Toughie No 2370 by Dada
Hints and tips by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty **/*** – Enjoyment ****
Yet another Tuesday Toughie that could not be described as fluffy! I enjoyed this puzzle, and found it to be very fair – I even forgave the slightly dubious definition, “nutritionally, something for youth, it’s said“, of 28 across.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
8a Fortune to fit equipment in ship (7)
FRIGATE: fortune goes around (to fit) some equipment
10a French mathematician dwelling in California? (7)
LAPLACE: split as (2,5) this could be a dwelling in a Californian city
11a Race past vehicle, seeing red (9)
CARNATION: a race of people preceded by (past) a vehicle
12a Sound of musical instrument that’s swollen (5)
TUBER: Sounds like an instrument in the brass section of an orchestra
13a Greek character is missing from this Greek letter (5)
THETA: drop (missing) the IS from TH[IS] and add a different Greek character / letter
14a Some Greeks ignoring Roman men perhaps? (7)
SIGNORI: hidden (some) inside the clue
17a Big gun after company investing stacks in property (6,3,6)
BRICKS AND MORTAR: a big gun is preceded by (after) a company of musicians around some haystacks
19a Don circling desktop icon in online lecture (7)
WEBINAR: a verb meaning to don around a desktop icon for deleted items
21a Gold digger ultimately in boxer? (5)
FIRST: the final letter (ultimately) of [digge]R inside the part of the body used in boxing
24a Further, nothing true is false (5)
OUTER: O (nothing) followed by an anagram (false) of TRUE
26a Sideways recovery at the last minute? (9)
LATERALLY: split as (4,5) this could be a last-minute recovery
27a Peashooters finally confiscated from European student (7)
ETONIAN: drop (confiscated) the final letter of [peashooter]S from a European
28a Nutritionally, something for youth, it’s said (7)
PROTEIN: split as (3,4) this sounds like (it’s said) for / in favour of youth
Down
1d Right-hander’s shot to the right, a bit left! (6)
OFFCUT: split as (3,3), for a right-handed batsman this is a shot to the right
2d In faked diaries, Liberal politician of old (8)
DISRAELI: an anagram (faked) of SIARIES around L(iberal)
3d Possible disaster maddened loved ones (6,4)
BANANA SKIN: a seven-letter word meaning mad or deranged followed by loved ones or family
4d Hypotenuse for example, adjacent! (9)
ALONGSIDE: split as (1,4,4) this could (for example) describe the hypotenuse of a triangle
5d See spinners spinning (4)
SPOT: the reversal (spinning) of some toys that spins
6d Hollow stuff, child lacking in love (6)
BAMBOO: start with a word, of Italian origin, for a child, drop (lacking) the IN and add O (love)
7d Find out layer to get warmer (8)
HEARTIER: a verb meaning to find out by being told followed by a layer
9d Great electronic image? (4)
EPIC: split as (1-3) this could be an electronic image
15d Like healthy food, well done (4,3,3)
GOOD FOR YOU: two definitions
16d Travelling far, lady in wonderful setting (9)
FAIRYLAND: an anagram (travelling) of FAR LADY IN
17d Surprise one enjoying loopy things? (4,4)
BOWL OVER: split as (3,5) this could be someone who enjoys loopy things
18d Hard to get into bird book? (8)
THRILLER: put H(ard) inside a word for a bird
20d Growth around dry bed (6)
BOTTOM: a growth or expansion around the three-letter abbreviation for abstaining from alcohol
22d Bothersome legal process (6)
TRYING: two definitions
23d Stage actors alert, the sleep ends (4)
STEP: the final letters (ends) of four words in the clue
25d Attack winger (4)
RAIL: two definitions – this winger is a bird
As enjoyable as any of Dada’s Sunday puzzles.
Nicely challenging and very enjoyable. I’m not sure about “fist” = “boxer” even with the ? but there were lots of excellent clues to enjoy with 1d, 4d & 5d on my podium.
Many thanks to Dada and BD.
I certainly did not find this one fluffy either. A very enjoyable puzzle that kept me company as I sat watching a most spectacular thunderstorm in storm-battered Valencia. 3.5*/4.5*
Thanks to Dada, and to BD.
I’m used to storms and hurricanes but was thinking of a European second home and Spain is a possible. Do you get a lot of bad weather in winter in and around Valencia?
Having lived for over 46 years in England before moving to Spain, I would say that where we are in Valencia, we do not really see a proper winter. They say we have more than 300 days of clear blue sky every year (which I would agree with), and days of rainfall here are few and far between. At the beginning of January we had lunch sat outside on a few occasions when the temperatures were close to 20C. The only downside to the weather here in the ‘winter’ months as far as I am concerned is the occasional very strong wind.
Cool! Thanks. 😎
All went well except for the SW corner. Stuck on parsing 20d and 25d which still seem a bit stretched to me! So not sure what rating today as I did not complete it yet most of it was fine!
I had to ask Mr Google about the French mathematician, have never heard of 19a (thank goodness!) and needed all the checkers in place before entering 1d on a wing and a prayer – must put my name down for extra coaching from my cricket guru!
Otherwise, I coped quite well and I did like the student denied his peashooters, the person enjoying loopy things and the revival of the old chestnut at 3d.
Thanks to Dada, who obviously believes that we are all avid followers of cricket, and to BD for the comprehensive review.
Very enjoyable – thanks to Dada and BD.
I was progressing pretty smoothly until I hit the SW corner. I’d never heard of 19a (what a horrible word!), then, having surmounted that hurdle, I made the wrong anagram for 24a which made 25d impossible until I’d sorted out my error.
My ticks went to 26a, 1d and 17d.
Isn’t it about time Dada explored the intricacies of needlework rather than rely so heavily on cricket? Lots of obscure words to find there.
I take issue with 11a. Not all of these flowers are red and 19a is a word I hope I never see again!
Finally retired so more time for the toughie!
Agree with Big Daves **/*** ****
Thoroughly enjoyed the solve ,some tricky parsing required , ok once I tuned in ‘
19a a new word and last in.
Thanks all.
Different walks of Life I guess but 19a was not new to me – I use them overseas.
Overall, very enjoyable and lots to like, such as, once I understood it, “travelling” in 16d. A favourite would be one of 17a, 1d, 4d and 15 d. Sad to say my last one in was 12a. Agree with BD’s ratings as to time and fun. Dada can still be a little quirky, as they say on Sundays, even with a Toughie. Thanks to he and to BD.
Made the same mistake as Gazza in 24a but I never looked back unfortunately.
Had to reveal that pesky four letter word in order to finish.
There again, I’m often left with one or two clues unsolved when I tackle Paul in the Guardian.
He’s just below Elgar in terms of difficulty for me.
Thanks for the workout and thanks to BD for the review.
19a was a new word for us so a bit of delay there. The rest all went together smoothly with lots of chuckles along the way.
Thanks Dada and BD.
Having hit a brick wall and nodding off (as I’m increasingly apt to do) I came round and much to my surprise finished in a flurry of enlightenment. Like Jane I used Mr Google for the Gallic numbers man who I’d never heard of – having tried in vain to think of a five letter synonym for a dwelling & put it inside of LA.
Really super Toughie today pitched at just the right level of difficulty for those of us who want something a wee bit more challenging than some of the more straightforward back pagers but are left hopelessly ill equipped for the serious Friday stuff.
Plenty of great clues to choose from but 27a & 6d stood out for me.
A recommendation for today’s Grauniad cryptic where I think, possibly for the first time ever, I spotted the theme in running which aided completion – though it was blindingly obvious.
Thanks to BD & to Dada.
Indeed the Gallic numbers man clue uses the same construct as 23d in the Gaurdian today. The setter Qaos always has a theme and today’s was a bit of fun.
Very enjoyable Toughie today. Only a tad harder than the better back pagers or Dada’s Sunday offerings. Thanks to Big Dave (I meant to ask for a swap this week but forgot) and thanks to Dada. I am looking forward to your puzzles now.
I rattled through 2/3 of this, smugly thinking I was doing well, then hit a brick wall. Teased out most of them, but beaten by top left corner as I had icon for 9d – only on close inspection do I see that this mis spells 11a…duh
I thoroughly enjoyed this puzzle and initially thought it was going to be very tricky, but, as usual, once a few checkers go in, it tends to make for easier going (unlike the amount of commas I just used).
Thanks to BD and Dada.
Enjoyed most of this, but struggled with bottom left corner as I am too old to have heard of a webinar!
Welcome to the blog
I actually took part in several webinars when I was working so didn’t have a problem with that one