Toughie No 1178 by Warbler
Hints and tips by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Yet another lovely puzzle from the lovely Warbler. Solving 7 down early on certainly helps as it provides the definition for five other clues.
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Across
1a Springs flowing back into drains (4)
{SAPS} – the reversal () of some springs results in a verb meaning drains or exhausts
3a Craftily cad starts to lie over alibi. That’s outrageous (10)
{DIABOLICAL] – an anagram (craftily) of CAD, the initial letters of (starts to) Lie and Over and ALIBI – starts being plural suggests that it’s the initial letter of Over that is the intended wordplay rather than the abbreviation
9a Sailor left Spain for 7 (4)
{ABLE} – the usual sailor followed by L(eft) and the IVR code for Spain
10a Subeditors should use this term with restraint (10)
{SPELLCHECK} – a term or period of time followed by a restraint or curb
11a 7 runner’s squarely back to front (7)
{SKILFUL} – a runner that glides over snow followed by an adverb meaning squarely with its final letter moved to the beginning
13a Empty talk’s thoroughly boring (3,4)
{GAS WELL} – some empty talk followed by an adverb meaning thoroughly or properly
14a 7 English soldier will shortly put back parting under canvas (11)
{INTELLIGENT} – E(nglish), a US soldier and the abbreviated form (shortly) of will all reversed (put back) inside (parting) a phrase (2,4) meaning under canvas
18a Musically dramatic range — West mostly adapted that of the French (11)
{WAGNERESQUE} – an anagram (adapted) of RANGE and most of WES(t) followed by the French for that
21a Water drowning middle of littler ship’s rigging (7)
{RATTLIN} – I didn’t know this spelling of the ship’s rigging, but the wordplay was clear – some precipitated water around the middle three letters of liTTLer
22a Wearing suit rotter falls (7)
{CASCADE] – a cad inside (wearing) a law suit
23a Zola verged off course becoming glassy-eyed (6,4)
{GLAZED OVER} – an anagram (off course) of ZOLA VERGED
24a A taste for going round listed building site (4)
{PISA} – the A from the clue and a taste or small quantity of liquid reversed (going round) gives this site where a building is famously listing
25a Representing first of rap artists on radio (10)
{TRANSISTOR} – an anagram (re-presenting) of the initial letter (first) of Rap with ARTISTS ON
26a Novelist’s change of direction eventually leading to love in Paris (4)
{AMIE} – start with the surname of an English author (father or son) and change the final S(outh) to a different direction to get the French (in Paris) for a female friend / love
Down
1d Enterprise, say, puts sailors on board (8)
{STARSHIP} – some sailors on board / inside a vessel
2d Soften everything before I cut into spread (8)
{PALLIATE} – a word meaning everything and I inside (cut into) a meat spread
4d Firm up belly suppressing every other urge (5)
{IMPEL} – drop the odd letters (suppressing every other) from the first three words in the clue
5d Stewed leg bones with a hint of oregano to make sauce (9)
{BOLOGNESE} – an anagram (stewed) of LEG BONES with the initial letter (hint) of Oregano
6d Carobs have place on winding street (6,5)
{LOCUST TREES} – a word of Latin origin for place or position followed by an anagram (winding) of STREET
7d Conservative party rises to expert (6)
{CLEVER} – C(onservative) followed by the reversal (rises in a down clue) of a party or celebration
8d Promising fifty-one grand — see! (6)
{LIKELY} – the Roman numerals for fifty-one followed by the metric abbreviation for one thousand / grand and a well-known see or diocese
12d Chaps welcoming tramp? Exactly so! (4-7)
{FELL-WALKERS} – the colloquial spelling of some chaps around a verb meaning to tramp
15d In general debts will amount to 7 (9)
{INGENIOUS} – IN and GEN(eral) followed by the usual debts
16d Water spirit engulfs one in tank (8)
(AQUARIUM} – another word of Latin origin, this time it’s water and is followed by some alcoholic spirit around (engulfs) I (one)
17d Give authority to Democrat meeting European ambassador (8)
{DELEGATE} – D(emocrat) and E(uropean) followed by an ambassador
19d 7 runs into wide bay (6)
{BRIGHT} – R(uns) inside a wide bay
20d Start going through revision in advance of A levels (6)
{STRATA} – an anagram (going through revision) of START followed by the A from the clue
22d One’s given command to stifle communist belief (5)
{CREDO} – a military commander around (to stifle) the usual communist
If the rest of the week is as good as this one we are in for a treat.
I was wondering whether Elgar’s hob-nailed boots were at the menders but it is obvious now that he had lent them to the lovely Warbler. this took me a proper Toughie time to solve but I did enjoy myself so thank you to Warbler and BD. 4*/4* for me.
For further entertainment, I reproduce below an email message I received this morning about this crossword:
“A crossword that was both 3a and 15d. If you were not feeling very 7d or 19d you might wish you were more 11a at solving. It is 8d that the less 9a may have 23a by the end.”
Somebody’s very 15d!
I suspect A N Other has been busy with his little grey cells again.
I did not have too much trouble with this, although a few in the bottom left took me a while to finish off.
Many thanks to Warbler, and to BD.
I found this one pretty tough for a Tuesday but I did enjoy it, my favourite was 12d thanks to Warbler and to Big Dave for the comments. Dave 25a needs amending.
Thanks
Superb crossword from Warbler,any thanks to her and BD
Fairly easy for a Toughie … but nonetheless most enjoyable!
I do like a good surface reading … so 20d has to be my favourite! (Although at one point I was leaning towards the “Pisa” one.)
Thanks to Warbler & BD.
I like Warbler s puzzles and mostly liked today but I don t like 21a as “middle” could be one letter rather than three and coupled to an obscure spelling (at least to landlubbers) meant a failure for me. I am also getting very tired of Martin and Kingsley making such regular appearances in puzzles.
I found this extremely difficult but I did eventually complete all but one, and that was 21A. From the checking letters, Ritalin was the only word I could come with and I could probably use some because this toughie had me mentally jumping all over the place. I did enjoy the battle, though, with 12D being tops for me. Thank you to Warbler and to BD for the review.
A bit of googling for 21A brought me to a very happy completion.
I’m always very chuffed to finish the toughie and this one was very enjoyable.
I always feel that I have achieved what I set out to do if comments from solvers include the words ” enjoy ” or ” enjoyable “.And Mr Big Boab’s ” super ” is the icing on the cake! Thanks.
Far more enjoyable than Enigmatic Variations No.1120: Curious Cocktails.
Does anyone ever complete Enigmatic Variations?
I never get beyond reading the introduction …
I was like that for a while, don’t always finish them though
I always need a lie down after reading the nstructions for an EV puzzle
Me too – really don’t understand.
We found this one tougher than we have come to expect from this setter and enjoyable from start to finish. 7d did not come immediately for us so all its derivatives were also slow in coming to light. With 21a, we got onto the right meaning quite easily but had to investigate the spelling. Favourite was 21a that kept us head-scratching for ages and then a laugh out loud when we got it. Lots and lots of good fun.
Thanks Warbler (nice to see your comment) and BD.
Just re-read this. Had meant to put 24a as favourite.
Another corker from Warbler, had to look up 21a but couldn’t see what else it could be. As with StanXYS I especially liked 20d. Thank you Warbler and BD
Looks like a new setter coming up with the next Toughie. Have looked on ‘Best for Puzzles’ but no mention of ProXimal on there.
I’m looking forward to it. Wouldn’t it be great if it was Arachne in another guise?
Wow that would be great. Is that a wild guess, or have there been hints?
Arachne in the Daily Torygraph?
How does BD do that picture of flying pigs?
Very enjoyable but failed to get a couple of answers and needed the hints to explain a few more.
I took far too long to get 7d.
With thanks to Warbler and BD.
Thanks to Warbler and to Big Dave for the review and hints. I found this very enjoyable, but difficult. Needed 9 hints to finish. Favourite was 2d. Was 4+/4* for me.
Although no hints were necessary to finish crossword, it did take me a week! Thanks for the explanation of 12d. I’m afraid I did not get 7d until late, so that held me up considerably.