Toughie 1192 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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Toughie 1192

Toughie No 1192 by Dada

Am I needed today?

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty *Enjoyment ***

I think that I’m probably wasting my time this morning because I can’t imagine that there will be much demand for this blog. This was almost certainly the most straightforward Toughie I have ever solved. I’m always worried when I find a puzzle so easy that I’ve missed something.

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

7a    Hiding in grass, what a suspicious Shakespearean woman! (8)
{HATHAWAY} An anagram (suspicious) of WHAT A inside grass gives the maiden name of Shakespeare’s wife

9a    Musical as it happens, gilt-edged (6)
{OLIVER} A Lionel Bart musical from the 1960s = ‘as it happens’ (4) inside gold (2)

10a    Reported standard for military weapon (6)
{CANNON} A homophone of a standard = a big gun usually mounted on wheels

11a    Building for sale, about a hundred outside (8)
{ALFRESCO} An anagram (building) of FOR SALE round C (a hundred)

12a    Where a queen might move blanket (6-3-5)
{ACROSS-THE-BOARD} The queen is a chess piece. ‘Blanket’ is an adjective meaning ‘applying generally or covering all cases’

15a    Lager by mistake knocked back! (4)
{PILS} A reversal of a mistake

17a    Don Juan‘s capital offence at the front (5)
{ROMEO} The capital of Italy + O (the first letter of offence)

19a    Opera, a wonderful thing (4)
{LULU} 2 meanings: an opera by Alban Berg/an outstandingly bad or impressive thing

20a    After regeneration, a million at once calmer (8,6)
{CALAMINE LOTION} An anagram (after regeneration) of A MILLION AT ONCE = a soothing liquid applied to the skin

23a    Queen‘s land in Australia? (8)
{VICTORIA} 2 meanings: A former queen/an Australian state

25a    A minor route out of the country (6)
{ABROAD} When split (1,1,4) it becomes a numbered highway of less importance than a motorway or trunk route

27a    Light snowfall, soft, circling lake (6)
{FLURRY} ‘Soft’ round L (lake)

28a    State off 23 where chap in China, say, passes time (8)
{TASMANIA} A chap inside the continent that includes China goes after T (time)

Down

1d    Drop a story (4)
{SAGA} ‘To drop’ + A

2d    Some member’s taken to religion (6)
{SHINTO} Part of the leg + TO

3d    Some imaginary line that joins up to form a constellation (4)
{LYRA} Hidden in reverse in imaginARY Line

4d    Party great for casual conversation (6)
{CONFAB} A political party + ‘great’

5d    Devastating thing to dismiss everyone, with billion invested (8)
{FIREBALL} ‘To dismiss’ + everyone round B (billions)

6d    Little fault in armour-plated chicken, might you say? (10)
{PECCADILLO} A homophone of what could be a chicken (from its use of the beak) is followed by the last 5 letters of a mammal whose body is covered with bands of bony plates

8d    Foreign words in former German house? (7)
{WINDSOR} An anagram (foreign) of WORDS IN gives a royal house which formerly had a German name

13d    Rodent faced ice pack, so to speak? (10)
{CHINCHILLA} Part of the face + a homophone of what could be an ice pack

14d    Tough guy has to call hospital up (2-3)
{HE-MAN} A reversal of ‘to call’ and H (hospital)

16d    One Royalist put to the sword (8)
{SOLITARY} An anagram (put to the sword) of ROYALIST

18d    Two political wings in one as difficult for French city (7)
{ORLEANS} R and L (two political wings) in an anagram (difficult) of ONE AS

21d    Spoil, then try to spoil, victim (6)
{MARTYR} ‘To spoil’ + an anagram (spoil) of TRY

22d    Pair of stickers in ancient Mongolian (6)
{TARTAR} A sticky substance appears twice in this ancient Mongolian

24d    Voice covering overtures to Aida, La Traviata and Otello (4)
{ALTO} First letters of Aida, La Traviata and Otello

26d    Some relief getting volume to eat, as hungry (4)
{AVID} Relief round V (volume)

It’s Thursday with a vengeance.

16 comments on “Toughie 1192

  1. Hardly a toughie, but a pleasant puzzle anyway. Thanks to Dada, and to Bufo.

    Back to the packing.. ferry crossing later tonight; hopefully the weather is more settled in France for the next 10 days than it is here.

  2. This was certainly a great deal easier than I expected from this setter, and I finished without hints. I did enjoy it, particularly 6D, 13D and 22D. Bufo, your reviews are never a waste of time! Many thanks to you and to Dada. Back to work for me now.

  3. I was extremely happy when Mr Halpern joined the stable of Toughie setters but it is very disappointing that Dada’s puzzles should turn out to be such pale imitations of his puzzles elsewhere. This one was so pale that it was almost transparent.
    Thanks to Bufo for the review (always read and enjoyed even if not needed).

  4. Once again this was like the back pager, gentle but enjoyable, thanks to Dada and to Bufo.

  5. I endorse what Gazza says, this setter is far better than he appears here, perhaps he’s working to instructions anyhow thanks to Dada and to Bufo for the comments.

  6. Not a testing puzzle, but a pleasant way to spend some of a showery Cornish afternoon. 2*/3* l think, but no real favourites. Thanks to Dada, and to Bufo.

    1. I suppose a face pack covers the chin, so an ice pack applied to the face could cryptically be ‘a chin chiller’.

  7. Dust off your tin hats. As forecast tomorrow sees the return of the booted one.

    1. Hmmm. Friday and the booted one. Might just have to bend my rule and try to get a head start by printing out this evening instead of waiting until tomorrow.

  8. We thought this puzzle was a lot of fun. We are still chuckling over the image created by 6d particularly.
    Thanks Dada (we still love you) and Bufo.

  9. I share GSOL’s misgivings about 13d, but that was more than made up for by the wonderful [and groanworthy] 6d. Also 25a is a nice, neat clue.
    Thanks to Dada and Bufo.

    1. I also think of Paul/Dada as one of my top 5 favourite setters. I just think this puzzle was not one of his best, particularly when compared to the previous day’s ‘Breakfast Feast’ of a puzzle in his Paul guise!

  10. Dada, do you have any idea how unhelpful your opening comments are? To those of us, like me, who are only just starting out on the Toughie then when you have struggled to do only a few clues…only to be told just how boringly easy and simple it is…well, pretty demoralising, to be frank.

    1. Roger, the opening comments were from Bufo, the Blogger.

      Dada was the Setter.

      It will be interesting to see the blog for today’s Elgar which I found on a par with this puzzle … both in terms of enjoyment and difficulty!

      1. Thanks Stan for putting me straight. I’ll have a go at Elgar…see how we fair.

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