Sunday Toughie No 76 by Robyn
Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee
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Robyn brings us another multi-linked clue in 22a, he did it in Toughie 70 and it is becoming his signature clue type. Getting it early helped me to see a couple of the links and taught me a bit about Japanese fighting animals too.
As usual, I have run out of my quota of hints long before the trickiness has ebbed away, so ask away if you need an extra nudge, a couple of bonus pics may have sneaked in.
Here we go…
As it is a Prize puzzle I can only hint at a few and hope that will give you the checkers and inspiration to go further. I’ll be back just after the closing date with the full blog. Don’t forget to follow BD’s instructions in RED at the bottom of the hints!
I hope I don’t have to redact any comments but I am new at this and don’t want to rock the boat. If in doubt, I’ll rub it out! I think that sentence is a bit redundant. You have all been so helpful in sorting out prior parsing failures, and I am sure I will need similar help again.
Most of the terms used in these hints are explained in the Glossary and examples are available by clicking on the entry under “See also” Where the hint describes a construct as “usual” this means that more help can be found in The Usual Suspects, which gives a number of the elements commonly used in the wordplay. Another useful page is Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing, which features words with meanings that are not always immediately obvious. Don’t forget the Mine of useful information that Big Dave and his son Richard so meticulously prepared for us.
A full review of this puzzle will be published after the closing date for submissions. Some hints follow: Remember the site rules and play nicely.
Across
8a Small vehicle, one not supposed to be working (4)
One who continues to work after his union has called a strike
I took Mama Bee (she is an Ashington Lass) to see this after a Big Dave Birthday Bash one year
9a Bird food left on loose stones (7,3)
An informal term for food and L for left follow the loose stones that cause some mountain descents to become quite exhilarating
Great Pubs with a cracking campsite behind – I have been often
10a Gold bar packaging to protect against loss (8)
A chemical symbol and a synonym of bar, in the sense of precluding or obstructing, packages to from the clue, This useful feature of computer programs was irritatingly absent from the old telegraph puzzles site and about the only good thing about the new one
12a Go off in southern land — rider may bring this along (9)
To “go off” of an egg perhaps, follows S for southern and to land in the sense of to seize secure or steal
17a Revolutionary caste’s middle class members making errors (4-3)
The middle letter of caste and the class members you went to school with are reversed (revolutionary)
(thanks to the Lie in King who helped with the parsing when I was suffering from parsitis last night)
20a
22a What 9, 10, 11, 15, 17, 25, 26, 27 Across and 1, 3 Down do for means of defence (5,4)
Robyn does it again – Each of the solutions listed contain a linked theme, mostly breeds but a trio of generic terms too, only 10a was a bit obscure (to me) but Jane probably had several over the years ;)
25a
26a Twice bail criminal making a sound when speaking (8)
The sound made by contact or approximation of two lips eg the b in bail (twice)
28a Scotswoman, half-cut one from Jura, perhaps (4)
Find a female Scottish name, in half of someone from the “off mainland” parts of Scotland of which Jura is an example
Down
1d Right scoundrel follows copper, arrested by one (8)
A scoundrel follows another chemical symbol, within a playing card with one “pip”
3d Drug squad’s first head has major item for PC (6,3)
A drug known by its initial, the first letter of squad, a headland, and a synonym of major. A much-used part of a Personal Computer rather than a police constable
7d Maybe Eisenhower‘s daughter dated human being (6)
Time for the BRB, a dated noun for a creature or a person follows D for daughter
14d Large group‘s sorrowful feeling crossing large river (9)
L for large and the third largest river in Europe (and 18th in Asia) go in a sorrowful feeling for the numerousness of a large group
16d Units showing strength in field or desert so deployed (8)
The plural of a unit of magnetic field strength is an anagram (deployed) of desert so
23d Rubbish couple of teachers from down under (6)
How you should address a male teacher and the degree he should have studied are reversed (from down under)
24d Not upright, one way or another? (5)
Prone or deceitful
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I was going to pick Rain by The Beatles as we had a terrific thunderstorm last night but the garage roof has leaked and I have some tidying up to do so here is one for 25a
That’s All Folks
22a lived up to expectations and kept me at bay :wink: until the grid was almost filled, but once I twigged what was going on it became my clue of the day. Four others from each direction received ticks en route: 9, 11, 13 & 17 across and 14, 18, 19 & 23 down. I hadn’t heard of the ‘human being’ or the ‘sound when speaking’ before, but the definition and wordplay respectively came to my aid.
Thanks for a most enjoyable challenge, Robyn, and thanks to SJB for posting his usual nicely constructed hints.
Another excellent puzzle with a lovely theme from Robyn – thanks to him and SJB.
I think that 26a is one of only four anagrams present.
It would quicker to list the clues I didn’t tick. Amongst those I did tick were 10a, 13a, 22a, 25a and 18d.
It’s good to read that Lie-in-King is still going strong. He’s given excellent help to a vast number of solvers over the years. I know that BD did try to recruit him as a blogger in the early days but sadly he declined.
Credit where it is due – he isn’t very good at Lie-ins though as he replied to my plea for help at 02:04 this morning
Always a treat to get any crossword from Robyn, especially when it is a Sunday Toughie with a theme to boot
Lots to enjoy throughout so thank you to him and SJB
A few new words for me today – 11a, 26a and part of 7d.
LOI was 15a which took far longer than it should have. Maybe the North Sea haar is clouding my thinking.
Thanks to Robyn for the challenge and SJB for the hints. The Strands Hotel pic for 9a? The last time I was in Wasdale, I was accompanied up Great Gable by Chris Bonnington who was going to a catalogue shoot at the summit.
The pub opposite The Strands hotel was more aptly named for the hint, but the beer and craic is equally good in both
Deliberately did not name it in fear of the naughty step! 😉
The naughty step is not often invoked in this relatively quiet blog, not least because my baking skills are woefully inadequate
I found this the most enjoyable Sunday Toughie for quite a while, even allowing for 22a. **/**** Nina’s I enjoy by contrast. Thought 26a was odd/weak.
SLB, can one still call a “male teacher” sir?
It was certainly expected in my time at school, presumably Robyn’s too. I will have a word with my niece (who is a newly qualified teacher)but she is referred to as Miss by her pupils so we haven’t got “woke” yet here in deepest Yorkshire
I certainly didn’t have any of those mentioned in 10a, SJB, they don’t sound from the description as though they’d win their owners many friends!
This puzzle was, as I’d expected, well outside of my comfort zone but I battled through with one notable exception. Even though I have the bonus of knowing it relates to the theme, I simply can’t ‘get’ 15a. Any chance of some extra help, please?
An abbreviated theatre company and a portentous sign define the bailiffs that seize ones unpaid for possessions. The theme is an abbreviated toy dog in the middle of the answer
Many thanks – yet another Robyn ‘unknown’ to add to my list!
Thanks for all of your hints, SJB, and thanks to Robyn for the challenge which I was unable to meet unassisted!
The BRB app finds it as the answer but only lists “him” in the singular
15a was my LOI too. Got the answer but had to check the theatre reference. Never heard of a couple of Robyn’s animals! Thanks for the review SJB though I was a little bemused with the film still for 25a and it’s relevance ….is it the train encounter?
The film is Brief Encounter yes .it’s relevance is that Trevor Howard is helping to get the black 25a from Celia Johnson’s eye. The “bluer” part of the definition would be inappropriate to picture here.
It all becomes clear now! Many thanks.
Thanks for all the hints. Re the comment for 10a, I’d like to put in a good word for the new puzzles site, which I think is much better than the old one. More puzzles for a start, the ability to skip letters already entered and hide the clues completed, 10a, better lettering (sans serif), and the clock does not keep on ticking if you put the puzzle aside for a while.
Point taken – I was a bit grumpy as the lack of 10a on the old site keeps catching me out. The new site doesn’t update at midnight so I have to make progress on the old site until it does. I do like quite a lot of the new site particularly the “greying out” of answers has gone and you can copy the Clues into a blog template easier too
My newsagent did not receive the paper today and as the puzzle does not appear in the digital edition,it took a while to solve with the only clues being the hints. Managed to solve the clues with hints so got the them.but no idea about what the picture represents in 26a. Gave me a frustrating but enjoyable couple of hours.!
You should have mail…
The pic is for 25a discussed with Philbert at comment #7
Glad you enjoyed what you could do, I have sent a copy so you may like to have a go at the rest ;)
Hallo SJB – I don’t know if you are still on duty for this guzzle, but any chance of a clue for the footbally 4d ? Can it really just be the name of a team with ammunition connections? I keep the Sunday Toughie by the bed and worry at it for days then I forget to look when the answers are published. All guzzlers are slightly odd!
Yes, we have a generic term for a football or other stadium, a genealogy abbreviation for succeeded and the final letter of capital to produce the North London footballers you thought it was
Still working on the review trying to find pics of all the themed things, it will look like a canine Mr K blog when done
Ah thank you! It seemed too simple. I hang onto the prize toughies with which I struggle and then inevitably they get swept away just before the in depth review arrives. But I must look out for your Crufts show. Thanks again.
Hopelessly late to this one ( still got the week before to look at too) but just popped in to say super guzzle. When I finally got the letter reveal facility to play ball on the old site (can’t abide the new one) I helped myself to the 14d/22a R checker & it was only then the penny dropped with the linked clues. I also looked through a list of rivers so cheated on 14d. Last in was 10a & hadn’t pegged the woofer until I read your comment about fighting dogs. 16d & 26a both required Mr G confirmation with the former needing 2 stabs at arranging the fodder correctly. Not a dud in there & too many corkers to pick out a fav.
Thanks to Robyn & SJB for great review – loved the choice of pic for 25a.
Ps who is the Lie-in King ?
The Lie-in King is a very helpful commenter at “another place” who helps with some of the trickier parsings when I am desperate to get to sleep.
I find the letter reveal a bit tricky sometimes too but if I save progress and refresh it usually obliges