Toughie No 3009 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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Toughie No 3009

by StephenL  

Toughie 3009 by Moeraki

Hints and tips by StephenL

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****

Hello everyone and a Happy St Valentines Day from a sunny and bright South Devon coast.

Moeraki, a setter who appears all too infrequently in my book, kicks off the Toughie week with a very clever and supremely entertaining puzzle.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought

Across

3a Florence’s controlling family once here in France, by the sea (6)
MEDICI: The French word for here follows an abbreviated sea, giving a former Italian dynasty.

6a Foremost of Grampian locations — especially Nevis? (4)
GLEN: A first letters (foremost of) clue, giving an extended definition.

8a Detailed material on a Middle Easterner (5)
ADENI: Append a popular material (think Levi’s although other brands are available!) minus its last letter to an indefinite article.

9a Magician in exhibition centre along with storyteller (11)
NECROMANCER: Start with the abbreviation for the National Exhibition Centre and add someone who (rather appropriately given the day) tells or embellishes stories.

10a City giving Hearts a goalkeeper? (5)
HANOI: The abbreviation for Hearts, A from the clue and how we may write the position of the goalkeeper

11a Ones learning about rites in mass (11)
SEMINARISTS: Anagram (about) of the following three words.

16a Approach rankings’ top fly-fisher (6)
ANGLER: Follow an approach or point of view with the initial letter (top) of Rankings.

17a Tidy sort of jumper for boat (8)
TRIMARAN: A synonym of tidy or neat plus a thick jumper named after the material It’s made from.

19a No good abandoning film-maker before English debut (8)
PREMIERE: Remove the abbreviations for No and Good from an Austrian-American film producer. No, me neither, though the wordplay is clear. Finally add the abbreviation for English

20a Cosily small, sooner or later (6)
INTIME: The parsing of this caused me a bit of trouble as I initially had the wrong definition.  If we split the solution 2,4 we have a term meaning sooner or later. The solution is a synonym of intimate.

22a Russian river fish — by the smell, going out of date (11)
OBSOLESCENT: A charade of a Western Siberian river, a flat fish and a smell or fragrance.

25a After golf, what’s next? Gleneagles? (5)
HOTEL: What follows Golf in the NATO phonetic alphabet is also something of which Gleneagles is a well known example, situated on the same estate as the famous course. The old one in Torquay incidentally was said to be the inspiration for Fawlty Towers

27a Firework do Anne and Carl organised around the fifth of November (5,6)
ROMAN CANDLE: Anagram (organised) of DO ANNE and CARL around the fifth letter of NoveMber. This one jumped right out at me.

28a A little over one million casualties were suffered here (5)
SOMME: Place an unspecified number around the abbreviation for a Million, giving a famous WW1 battle in which casualties numbered over one million. Very clever clue.

29a Hose — otherwise what one might wear? (4)
SHOE: Anagram (otherwise) of HOSE

30a Struggle to eat poultry produce? I would (6)
VEGGIE: A word meaning to struggle or compete goes around (to eat) what some of you may have had for breakfast. This made me smile.

 

Down

1d Noted fellow having academic and civil honours (4)
BACH: Abbreviations for Bachelor of Arts and Companion of Honour give this “man of notes”.

2d Empty dining area with a fireplace installed (11)
MEANINGLESS: Place a (typically military) dining area around an indefinite article and a domestic fireplace.

3d Governmental taxman at first seen in short TV drama (11)
MINISTERIAL: Insert the initial letter of Taxman into a short works published in several parts.

4d Those with the lower grades scarper! (6)
DECAMP: If we split the solution 2,4 we could have a description of a set of people with low grades.

5d Como and Crosby, say, peevish for the most part accepting pound note (8)
CROONERS: Place a synonym of peevish or annoyed without its last letter around an informal (and somewhat out of date but fine within the context of the clue) term for a pound note based on its value. Great clue.

6d Low-down on the team’s spirits (5)
GENII: The usual 3-letter crosswordland low- down or information and a numerical representation of eleven (team)

7d River in pass (5)
EXEAT: I think this is just a charade of a river in Devon plus a preposition that could in certain uses mean in.

12d Novel providing social commentary of Thomas involved with ranee? (5,1,5)
ROMAN A THESE: Anagram (involved) of THOMAS and RANEE giving a didactic novel.

13d When the waitress approaches behind bars? (7,4)
SERVING TIME: A cryptic or loose double definition, not a lot more to say.

14d First meaning to be martial arts teacher? (6)
SENSEI: A meaning or definition is followed by the letter representing the number one (thus “meaning one” or first meaning). The literal meaning of the word is first or earlier born.

15d The Tenth Muse has elevated love, penning pages (6)
SAPPHO: A reversal (elevated) of HAS from the clue followed by the letter representing love or nil goes around (penning) two of the abbreviation for page(s)

18d Salt water-covered tars turning up in port (8)
BRISBANE: Insert (covered) a reversal (turning up) of some abbreviated Able Seamen into a common name for salt water. Having lived in this fine city for two years I liked this.

21d Marine rover? (3,3)
SEA DOG: A cryptic/ all in one definition, the rover having a canine connection

23d Assassin’s heavy footwear’s hard at the tip (5)
BOOTH: Append the initial letter (at the tip) of Hard to some industrial or winter footwear to give an American assassin who famously spoiled the show for Mr and Mrs Lincoln.

24d Give address that’s fancy, not new (5)
ORATE: Remove the abbreviation for New from a word meaning fancy or decorated

26d Right skinny, by the sound of it (4)
LIEN: A legal right is a homophone of a word meaning skinny or wiry, without much fat.

Thanks Moeraki, I particularly liked 10,25,28&30a plus 5&21d. Which ones hit the spot for you?

 

 

 

 

22 comments on “Toughie No 3009”

  1. A nice 2* difficulty Toughie – one of those crosswords where it helps considerably if you know ‘stuff’ that fits with the very helpful wordplay.

    I liked 30a as it describes Mr CS perfectly. I also liked 14d as it reminded me of watching the Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles when our boys were the right age to enjoy such things

    Thanks to Moeraki and StephenL

  2. A very enjoyable Toughie, just right for a Tuesday – thanks to Moeraki and StephenL.
    The clues I liked best were 10a, 28a, 30a and 14d.

  3. Pleasant, fairly straightforward. Like StephenL, I had trouble parsing 20a. In fact, a new word for me. 30a is my winner.

  4. Very enjoyable puzzle again today; thanks to setter. Several really good clues but my favourite is the very clever 11A.

  5. Just right for a Tuesday Toughie.

    25a goes straight to the top of my leaderboard!

    Thanks to Moeraki and StephenL.

    ps. With regard to the picture of the goalkeeper in 10a: Ederson Santana de Moraes actually wears #31.(But I’m sure you knew that!)

  6. Almost perfect wavelength connection for me last night–all except for 8a: I went all over the ME and all through the alphabet but never thought about ports in Yemen, or anything less than a country for that matter. My oversight. Knew the director immediately as a long-standing Otto P. fan, especially his ‘Laura’ and ‘Anatomy of a Murder’. Thought the four- and five-letter clues especially clever and witty. But having written my doctoral thesis on 12d in George Eliot, how could I not choose it as my COTD? Besides, I love the French term! Great Toughie. Thanks to Stephen and Moeraki.

  7. This was probably just right in terms of challenge for a Tuesday Toughie and a lot of fun to boot.

    I got held up by 20a which was my last one in, never having heard of the word but the BRB confirmed its existence.

    I think 12d is a tad unfair by clueing an obscure (to me, at least) French expression using an anagram. I solved the anagram quite quickly to produce three English words which formed a nonsensical phrase which I rejected as a possibility initially. In frustration and working on the Sherlock Holmes philosophy: “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth”, I finally checked the BRB and found enlightenment.

    Gazza as usual has impeccable taste in picking top clues and so I will piggy-back off his selection of 10a, 28a, 30a & 14d.

    Many thanks to Moeraki and to SL.

  8. I could have done with a hotline to RC as 12d was unknown to me, although it appears he wouldn’t have been much help where my other unknown – the Middle Easterner – was concerned!
    Don’t recall a pound note being referred to as the term used in 5d, perhaps I didn’t move in the right circles.
    On the plus side, I did know the required film-maker!
    Top clues for me were 22a & 3d with a mention for 25a where I spent a most enjoyable long weekend with friends and had my first try at clay pigeon shooting, where beginner’s luck served me well.

    Thanks to Moeraki for the challenge and to Stephen for the review.

  9. 14d and 25a were my top selections from an eclectic range of clues, where solid wordplay helped fill any gaps in GK. A nice, mid-range puzzle to kick-start the Toughie week.

    My thanks to Moeraki and SL.

  11. What a peculiar puzzle! Somehow midway between a cryptic and a GK
    10a was a bung in. How was I supposed to know a goal keeper was a NOI? Do I guess it’s short for Number one?
    Then, despite being in Devon, 7d is odd to say the least while the film maker in 19a could be anyone until one decides the key word is “debut”. I could go on. …but I won’t!
    Suffice it to say 9a is my COTD because it’s such a splendid word.

  12. Undone by 8a. Not heard of 11a, the film producer, 20a, 12d, 14d or 15d and needed the hint to parse 5d so not a good crossword for me. Oh well! There’s always tomorrow. Favourite was 18d. Thanks to Moeraki for the beating and SL for the hints.

  13. I found this rather more complicated than many others, partly I suppose because of ignorance of several things including film producers and martial arts teachers.

    Still managed to complete it eventually.

    I half-guessed 28a (what else could it be?) but enjoyed the parsing once explained.

    Full marks to Moeraki and StephenL.

  14. Sue’s comment that this was one of those puzzles where it helps considerably if you know stuff that fits the wordplay spot on. Unfortunately I didn’t which is why I found it a good deal tougher than a ** difficultly but I nearly battled through to the finishing line albeit with 2 stabs at 12d which I’d never heard of. Had to confirm the Russian river, the 5a Jews, the plural of genie & 20a. After all that it left 14d & I threw in the towel & left it to Stephen to guide me to the answer – another unknown. Oh & I didn’t parse the goalie nor Perry & Bing despite being (as an ex bookie) familiar with a oner.
    Very much enjoyed the puzzle nevertheless. Film (19a) & golf (25a) much more my thing & 2 ticks but lots to like elsewhere – 3,28&30a plus 2,13&18d other particular likes.
    Thanks to Moeraki & Stephen – nice BOC clip but why only the legs at 23d ? Not sure Suzie does the Toughie 🙂

    1. Hi Huntsman. Pleased you enjoyed the BOC clip, I like it too. I’m not sure I understand your Suzie reference but I didn’t crop the picture at 23d but I thought the boots were funky and looked good.

      1. It was a light hearted reference to yesterday – she had a pop at Falcon for picturing women in bikinis – hence he balanced it out with a couple of beefcakes

        1. Oh I see, I’ve just taken a look. Of course you’ll never see anything like that on my blog! 🤣

  15. Still in two minds about this one – clues ranging from the straightforward to the extremely obscure, the brilliant to the disappointingly mundane, and more than a touch of the dated and old-fashioned. Lots of add a letter, remove a letter, clue types. In agreement with JB: a peculiar puzzle.

    Thanks to Moeraki and Stephen.

  16. I think that is the quickest I have ever finished a toughie – and thoroughly enjoyed myself doing so. I was helped by having watched Isabelle Adjani in La Reine Margot immediately prior to starting, which features Catherine de 3a – I do love weird coincidences! Thank you Moeraki and Stephen.

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