Toughie No 2305 by Kcit
Hints and tips by Bufo
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty **/*** – Enjoyment ***
The NW corner was the only one to put up any resistance and it led to the extra half star for difficulty.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
1a Rugby players finally reconciled on the quiet (5-1-4)
SEVEN-A-SIDE: A form of rugby with less players than usual = the last letter of PLAYERS + ‘reconciled’ + ‘on the quiet’
6a Location that recalls mountain peaks (4)
SPOT: A reversal of the summits of mountains
9a Very popular revolutionary fashion? It’s sharp stuff (7)
VINEGAR: V (very) + ‘popular’ + a reversal of a fashion or vogue
10a Critics not initially upset about a comic (7)
SATIRIC: An anagram of RITICS (CRITICS withot the first letter) round A
12a American to postulate getting covered in cream as example of physical discipline (5,8)
LOTUS POSITION: Two letters denoting ‘American’ and ‘to postulate’ inside a cream applied to the skin = something associated with yoga
14a Screen image showing Victor between a pair of Americans in front of pitch (6)
AVATAR: V (Victor) inside A and A (a pair of Americans) + pitch (black stuff)
15a Support aircraft manoeuvres? (8)
BANKROLL: ‘To support financially’ = the tilt of an aircraft + a rotation manoeuvre in an aircraft. I was sure this answer was going to begin BACK
17a Gently nudge dog, getting left piece of hair (4-4)
KISS-CURL: ‘To gently nudge’ + a dog + L (left) = a piece of hair at the side of the forehead
19a Sailor recalled attempts to cuddle a dolphin’s head (3,3)
SEA-DOG: A reversal of ‘attempts’ round A and the first letter of DOLPHIN
22a All meet after disruption, one woman excepted? I don’t believe it (4,2,7)
TELL ME ANOTHER: An anagram (after disruption) of ALL MEET + ‘one woman excepted’ (3,3)
24a Order selection by artist from the East (7)
ARRANGE: A reversal of an abbreviation denoting an artist + a selection
25a Delicate stuff about Republican leading US city crime (7)
LARCENY: A delicate ornamental fabric round R (Republican) + a US city
26a Detectives certainly on trail of crime ultimately (4)
EYES: The last letter of CRIME + ‘certainly’
27a Step around vegetable with tip of leaf showing large insect (4,6)
STAG BEETLE: A step round a root vegetable and the first letter of LEAF
Down
1d Bar? Time to leave bar (4)
SAVE: ‘Bar’ or ‘except’ = a wooden bar with the letter T (time) removed
2d Supposedly plain article found in big house (7)
VANILLA: A form of the indefinite article inside a large house
3d I’m expected to handle late deliveries (5-8)
NIGHT-WATCHMAN: A cryptic definition for someone who looks after premises after the working day is over with reference to a lower-order batsman who comes in early to face the last few overs (late deliveries) in order, one hopes, to protect a higher-order batsman
4d Attempts to remove one on board producing tension (6)
STRESS: ‘Attempts’ with the letter I (one) removed inside SS (on board)
5d Face accommodating plea for help about power management (8)
DISPOSAL: The face of a clock round a plea for help round P (power)
7d Left cut-down picture in colonnade (7)
PORTICO: The left side of a ship + a picture with the last letter removed
8d Dance music on record requiring unknown application of science (10)
TECHNOLOGY: A type of fast, repetitive electronic dance music + a record + Y (unknown)
11d Accumulate power from hoax accusation about article in France-Soir (7-6)
TRICKLE-CHARGE: ‘To renew the power in a battery over a long period at a low rate’ = a hoax + an accusation round a form of the French definite article
13d Crackpot to sunbathe and so on, with sea tossing (6,4)
BASKET CASE: ‘To lie in the sunshine’ + ‘and so on’ + an anagram (tossing) of SEA
16d Close of prayer supporting seamen in biblical text is a graceful thing (8)
ORNAMENT: A branch of the armed services (seamen) and the word that comes at the end of a prayer inside one of the main parts of the Bible
18d Place engulfed in swell display of extravagance (7)
SPLURGE: A abbreviation for ‘place’ inside a swell
20d River suffered with a Parisian leaving (7)
DERWENT: This could be the river that forms part of the border of Durham and Northumberland, or one that flows from the Lake District to Workington, or one that flows through the Peak District and Derby, or one that flows through the North York Moors to the River Ouse. Take a word meaning ‘suffered’ and remove UN (a Parisian) from the front
21d TV boss about to eye up angle (3-3)
DOG-LEG: The boss of the BBC round ‘to eye up’
23d Happy people appearing gutted — excessive advertising? (4)
HYPE: The first and last letters of HAPPY and PEOPLE
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Fairly gentle but enjoyable – thanks to Kcit and Bufo.
Is a 16d necessarily graceful? There are lots of unlovely ones around.
My podium today hosts 15a, 3d and 13d.
Another great puzzle this week 3*/4* for me with 21D my personal favourite. Many thanks to the setter
A pretty gentle Toughie. I got 8d despite never having heard of the dance which I had to look up.
Favourite? 3d with its cricket term.
I have no wish ever to time myself solving a puzzle (far too depressing) but if this was not my fastest solve ever (for a Toughie) then it is very close. I found that for lots of clues I could guess the answer and then see if the cryptic fits. It was a friendly grid and the puzzle contained lots of useful letters in kind places like the two Vs in the new corner. I much prefer clues that make it difficult to see the definition. The puzzle also kindly stayed within my range of GK and vocabulary (although I only know 13d in the sense of a country with an ailing economy but could guess it) So I guess I would rate this * for difficulty and ** for enjoyment.
Thanks to setter and blogger
That’s two relatively mild Toughies in a row. I expect we shall pay for it tomorrow! This was very enjoyable with a good few smiles. I particularly liked 1a, 15a, 3d, 13d with top marks to 21d.
Seems that both of today’s setters were feeling benign – much appreciated as it’s been a busy day.
Like Gazza, I was unsure about the definition for 16d but it would appear that the BRB supports it so I guess that makes it acceptable.
Favourite here was 15a.
Thanks to Kcit and to Bufo for the review.
Bufo your list of 20d rivers misses out the rather significant one that flows through Hobart in Tasmania.
15a for some reason, took us much longer to sort out than it should have done. Took a while to understand why the last word in the clue was plural.
An enjoyable solve for us.
Thanks Kcit and Bufo.