Toughie 3126 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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Toughie 3126

by crypticsue  

Toughie No 3126 by Hudson

Hints and Tips by crypticsue

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

Always a treat to get a crossword from Hudson – this one certainly wasn’t his most difficult work but the lack of difficulty was more than made up for by the enjoyment

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought

Across

1a    Motivated university Head of Physics after everyone gets sacked (3,5,2)
ALL FIRED UP The abbreviation for University and the ‘head’ of Physics go after an adjective meaning everyone and a synonym for sacked

9a    Spanish master returning banana yogurt pots (4)
GOYA Hidden in reverse (returning) in bananA YOGurt

10a    Joanna, Pandora getting sozzled with gin (5,5)
GRAND PIANO An anagram (getting sozzled) of PANDORA with GIN

11a    Sprightly corvid eating nut excitedly (6)
JAUNTY A bird of the corvid family ‘eating’ an anagram (excitedly) of NUT

12a    Ordinary retired clergyman discovering barmy bowling technique (7)
OVERARM The abbreviation for Ordinary, a reversed (retired) abbreviated clergyman and the inside (dis covered) of bARMy

15a    Nick caught vermin in school (7)
SCRATCH The cricket abbreviation for Caught and a type of vermin inserted into an abbreviated school

16a    Went by Underground (westbound) for the first time (5)
DEBUT A reversal (westbound in a Down solution) of a way of saying went by Underground

17a    Secure quickly (4)
FAST An adjective with two different definitions

18a    Succour pup losing weight (4)
HELP A young dog without (losing) the abbreviation for Weight

19a    Lacquer, usually Black Country (5)
JAPAN A glossy black lacquer which originated in the country of the same name

21a    Senior sailor making a mark in Dead Sea? (7)
ADMIRAL A way of writing one [Deutsch]mark inserted into a dried up (dead) sea in Kazakhstan

22a    Golden brown mare running in The Golden State? (7)
CARAMEL An anagram (running) of MARE inserted into the abbreviated US State nicknamed ‘The Golden State’

24a    Geeky individual in waterproof clothing (6)
ANORAK A slang term for a geeky individual or a type of waterproof jacket

27a    Bouncer rejecting rude-sounding goalie (10)
DOORKEEPER A reversal (rejecting) of a homophone (sounding) of rude and a goalie

28a    Tory Kelvin is a snitch (4)
CONK Both the definition and solution are slang names for the nose – an abbreviated member of the Conservative Party and the symbol for the SI Unit of Thermodynamic Temperature (Kelvin)

29a    Very knowledgeable on source of water freshly served (4-6)
WELL-VEFSED A source of water and an anagram (freshly) of SERVED

Down

2d    Fat, heartless Scottish landowner (4)
LARD A Scottish landowner without the middle letter (heart less)

3d    Identify good, more exquisite clothes (6)
FINGER An adjective meaning more exquisite ‘clothes’ the abbreviation for Good

4d    One of the strings pulled to get on in the Parachute Regiment? (7)
RIPCORD A cryptic definition of an essential part of a parachute

5d    Sailor under the doctor, looking bleak (4)
DRAB An abbreviated sailor goes under (in a Down solution) an abbreviation for doctor

6d    Throw out work assignment (7)
PROJECT To cause to jut out or a work assignment

7d    Junk (tandem) rows with the current (10)
DOWNSTREAM An anagram (junk) of TANDEM ROWS

8d    Boy and unknown man clear out episcopal place of worship (4,6)
LADY CHAPEL A boy, a mathematical unknown, an informal term for a man and the outside (clear out) letters of EpiscopaL

12d    Fan of cable broadcast is unstable (3,7)
OFF BALANCE An anagram (broadcast) of FAN OF CABLE

13d    Mopes around depressed Southern Railway station for Derby (5,5)
EPSOM DOWNS An anagram (around) of MOPES, a synonym for depressed and the abbreviation for Southern – not the station for the city of Derby, but the one that used to be used by racegoers wanting to watch the Derby

14d    Gong finally sounded during Dinner for One (5)
MEDAL The final letter of soundeD inserted into what dinner is an example of (for one)

15d    Ground spice put into tiramisu macaroons (5)
SUMAC Hidden in the last two words of the clue

19d    Sailor departs area with flighty thief (7)
JACKDAW A sailor followed by the abbreviations for Departs, Area and With

20d    Arrest fine, very old revolutionary writer (7)
NABOKOV An informal verb meaning to arrest, an interjection expressing agreement (fine) and a reversal (revolutionary) of the abbreviations for Very and Old

23d    American soft fruit crop up (6)
APPEAR The abbreviation for American, the musical abbreviation meaning play softly and a type of fruit

25d    Prey of female bird of prey? (4)
FOWL Something a female bird of prey might take – the abbreviation for Female and a bird of prey

26d    Fine summer in Paris for a garden party (4)
FETE The abbreviation for Fine and the French (as used in Paris) word for summer

Hudson’s alter ego Julius is in today’s FT so once I’ve finished scheduling this blog post, I’m going to print that off and solving it sitting under a tree in the garden before it gets too hot outside

25 comments on “Toughie 3126”

  1. Lots of fun; Hudson being very kind to us today.

    I did have to e-confirm the spelling of the 20d writer’s name.

    Candidates for favourite – 11a, 16a, and 19d – and the winner is 16a.

    Thanks to Hudson and CS.

    P.S. Sue – you seem to have got your acrosses and downs mixed up in the hint for 16a.

  3. Yes, one star for difficulty – except that I absolutely forgot about the old German currency! Good fun, though.

  4. A most enjoyable solve while waiting for the car to pass the MOT. Struggling to recall getting on wavelength so easily in a Toughie & pretty sure it was my swiftest completion albeit with 21a unparsed. Though I’ve been to the course many times I didn’t actually know or had long forgotten 13d was the name of the station
    Thanks to Hudson & to CS

  5. This was great fun to complete. I must have a bash at the Toughie more often.

    Thanks to the setter and PC Security (anag)

  6. Had a spot of bother with the mark in the dead sea and needed to check on the author, but otherwise OK. Top two for me were the birdie ones at 11a & 19d.

    Thanks to Hudson and to CS for the review – enjoy your break under the tree.

  7. A typically great Hudson puzzle – early week back pager really, but tremendous fun. Good surfaces, impeccable clueing.

    Many thanks to Hudson and Sue

  8. About as gentle as Toughies get (except for 21a which needed some thought) but great fun. Thanks to Hudson and CS.
    My podium contains 21a, 28a and 19d.

    I can’t pass up the opportunity to show my favourite 24a.

  9. Always happy to see this setter’s, in any of his aliases, name above a crossword as they’re invariably a lot of fun. This was no exception but very gentle indeed in for a Toughie with only the parsing of 21a causing any extra thought and the lacquer needing confirmation in its wordplay role in 19a.
    Many thanks to Hudson and Sue for the well-illustrated review.

  10. Another splendid puzzle from Steve Cowling’s dog’s namesake. There was nothing remotely tough about it, but who cares when it is as enjoyable as this?

    I failed to parse 21a as I couldn’t make any sense out of the letters AIRAL surrounding DM for Deutschmark, and I’ve never come across the slang meaning of “snitch” in 28a.

    My favourite was 19d.

    Many thanks to Hudson and to CS.

    1. “Namesake”! That’s the word I needed! I wanted to comment that Hudson was the name of my dog but could not think of “namesake”.

      No hope for me now! 🤣

  11. The first time I have ever completed a Toughie without any aids. For me that made it doubly enjoyable.

  12. It took as long to figure out the parsing of 21a as to complete the puzzle – so that has to be clue of the day.
    Thanks to Hudson and CS.

  13. Full grid, but as usual for me I needed the hints to parse a handful. Still, great fun and two successful toughie days in a row, so I can’t complain. Thanks to Hudson and CS.

  15. Two consecutive Toughies for me! I loved this and Hudson, along with Chalicea, is a favourite setter of mine. Solving the first four straight away got me off to a good start and the rest followed. It didn’t follow easily though and much firing of synapses was required. I resisted the urge to enter “salts” as the second word of 13d because in way would it parse.

    No COTD – just happy to get another Toughie under my belt.

    Thank you, Hudson for a fun challenge. Thank you CS for the hints.

  16. A very tame toughie but most enjoyable. Finished quicker than today’s backpager. Like others, 21a gave most difficulty so gets my podium vote. Thanks Hudson for the entertainment and CS for the nicely train-themed review.

  17. Good evening
    Yesterday, I commented that I didn’t often attempt Toughies; today makes two in a row, and it’s only because I’m on holliers.
    Actually completed today’s; I see from the comments above that it wasn’t actually that tough, which must be true!
    Needed the Hints to parse 19a and 21a, otherwise reasonably straightforward.
    Thanks to Hudson and to CS

  18. Yes like SC I got a toehold immediately and ploughed on tenaciously. Thanks to Hudson and CS as I needed a couple of extra clues to help my solve

  19. Nice gentle toughie today. Very enjoyable.

    2*/4*

    Favourites include 1a, 11a, 16a, 29a & 13d with winner 16a

    Thanks to Hudson & CS

  21. Completed this after nodding of in the chair, not through boredom I might add as I enjoyed this. Needed the hint to parse 21a and was unaware the such a thing as 8d existed, I’m not religious, but it had to be what it was. Favourite was 1a. Thanks to Hudson and CS.

  23. Enjoyed this. Gentle except for 16a and 21a which I guessed correctly but could not parse
    As I did this over today’s breakfast I must now get up to date

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