Toughie No 2980 by proXimal
Hints and tips by Dutch
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment *****
I’m never quite sure what awaits me with proXimal, so I was quite happy this was not overly difficult. A very enjoyable puzzle with smooth clues
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
1a Lady in cast hugging partner excitedly (10)
ANIMATEDLY: An anagram (cast) of LADY IN contains (hugging) another word for partner
6a Regulate temperature for home (4)
SETT: A word meaning to regulate plus the abbreviation for temperature
9a Bather in river (5)
HIPPO: A word meaning ‘in’ and an Italian river
10a Called uninitiated mischievous swimmer (9)
ANGELFISH: A word for called (on the phone) without the first letter (uninitiated), plus another word for mischievous
12a Serious doctor caught consuming alcohol (7)
DRASTIC: The abbreviations for doctor and caught contain (consuming) a white sparkling alcoholic beverage
13a Son held back from bad writing stroke (5)
CRAWL: Some 6-letter bad handwriting without (held back) the initial abbreviation for son
15a After hour working, ogled sweet (7)
HONEYED: The abbreviation for hour, a short word meaning working, then a word meaning ogled
16a Toppled, as unperched hen did? (4,3)
LAID LOW: Such a hen would have produced eggs not quite so high up
18a Charlie with way embodying relaxation is not pressed (7)
CREASED: The letter with radio code Charlie and the abbreviation for a kind of way contain (embodying) a word for relaxation
20a Opinion about chocolate bar is neither here nor there (7)
BETWIXT: An opinion or guess goes about a chocolate bar brand name (derived from twin bix)
21a Plant bulb uncovered back beside peg (5)
LUPIN: A reversal (back) of (b)UL(b) with the outer letters removed (uncovered), plus another word for peg
23a Index of returned books with spines occasionally absent (7)
FOOTSIE: A reversal (returned) of OF from the clue, some biblical books, and the odd (occasionally removed) letters of ‘spines’
25a Wacky bunch in small party (9)
SCREWBALL: A bunch of people go in between (in) the abbreviation for small and a dancing party
26a Moving past irritable hosts (5)
ASTIR: Hidden ( … hosts)
27a Sound of discontent down in auditorium chamber (4)
SILO: A homophone (in auditorium) of both a sound of discontent and a word meaning down
28a King muttered vexedly holding learner instrument (10)
KETTLEDRUM: The chess/cards abbreviation for king, then an anagram (vexedly) of MUTTERED containing (holding) the abbreviation for learner
Down
1d This long stuffing cod to get trained (4)
ACHE: If you put this answer meaning ‘long’ inside (stuffing) COD from the clue, you will get a word meaning ‘trained’
2d Obstacle that is restraining politician with sequence of steps (9)
IMPEDANCE: The abbreviation for ‘that is’ containing (restraining) a politician, then a ‘sequence of steps’
3d Cosplay with weapon recreated war film (10,3)
APOCALYPSE NOW: An anagram (recreated) of COSPLAY + WEAPON
4d Praised officer under fire after upsetting journalist (7)
EXALTED: An abbreviation for an officer follows a reversal (after upsetting) of a word meaning to fire, then the abbreviation for a chief journalist
5d Sound from American serving in bar (7)
LOGICAL: An ‘American serving’ goes inside (in) a bar or pub
7d Woman providing account, anger mounting (5)
ERICA: A reversal (mounting) of an abbreviation for account and another word for anger
8d I don’t care about how the till broke (2,4,4)
TO HELL WITH: An anagram (broke) of HOW THE TILL
11d Large one, coat mother abandoned — take off coach (4,4,5)
LICK INTO SHAPE: The abbreviation for large, the Roman numeral for one, then a 10-letter coat from which the starting MA is missing (mother abandoned), and a word meaning to take off or copy
14d Read aloud European composer’s inventories (10)
CHECKLISTS: A homophone (read aloud) of both European and composer’s
17d City castle ice sternly covers (9)
LEICESTER: Hidden (… covers)
19d Collapse of French female no longer with us (7)
DEFLATE: The French word for ‘of’, the abbreviation for female, and a word meaning ‘no longer with us’
20d Document deer climbing inside part of vehicle (7)
BOOKLET: Reversal (climbing) of a 3-letter deer goes inside a rear part of a car
22d Danger from cleaner scrubbing head of scythe (5).
PERIL: Take a 6-letter brand of cleaner and remove (scrubbing) the first letter (head) of scythe
24d Walk for miles (4)
PROM: A word meaning for and the abbreviation for miles
A lot to like. I enjoyed the tricky short clues, bather and walk. I thought ‘serving in bar’ was lovely, as was ‘how the till broke’. My favourite is the war film – great anagram. Which clues did you like?
With apologies to Zandio but this was much more my cup of rosy & a delight from start to a finish that was much quicker than the back-pager. I suspect the majority would have happily seen the slots swapped. The 2 biggest head scratches for me were the pesky 4 letter ones at 6&27a but the pennies dropped. Coppola’s over budget epic at 3d was my first in (along with Coming Home & The Deer Hunter one of a trio of great late 70s Nam movies) but never come across cosplay before. Couldn’t pick a fav – I liked ‘em all.
Thanks to proXimal for all the puzzles over the year & to Elgar for his reviewing
Sorry meant Dutch obviously
I found this a tad easier than the backpager today, with some most enjoyable clues. I particularly enjoyed 5d and 16a. The whole grid was a joy, elegant and fun.
Thanks proXimal and Dutch.
Plain sailing today. Loved 9a. Thanks to Dutch and proXimal.
I completely agree with the ratings.
Thanks for clearing up 23a, I was puzzled as to how flirty behaviour under the table was an index.
I liked 8d, 11d , and 14d 20a.
Thanks to ProXimal and Dutch.
Entirely as forecast in my comments on the Backpager . Much easier and miles more enjoyable . What’s not to like about 9a,16a and 20a , to name but three. When is the Editor going to get a grip on relative difficulties ? Just a joke at the moment . Many thanks to Proximal and Dutch .**/*****
One of the rare events for me–what a joyful Christmas present!–an unaided proXimal Toughie finish! 6 & 27a were my last two to fall, and both deserve special niches in the setter’s pantheon of great clues. Like Huntsman, I’m hard put to single out the winners because I loved them all, but I will award two Clarkies to 20 & 23a for making me smile and chortle at the same time. Thank you and a very Merry Christmas to both Dutch and proXimal, with the very best wishes for a Happy New Year.
Such a relief to come over to Toughieland today – and it also gives me the opportunity to deliver the very best of festive wishes to our Friday blogger.
Most enjoyable puzzle and my ticks went to 9,20&25a plus 5&19d.
Many thanks to proXimal and to Dutch – hope you both have a really good time over Christmas.
Much more accessible than today’s stupidly difficult back-pager and a joy to solve **/****. CL really needs to sort this out.
I think CL is doing an amazing job. You wanna try it?
Hear hear Dutch, season’s greetings to Chris Lancaster and thanks for all your sterling work.
It all went together in reasonable time for us.
Quality clues throughout that were a pleasure to solve.
Thanks proXimal and Dutch.
Hope you liked the lupin picture. Merry Xmas
Loved this, great puzzle from a master setter. Actually took me less time than the back pager (not the first time it’s happened this week but absolutely no complaints).
Smiles all over the grid 9,16,20&23a plus 5d foremost amongst them Good stuff indeed.
Many thanks and season’s greetings to ProXimal and Dutch.
2*/4*….
liked 16A “Toppled, as unperched hen did? (4,3)”