Toughie No 3007 by Beam
Hints and tips by Gazza
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ***
Beam is being pretty gentle with us today. Thanks to him for the enjoyment.
Please leave a comment telling us how you fared and what you thought of the puzzle.
Across Clues
1a See majestic old crown saint’s wearing (10)
EPISCOPATE: an abbreviation for saint is contained inside an adjective meaning majestic, the abbreviation for old and a humorous word for the crown of the head.
6a Benevolent type (4)
KIND: double definition, the first an adjective and the second a noun.
10a Dismiss employee taking money? (7)
CASHIER: double definition, the first meaning to dismiss someone from the armed forces.
11a Start carriage, reversing without tail lights (7)
IGNITES: string together a phrasal verb (3,2) to start (a spell of rain, for example) and a two-wheeled carriage. Now delete the tail letter and reverse the rest.
12a Where one sees jumbo reveals speed? (8)
AIRSPACE: a verb meaning reveals or broadcasts and a synonym of speed.
13a Toddler’s first language is brief (5)
TERSE: the first letter of toddler and a language native to parts of the British Isles.
15a Magicians, frauds acquiring a name (7)
SHAMANS: another word for frauds or imposters contains A and the abbreviation for name.
17a Bags turned over containing little sugar (7)
SWEETEN: reverse a verb meaning bags or traps and insert a synonym of little.
19a Assembled before court ended, gutted (7)
ERECTED: assemble an archaic preposition meaning before, the abbreviation for court and the outer letters of ‘ended’.
21a Orderly welcomes ordinary sailor (7)
BOATMAN: the word for an orderly (I don’t think they exist any more) in our armed services contains the abbreviation for ordinary.
22a Such crimes are massive swindles, initially (5)
SCAMS: first letters of five words in the clue.
24a Metal barrel fronting good gun (8)
TUNGSTEN: a barrel used to hold alcohol precedes the abbreviation for good and a lightweight submachine-gun.
27a Ring Ring, endless single for composer (7)
BELLINI: knit together an informal word for ring (as in ‘Give me a **** tomorrow’), the word ring without its outer letters and the Roman numeral for one. This Italian composer is not terribly well-known (which is my way of saying I’d never heard of him).
28a Green Party, following article, nearly outspoken (7)
AVOCADO: a short word for a festive party follows one of our indefinite articles and an adjective meaning outspoken without its last letter.
29a Relax, say, occasionally relaxed (4)
EASY: occasional letters from the first two words.
30a Idiots’ son represented lacking adult opinion (10)
ASSESSMENT: start with another word for idiots and add the genealogical abbreviation for son and a verbal synonym for represented without the abbreviation for adult.
Down Clues
1d Every single sweetheart with a child (4)
EACH: the heart of sweet, A and the abbreviation for child.
2d Provoke current government pocketing one grand (9)
INSTIGATE: an adjective meaning current or topical and a synonym for government containing the Roman numeral for one and the abbreviation for grand.
3d Pirates with start of cross bones (5)
CRIBS: the starting letter of cross and some bones. Pirates here is a verb.
4d American offender’s almost conned inside, maybe (7)
PERHAPS: you’ll know the informal word for an offender (PERP) if you’ve ever watched US cop shows like the wonderful Hill Street Blues. Add the ‘S then insert the first two letters of a verb meaning conned.
5d Muscle runs around ends of clavicle (7)
TRICEPS: a verb meaning runs or skips contains the outer letters of clavicle.
7d Plant with leaves when it’s cold (5)
INTER: the time when the weather’s cold without the abbreviation for with.
8d Prudent record, winning without America (10)
DISCERNING: a type of record and a present participle meaning winning or attaining without an abbreviation for America.
9d Consumed by marijuana, the man’s curse (8)
ANATHEMA: hidden in the clue.
14d Seeming over prudent taking temperature (10)
OSTENSIBLE: the cricket abbreviation for over and an adjective meaning prudent or realistic containing the abbreviation for temperature.
16d Sensitive part is ticklish, in part (8)
ARTISTIC: our second hidden word.
18d Persuade European accepting time is fair (9)
TEMPERATE: a verb to persuade or entice and an abbreviation for European containing a distinct period of time.
20d Descends from carriage missing right stops (7)
DETAINS: a verb meaning ‘gets off a railway carriage’ (which I’ve never heard anyone actually say) without the abbreviation for right.
21d Dressing is reportedly forbidden, period! (7)
BANDAGE: a homophone of a past participle meaning forbidden and a period of time.
23d World map finally detailed (5)
ATLAS: a really old chestnut. Start with a phrase (2,4) meaning finally and drop the tail letter.
25d Checks acne being upset (5)
STOPS: reverse a less scientific word for acne.
26d Queen known for beat (4)
ROUT: the single-letter abbreviation for queen and an adverb meaning known or no longer obscure.
My top clues were 17a, 7d and 14d. Which one(s) earned your approval?
Very pleased with myself. Don’t usually manage to complete a Toughie but I must just have been on Beam’s wavelength. I know it only merited one star but nevertheless……. Favourites were 1a, 8d, and 14d. Thanks to Beam and Gazza
What a splendid Toughie. Nicely challenging but not too difficult, and great fun to solve. 1a was my favourite, although many more clues came into consideration.
I know it has somehow crept into the BRB but the source word needed for 20d brings me out in spots. Does anybody outside of crosswordland ever use it?
The fortnightly Beam/Gazza combination is always an unbridled pleasure. Many thanks to them both.
I often find Beam’s puzzles easier to fill in than his back-page alter ego’s, probably because I’m not particularly good at anagrams and tend to leave them until I have a few checkers. I think the extra difficulty can come in the parsings.
Nothing really jumped out at me as favourite, it was consistently top-notch but I’ll mention 1a plus 7&14d.
Many thanks to Beam and Gazza for the entertainment.
*/** indeed! And I thought I was getting better at Beam’s puzzles. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. His “no anagrams” rule inevitably means the clues might get a bit “samey” but he does ring the changes in the way he presents them. Particularly taken with 7d and 21d.
BTW RD I’m sure the various jobsworths and bureaucrats of the railway companies use the source word for 20d extensively.
Thanks to Beam and to Gazza.
Always a pleasure to solve a Beam puzzle and this was no exception. Not at his most fiendish, but still a good challenge and as concise and accurate as ever. 7d was my favourite ahead of 14d.
Thanks to Mr T and Gazza.
Dream Team day rolls round again – whoopee!
The composer in 27a may not be that well known but he lends his name to an excellent drink, Gazza!
Top of the pile for me were 1,10&13a.
Devotions as ever to Mr T/Beam and many thanks to Gazza for the review and most enjoyable cartoons.
Super puzzle – but what else would one expect from a Beam grid? I’m never certain whether it makes life easier or more challenging knowing at the outset there are no anagrams, but I do enjoy these puzzles. 1a one of my last ones in as I tried to get the parsing sorted in my mind, but all the GK was known, general, and fair in my view – just need to remember throughout that Beam/RayT often goes further down the list of word meanings than many. Very much enjoyed 15a, 21a, 4d & 21d, with COTD 28a.
Many thanks to Beam and to Gazza
Wouldn’t say it was 29a but certainly on the gentle side for a Beam puzzle. Completed during another rain delay at the golf course. Entertaining as always. 1a got us off with a cracker & never bettered for me though 24a ran it close & I particularly liked the lurkers at 8&16d.
Many thanks to B&G.
11a was a bung in. 7d gets my vote. Thanks to Gazza and Beam.
I thought that tricky particularly in the NW. I need the hint to parse 11a which I wouldn’t have done on my own if I’d sat here all day. I enjoyed the challenge as I always do with Rayt. Favourite was the brilliantly disguised lurker at 9d which took me ages to spot. Thanks to Beam and Gazza.
Definitely a Thesaurus day when tackling RayT.
Had to check a few but the parsing was always clear.
Last one in was 4d even if in french, when a convict gets life, we say perpette.
7d favourite.
Thanks to Beam and to Gazza for the review.
Loved this one, with a fast finish that ended too soon, even though I wondered about the ‘orderly’ connection. No standout favourites. It’s the Total Package. Surprised to read that the great composer (one of Italy’s Big 3 for me: Verdi. Puccini, Bellini) seems so little known by some. I have swooned and been transported by the sublime reaches of his Norma, I Puritani, La Sonnambula, and even (in a joyously rare production of) his I Capuleti e i Montecchi. Oh well, I know: TMI. In a day when hip-hop parvenus rule the world, what hope is there for the Bellinis of yore? Anyway, thanks to Gazza for the review and Beam for the total pleasure.
‘swooned OVER and been transported BY’ — that’s what I meant of course. And let me just add here that if I had my druthers, we’d be blessed with the Silvanus-Beam duo all week long.
Afternoon all. My belated thanks to Gazza for the decryption and to everybody else for your contributions.
RayT
Good afternoon, Mr T, always good when you pop in, no matter how tardily!
Thanks!
RayT