Toughie 1036 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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Toughie 1036

by bufo  

Toughie No 1036 by Elkamere

Hints and tips by Bufo

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ****

The gimme at 1 across proved not to be typical of the puzzle because I found it slow-going after that. I had trouble reconciling one or two definitions but thought the puzzle was an enjoyable challenge

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought. You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.

Across

1a    US Marshal Ian McRae (8)
{AMERICAN} An anagram (marshal) of IAN MCRAE

6a    May to end of July — really? (6)
{MIGHTY} ‘May’ + Y (last letter of July) = really (very)

9a    Weird fellow first to admit defeat (3-3)
{FAR-OUT} F (fellow) + A (first letter of admit) + defeat

10a    Proceeds with life (8)
{WINNINGS} Proceeds (e.g. money obtained from the bookies) = W (with) + a life (a turn at batting)

11a    Soldier on cornet entertains some soldiers in retreat (8)
{CONTINUE} An ice-cream cornet round a reversal of a group of soldiers

12a    Claims made by old part of Bible (6)
{EXACTS} Old + a book of the New Testament

13a    Old — a presumably difficult burden (8,4)
{ABNORMAL LOAD} The first word of the answer is an anagram indicator and the second word is an anagram of OLD A

16a    How blue girl appears in deteriorated old film (6,6)
{WHISKY GALORE} How (hello) + a shade of blue + girl inside ‘deteriorated’ gives a 1949 Ealing comedy film based on a novel by Compton MacKenzie

19a    Kindle mostly for number one books (6)
{FOMENT} FOR with the last letter removed + number one + part of the Bible

21a    Benefit of sun‘s temperature breaking through? Be careful (7,1)
{VITAMIN D} T (temperature) inside ‘through’ + ‘Be careful!’

23a    A German mug, I think (8)
{EINSTEIN} The German for ‘a’ + a large beer mug from Germany = one of the great thinkers of all time

24a    Write to the French war representative (6)
{AUTHOR} The French for ‘to the’ + a Norse god. Someone else will have to explain why he’s a war representative

25a    Spirit giving us a silent message (6)
{PERNOD} ‘A’ + a silent message of assent given using the head

26a    Wealthy area in Hatfield, or a dosshouse (8)
{ELDORADO} Hidden in Hatfield or a dosshouse

Down

2d    Each day goes in to cut some grass (6)
{MEADOW} Each + D (day) inside ‘to cut’

3d    Reason to cross South Pole? (5)
{ROOST} Reason goes round S (South) to give a pole that birds perch on

4d    Living together in shelter over one of Lorraine’s places (2-7)
{CO-TENANCY} A shelter (e.g. for doves) + the former capital of the Duchy of Lorraine

5d    Almost pots flower opening annually (3,4)
{NEW YEAR} ‘Almost’ goes round a river forming part of the border between England and Wales

6d    Cold cuts supply meat (5)
{MINCE} C (cold) inside ‘to supply (e.g. coal)’

7d    Painting style is one embodied by frame (9)
{GRISAILLE} IS A (one) inside a metal lattice (frame)

8d    One mean wig that’s modelled on duke (8)
{TIGHTWAD} An anagram (modelled) of WIG THAT + D (duke)

13d / 14d    Short version of 1 Down in a crossword — sent off competition entry once? (7,2,1,8)
{ANSWERS ON A POSTCARD} A (short version of 1) + down (or a downy surface) inside an anagram (off) of A CROSSWORD SENT

14d    See 13 Down

15d    Rocky lode rich in salt (8)
{CHLORIDE} An anagram (rocky) od LODE RICH

17d    A social gathering very early (7)
{ADVANCE} A social goes round (gathers) V (very)

18d    Shame about empty land being put aside (2,4)
{ON HOLD} A reversal of ‘Shame!’ (2,2) + LD (first and last letters of land)

20d    Walk on as one introducing talk show (5)
{TREAD} T (first letter of talk’ + ‘to show’

22d    Speed merchant finally put in dock (5)
{MOTOR} ‘To speed’ = T (last letter of merchant’ inside ‘to dock’

It’s nice to have a genuine Toughie on a Thursday

13 comments on “Toughie 1036”

  1. A right proper toughie – 4*/4* for me too. Did seem to be a game of four corners, some of which were more beastly than others.

    Thanks to Elkamere and Bufo too.

  3. Two thirds of this went in pretty quickly with the remainder holding out for a while.
    Many thanks to Elkamere, and to Bufo for the notes.
    I think 6d also works with ‘supply’ as a noun, as in a source of, or a store.

  4. Tough it may be, but some really dodgy wordplay rather spoilt the enjoyment. Least favourite was 20 dn – show for read?Closely followed by 16ac and 13+14dn- guessable but rather inelegant . my thanks to Bufo for lightening my darkness.

  5. Thanks to Elkamere and to Bufo for the review and hints. Only managed 8 answers, too tough for me.

  6. Excellent puzzle with some nice misdirection, favourites for me were 10a 11a 16a and 21a thanks to Elkamere and to Bufo.

  8. Phew!! Just finished it …….only needed hints for seventeen clues…….what a glorious waste of time……….

  9. I should get a good nights sleep – just checked the list and its the Prince of Darkness providing tomorrow’s Toughie.

  11. Hi, Re 24 a, pretty late for a comment but add “ise” to it and you’ll see how representation comes into it. Perhaps? :)

    1. Thor is the The Scandinavian thunder god – Bufo was asking in which way was he a “war representative”.

      Some sources do, however, say that Thor was the god of war, but Odin is more usually regarded as serving that role.

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