Toughie No 97 by Cephas
Firm but fair
+ – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
The puzzle itself was firm but fair, apart from some of the silly three letter clues. Peter Biddlecombe (whose Review of last Saturday’s puzzle will be published at noon tomorrow) won’t like the grid on this one – four totally separate corners joined only in the centre. Don’t be surprised if you get some of the answers and then struggle to find the wordplay, but then that’s why this blog is here!
Across
1a Newcomer’s healthy complexion (5,4)
Healthy is FRESH, the rest should be easy
9a Spent force in Portugal? (6)
Portugal’s currency before the Euro
10a Hand working (9)
Double meaning – a noun for a skilled worker and an adjective meaning working
11a Synthetic drug or non-metallic element, say (6)
A sulphonamide (drug) or sounds like (say) Sulphur (non-metallic element)
12a Machine run included when it is fit for publication (9)
PRINTABLE (fit for publication) – PINTABLE (machine) around (included) R (run)
13a Unattractive Rechabite in riotous orgy (6)
TT (teetotal / a Rechabite is a total abstainer from intoxicating drinks) inside an anagram (riotous) of ORGY
17a Rod cut short when pale (3)
WAN – WANd (rod) without the last letter (cut short)
19a Would one hate to have this treatment? (8,7)
A cryptic definition of AVERSION THERAPY
20a Ohio chief’s interjection (3)
OH (Ohio – you could have found this in the Countries entry in The Mine, the new section of this blog) around (interjection) C (chief) – an &lit clue (see previous posts)
21a From Early English long ago name for donkey (6)
This should be everyone’s favourite clue – E(arly) E(nglish) YORE (long ago) giving the name of A A Milne’s donkey
25a Repeat murder too often? (2,2,5)
Cryptic double definition – to repeat something too often is to DO TO DEATH
26a Quartet left corresponding recount (6)
RELATE (recount) – RELATivE without the iv (quartet / four)
27a One pretending to be cleaner by lake at one (9)
CHARLATAN (one pretending to be) – CHAR (cleaner) by L(ake) AT AN (one)
28a First six revolutionary characters moved in gallery (6)
An anagram (moved) of the first six letters of REVOLUtionary giving a well known Parisian art gallery
29a So sure to make a discovery (9)
ASCERTAIN (to make a discovery) – AS (so) CERTAIN (sure)
Down
2d Rumour about drug Romeo included (6)
RE (about) POT (drug) around (included) R(omeo)
3d Lady, one not completely calm at the start (6)
SERENA (lady) – SERENe (not completely calm) before (at the start) A (one)
4d Plump jazz fan, he’s very wealthy (3-3)
FAT (plump) CAT (jazz fan)
5d Polite Scot, he is accommodating fool in mufti (8,7)
CIVILIAN CLOTHES (in mufti) – CIVIL (polite) IAN (Scot) HES (he’s) around (accommodating) CLOT (fool)
6d Waters at the mouth (9)
The mouths of rivers
7d Upmarket’s remarkable cut of meat (4,5)
A very nice anagram of UPMARKETS
8d Rex found among yeomanry perhaps or among gypsies (6,3)
ROMANY RYE (among gypsies / a man who associates with gypsies, though not one himself) – R(ex) inside (found among) an anagram(perhaps) of YEOMANRY
14d Gem of a part to be played (5,4)
CAMEO (gem) ROLE (a part)
15d Precious stone I put inside chimney, it’s corrosion-resistant (9)
BERYLLIUM (it’s corrosion-resistant) – BERYL (precious stone) I put inside LUM (a Scottish word for a chimney)
16d Artificial grass manufactured for Stuart (9)
An anagram (manufactured) of FOR STUART, giving an artificial playing surface for outdoor games (or covering cars!)
17d Court not half lacking animation (3)
WOO (court)- WOOden (lacking animation without the second half of the word / not half)
18d As much as possible to this degree north, no alternative (3)
NTH – To the nth degree (as much as possible to this degree) NorTH (north without or / no alternative)
22d Poles in church lacking refinement (6)
COARSE (lacking refinement) – OARS (poles) inside CE (Church of England)
23d Wind not about to get up in eastern Mediterranean (6)
LEVANT (another name for the eastern Mediterranean) – LEVANTer is a wind, take away (not) the er (about / re reversed / to get up) – this is what I meant about finding the answer first, then working out the wordplay
24d Clouds artist portrayed (6)
STRATI (clouds) – an anagram (portrayed) of ARTIST
Problems on the CluedUp site are a constant source of annoyance to its users. Today, at 00.50, I got “Get Puzzle Error / Responder fault – error connecting to server”. If this happens because of maintenance, then it would be nice if we were told which times to avoid. Would any of you like a fault report section on the blog so that you can share your experiences?
As always, feel free to add your own comment.
Fairly straightforward despite the cornery grid, as there was no really nasty corner. I guess 11A was last in for many as it’s the most obscure answer. 22’s ‘poles’ raised an eyebrow but COED describes an oar as a ‘pole with a flat blade’, so fair enough.