Toughie No 3113 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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Toughie No 3113

by StephenL  

Toughie No 3113 by Chalicea

Hints and tips by StephenL

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

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

Hello everyone from a sunny South Devon coast.

Chalicea kicks off the week with an entertaining puzzle that I filled in in back-page time but I’ve added half a point for difficulty due to a couple obscure words and synonyms.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a Freely opt in earnest for formal introduction (12)
PRESENTATION: Anagram (freely) of the following three words

9a Perish in African Union. Bye! (5)
ADIEU: A word meaning perish or cease to exist inserted into an abbreviated African Union.

10a Conclusion of havoc: peace following rage? (9)
CEASEFIRE: The final letter of havoC, a synonym of peace or calmness, the abbreviation for Following and a synonym of rage or anger. The whole clue acts as both wordplay and definition.

11a Secure good old piece of armour in the end superseded (4-6)
GOLD-PLATED: A charade of the abbreviation for Good, OLD from the clue, a piece of armour and the final letter of supercedeD.

12a What would Monty Python do without established parrot joke? (4)
JAPE: Remove the abbreviation for ESTablished from a synonym of joke or witticism then add a synonym of parrot as a verb. Very clever.

13a Ray‘s old car (7)
SUNBEAM: Double definition

15a Uses base male manoeuvres (7)
EMPLOYS: Put together a mathematical base, the abbreviation for Male and a synonym of manoeuvres or schemes.

17a Most important part of column about finance (7)
CAPITAL: A very good triple definition

19a Uncontained cases rise around essentially lapsed sterile state (7)
ASEPSIS: The inner letters (uncontained) of cASEs and rISe placed around the essential letters of laPSed.

21a Forest’s cover that protects (4)
VERT: Hidden in the clue (protects) but the whole clue could be the definition according to Chambers.

22a Sailor backing, concerning allowance for deviance (10)
ABERRATION: An abbreviation for a sailor, a reversal of a preposition meaning concerning and an allowance or quota.

25a Purpose of mediation — getting rid of doddery Rev (9)
INTENTION: Remove the letters that make up the word REV from a synonym of mediation or arbitration. The letters are in a different order as indicated by doddery.

26a Extremes of kerfuffle about name, if cut (5)
KNIFE: Place the outer (extremes) of the word KerfufflE around the abbreviation for Name and IF from the clue.

27a Time of penitence has dawned, yes, unfortunately (3,9)
ASH WEDNESDAY: Anagram (unfortunately) of the preceding three words.

Down

1d Small vessel‘s mate welcoming greeting (5)
PHIAL: Place a synonym of mate or friend around (welcoming) an informal greeting.

2d European gibe on team members’ principally tawdry tackle (9)
EQUIPMENT: A charade of the abbreviation for European, a synonym of jibe or funny remark, some members of a team and the initial letter of Tawdry.

3d Boldly utter declaration of love once? (7)
EXCLAIM: Our usual two-letter abbreviation for “love once” or former lover and a declaration or assertion.

4d Gin and relaxation, we’re told, in swinger’s bar (7)
TRAPEZE: A synonym of gin in the sense of snare and a homophone (we’re told) of a synonym of relaxation.

5d Your old relative finally accepted personal pronoun (4)
THEY: Place the final letter of relativE inside an archaic version of your.

6d Sorted out various problems originally over egg-laying … (9)
OVIPAROUS: Anagram (sorted out) of VARIOUS the initial letter of Problems and the abbreviation for Over.

7d … nocturnal animals lacking right distinguishing marks (6)
BADGES: Remove the abbreviation for Right from some destructive nocturnal animals.

8d Note tax previously caused depression (6)
RECESS: A note on the sol-fa scale followed by an old tax or levy, particularly applicable to Scotland.

14d Sadly inherits beginning of painful kidney inflammation (9)
NEPHRITIS: Anagram (sadly) of INHERITS and the initial letter of Painful.

16d Salesperson involved in agreement, we hear, made ready for sales (9)
PREPACKED: Place the usual abbreviated salesperson into a homophone (we hear) of a synonym of agreement or treaty.

17d Beware! Current statesmen ultimately yield to pressure (4,2)
CAVE IN: A (new to me) interjection meaning beware or take care plus the single-letter abbreviation for current and the final letter of statesmeN.

18d Sought to influence officials; told stories about old boy with libel at heart (7)
LOBBIED: Place a word meaning told stories or fibbed around an abbreviated Old Boy and the middle letter of liBel.

19d American Republican movement put in order (7)
ARRANGE: Abbreviations for American and Republic plus a synonym of movement or variation.

20d Poem succeeded, subject to difficulty (6)
SONNET: A charade of the abbreviation for succeeded, a preposition meaning subject to and an unusual synonym of difficulty. This is such a fabulous song.

23d With reserve in Mafia country when son’s missing (5)
ICILY: Remove the abbreviation for Son from the beginning of the country associated with the Mafia as in “mafia country”

24d Recognise king immediately (4)
KNOW: An abbreviation for a King and an adverb meaning immediately or at this moment.

Thanks Chalicea, my top three were 10&12a plus 4d. Which ones shone brightest for you?

 

 

32 comments on “Toughie No 3113”

  1. I liked the all-in-one at 10a and the swinger’s bar at 4d. 12a doesn’t quite work for me because the starting point is similar to the end point.
    Thanks to Chalicea and SL

    2. No, Sicily is an Italian island not a country. It’s the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.

  3. No, Buzza, but in the context of the clue, it doesn’t have to be. ‘Country’ can be the region where something is prevalent, as is the intention here.

      1. Perhaps it would be more clear if you replaced the first instance of ‘country’ with ‘island’ or ‘Italian island’?

        2. In many areas of Africa someone might say, “Be careful – this is lion country” – so in that more obscure sense it’s OK for a Toughie. In a back-pager, region or territory would be better.

  4. Very enjoyable. I needed the hints for a couple but otherwise finished 99% unaided. Getting 1a, 9a and 10a immediately gave enough checkers to work down into the grid. Great to see the car again. I loved the swingers bar and that is my COTD.

    Thank you, Chalicea for the fun challenge and to StephenL for the hints, some of which I needed.

  5. I did need to check a couple of my spellings and also ask Mr G about 21a which was a new definition for me but otherwise this was a reasonably friendly puzzle to solve.
    Top three for me were 15&27a plus 4d with a mention for dear old Ray – I’d hate to leave him out!

    Thanks to Chalicea and to StephenL for the review.

  6. Had trouble with the NE corner as 12a was completely beyond me and 6d was a new word
    COTD 4d

  7. Very enjoyable with some head scratchers thrown in. New words for at 19a, 6d and the tax at 8d for which I needed the hint to parse. Favourite was 13a. Thanks to Chalicea and SL.

  8. A typically Chalicean puzzle that was high on entertainment and humour. It was a great example of a grid that didn’t have to be difficult to be enjoyable. Like others, I particularly enjoyed 4d.

    Thanks to our lady setter and SL.

  9. Found this a fun puzzle with straightforward clueing IMHO. A word I did not know in 6d.

    1.5*/4* for me

    Favourites include 13a, 25a, 27a, 1d & 24d with winner 13a

    Thanks to Chalicea & StephenL

    1. Still enjoying it here, thanks for the fun and thanks to SL too whose hints I will shortly need

  12. Got there in the end, I learned a bit about archaic taxes and difficulties but as it is Chalicea the glance at the BRB was purely to cement the learning moment rather than doubting they were there.
    All that and a pangram too
    Thanks to Chalicea and SL whose hints I enjoyed

  13. 12a was our last one in and we were hugely assisted by realising we were one letter short of the pangram.
    Great fun and much appreciated.
    Thanks Chalicea and SL.

  14. Has our setter developed a bout of pangramitis? That’s 3 on the bounce by my reckoning but at least it’s not an SPP so no danger of throwing away money betting on Cephas. Like the 2Ks 12a was last in & solved with the same nudge though needed the hint to explain the why. Agree it was very clever & fully deserving of a podium spot alongside 4d&10a.
    A delightful pre lights out (though I’ve been fast asleep on the couch for the last couple of hours) solve.
    Thanks to Chalicea & to Stephen

  15. Apologies for the bit of fun – causing Cephas/Chalicea confusion on the backpages. I’ll be back to non-pangrammatics soon. As usual, the clue that got the most approval (12a) was one completely re-written by the Toughie editor. He didn’t approve of my original one which was far too easy for a Toughie. Full credit to him.

  16. Clue 20d
    Even with the explanation I still have no idea how the answer “sonnet” was arrived at. Can anyone explain what “a charade of the abbre iation for succeeded”means?
    And what is the unusual synonym for difficulty?

    1. Welcome to the blog

      A charade is where you link several components together. Here S (the abbreviation for Succeeded) with ON (subject to) and NET (one of the less usual synonyms for difficulty)

  17. The warning at 17d was standard at my prep school for the approach of a member of staff, followed by the name. Hence when the headmaster, Mr White, approached, the cry “cave Chalky” went up…

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