Toughie No 938 by Warbler
Hints and tips by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
I found that explaining the wordplay for a couple of clues took as much time as the rest of the puzzle, and on that basis have gone for 3-star difficulty rather than 2-star.
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
4a Separate record set by Irish broadcaster encircling earth (8)
{DISCRETE} – a record followed by the by Irish broadcasting company around E(arth)
8a Superficial refinement never worked around Earl (6)
{VENEER} – an anagram (worked) of NEVER around E(arl)
9a Nitrogen distorted call signal (8)
{RINGTONE} – an anagram (distorted) of NITROGEN
10a Plant gives backing for English car coat (8)
{CAMOMILE} – reverse (backing) E(English), a posh car and a raincoat
11a Tool principally to root out weeds — essential before the end of April (6)
{TROWEL} – the initial letters () of five words in the clue followed by the final letter (end) of ApriL
12a American sailor in Arctic, having left Rhode Island, separately developed eye condition (8)
{CATARACT} – A(merican) and a sailor inside an anagram (developed) of A(R)CT(I)C without (having left) the abbreviation of Rhode Island (separately indicates that the letters are not contiguous)
13a Old boy, solitary member, unoccupied and past it (8)
{OBSOLETE} – the abbreviation for Old Boy followed by an adjective meaning solitary and a member or body extremity without the middle letter O (unoccupied)
16a Cost of Prince Eric getting frisky dog (5,3)
{PRICE TAG} – P(rince) followed by an anagram (getting frisky) of ERIC and a verb meaning to dog or follow closely
ARVE Error: need id and provider |
19a Tea centre, though not new, is refurbished with additional items (8)
{ETCETERA} – an anagram (refurbished) of TEA CE(N)TRE without the N(ew)
21a Pursued frantically, runs away exhausted (4,2)
{USED UP) – an anagram (frantically) of PU(R)SUED without (away) the R(uns)
23a Originally Elvis Presley single record heard last thing on air (8)
{EPILOGUE} – the initial letters (originally) of Elvis Presley followed by I (single) and what sounds like (heard) a record or diary
24a 75 per cent of float used before port transfer (8)
{HANDOVER} – 75 per cent of a verb meaning to float or hover followed by a port in Kent
25a With pronounced vivacity vigour returns to face (6)
{PHIZOG} – what sounds like (pronounced) vivacity followed by the reversal () of a two-letter word meaning vigour gives a slang word for the face
26a Intellectual seen in college before getting support by Left (8)
{CEREBRAL} – this adjective meaning intellectual comes from a charade of C(ollege), a poetical word for before, a lady’s support garment and L(eft)
Down
1d Procure a means for escape (7)
{GETAWAY} – a verb meaning to procure followed by the A from the clue and means or method
2d In heightened performance, oxygen may be absorbed by spread of bacteria (9)
{AEROBATIC} – O(xygen) inside (absorbed by) an anagram (spread) of BACTERIA
3d King stops a riot that’s destroyed vehicle for tour to Winter Palace perhaps (6)
{TROIKA} – K(ing) inside (stops) an anagram (destroyed) of A RIOT gives a Russian vehicle drawn by three horses abreast
4d Scott for example’s leader and chief administrator (8-7)
{DIRECTOR-GENERAL} – Ridley Scott is an example of this, and he is followed by (‘s / has) a military leader
5d Appeal is restricted by stable you need to clean up (8)
{SANITISE} – a two-letter word for sex appeal and IS inside an adjective meaning stable or rational
6d Treasure trove houses with past reminders (5)
{RETRO} – hidden (houses) inside the clue is an adjective meaning reminiscent of the past
7d Line of smack taken north of centre of Trenton (7)
{TANGENT} – a smack or flavour followed by (north of in a down clue) the inner three letters (centre) of TrENTon
14d Recurring musical theme spoiled movie title almost (9)
{LEITMOTIV} – an anagram (spoiled) of MOVIE and almost all of TITL(E)
15d Range surrounding Italian river’s right for traveller’s break (8)
{STOPOVER} – a kitchen range around a Chinese Italian river and followed by R(ight)
17d Find time during Easter, getting excited to set forth again (7)
{RESTATE} – T(ime) inside (during) an anagram (getting excited) of EASTER
18d Cold grub’s acceptable. It may be served with salad (7)
{CROUTON} – C(old) followed by a verb meaning to grub (out) and a two-letter word meaning acceptable
20d Workman‘s takeaway (6)
{CHIPPY} – two definitions – a carpenter (workman) and a takeaway shop
ARVE Error: need id and provider |
22d Con 4 in short over European scheme (5)
{DODGE} – a charade of a two-letter verb meaning to con, the abbreviation of the answer to 4 down and E(uropean) gives a scheme or ruse
Warbler never ceases to entertain, and is ideally suited to the Tuesday Toughie slot.
I enjoyed this “toughie” very much, I found it quite difficult to understand the parsing of a couple of the clues though the answers were fairly obvious but all in all I really quite enjoyed it. Many thanks to Warbler and to BD for the review.
Got through this enjoyable puzzle without problems until 25a and mused for an eternity. New word for me. Many thanks to setter and BD.
14d a bit like the London Bus / Policemen.
3*/3* for me – thanks BD & Warbler.
To finish a toughie without needing hints is always a red letter day for me. I even managed to work out the wordplay for almost all (granted, some after getting the answer). I didn’t know the Irish broadcater for 4A, though, so many thanks BD. Thanks to the setter, too, for an enjoyable puzzle –better, in my opinion, than today’s cryptic. 25A (last one in), closely followed by 26A were my favorites today.
I needed to use a crossword solver to get 25a (a new word for me).
Many thanks to Warbler, and to BD.
No problems with this, I had heard of 25a many times and it was my favourite, thanks to Warbler and to Big Dave for the comments.
Thank goodness .I “completed” this early this morning apart from 25a which I thought about for more time than I would care to admit before googling . Glad to see I was not alone and agree with the rating.
Thanks very much .
Not the greatest toughie.
I found the back page more taxing.
Thanks to both.
Chris (another one)
Enjoyable fare. thanks Warbler and BD
Made quite a lot of headway needing hints for the north east corner, mostly.I can’t believe it.I feel as if I have ventured into some parallel reality.Three firsts in 24 hours. Thanks ,Warbler and Big Dave.
I know this is off topic but I found this crossword clue on the internet and just can’t solve it. I wondered if anyone could shed some light on it for me?
Soldier; French; in a shortened story, preparing for a big push? (9)
Hi Chaz – welcome to the blog.
It’s ANTENATAL – ANT (soldier) + EN (in, in French) + A TAL(e)
Thanks for the help, it’s so frustrating when you get stuck like that
***/** for me. Phizog is, of course, an abbreviation of physiognomy.
Very disappointing start to the Toughie week. I thought the puzzle dull and found the surface readings to be poor
Many thanks Warbler as ever, 25a just been told by niece and nephew is my fault for not getting, evidently I am old and i agree, Thanks to BD too