Toughie 3088 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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Toughie 3088

Toughie No 3088 by Elgar

Hints and tips by Dutch

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

Apologies, no pics again, I’m not feeling too well

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a    One’s principal teacher is God (6)
OSIRIS: The first letter (principal) of one, a teacher, and IS from the clue

5a    Coal supply empty, requesting e.g. liquefied butane (5,3)
CALOR GAS: An anagram (supply) of coal, ‘requesting’ without the inner letters, and another word for ‘e.g.’

9a    Elect blonde for Equity (2,2,4)
TO BE FAIR: A (2-2) phrase that can mean elect or chosen (as in president-**-**), plus a word for blonde

10a    In shop, vehicle allowed to go from scarlet to maroon? (6)
STORED: Remove a vehicle and a word meaning ‘allowed’ from ‘scarlet’, TO from the clue, and a colour that maroon exemplifies

11a    Go and reserve a cycling activity for one’s baby (8)
PEEKABOO: A word meaning ‘to go’ then cycle A from the clue plus another word for reserve

12a    Stains plant OK (6)
BEDYES: A word meaning to plant and a word meaning ok or affirmative

13a    Focus of amour in animation with final twist capturing heart of sailor-man (5,3)
OLIVE OYL: The middle letter (focus) of amour, then a 6-letter word meaning ‘in animation’ with the last two letters swapped (with final twist) contains (capturing) the middle letter (heart) of sailor-man

15a    First and second covered in wager (4)
BEST: The abbreviation for second goes inside (covered in) a wager

17a    Order lacking in ball attached to hat ceremony (4)
POMP: A 6-letter ball attached to hat lacks an order or award

19a    Sparkling silver sedan (8)
AGLITTER: The chemical symbol for silver and a sedan, as in a device for carrying people

20a    Lines of verse in recital are distorted, I’m afraid (2,4)
OH DEAR: A homophone (in recital) of some lines in a verse plus an anagram (distorted) of ARE

21a    Caught by bed wearing woman’s shorts (8)
SCOTCHES: The abbreviation for caught follows a bed all inside (wearing) a word for woman’s (including the ‘S)

22a    Right away we hear hinny’s beginning to articulate this? (6)
HEEHAW: An anagram (to articulate) of WE HEA(r) H(inny). (right away, hinny’s beginning)

23a    Not even Bond drinks my great sherries! (8)
OLOROSOS: Remove the word ‘even’ from OO SEVEN then insert (drinks) an exclamation meaning my! and an abbreviation meaning great very large

24a    Location for showcasing what’s essential to shout about? (8)
ROOFTOPS: A reversal (about) of a 4-letter location plus FOR from the clue around (showcasing) the middle (essential) letter of shout

25a    Counterfeit banked by financiers at Zurich (6)
ERSATZ: Hidden (banked by …)

Down

2d    Person occupying the boards even before The Good Old Days! (5-3)
STONE-AGE: A 3-letter word for person goes inside (occupying) what actors call ‘the boards’

3d    Means to secure shore bird under rocks (4,4)
REEF KNOT: A shore bird goes under a rocky natural structure

4d    Heavy paste? (9)
SHAMBLING: Split (4,5), the answer describes fake jewellery or paste

5d    Participant in F1 GP campaign to cut ____? (6,9)
CARBON EMISSIONS: A 3-letter participant in F1, then a 5-letter slang word for GP or doctor is cut by a word meaning campaign

6d    Porridge in the main ordered from AA motel (7)
OATMEAL: An anagram (ordered from) AA MOTEL

7d    Warning from on high to beware Spooner’s gross sentimentality (8)
GARDYLOO: A spoonerism of a 5-letter word for gross or fatty and a 3-letter word for sentimentality

8d    Duck shooter ignoring siren that is winding up exercise (8)
SIDESTEP: SHOOTER from the clue without (ignoring) a word meaning siren or klaxon, Latin phrase for ‘that is’, and a reversal (winding up) of some exercise

14d    Anticipated meet with toy company going bust (3,2,4)
YET TO COME: An anagram (going bust) of MEET + TOY CO

15d    Pour flighty type cracking ale (2,6)
BE MOTHER: A flying insect goes inside (cracking) some 4-letter ale

16d    Is after small and picturesque US city (3,5)
SAN DIEGO: Two I’s (1,3) follow the abbreviation for small and AND from the clue

17d    Very good outside play area (8)
PRECIOUS: A word for good or religious goes outside a play area

18d    Who’s managing the local tunnelling of land army? (4,4)
MINE HOST: Some ‘tunnelling of land’ and an army or swarm

19d    Curses stealing article in the course of visiting firm (7)
ADAMANT: A word meaning curses! contains (stealing) an article all inside (in the course of) a preposition meaning ‘visiting’

I enjoyed the 2 all-in-ones, which were your favourites?

7 comments on “Toughie 3088

  1. Was a little surprised (pleasantly so) to see on coming to the blog and seeing this was an Elgar puzzle, having been completely stymied by his NTSPP last weekend. I’m by no means claiming a clean completion today, but I do think this was one of the most approachable Friday Elgars for a long time.

    Some absolutely inspired clueing here, with plenty of “ok, if that’s the definition, what’s the wordplay?” as I read through, but even finding the definition was, in some instances, far from clear! So many excellent clues it’s verging on iniquitous to highlight any, but my extended podium has places for 9a, 13a, 23a, 4d & 18d.

    5* / 5*

    Many thanks indeed to Elgar, and also to Dutch – sorry to note you’re below par at present, and best wishes for a full and speedy recovery.

  2. Only managed nine correct answers and was on the right track with several more. Will continue to persevere with the Toughies but this one put me in my place though.

    Favourite of the ones which I did get – 15d.

    Thanks to Elgar for the challenge and Dutch for the clear explanations.

  3. This must be oe of Elgar’s gentlest-ever toughies – finished in 4* time for me. All fully parsed as well – though I spent a while wondering what “picturesque” was doing in 16d. Lots to smile about – I loved the silly spoonerism at 7d and the cycling activity at 11a. “Not even Bond” was great as was the all in one at 24.
    Thanks to Elgar and Dutch – hope you’re feeling better soon.

  4. I did not know this was an Elgar until reading the blog. I failed to finish because I had never heard of 4d, 7d and 12a and I did not know the spelling of the cartoon girl’s surname so I ended up assuming 14d must be an unknown (to me) latin expression. In addition, 14d was not helped by spelling the sherry wrongly.

    I very much enjoyed the puzzle – so thanks to Elgar and to Dutch for a few elucidations

  5. Yes that was a more enjoyable and accessible Elgar today, which I completed, albeit with the help of the online letter hint facility for 9a, which I had convinced myself was “Do Me ….”, as in an instruction to a hair stylist.

    Unlike most of the other toughies where I can deduce the definition from the cryptic parts, with Elgar I frequently have to solve by guessing the definition and working back, which is fine if I know the word, impossible otherwise. Today there were no new words, so it felt “easier”.

    13a and 15d were my favourites today.

    Thanks to Elgar and to Dutch.

  6. The first time I have completed an Elgar without any help from the blog! Hooray 👍

  7. Well done to those who got there unaided. I needed a couple of assists, but I agree that this seemed a bit easier than some Elgar puzzles.

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