Toughie No 3017 by Chalicea
Hints and tips by StephenL
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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***
Hello everyone from a blue skies South Devon coast where the sun is shining and the daffodils are blooming.
Chalicea kicks off the Toughie week with a typically fun and gentle puzzle.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought
1a Agreed to adopt pet that’s “difficult” (11)
COMPLICATED: A verb meaning agreed to “adopts” or goes around a domestic pet.
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9a Succeeds in making contact with ghettos from time to time (4)
GETS: Alternate letters (from time to time) of GhEtToS. The definition is in the sense of “make contact with” on a phone perhaps.
10a Watercourse given protective coating and made more efficient (11)
STREAMLINED: Append a synonym of covered or protected (typically on the inside surface) to a small watercourse
11a Lead strike-breaker is sent back (4)
STAR: Reverse (sent back) a contracted form of a synonym of a strike-breaker plus is from the clue.
14a Disregarding others, mostly trade n seafood (7)
SELFISH: A verb meaning to trade in (the opposite of buy!) loses its last letter (mostly) and is followed by some animals of which seafood is an example.
16a Rotund figure who will run when he’s warmed up? (7)
SNOWMAN: Cryptic definition, the run being in the sense of melt.
17a Boat destroyed according to report (5)
EIGHT: A homophone (according to report) of a synonym of destroyed or devoured.
18a Principal masonry construction (4)
ARCH: Two meanings.
19a Piece of news I came across in review (4)
ITEM: I from the clue and a reversal (in review) of a synonym of came across or encountered.
20a Large numbers in the US suddenly turn on south (5)
SLEWS: A verb meaning to suddenly turn or lurch to one side and the abbreviation for South. Chambers gives it as informal American.
22a Stories about ordinary runs with cargo essentially in heavy vehicles (7)
LORRIES: Some stories or “porkies” around (about) the abbreviations for Ordinary and Runs and the essential letter of caRgo.
23a Northern university to sort out type of weapon (7)
NUCLEAR: Append a verb meaning to sort out, tidy or unblock to the abbreviations for Northern and University.
24a Confess last of moral offences, becoming good (4)
SING: Replace the final letter of some moral offences or transgressions with the abbreviation for Good.
28a Advised against new computer-aided design after clumsy pediment removed (11)
DISCOURAGED: Anagram (new) of COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN after the letters that make up the word PEDIMENT have been removed. The secondary indicator (clumsy) tells us they are in a different order.
29a Every single fruit that’s not soft (4)
EACH: Remove a musical instruction to play softly from a (soft as it happens) fruit.
30a Distinctive character of shifty oriental spy (11)
PERSONALITY: Anagram (shifty) of the following two words.
Down
2d Source of vegan milk and butter’s ignored at first (4)
OATS: Remove the initial letter (ignored at first) from an animal that butts. Don’t forget the S.
3d Ring on the phone for cover? (4)
PEEL: A straightforward homophone (on the phone) of the act of ringing some bells.
4d Some slim men seem huge (7)
IMMENSE: Hidden (some)
5d Sharp American hero (4)
ACID: I think this is an abbreviation for American and an 11th century Spanish hero.
6d Polished English member pursued by worker (7)
ELEGANT: A charade of the abbreviation for English, a part of the body (member) and a working insect.
7d Units in church books I encountered with reserve (11)
CENTIMETRES: Another charade of an abbreviated church, some abbreviated biblical books, I from the clue, a synonym of encountered and the abbreviation for REServed.
8d No more stars out for those observing them (11)
ASTRONOMERS: Anagram (out) of the preceding three words.Metallica covered this epic BOC track but you can’t beat the original.
12d Dreadfully disables the securely settled (11)
ESTABLISHED: Anagram (dreadfully) of the following two words.
13d For Shakira, perhaps the concert is arranged using such equipment? (11)
ELECTRONICS: For this we need to establish that the delightful Shakira speaks Spanish. Follow a Spanish word for “the” with an anagram (arranged) of CONCERT IS.
15d Hospital with complaints — they are proverbially old (5)
HILLS: The abbreviation for H and some medical complaints. I rather like this.
16d Explained method used between bridge partners (5)
SHOWN: An adverb meaning “by what means” goes between two bridges partners.
20d Main team in coastal area (7)
SEASIDE: Synonyms of main as a noun and (a sports) team
21d Star bishop, holder of tea for tanning (7)
SUNBURN: The star that is shining brightly here today, the abbreviation for Bishop and a metal container used for making large quantities of tea or coffee.
25d Performs things agreed on without pressure (4)
ACTS: Remove the abbreviation for Pressure from a formal agreement between individuals or parties.
26d Closely interwoven mass gathering for dancing (4)
BALL: Double definition, for the less obvious think wool.
27d Swelter when cycling the area (4)
HEAT: Start with The from the clue, add the abbreviation for Area and cycle the first letter to the end.
Thanks Chalicea. My ticks go to 16a plus 13&15d. Which ones made the sun shine for you?
For me, since her last appearance on a Tuesday ‘inside pager,’ Chalicea seems to have ‘toughened up’ considerably but is still just as enjoyable – ***/****.
Candidates for favourite – 1a, 16a, 28a, and 16d – and the winner is 16a, but 28a deserves an HM as a perfect example of deletion of a ‘collection’ of letters to leave the anagram material required for the answer.
Thanks to Chalicea and Stephen L.
This was very enjoyable. The only thing I found slightly tough about it was understanding where the EL came from at the start of the answer to 13d. Very cunning!
A special mention for the impeccable subtractive anagram in 28a complete with the requisite two anagram indicators.
Many thanks to Chalicea for the fun and to SL.
All those 4-letter clues, let alone double-unches! My life would have been easier in the NW had my first written-in answerm, 3d, not been ‘caul’ (which does parse) but I swiftly realised my error. Wasn’t sure who (or even what) Shakira was/is, but biffed the El, which made the rest of 13d straightforward; 28a might indeed have been impeccably clued but I felt comfortable just penning-in the unparsed answer.
24a my COTD, with 16a the runner-up.
Good fun, thank you Chalicea, and thank you too, Stephen. I do hope some of the backpage-only crew give this one a go, it’s very much a mid-week backpager.
A brisk grid fill but last in 13d remained unparsed (nonplused about the EL also) & the penny took a while to drop with the clever wordplay at 28a. Top 2 for me in what was an entertaining floughie were 14&16a.
Thanks to Chalicea & Stephen
Anything to do with computers and/or subtractive anagrams puts me into ‘flight’ mode but 28a turned out to be quite reasonable which came as a relief. Nothing in this enjoyable puzzle that required referring to the BRB – quite unusual for our lady setter!
Ticks here went to 10,14&16a plus 18d.
Many thanks for the puzzle, Chalicea, and thanks also to Stephen for the review.
16a was my top clue from this most enjoyable Chalicea puzzle, with the excellent subtractive anagram at 28a my runner up. It may not have been the toughest Toughie, but it scored highly for fun and inventiveness.
My thanks to our lady setter and SL.
I found this harder than most but then I usually do. I also needed the hint to parse the ‘el’ in 13d as I’d never heard of the lady concerned. A lovely puzzle as usual from Chalicea, thanks to her and SL.
I don’t understand your hint for 11a – you say use is from the clue but ‘is’ is not in the answer. Thanks
I said use “a contracted form” of the noun plus is.
An excellent floughie-ish toughie with brilliant subtractive anagram at 28a. Many thanks to Chalicea and StephenL who, I think, meant to say at 11a …. contracted form of is plus synonym for strike-breaker
Gordon, I meant to say exactly what I said in the hint. Rat is becomes Rat’s, which is then reversed.
Found this a little more than a 1* for difficulty … more like 3*
Some clues came easily, but lots required head scratching.
Overall 3*/3.5*
Favourites include10a, 16a, 22a & 15d with winner 16a
Thanks to Chalicea & StephenL
Thanks to Chalicia and to StephenL for the review and hints. A very enjoyable puzzle, had no idea that Shakira was Spanish, but managed to get it from the checkers and part of the anagram fodder. Don’t normally complete the Toughie, so was pleased to finish this one. Was 2* / 4* for me.
Shakira is Columbian Heno, where the native language is Spanish.
Favourite was 16a, can’t seem to edit my original comment.
We often find that four letter answers provide the biggest challenges in cryptics and so it proved to be with this one. Got tem all sorted though and thoroughly enjoyed the solve. Favourite 28a.
Thanks Chalicea and SL.
And so to 28A, where we have a compound anagram, I suppose it might be termed. I think the number of anagram indicators required comes up every time we see such a clue, and across the board of xwd sites, so I thought I might pipe up and say that, from a technical point of view, the second indicator isn’t necessary.
I enjoyed this puzzle too, an easy one as StephenL says, but full of nice clues.
Not keen on the grid either but progressed quite well.
Last ones in were 13d and 24a which I both find brilliant.
Thanks to Chalicea and to StephenL for the review.
As a relative toughie newbie, I have a question.
Is the difficulty rating given on the same scale as a back pager or is the one star rating relative to what might be expected of a toughie ?
In other words would a one star rating have applied if the same puzzle was a backpacker ?
The crossword editor said that the easiest Toughie should take about the same time as a difficult Friday back-pager. So for me a 1* Toughie should equate to a 5* cryptic
Thanks, CS – that is a relief to hear. I was feeling a little demoralised seeing * reviews for the toughie, but this makes it a little clearer!
Finally made it today, hurray! As usual with this setter, I loved it all, but 13d, 16a, and 14a take pride of place before oodles of others, almost equally deserving. 28a is in a league of its own and wins the Chalicea Medal. Thanks to Stephen and the Lovely Lady Setter.
Got there in the end
Loved the subtractive anagram, I keep getting loads of them in the Sunday Toughie and I am getting better at spotting them.
I thought the principal masonry construction was a lurker, Alma mater being the building with a principal that slowed me a little
Thanks to Stephen and Chalicea.
Time for bed said Zebedee…
Many thanks for all those comments. I am always happy when solvers are. ‘Shakira’ was a prompt from the Toughie editor as the usual crossword way of removing the Spanish ‘the’ is rather an old chestnut. Subtractive anagrams are always fun to find – of course, in crossword terms, the second anagram indicator is required since the word to be removed is not in its correct order but in computer terms maybe, in the surface reading, one wouldn’t need it.
As a relative newcomer to toughie land I really enjoyed this one with one hint needed before the final couple went in. Despite that was well pleased as the toughie mists finally seem to be clearing.
Well done RogB The more you do the clearer they become (as a general rule!)
1*/3* ….
liked 16A “Rotund figure who will run when he’s warmed up? (7)”