Toughie No 2341 by Kcit
Hints and tips by Big Dave
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Bufo Is away this morning, so I am back sooner than I expected. This is a fairly straightforward puzzle, with the handful of difficult answers clued in such a way as to make them easy to solve from the wordplay.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
1a Broadcast media getting behind most of fool’s tirade (8)
JEREMIAD: an anagram (broadcast) of MEDIA preceded by (getting behind) most of a fool
5a House cracked externally — something of a comedown (6)
BATHOS: HO)use) goes inside (externally) an adjective meaning cracked or mad
9a Came in to land leading to tense examination of the shore (8)
LITTORAL: just do what it says on the can – a verb meaning came in to land from a vehicle is followed by T(ense) and a verbal examination – I was familiar with the answer as it has come up several times before, most recently, as a noun rather than an adjective, in Toughie 2081, also by Kcit
10a Range around last items for discussion (6)
AGENDA: a cooking range, there’s a picture of ours below, around a word meaning last
E
12a In pursuit of power, see Tory confused about Liberal convert (9)
PROSELYTE: after (in pursuit of) P(ower) add an anagram (confused) of SEE TORY confused about L(iberal)
13a Destined to inhale oxygen or another element (5)
BORON: a verb meaning destined, as in destined to be wild, around (to inhale) the chemical symbol for oxygen
14a Kick that a gambler wants? (4)
PUNT: two definitions – the first being a kick in which the ball is released and kicked before it hits the ground
16a Affair is going ahead after one lands in US city (7)
LIAISON: IS from the clue and a two-letter word meaning going ahead or proceeding come after I (one) inside a US city
19a Church, unaltered, containing second structure (7)
CHASSIS: CH(urch) and a phrase meaning unaltered (2,2) around (containing) S(econd)
21a Avoid love (4)
DUCK: two definitions – the second being another sporting term for a score of zero
24a Number of lines in program ultimately repeated in bit of IT kit (5)
MODEM: some lines of poetry inside the final letter (ultimately) of [program]M repeated gives an outdated bit of IT kit
25a Stupid to keep mum regarding one variety of language (9)
IDIOMATIC: an adjective meaning stupid around a two-letter word for mum
27a Tango? Current male popular, having good co-ordination (6)
TIMING: another clue where you follow the instructions – the letter represented by Tango in the NATO Phonetic alphabet is followed by the symbol for electric current, M(ale), a two-letter word meaning popular and G(ood)
28a Woman’s following fool about Independent’s arbiter of fashion? (8)
CLOTHIER: start with an adjective meaning belonging to a woman following a fool and then insert (about) I(ndependent)
29a Note gospel is linked to studies in religion (6)
REMARK: one of the gospels follows (is linked to) studies in religion
30a I really make an effort to curb the French form of worship (8)
IDOLATRY: a phrase meaning I really make an effort (1,2,3) around (to curb) the French feminine definite article
Down
1d Left work cuddled by flier in car (6)
JALOPY: L(eft) and a musical work inside a bird (flier)
2d Desert island’s brought in only so much to eat (6)
RATION: a phrasal verb meaning to desert(3,2) around (brought in) I(sland)
3d Run from blue deer (5)
MOOSE: drop (from) R(un) from an adjective meaning blue or sad
A blast from the past – enjoy!
4d A vote against including Labour’s first street researcher (7)
ANALYST: the A from the clue and a vote against around (including) the initial letter (first) of Labour and followed by ST(reet)
6d I garble badly in account of some mathematics (9)
ALGEBRAIC: an anagram (badly) of I GARBLE inside AC(count)
7d One seeking early Asian lock (8)
HUNTRESS: a member of a powerful savage nomad Asian race followed by a lock of hair
8d Still name carried by tin soldier? (8)
STAGNANT: a name or label inside (carried by) the chemical symbol for tin and followed by a soldier insect
11d Have some weight and box, disposing of unknown (4)
TELL: drop the mathematical unknown from the box that can be found in most lounges
15d Man is knocked out in middle of wild excitement — stars seen here? (4,5)
URSA MINOR: an anagram (knocked out) of MAN IS inside the middle 4 letters of a six-letter word meaning wild excitement
17d Evidence of wound? I’m the very thing involved — a sword (8)
SCIMITAR: inside (involved) the evidence of a wound put I’M from the clue and a word meaning the very thing
18d Spice mother concealed in cannon (8)
CARDAMOM: put an animal mother inside a cannon in billiards
20d Send spades with it (4)
SHIP: S(pades) followed by a word meaning “with it”
21d Sowed lines in parched surroundings (7)
DRILLED: L(ine) and L(ine) inside (in … surroundings) an adjective meaning parched
22d Hard stone split by instant cut (6)
STRICT: ST(one) around (split by) an instant or brief moment of time without its final letter (cut)
23d Succeeded getting groom to get a move on? (6)
SCURRY: S(ucceeded) followed by a verb meaning to groom
26d Satisfied aluminium will suffice for this? (5)
METAL: a verb meaning satisfied or came up to followed by the chemical symbol for aluminium
Enjoyable but run-of-the-mill.
If you know the rarely used words and follow the helpful clues, then this is more of a back pager than a Toughie but enjoyable while it lasted
Thanks to Kcit and BD
Just beaten by those pesky 4 letter words: 11d, 14a and 20d. Looking for a pangram I was determined to include “q” somewhere. I was wrong. Some good words, e.g. 1a, 8a and 12a. Too many to have a COTD.
Thanks BD for this and your other, many, useful postings. What would we do without you!
A pleasant puzzle but thanks for the blast from the past BD. The wonderful Cherry Wainer on the organ. I would have liked a big sister like her.
Thanks to Big Dave for covering for me at short notice when it dawned on me that I wouldn’t have time to blog today
Had some trouble with this so thanks to setter and BD for the hints.
The answer in 11dn is “the box” … needs to be shortened.
The 5 letters of wild excitement should be 4 letters I think.
No doubt down to having to blog at short notice!
Thanks – you are quite right
You’re welcome.
Failed on 11d and 14a.
Nice to see 17d again. Only ever saw it in crosswords
Thanks to Kcit and to BD.
The picture of your kitchen reminded me that I have to get cracking and prepare dinner.
We also found the pesky fours the stumbling blocks here. A pleasant solve with a measure of head-scratching required in places.
Thanks Kcit and BD.
There was nothing too contentious here, although I didn’t know the 1a tirade. Thanks to Kcit and BD.
My favourite clue was 30a.
With 24ac I noticed the word MULTI hidden within the words of the clue. With Number at the start of the clue in it went. Only when I had problems with the down clues that crossed 24ac did I read the whole clue and realise how daft I had been. A nice enough puzzle for a Thursday. As for the blog. I nearly spat my beer out when I saw ‘Born To Be Wild’ used as a clip. Whaaaat? BD using a song from the seventies? But then I realised it was from 1969 so all is well. Ta to all concerned especially John Kay.
I knew the answer to 18d but I just couldn’t figure it out. I’ve played snooker (and sometimes billiards) for years but I’ve never heard the word ‘carom’. Still, you learn something every day I suppose.