Toughie No 333 by Excalibur
Hints and tips by Tilsit
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment **
A bit of a curate’s egg, this puzzle. Some stuff to be admired, but one or two very poor clues that really drag it back. 12 across is what can only be described as a complex anagram in that as far as I can see, you need to make an anagram of some letters within a word. No instruction to remove letters first, as is normal with this sort of clue. Excalibur certainly has a unique style of her own, which sort of divides the punters here. It’s very much a case of you pays your money……
Across
1a It’s fluttering in the breeze like mad (10)
(DISTRAUGHT} An anagram (fluttering) of IT’S inside a word meaning a breeze or one that you get under the crack of a door.
6a Understand a disclaimer is to be announced (4)
{KNOW} I presume this is a homophone of a word you use to deny something.
9a Fact is, mother smuggled you in from France (5)
{DATUM} By virtue of the “is” you are looking for a word meaning a single fact. You in French is TU and this goes inside a word for an animal mother.
10a Looking back, the animal had sense (9)
{HINDSIGHT} A word meaning looking back is made up of the word for a type of deer(I think animal is grossly unfair there) and add to this a word meaning one of the five senses.
12a Novice is among entertainers performing (7)
{TRAINEE} Dreadful clue. No indication of how to get the anagram out of “entertainers”. Very surprised it made it past the Crossword Editor.
13a A right that gets the boxing championship (5)
{TITLE} Double definition. The word needed has a legal meaning of “right to possession” and is the name for any sporting championship.
15a In some cases, glue is smeared round the crack (7)
{LUGGAGE} Ignore the “in”, it’s superfluous and is only there because the clue would read badly. An anagram of GLUE around as a word meaning a joke or a gag.
17a Will has to order something to eat (7)
{SHALLOT} Another poor clue. An anagram of HAS TO plus ‘LL (an indication of Will). This leads you to a word for a type of onion (“something to eat” is an unfair definition)
19a Applause for bat playing in — or maybe for bowler (7)
{HATBAND} An anagram (playing) of BAT inside a word for a round of applause. This leads to something found inside a bowler on your head.
21a Ran amok in prison: multiple murders (7)
{CARNAGE} Same as the previous clue. An anagram (amok) of RAN inside a word for prison, especially one with lots of bars. This leads to a word meaning mayhem or a scene of an atrocity.
22a Cheers as horse dislodges rider (5)
{BUCKS} A double definition. The word is given under Cheer in Bradford’s, although I couldn’t see a definition in Chambers. The word also means to throw from a horse.
24a Take pains to cook child healthy food (7)
{SPINACH} An anagram (cook) of PAINS, plus CH (child) gives a food beloved of Popeye.
27a Hasty article written about easy win (9)
{THRASHING} A word meaning hasty or impetuous with a word for “article” around it. This gives a word meaning a conclusive victory.
28a Articulated part of cycle (5)
{SPOKE} Double definition
29a Nick from the counter (4)
{CHIP} Not sure about this. Does it mean “a chip off the old block”?
30a A cooler room (6,4)
{PRISON CELL} A cryptic definition- referring to an American slang term for a prison.
Down
1d Pop round to see the decoration (4)
{DADO} A word for Father or Pop, plus O give a decorative rail found in many homes.
2d Doesn’t take action to see captured tit’s freed (4,5)
{SITS TIGHT} A word meaning “see” with an anagram (freed) of TITS
3d It’s strange, baby: bygone music (5)
{RUMBA} A word meaning strange or unusual , plus BA minus BY (bygone). This gives you a dance.
4d Rattle may stop gate swinging (7)
{UNHINGE} I think this is a cryptic definition. If a gate didn’t swing it may be this. Surely this should lead to a past participle rather than an infinitive.
5d Crazy gun woman’s overwhelming desires (7)
{HUNGERS} A word for pangs or desires comprises an anagram (crazy) of GUN inside a word meaning woman’s.
7d ‘Man,’ you say, ‘it’s dark!’ (5)
{NIGHT} Another poor definition. Presumably referring to a chess man. The clue is a double definition with half being homophone.
8d Corrected ‘Tree what we sheltered in from the downpour’ (3,7)
{WET WEATHER} I can think of no other setter who would use this device as a clue. A (contrived) anagram of TREE WHAT WE leads to a description of inclement climate.
11d Nice and dry. Fiesta would be spoiled by rain (3,4)
{SET FAIR} Chambers XWD, one of the best reference works on abbreviations does not give R for rain. An anagram (would be spoiled) of FIESTA plus R for rain.
14d With this order, there’s always a starter (10)
{ALPHABETIC} Quite a clever cryptic definition. Awill always come first in an alphabetic(al) order.
16d Gathers nincompoop is in same trouble (7)
{AMASSES} A word meaning an idiot goes inside an anagram of SAME. This gives a word meaning gathers or collects.
18d So ‘hot meal’ (stew) is disgusting (9)
{LOATHSOME} An anagram of SO HOT MEAL gives you a word meaning horrible or disgusting.
20d Log SOS sent out in dire distress (7)
{DOSSIER} An anagram of SOS inside an anagram of DIRE, gives a word meaning a file or log.
21d Flinches when singer goes off key at the start (7)
{CRINGES} An anagram of SINGER, with a letter representing a musical key in front.
23d Gosh! Giant ant has gone off with the dog (5)
{CORGI} A word meaning “Gosh!” plus GIANT minus “ant”. This leads to the Queen’s dog of choice.
25d Hear he abandoned the child. A crime (5)
{ARSON} HEAR minus HE and add to this a word meaning a child. This leads you to a crime involving fire.
26d Creature from lakes great and small (4)
[SEAL} A creature formed by a word for a Great (i.e. large) Lake plus L for lake as well.
This puzzle uses anagrams in over 50% of the clues, which is far too many.
Here are all the answers:
I quite enjoyed this in an inside out kinda way.
Reminded me of the old ST.
11d was enjoyable!
I too enjoyed this, not as tough as a toughie should perhaps be, but very enjoyable. Thanks Excalibur!
In a strange way we found this more straightforward than the Cryptic and thoroughly enjoyed it. Now I’m worried about Tilsit?!!
Sorry, I have to say that I quite enjoyed it, and that the leaps i had to make were much the same as the other styles of the Toughie.
Harry Shipley
I think that 17a is more likely to be SHALL (will) + OT (TO ordered)
I agree with gazza on the wordplay and Tilsit on the o(pi)nion of the definition.
The fence is quite comfy, ta!.
Gazza,
I would argue that you are indeed correct sir!
Not an overly bad crossword overall – did not realise it was an Excalibur when i originally did it.
Re 29a – It is a Double definition with a superfluous ‘from’. A nick is a score or notch and a counter in poker is a chip.
I don’t know why the clue could’nt have read ‘Nick a counter’.
Sorry – should have said a chip is a nick or a notch!.
I finished this yesterday without any difficulty, and actually quite liked most of it. A big exception is 12a; With the checking letters, it was clear what the answer was, but as Tilsit mentions above, you are making an anagram out of only some of the letters…
I loved it…mainly because I was able to complete it before any clues came up. So the setter is a woman? It was logical to me the way her brain was thinking. But i still dont get how seal was derived from the clue for 26d…….
A great lake is a SEA and a small lake is the letter L. Put them both together…
Having a blonde moment…Thanks I see it now.