Toughie No 675 by MynoT
Dum dum, a-diddly dum
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
With some of MynoT’s alphabetically themed puzzles it can take a while before the penny drops. With this one it became evident very quickly that it was an old pre-1971 penny!
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ARVE Error: need id and provider |
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Across
1a Priests and doctors carry identification on top of uniform (6)
{DRUIDS} – these ancient Celtic priests are created from the abbreviation of doctors with identification preceded by the initial letter (top) of Uniform both inserted
4a Sheltered nameless canon in hut (8)
{SHROUDED} – to get a verb meaning sheltered or wrapped remove the N (name-less) from a canon, a musical composition in which the melody is repeated by one part following another in imitation, and put it inside a hut
9a Thackeray’s Henry has little time finally (6)
{ESMOND} – the surname of Henry, from the eponymous historical novel by William Makepeace Thackeray, is derived by putting S (has, as in “he’s got it) and a brief interval of time inside finally (in the ***)
10a Dictionary found in Yorkshire city (8)
{BRADFORD} – the name of the author of the famous Crossword Solver’s Dictionary is also a city in Yorkshire
11a Twice swim in deep depression (6-3)
{DOUBLE-DIP} – what could possibly mean to take a swim twice is actually a deep depression during which a period of economic decline is followed by a brief period of growth followed by a further period of decline
13a Found in antiquated dictionary of mythological books (5)
{EDDIC} – hidden inside two words of the clue is an adjective meaning of some ancient Scandinavian mythological books
14a In ill-disposed manner fifty lads cede being converted (13)
{DISAFFECTEDLY} – this adverb meaning In an ill-disposed manner is an anagram (being converted) of FIFTY LADS CEDE
17a Openly issued gin: duly chastised (13)
{UNDISGUISEDLY} – this adverb meaning openly or frankly comes from an anagram (chastised) of ISSUED GIN DULY
21a Agreed to get fish in South Dakota (5)
{SIDED} – a verb meaning agreed or supported is created by putting a fish (haven’t seen this one for a while!) inside the abbreviation of South Dakota
23a Recipient of a garment drowned in river (9)
{ADDRESSEE} – the recipient of a letter is derived by putting A, from the clue, then a garment inside (drowned in) one of Crosswordland’s favourite rivers (the one on which the Jolly Miller used to live!)
24a Did airman twitch when intended to teach? (8)
{DIDACTIC} – a charade of DID, an aircraftsman and a twitch gives an adjective meaning intended to teach
25a Quote notice to leader (6)
{ADDUCE} – a verb meaning to quote or cite is a charade of a notice in a newspaper and the title assumed by an Italian dictator
26a Extreme transaction about soft colour (4-4)
{DEEP-DYED} – an adjective meaning extreme (in a bad sense) is created by putting a transaction or document around the musical abbreviation for soft and a colour produced by staining
27a Red acted in one and made final version (6)
{EDITED} – combine (in one) red and acted to get redacted and you have a synonym of this word meaning made a final version of a publication
Down
1d Spanish ghost is expected to carry death (6)
{DUENDE} – this Spanish ghost was a new one for me, but the wordplay was easy – put a word meaning is expected around (to carry) death or extinction
2d What was left in duodenum after operation was not shaped (9)
{UNMOULDED} – ignore the padding and then put L(eft) inside an anagram (after operation) of DUODENUM gives an adjective meaning was not shaped
3d Plays with Dutch and the French (7)
{DANDLES} – this verb meaning plays with a child or dances it lightly on one’s knee is a charade of an abbreviation of D(utch), AND from the clue and the French plural definite article
5d In financial difficulty Hare’s down having (4-7)
{HARD-PRESSED} – to get this adjective meaning In financial difficulty combine HARE with a word meaning down or in low spirits and then drop two of the Es (lost two euros), one from each word
6d Strange chaps with time for a fag end (7)
{ODDMENT} – a charade of a word meaning strange, some chaps and T(ime) gives this fag end or scrap
7d Edwin never finished: daughter’s cross (5)
{DROOD} – the surname of the mysterious Edwin from Charles Dickens’ unfinished novel is a charade of D(aughter) and a type of cross, especially one at the entrance to a church chancel
8d Performed variable line with two fingers (8)
{DIDACTYL} – a two-word phrase meaning performed is followed by a mathematical variable and L(ine) to get an adjective meaning two–fingered
12d Elias feuded to become free from class-conscious social system (11)
{DEFEUDALISE} – an anagram (to become) of ELIAS FEUDED gives a word meaning free from a class-conscious social system
15d Pedant son embraced by wood-nymph is in Utah (9)
{DRYASDUST} – I’ve not seen this three-word phrase (3,2,4) combined into one word before, but it was easy to work out that it meant a dull, pedantic, learned person – put S(on) inside a wood-nymph and then add S (is as in it’s) itself inside the abbreviation of for Utah
16d Under-21 settled (8)
{SUBSIDED} – a charade of a prefix meaning under and the answer to 21 across gives a word meaning settled or sank
18d Persuaded French aristocrat to provoke rainfall all around (7)
{SEDUCED} – a verb meaning persuaded someone into a belief is created by putting the title of an old French aristocrat inside a verb meaning to provoke rainfall by scattering a cloud with particles of a crystalline substance
19d Terrified father holding on to Edmund (7)
{DREADED} – This verb meaning terrified or regarded with great apprehension is derived from a three-letter word for father around (holding) a word meaning on or about and then adding ED(mund)
20d Bank said to be good place for diving (6)
{DEPEND} – this verb meaning to bank or rely sounds like a good place in a swimming pool for diving
22d Avoid car (5)
{DODGE} – a double definition – as a verb it means to avoid and as a noun it is a United States-based brand of automobiles
Only seventeen more consonants to go! Will MynoT get the message that this theme has already run out of steam?
I agree with BD that this particular theme is running out of steam already. However, my only real Disappointment with this one was that there are other names that would have fitted into 9a which would have provided the second themed letter , as this is the only solution without two of them. Thanks to MynoT for the Deliberate Deviation from my Daily Duties and to BD for the Discussion thereof.
Very enjoyable toughie from MynoT, I quite enjoy these alphabet games. Thanks to MynoT and to BD for the review. ( annoying little pop up has now jumped over to the toughie page )
I found this a real struggle today despite guessing the theme early on. I ran out of steam and had to cheat on a few to complete it.
Thanks to MynoT, and to BD for the review.
Agreed, the theme didn’t do the do for me either. Thanks to setter and blogger, though. Was a pleasant diversion
I enjoyed this one probably because I only twigged on to the theme late on. Favourites 1d 5d and 26a thanks to MynoT and to Big Dave for the comments.( commiserations to Tilsit and his team on a valiant effort last night).
Echo Jezzas sentiments. Wasn’t at all sure I had 26a correct until confirming here and had to trawl the grey cells for 9a. Confused by 1a, I thought it was doctors as the plural and ID as singular? Ho hum. Thanks to MynoT and BD
You’re right – I didn’t read it properly!
You weren’t alone
Being new to the Toughie i completed it on face value. Then reading the blogs about an alphabetic theme, i took a closer look at the answers, and discovered that each answer contains two letter D’s. Am i on the right track?
Completely – except that there is, rather strangely, only one in 9 across when there could, so easily, have been two.
That’s what I found so disappointing – all that effort into solutions with 2 D’s only to miss that one. Lots of Edmunds both literary and historical which would have done the trick.
Thanks Big Dave, i agree 9ac could have contained two. I have enjoyed doing my first Toughie i will look forward to tomorrows offering
A thoroughly enjoyable puzzle, tough enough for me on a Tuesday afternoon. I’m just beginning to see, now I’m on my way. Helped along with a cup of red berry tea and a slice of ginger syrup cake, sitting by a blazing log fire. Enough of the sililoquy.
Thanks to MynoT and to BD for supplying me with the solutions to 1d and 9a.
I struggled a Tad mainly because I wanant looking for a theme. I still enjoyed it and won’t mind the continuing series, I’m thinkin about the q and x and z!
Thanks to you both!
Late input from me – I started it late last night and put it down for today and finished it this morning.
Got through it by persevering steadily. Quite a bit of General Knowledge required in places!
9a is the only answer without two D’s.
Must now go out and get today’s DT as well as shopping.
With much guesswork and some intelligence I somehow managed to get the right answers to the clues in this crossword but, even with the hints offered here, I’m still at a loss as to how some of the questions were constructed. In addition, I think I need the OED’s full 20 volumes, because I find my dictionary’s constraints so very frustrating – for example, not having ‘eddic’ recognised.
Very
strange – I had EDDIC straight in from the EDDA