Toughie No 90 by Elgar
A challenging puzzle with two long phrases
– + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ***** – Enjoyment ****
Woke up this morning to find that the light dusting of snow that has been around for a few days has been replaced by a full carpet – I have added a new picture to the Gallery. As a new feature, started yesterday with “Freight Train”, some hints link to supplementary information!!
Help with the two phrases:
4d, 23d & 10d He readies normal kids with eerie demonstration of planning (5,3,1,4,7)
An anagram of “he readies normal eerie” gives the sort of planning for which Blue Peter was famous
16d, 9d, 24d & 22d Jumping teen with beery “overnourishment”? It’s like taking candy from a baby! (6,3,4,5,6)
An anagram of “teen beery overnourishment” giving a phrase that is a variation on one attributed, incorrectly, to PT Barnum
The across hints:
8a Stick with cool devotees (3,4)
It’s nice when they give you an easy one to start off
11a Source of scientific inspiration couple allowed to load in one go (5,4)
This inspired Sir Isaac Newton – let (allowed) inside pr (couple) inside a pee (one go !!)
12a About to get off the ground (5)
How the ground is described when talking about the condition of a racecourse
13a The Old School returns one out of seven (5)
Ye (the, old) + pod (school, especially of whales or seals)
14a Mounted troops at last moving up to land (7)
A tricky one – I think the wordplay is on horse (mounted troops) with the “s” moving up three places – if you know better, then send me a comment
on horse (mounted) with the “s” (troops, at last) moving up three places – thanks to johnalex on AnswerBank for the correction to my earlier attempt
17a Having a few beers before kick-off of Orient match knocked back, Watford fan’s all over attractive individual (9,6)
A messy clue – sesh (having a few beers) before O (kick-off of Orient) and emag (match knocked back) all inside Hornet (Watford fan) – I wasted time trying to fit Elton John in here!!
19a Singer and actress, pinching rear of a bishop, say “Cheese” (7)
This particular singer / actress was in the puzzle only a few weeks ago, this time she’s wrapped around a DD (a Doctor of Divinity / a bishop) reversed (rear !)
21a Lawrence Thomas held one in respect (5)
Lawrence of Arabia inside Tom
26a Entrance to shopping arcade won’t anyhow appear unsophisticated (5-4)
S(hopping) + mall (arcade) + an anagram of wont
27a ‘E-man in anorak going about like a lord (7)
There’s always one that makes you groan – (H)e-man is (H)unk and the anorak is a nerd
28a Relinquishing any one of their basics, bad teachers confiscate (7)
An anagram of teaches (teachers without one of the three “R”s)
The down hints – sorry they are a bit later than usual
1d Timid following caught in an attack (6)
A raid (an attack) around f(ollowing)
2d Finish exam requiring additional sheet (8 )
End (finish) paper (exam)
3d Skins up on what in time’s rousing lie-abed? (10)
Sleep (peels /skins, up) on he (what! as an interjection??) inside yad (day / time’s rousing) – if you know better, then let me know
Sleep (peels /skins, up) on eh (what! as an interjection) inside day (day / time) all reversed (rousing) – thanks for that Carmen
5d Dress up for a game on the table (4)
Brag (garb / dress, up)
6d Urge to have look in the same place when concealed (6)
Libido – lo (look) around (concealed) ibid (in the same place)
7d In pink paper costume, totters a bit (8 )
Fragment (a bit) – ragmen (totters) in FT (pink paper)
15d Run story that’s within the limits of taste? He knows, or at least he thinks he does (5,5)
R(un) tale (story) within smack (taste)
17d Around resort of Nice took in a country house (8 )
Had (took in) + “a” around cien (resort of Nice)
18d New ringtone’s a gas (8 )
An anagram of ringtone
20d Rumour has it, the engineer of famous building, something to behold (6)
Eyeful (something to behold) – sounds like (rumour has it) Eiffel
Thanks for your help with Telegraph Toughie No 90. Could hardly get started — just two clues solved — until I found your blog. What a pig it was! I wonder if the ‘HE’ in 3d is EH backwards, which would tie in more easily with ‘what’ ?
It makes a lot more sense, to put “eh” inside “day” before reversing both to get the “yhead” that was sought. I have updated the blog, thankyou Carmen. :-)
I’m glad you found the blog useful. My main objective is to show how to solve the clues rather than just giving the answers, and responses like yours help to convince me that it is all worthwhile.