Toughie 2926 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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Toughie 2926

Toughie No 2926 by Logman

Hints and Tips by crypticsue

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BD Rating – Difficulty *Enjoyment ***

Logman’s turn to provide the Wednesday Toughie although, for me, the only thing that really made it a Toughie was the amount of time it took me to see the obvious in 1a

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought

Across

1a    Sale being in two parts is of no consequence (5,4)
SMALL BEER If you split the word S ALE in two parts, what do you see? And did it take you as long as me to ‘see’ it??

8a    Screen enthusiast taking in, perhaps, Douglas’s The Game (9,4)
BLINDMANS BUFF A type of screen and an informal term for an enthusiast ‘taking’ in a way of referring to something from the island where Douglas is the name of its capital

11a    Implant educated European doctor introduces (5)
EMBED The abbreviations for European and a doctor go before (introduces) the abbreviation for educated

12a    Bond keeps one for exercise (5)
WIELD The letter representing one inserted into a bond

13a    What about time in charge of moral code? (5)
ETHIC An interjection expressing surprise (what) goes ‘about’ the abbreviation for time, the result followed with the abbreviation for in charge

16a    Flexibility means going after fish from the east (6)
LEEWAY A synonym for means goes after a reversal (from the east in an Across solution) of a type of fish

17a    Sack Republican and “regular Joe” voter ultimately leaving (6)
RAVAGE The abbreviation for Republican and something typical (regular Joe being an informal term for such a person) without (leaving) the ultimate letters of Joe and voter

18a    Song on popular set (5)
INLAY A type of song goes on or after the usual two-letter ‘popular’

19a    Fine for the French keeping our island landmark (3,3)
BIG BEN The French word for fine in the sense of OK into which is inserted (keeping) the abbreviation for our island

20a    Aesthetic movement offering role outside work (3,3)
POP ART A role goes outside a synonym for work

21a    Suggestion from good master of ceremonies (5)
GHOST The abbreviation for good and a master of ceremonies

24a    Some, for a start, dreaded disciple (5)
RASTA Hidden in some of foR A STArt

26a    Escort drug dealers before stripping (5)
USHER Strip the outside letters from some drug dealers

27a    Decision put off people crossing major route (13)
DETERMINATION A verb meaning to put off and the people of a state ‘crossing’ an abbreviated major route

28a    Sailing ship may have this power source and energy in the supply (9)
MAINSHEET A source of power (electricity, gas or water) followed by the abbreviation for energy inserted into an anagram (supply) of THE

Down

2d    Watch out for broadcast as such waters may be dangerous (5)
MINED A homophone (for broadcast) of a way of saying watch out

3d    Deplore Lithuania’s housing? So be it! (6)
LAMENT The IVR Code for Lithuania ‘housing’ an interjection meaning so be it, usually heard at the end of a prayer

4d    A social climber raised one plant (6)
BONSAI A reversal (raised) of A (from the clue) and a social climber, the result followed by the letter representing one

5d    Rock up half-heartedly for a joint (5)
ELBOW A reversal (up) of a verb meaning to rock or shake without its middle letter (half-heartedly)

6d    Amazed to see fat gets beard messy (13)
FLABBERGASTED An informal term for excess body fat and an anagram (messy) of GETS BEARD

7d    Following article by Vogue to some degree, but not very well (5,1,7)
AFTER A FASHION An adverb meaning following, an indefinite article and, without the capital V, a synonym for vogue

9d    The man will be a pain about English growth (9)
HELLEBORE A way of saying this man will be a pain goes about the abbreviation for English

10d    Exploit first appearance on river (9)
ADVENTURE The first appearance of something and a river in North Yorkshire

13d    Looking at following orders without objection (5)
EYING Remove the abbreviation for objection from a way of following orders

14d    Peeled onion can produce such a welcome (5)
HALLO A member of the onion family without its outside letters (peeled)

15d    Parliament vacated after scream in vault (5)
CRYPT The outside (vacated) letters of ParliamenT go after a scream

22d    Staff supporting strike is a killer (6)
HITMAN A verb meaning to staff supporting or going under a synonym for strike

23d    Nasty smell clears up before church (6)
STENCH A reversal (up) of a way of saying clears (makes a profit) goes before the abbreviation for church

25d    Share national boxing stadium (5)
ARENA Hidden in (boxing) shARE NAtional

26d    Free link needing it to be raised (5)
UNTIE Reverse (to be raised) the IT in a verb meaning to link or join

14 comments on “Toughie 2926

  1. Plenty of ticks in this very enjoyable floughie from Logman. I particularly liked 1a.

    Thanks to CS and Logman.

  2. I made really heavy weather of this and I am not sure why. In fact, I needed an 8 hour ‘sleep break’ between sessions to complete it.

    Candidates for favourite – 1a, 6d, and 10d – and the winner is 10d.

    Thanks to Logman and CS.

  3. Not too tricky but an enjoyable puzzle – thanks to Logman and CS.
    I can see why ‘The Game’ helps the surface of 8a because Michael Douglas starred in the film of that name but ‘The’ seems redundant in the wordplay.
    In 17a the ultimate letters of both Joe and voter need to leave.
    I liked 19a and 24a but my favourite by a country mile was 1a.

    1. Re 17a – the letters that leave are clearly marked in red on my piece of paper but sadly one of them never made it to the hint. It’s there now

  4. Perfectly pleasant crossword, should have been on the back page.
    I’m wondering where the spare ‘e’ went in 17A, or did I miss something? Average – r = aveage . Add the ‘R’ for Republican and you get…Raveage!

    1. Welcome to the blog. My original hint omitted to say that you take away the final letters of JoE and VoteR. It has been corrected now

  5. Some cracking clues in this wonderful Fluffy/Toughie, great pleasure while it lasted – for me a faster solve than today’s backpager. A few odd surfaces (especially 17a) but I ended up with ticks all over the place. Honours shared by 8a and 25d for me.

    Many thanks Jay/Logman and CS

  6. I found 8a and 17a a bit clunky but 1a is clever and I laughed out loud when the penny dropped at 24a.
    Thanks to Logman and CS for the blog.

  7. As I said on the back-page blog this was barely more difficult than a Jay puzzle but every bit as enjoyable.
    Ticks aplenty but my top three are 1 (yes it took me a while too)17&19a.
    Many thanks to Logman and Cryptic Sue for the top-notch entertainment.

  8. Definitely more than a 1* for me, but that’s to be expected!
    Top three for me were 19a plus 9&10d.

    Thanks to Logman/Jay and to CS for the review.

  9. Maybe a floughie but very enjoyable from our Wednesday Master with a different hat on. Needed a bit of electronic help for 28a; otherwise, a very fast and happy finish, with 19a, 1a, and 10d my top choices. Thanks to CS and Logman.

  10. All went together smoothly for us.
    Favourite clue 1a for the penny-drop when we twigged the wordplay.
    Thanks Logman and CS.

  11. No I didn’t parse it but it was the only blip in an otherwise brisk completion & agree with Gazza that 1a was the standout clue in a very enjoyable floughie.
    Thanks to Logman & to CS

  12. Thanks to Logman and to crypticsue for the review and hints. A very entertaining puzzle, a few hold ups, but I got there in the end. Needed the hints to parse 3d and 1a, the latter was my favourite. Was 2* /4* for me.

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