Toughie 3152 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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Toughie 3152

by Dutch  

Toughie No 3152 by Elgar

Hints and tips by Dutch

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

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

We are kept on our toes today with some doubling of wordplay and definitions.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought

Across:

1a    As sun-trap, gaff is close to pure heaven (8)

PARADISE: The Egyptian word for sun is contained (as … trap, …) in another slang word for gaff, IS from the clue and the last letter (close) to pure

5a     Reinforce objection raised about what’s charged in bar (4,2)

BEEF UP: Two sets of wordplay: (1) a word for objection and a word meaning raised, (2) a reversal (about) of “what’s charged” in another word for bar

9a    Among these Venus is an odd example (5)

SEVEN: Hidden (among … is)

10a    Traditionalist believes in bringing hospital back (3-6)

OLD-SCHOOL: Take a 5-letter verb that means believes or maintains, and a 4-letter slang word meaning in or trendy – then move the abbreviation for hospital towards the back

12a    Empty dragnets here?  4! (6-4)

TWENTY-FOUR: The answer is where in this puzzle we find ‘dragnets containing nothing’, a location also indicated by the mathematical expression 4! (4 factorial, i.e., 4x3x2x1)

13a    Young lady may say if so (4)

MISS: Split (1,2,1), the answer will get you from may to say.

15a    Endless Carling supply fuels branch manager (5,7)

BRIAN CLOUGH: An anagram (supply) of endless CARLIN(g) goes inside (fuels) another word for a tree branch

16a    Secret agent, 9 shot by his boss in the field, it’s heard (3)

MOO: James Bond without (shot) 9a, after (by) his boss

17a    Pilots, after slimming, remain  porky (3)

LIE: Two definitions: a word meaning ‘pilots an airplane’ without the outer letters (after slimming)

18a    I attack from behind doing turbulent eight year romance! (4,7)

HIGH SOCIETY: A reversal (from behind) of ‘I attack’ (1,4) goes inside (during) an anagram (turbulent) of EIGHT, then the abbreviation for year

20a    Give new face to  seductress (4)

VAMP: Two meanings

21a    He’s not looking well, Gladstone? (3,2,5)

BAG OF BONES: A doctor’s accessory, perhaps

24a     Young hotheads that are damaging to gardens (9)

DRAGONETS: An anagram (damaging) of TO GARDENS

26a    In extremes of anguish, utterance finally emitted in seething rage (5)

AARGH: Within the outer letters (extremes) of anguish, the last letter (finally) of utterance is omitted (emitted) from an anagram (seething) of RAGE

27a    Wrestle with model in cloak (6)

VISITE: A word for wrestle or struggle contains (with … in) a word meaning to model or pose

28a    1a 23d, these beasts will leave later

EDENTATA: With “1a 23d” (i.e., removing the biblical garden) the answer will leave a (2-2) expression for ‘later’ or ‘see you’

Down:

1d    Do apply to circulate a pre-2002 coin (6)

PESETA: A 3-letter word for do or impersonate, then a word meaning apply (as in apply standards) – with the first letter to circulate to the end

2d    12 9 worked up having to stage university show (5)

REVUE: A reversal (worked up) of a 4-letter word meaning 12a 9a contains (having to stage) the abbreviation for university

3d    Idlers warning against beginning to harvest meadows by Ouse? (2-8)

DO-NOTHINGS: A (2,3) ‘warning against’, the first letter (beginning) of harvest, and some northern dialect (hence choice of Ouse) for meadows beside a river

4d    Fish evenly distributed? Yes and no (3)

EEL: The odd letters (distributed) in ‘evenly’

6d    Make a lasting impression in France and Switzerland (4)

ETCH: The French word for ‘and’ plus the IVR for Switzerland

7d     So, so silly of husband to banish son (9)

FOOLISHLY: An anagram (so) of (s)O SILLY OF H(usband) but without (to banish) the abbreviation for son.

8d    Form of defence equerry delivered? (8)

PALISADE: A homophone (delivered) of a (6,3) equerry

10d    Nothing coffee fans will be stirring in drink (3,4,4)

OFF ONE’S FACE: The letter that looks like nothing, and an anagram (will be stirring) of COFFEE FANS

11d    Two-time two times? (6-5)

DOUBLE-CROSS: A way of describing two multiplication symbols (XX)

14d    Man tipping a cup-bearer during Mastermind (10)

SUPERBRAIN: A reversal (tipping) of a pronoun that describes the species ‘Man’, a 3-letter word meaning ‘a’, some underwear that is a cup-bearer and a preposition meaning during

15d    Irish club beset by suspensions playing home 25 without wingers (9)

BOHEMIANS: Inside (beset by) a 4-letter word for suspensions, we have an anagram (playing) of HOME plus the central letter (without wingers) of 25d

16d    Deemed unfit five sets in against leading player (8)

MEDVEDEV: An anagram (unfit) of DEEMED containing (sets in) the Roman numeral for five, then the Latin abbreviation for against

19d    No directions for the man to follow when gasping for breath etc? (6)

ASTHMA: Omit the compass points (no directions) in THE MAN, coming after (to follow) a 2-letter word for ‘when’

22d    What’s covered by exception – or makes the Rule (5)

NORMA: Hidden (what’s covered by … )

23d    Dolts ___, having ___ direction at the off (4)

LOST: The same word goes into both spaces to create meaningful wordplay for itself. The first blank is used as an anagram indicator, the second blank allows the anagram fodder to omit the first letter (at the off) of direction

25d    Draw  cup match (Westminster v Charterhouse if 10a?)

TIE: Two meanings, or maybe three with the 3rd referring to neckwear

I liked the cross-references. My favourites were 12a, 13a, and 16a – which clues did you like?

15 comments on “Toughie 3152”

  1. Ooh, am I first?! Loved this – managed to get it done in seconds under what I think of as 5* time, but can’t claim it because I had several unparsed. I had whittled them down to two before checking in with Dutch (to whom, as always, thanks and awed admiration), namely 12a (doh! I was feeling so smug for figuring out the mathematical use of the !, but totally failed to noticed the similarity of ‘dragnets’ to anything else) and 13a (Elgar, you fiend!). Favourite has to be 15a. Bravo!

  2. Excellent as always. One I could happily discuss for some time!

    Again, Elgar still gives a few “easy” ones to get us started. And the connected clues helped. On that, I got 12 a via 2 and 9 and saw the baby dragons. Unlike Friar Richard, (well done to him), I am no mathematician and don’t think I have even heard of factorials let alone the sign!

    Saw the answer that fitted in 22d but didn’t understand it – the Set Square? 14d lego took a while but once I had the B and the A, I had a feeling!

    Finally, almost, surely there more be some hidden reason for the Forest Manager?

    And, finally, thanks to Dutch for the excellent review and explanations and to the master that is Elgar! Only question – 28a is so, so clever, but is it too clever for some!😎

  4. When am I going to learn that Elgar Friday Toughies are way above my pay grade? My admiration goes to those who can not only solve Elgar’s clues but also parse the b#ggers!

  5. Loved this, despite huge amounts of cross-referencing, most of which was actually rather clever. The little ones were most fun, all the 3s plus 13a. I was only aware of 24a as rather lovely fish but the anagram was obvious enough. Laughed out loud when I eventually parsed 14d. Failed to parse 1a [defeated by the sun-trap].
    Thanks to Elgar and Dutch – now off on hols for 3 weeks.

  6. Excellent as always from this setter. I thought at first this was all going to fly in, but I came to a shuddering halt in the SW. Got there eventually. All very clever, with 1 and 16a my favourites.

    My thanks to Elgar and Dutch.

  8. Thanks to Dutch for the review and hints, and to Elgar for another mind-bending puzzle. It’s the furthest I’ve ever got with an Elgar puzzle. Still needed 12 hints to finish. Luckily I guessed 12a, so that gave me a foothold. Was 5* / 4* for me.

  9. Needed hints for 1 and 28 to complete the rest. A pleasant way to spend time on the train today, and at 4am as a mild insomnia cure! Thanks.

    Is Aargh a word ? I suppose it must be if it’s here, but where do you stop ? Hmm,pff, grrr, yeow, etc.

  10. Day 5 and I have to admit defeat, but got 75% without hints. That said, this one beats me, despite the explanation:

    13a Young lady may say if so (4)
    MISS: Split (1,2,1), the answer will get you from may to say.

    1. If you replace the M in ‘may’ with an S you get ‘say’ so the M becomes an S, i.e. M IS S.

      1. Thank you for the further explanation. I gotta admit that I am still foxed; I can’t see the instruction to replace the M with an S.
        I am reaching for the panadol !

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