Toughie 2479

24 comments on “Toughie 2479”

1. I can’t believe I got this done before the hints were posted! Thoroughly enjoyable despite needing Mr. G. for about five, which I just could not parse. This is a first for me. Two Toughies completed, almost unaided, in one week.

   Thanks to Musaeus for a most enjoyable challenge. Thanks, also to Gazza for the hints that, for once, I did not need.

   1. Well done, Steve. A hat-trick beckons tomorrow.

      1. I very much doubt it, Gazza but many thanks for the encouragement.

      2. Gazza you are so right with that with that Johnny Cash clip Goosebumps.

2. Most enjoyable with lovely clear clues – the only thing I needed to check was the solution to 14d which was clearly explained in the BRB

   Thanks to Musaeus for the crossword and Gazza for the hints

   1. I was astonished how many different meanings there are for 14d.

3. There were a few that I filled in that I could not explain adequately. I had not heard of the slang term for the face in 6a, and I was thrown by the word ‘preposterously’ in 18d.

   Thanks to Musaeus for the puzzle, and to Gazza for the elucidation.

4. A very friendly puzzle. Just beaten by 26d one of those pesky 4 letter words. It was very clever and must be my COTD.

5. Finished alone and unaided last night, even though I had no idea about the arcane meaning to ‘preposterous’, which now helps me to parse 18d. A thoroughly enjoyable Toughie, with masterful clueing throughout, my favourites being 8d, 2d, 19a, and 24a. I did happen to know the Italian term, thanks to all of those years of classical music training (piano and organ, yes, but all of those Italian operas!). Thanks to Gazza for the research and explanations, and to Musaeus for a superb Toughie. Erudite and very savvy too.

   1. I think I’ve probably mentioned it on the blog in the past but my boss from years ago had an involvement with a nearby theatre and regularly received tickets for various operas. Those which she either couldn’t attend – or simply didn’t fancy – were handed out to us minions who dutifully went along. Quite the worst were the Italian operas where the hero/heroine was mortally wounded but made a long, drawn out ‘song and dance’ about dying. I can remember muttering ‘oh for goodness sake just die’ on several occasions!

      1. Well Jane, Dad and I went to the opera in Leningrad in the mid 80’s. Very embarrassingly the stewards booted out two people in the front row so that we ‘honoured foreigners’ could sit there despite our protestations. The soprano (a rather large lady) sang her final aria and dropped dead about 3 feet from our seats. To my horror Dad said in a very penetrating whisper ‘she’s not dead, her bosoms are still heaving’! I was mortified and hoped no-one spoke English.

      2. Jane, I just watched another live-streamed Tosca (“shabby little shocker”, opined one reviewer back then), in which the hero is shot dead and the heroine leaps to her death, Tiberwards. (It is still my favourite Puccini.)

6. Four answers that I needed to check in the BRB but certainly an enjoyable solve. The 22a acronym was new to me although I’m sure I should have known it – knew the answer but had never questioned the derivation.
   21 & 23d amused and my favourite was 19a, such a wonderfully descriptive word.

   Thanks to Musaeus and to Gazza for the review and the music clip – an excellent version from a legendary artist.

7. There must be something about today’s puzzle because this is the first time I have ever finished the Toughie although ! had to google 14d to see if it was right. What a feeling of total satisfaction so thanks to Musaeus and Gazza.

   1. Well done, Manders. There’ll be no stopping you from now on.

      1. Thanks Gazza

8. A curate’s egg for me with a broad spectrum of both difficulty and enjoyment. There were some decidedly strange surface readings to be found and if anyone can offer an explanation of the surface of 2d I would be very grateful.

   Thanks to Musaeus and also to Gazza. Some of Johnny Cash’s best recordings were made during the twilight of his career – chock full of emotion.

   1. My explanation for the 2d surface is … er … pass.

9. It’s so satisfying and encouraging to be able to complete a Toughie, even if needing hints to parse a few.
   9d threw me as I don’t think of snails being thus equipped.
   8d made my day.
   Thanks to Musaeus for the challenge and to Gazza for the enlightenment.

10. I really enjoyed this toughie, I always feel when you learn something new you have a penny in your pocket, I had to look in Bradford’s to finally find 5 across and 19, across I have not heard in many years but was easy to get from the clue and parsing. My like were 11, 13, and 17 across and on the downs 2, and 18 but I am still trying to understand 23 down and that is down to me.

    Thank you to Musaeus and Gazza

11. Came up short on 18d. Found this quite a mixed bag in terms of difficulty and elegance of clues. Thanks to Musaeus and Gazza.

12. Tossing up between 15a and 27a for favourite.
    Pleasant solve.
    Thanks Musaeus and Gazza.

13. Coming to that time of year when nights are almost as hot as days but glad it didn’t affect my solving abilities.
    Very enjoyable crossword.
    Loved 13a and 7d.
    Thanks to Musaeus and to Gazza.

14. Really enjoyable toughie. I liked 15a as it shows the need to consider every part of a clue. I had to look up the terms for Japanese dramas and Italian fugues, but otherwise straightforward.

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