Toughie No 3079 by Silvanus
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Smooth surfaces, precise wordplay and not an obscurity in sight – these are the hallmarks of Silvanus. Many thanks to him.
Please leave a comment telling us how you fared and what you thought of the puzzle.
Across Clues
1a Talent shown by Eurovision winner makes German scoff (10)
KNACKWURST: stick together a synonym of talent or gift and the stage surname of the Austrian who won Eurovision in 2014.
6a Decline in cycling once again (4)
WANE: start with a literary adverb meaning ‘once again’ and cycle its final letter to the front.
9a Cheer overdue case being dismissed (5)
ELATE: an adjective meaning overdue without its outer letters
10a About to tuck into meal, ignoring starter he’d ruined (9)
SCUPPERED: insert an abbreviation meaning about or approximately into a meal and append “he’d” without its starting letter.
12a Graduates penning article pronounced artist to be calculating individual (13)
MATHEMATICIAN: two occurrences of an arts degree contain our definite article. Finish with what sounds like the name of a renowned Italian painter.
14a Embarrass new copper with award hero essentially receives (8)
ENCUMBER: the central letters of ‘hero’ contain the abbreviation for new, the chemical symbol for copper and an award.
15a Returning record label executive’s first to come to office (6)
ACCEDE: reverse the name of a record label which published the works of singers as diverse as Luciano Pavarotti and Lonnie Donegan and add the first letter of executive.
17a Yank accepts place to put waste pipe (6)
TUBING: a verb to yank contains the container where you put your waste.
19a Pupil ignoring current punishment (8)
DISCIPLE: remove the adjective meaning current or trendy from a word meaning punishment or correction.
21a Stubbornness from clubs during training seen to work (13)
INTRANSIGENCE: insert the abbreviation for the card suit clubs into an anagram (to work) of TRAINING SEEN.
24a Asian old man affectionately greeted Schwarzenegger, some said (9)
PAKISTANI: start with an affectionate word for one’s old man and add what sounds to some like ‘greeted Schwarzenegger’ (KISSED ARNIE).
25a Suppose one needs space in retirement following work (5)
OPINE: the Roman numeral for one and the reversal of a printer’s space follow our usual abbreviated work.
26a Square revolutionary fastening clasps (4)
NINE: hidden in reverse.
27a Imbibing beer, team tends at intervals to become angry (10)
EMBITTERED: the even letters of ‘team tends’ contain a type of beer.
Down Clues
1d Enthusiastic to promote new joint (4)
KNEE: a synonym of enthusiastic with the abbreviation for new moved up.
2d Pale-looking adult enters run-down cinema (7)
ANAEMIC: the abbreviation for adult (as a film classification) goes inside an anagram (run-down) of CINEMA.
3d Packet Liam and son flourished, they’re incorrigible thieves (13)
KLEPTOMANIACS: an anagram (flourished) of PACKET LIAM SON.
4d Practice over, having name higher in draw as outsider? (8)
UNSEEDED: synonyms for practice (3) and over (5) with the abbreviation for name moved upwards.
5d Very good opera ultimately that inspires American composer (5)
SOUSA: an adverb meaning ‘very good’ and the ultimate letter of opera contain an abbreviation for American.
7d Publicise trade in deep-sea diving equipment? (7)
AIRLINE: a verb to publicise and a word meaning trade or occupation.
8d Put at risk of death, given faulty grenade (10)
ENDANGERED: a synonym for death followed by an anagram (faulty) of GRENADE.
11d Victoria’s hubby maybe isn’t PC tangling with coroner (6,7)
PRINCE CONSORT: an anagram (tangling) of ISN’T PC CORONER. Luckily for me David Beckham doesn’t fit.
13d Writer shut up after considered point (4-3,3)
FELT-TIP PEN: a verb to shut up or corral follows a verb meaning considered or deemed and a point or extremity.
16d Nothing upset short fellow in Italy getting pasta (8)
LINGUINI: string together the reversal of a word meaning nothing, a fellow without his final letter, IN and the IVR code for Italy.
18d Signify agreement to interrupt live number (7)
BETOKEN: a response signifying agreement is inserted in a verb to live or exist and a cardinal number.
20d Peeping Tom frames European male head of government (7)
PREMIER: a peeping Tom or nosy parker contains abbreviations for European and male.
22d Fit Mike fools around (5)
SPASM: the letter that Mike represents in the Nato Phonetic Alphabet is followed by a slang term for foolish or gullible people. Now reverse the lot.
23d Wanting answer, tried finding people in large crowd (4)
HERD: a verb meaning tried, in a legal sense, without an abbreviation for answer.
For my podium I’ve selected 1a, 6a and 4d. Which one(s) forged ahead of the rest for you?
Surprised myself for the second time this week.It was the four thirteen letter answers that went in easily and gave me a foothold for the rest. As is often the case for me it was the four letter ones that caused the most head scratching but eventually only 6a and 23d remained unparsed so thanks for your review Gazza. Too many good clues to choose a favourite today. Thanks to Silvanus for the enjoyable workout.
My kind of Toughie – ultra-smooth surfaces, accurate clueing, and a joy to solve.
I only rarely pick a homophone as my favourite but 24a takes the accolade today, closely followed by 4d.
Many thanks to Silvanus for the fun, and to Gazza for the review and cartoons.
It’s my clue of the month – brilliant
A bit straightforward for Thursday but very enjoyable. Favourite was 4d with its cunning definition.
Thanks to Sylvanus and Gazza
Right up my street today , spot on cluing .
Did’nt quite parse 24a,thanks Gazza.
Liked 19a, favourite was the 14a charade;
The ashes await!
Excellent puzzle, and surprised it wasn’t a backpager, where it would have got a deservedly much bigger audience.
Had never heard of the Eurovision winner, and fortunately that didn’t matter. And practice/*** was not a synonym to which I rushed. Otherwise, what wit and imaginative sparkle throughout!
Hon Mentions to 12, 24 & 26a, & 20d; COTD to 15a.
Many thanks to Sylvanus and Gazza
What a pleasure this was to solve although ‘cycling’ clues are still my personal ‘blot on the landscape’!
I did have to check on the Eurovision winner and hadn’t previously encountered that particular German scoff but the ‘talent’ and checkers gave me enough to work on.
My gold star went to 24a and other podium places to 10&21a plus 3&16d.
Many thanks to Mr Smooth aka Silvanus and also to Gazza for the review and more of those excellent cartoons – the ones for 12&19a really made me laugh!
The only thing I didn’t know was the Eurovision winner but it had to be what it was. The usual enjoyable excellence from this setter. As others favourite was 24a, brilliant. Thanks to Silvanus ams Gazza.
I have never, thankfully, heard of the singer in 1a, but the answer was obvious. Perhaps he was the least worst on the night? Anyway, great clue, like all the rest, but 24a has to take top spot.
My thanks to Silvanus for a terrific challenge, and to Gazza.
Excellent with some very nice misdirection, always something I appreciate.
After a busy day I had intended leaving this until tomorrow but made the fatal mistake of “I’ll just put a couple in”. X minutes later and here I am!
I liked plenty including 6,10&17a plus 4&22d with top spot going to the lol 24a (but 4d ran it very close)
Many thanks Silvanus and Gazza for the top-notch entertainment.
Many thanks as always to Gazza and to everyone else taking the trouble to comment.
Jane will be relieved to hear that I always restrict “cycling” clues to Toughies, and I can imagine Terence spluttering into his orange juice (with no bits) if 1a had appeared in a back-page puzzle! No doubt he would immediately add it to his “list”.
I was very sorry to hear the news of LROK on the back-page blog, and my deepest condolences go to Peter’s family and friends.
Thank you for popping in, Silvanus, and for another excellent puzzle. Yes, I’m very relieved to learn that you restrict the cycling to Toughies!
Thanks Silvanus for a very enjoyable puzzle and Gazza for the review. I wouldn’t have an idea about the Eurovision winner either but the German scoff featured in a particularly hilarious ‘episode of the brilliant Allo ‘Allo, albeit with the alternative spelling.
Really good fun and much appreciated. We did not know the singer in 1a but did know the sausage so got there that way. Last one in was 6a as we, like Jane, often struggle on a bike.
Thanks Silvanus and Gazza.
Completely forgot to comment yesterday. Loved the guzzle & remembered I still had 6a unsolved. Just given it 5mins then let Gazza take the strain – reckon I’d need stabilisers if I got back on a bike.
Thanks to Silvanus for 2 cracking ones this week & to Gazza