLUES round US
6d Present encapsulating love given to popular, prominent girl (7)
{HEROINE} ‘Present’ goes round O (love) IN (popular)
7d Chosen player, brought in to beat colossus (5)
{TITAN} The player chosen to oppose all others (in children’s games) goes inside ‘to beat’
8d Tooth — odds on one’s captured in ‘chewing requirement’ (6)
{CUSPID} Odds (e.g on a horse) + I inside what a ruminant chews
9d Top personality vaguely sorry about spilled beer (mostly) and fruit (4,10)
{CAPE GOOSEBERRY} ‘top’ (3) + personality (3) + an anagram (vaguely) of SORRY round an anagram (spilled) of BEE (beer, mostly)
15d Get rid of a timeline that’s incorrect (9)
{ELIMINATE} An anagram (incorrect) of A TIMELINE
16d A call for assistance after swallowing foremost poisonous material (8)
{ASBESTOS} A + call for assistance round ‘foremost’
18d Singer bit put out when included in programme (7)
{CATBIRD} A singer of the feathered variety = an anagram (put out) of BIT inside a programme
19d Prepare to fight, being terribly angered (2,5)
{EN GARDE} An anagram (terribly) of ANGERED
20d Overwhelms instances of trading involving millions (6)
{SWAMPS} Instances of trading by exchanging something goes round M (millions)
22d Elevated songs about unknown country (5)
{SYRIA} A reversal of songs round Y (unknown)
Tough it ain’t
About the same standard as yesterdays offering, hardly in the toughie bracket but fairly enjoyable, thanks to Kcit and to Bufo.
Pleasant enough so thanks to Kcit. Also to Bufo.
Really must have a look at yesterday’s!
Not much of a challenge today thanks to Kcit and to Bufo.
not really a toughie…but despite what the website says I didn’t complete it in a robr-esque time…did any one else have problems? It was really playing up then gave me this strange time?
I found it much harder than yesterdays and struggled to finish. Thanls to Kcit and to Bufo for the hints which I did need today.
We did this one straight after the RayT so the phrase “a hard act to follow” is appropriate for us. No major problems and took us just a little longer than the back-pager to solve. A pleasant enough experience. We feel a link with this setter as we understand that he is a resident of our country, albeit an import.
Thanks Kcit and Bufo.
I’d call it 2.5-star hard, but extremely enjoyable!
11A made me laugh out loud…
17A made me really smug, for getting it early with so few intersections done…
18A was a new one for me – cue the “surely that can’t be a word” moment. I found a recording of the song here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EErogKNYpQ
Thanks to Kcit and to Bufo
Titans may denegrate this as a walkover but having left this before going to a “crucial “village meeting finishing it upon my return was just good fun by comparison .
Thanks once again
I certainly struggled more than yesterday’s TOughie but enjoyed myself nonetheless. Thanks to Kcit and to Bufo for the review.
Thanks to Kcit & to Bufo for the review & hints. Enjoyed this a lot. Was 9 answers short before resorting to the hints. Best I’ve done for ages on a Toughie.