Toughie No 1118 by Kcit
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Definitely tougher than the average Kcit puzzle.
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 Suits insects gathering most of source of honey? (7)
{BECOMES} – the insects who gather honey around most of a source of honey
5a Some police snatching book back for the people (7)
{DEMOTIC} – some plain-clothes police around (snatching) a large book, all reversed (back)
9a Work and money? Agree to participate (3,2)
{OPT IN} – a musical work followed by a slang word for money
10a A top officer’s about to dismiss sound study (9)
{ACOUSTICS} – the A from the clue, the abbreviation for a top military officer and the S from ‘S around a verb meaning to dismiss or expel
11a Happen to meet church expert well-informed about introducing hint of novelty (6,4)
{CHANCE UPON} – CH(urch), an expert and a phrase meaning well-informed about (2,2) around (introducing) the initial letter (hint) of Novelty
12a Stop American leaving power (4)
{STEM} – drop the A(merican) from a type of power
14a Incontrovertible report traces all slips (7,5)
{CRYSTAL CLEAR} – a verb meaning to report or say something loudly followed by an anagram (slips) of TRACES ALL
18a Key? What’s key about appearing droopy or beat? (3-9)
{ALL-IMPORTANT} – to get this adjective meaning key or essential put a three-letter computer key around an adjective meaning appearing droopy, the OR from the clue and a verb meaning to beat
21a Cut opening of soliloquy about male’s grave (4)
{TOMB} – drop the final letter (cut) from the opening two words of Hamlet’s soliloquy and put what’s left around M(ale)
22a Check popular area after power input (10)
{INSPECTION} – a two-letter word meaning popular followed by an area or region with P(ower) inserted (input)
25a More complex to hold in moneyman (9)
{FINANCIER} – an adjective meaning more complex around (to hold) IN
26a Friend quit after a failure, abandoning ship (5)
{AMIGO} – a two-letter verb meaning to quit after the A from the clue and a failure from whip SS (steamship) has been dropped (abandoning)
27a Leaves in bog or in circles amidst three lakes (3,4)
{LOO ROLL} – these leaves found in a bog or toilet are derived by putting OR inside two circular letters and the whole lot inside three L(ake)s
28a Meat infection that river’s brought into European city (7)
{HAMBURG} – some meat and a colloquial word for an infection with R(iver) inside (brought into)
Down
1d Error penning line making inky mess? (6)
{BLOTCH} – an error or shambles around (penning) L(ine)
2d Long account upset sleep (6)
{CATNAP} – a verb meaning to long or desire followed by AC(count), all reversed (upset in a down clue)
3d Dull ramble round North European city (10)
{MONOCHROME} – a verb meaning to ramble or loiter around N(orth) and followed by The Eternal City
4d United supporters kept up confused activity (5)
{SNAFU} – U(nited) followed by their supporters all reversed (kept up in a down clue)
5d It stops you humming but not singing (9)
{DEODORANT} – a cryptic definition of a substance that conceals unpleasant smells
6d After getting up, son tucked into meat and potatoes? (4)
{MASH} – some meat, last seen in the wordplay of 28 across, around S(on) all reversed (after getting up in a down clue)
7d Floor that’s not always there? What’s flimsy about end of floor support? (8)
{THIRTEEN} – this unlucky number is often missed out when numbering floors in a large building – put an adjective meaning flimsy around the final letter (end) of flooR and a support used by golfers
8d Queen doubly swathed in covering of wool (8)
{CASHMERE} – the abbreviation of the form of address for the Queen and her regnal cipher inside (swathed in) a covering or container
13d I’m about to study shifting coals, deconstructing images? (10)
{ICONOCLASM} – I’M around a three-letter verb meaning to study and an anagram (shifting) of COALS
15d Bird to show affection repeatedly (9)
{SPOONBILL} – a charade of two old-fashioned ways to show affection
16d Cheers arrangement for flutes with discrimination (8)
{TASTEFUL} – a two-letter word meaning cheers or thank you followed by an anagram (arrangement) of FLUTES
17d Lover leading officer a dance (8)
{FLAMENCO} – a lover followed by a Non-Commissioned Officer
19d Expression of hesitation raised about one story’s setting (6)
{MILIEU} – a two-letter expression of hesitation reversed (raised in a down clue) around I (one) and a story or untruth
20d Working lad’s good, in form (2,4)
{ON SONG} – a charade of a two-letter word meaning working, a male offspring (lad) and G(ood)
23d A church pew? (5)
{PERCH} – the three-letter word meaning a, as in 50p a lb, followed by CH(urch) gives a pew or seat
24d Article in Paris Match leading to party’s ruin (4)
{UNDO} – the French (in Paris Match) indefinite article followed by a party
An excellent start to the Toughie week.
Best Tuesday puzzle we’ve had for ages, favourites were 7d 18a and 23d thanks to Kcit and to Big Dave for the comments.
I really liked this one; tricky in places, but 5* for enjoyment from me.
Many thanks to Kcit, and to BD for the review and the forwarded pdf.
17d needs an officer at the end.
Thanks
Just when I thought that I might be beginning to get the hang of Toughies . . .
I could hardly do any of this one – I managed the top left corner and had a few other answers splattered around the place, but not very many.
Oh dear – never mind and keep trying, I suppose.
With thanks to Kcit and BD.
It was a start with the downs and then think very laterally sort of Toughie.
I enjoyed it very much. Thanks to Kcit and BD.
Yes – not enough lateral thinking. Another way of putting it would be that it was just well and truly beyond me – I do intend to get to grips with these beasties.
I had a short flight today which gave me some spare time to look at this. Slow going, but I got there in the end apart from 1A where I had BEHOVES (I wasn’t totally confident on the wordplay, but that’s often the case for me with Toughie clues). Thanks to BD for the correction on 1A which allowed me to finish the rest off, and the explanation for 10a.
Must say that 27a raised a big laugh.
Smashing puzzle , although stuttered a while in NE ,favourite for me 7d by quite a margin .
Cheers Kcit and BD
I loved this puzzle.
It has taken me ages and it was difficult. I finally admitted defeat, needing four answers in the top right corner — 5a, 12a, 6d, and 7d. I didn’t parse 2d correctly, but somehow arrived at my name!
Please, could you parse it out for me?


I have the correct answer for 18a. I tried and tried but couldn’t fathom the word play. And, despite your splendid hints, Big Dave, I still don’t get it.
These apart, my answers and the word play were accurate. Had a big chortle at 27a. Plenty of delightful clues in this puzzle.
Many thanks to Kcit for an entertaining and very thought-provoking puzzle.
And much appreciation for Big Dave without whose wonderful blog I would still be totally floundering.
18a Key ? What’s key about appearing droopy or beat? (3-9)
ALL IMPORTANT – ALT (computer key) around LIMP (droopy) OR and TAN (beat)
Thank you so much for this, Big Dave. So simple and clear — when you know how!
Catching up on the backlog of missed puzzles from last week. Really glad we bothered with this one as we thought it was great fun. Laughed out loud at 27a. Off for a walk now where we might see some 15d .
Thanks Kcit and BD.