Toughie No 3213 by Dada
Hints and tips by ALP
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment **/***
After making it abundantly clear in yesterday’s Rookie Corner that I have absolutely no right to comment on a pro’s (or anyone’s) puzzle I am, of course, going to do just that! Being pathetically English, this was another one that I was desperate to love, seeing as Dada took some flak on Sunday. And I’m glad to say I did quietly enjoy this. It seemed a tad anagram-heavy during the solve but, counting up afterwards, there are, in fact, only seven anagrams (including partials). A total of five double definitions is perhaps over-generous, though. There were a couple of new words, my end, but both are fairly clued. Despite being largely straightforward, 8d’s Lego coupled with its unfamiliar answer bounced the difficulty up to a muscular 1.5+. One or two surfaces didn’t quite sing (to me) but it’s all very solid. I’d be interested to know what you all made of it.
Across
1a Character in sailor suit having abandoned land, do nothing about it (6,4)
DONALD DUCK: LAND, abandoned, inside DO + a four-letter nothing (think cricket).
6a Dish, very happy (4)
SOUP: Very (2) + happy/not down (2).
9a Each has left a motive for crime (5)
ARSON: The two-letter each is removed from (the middle of) A + motive/cause.
10a He is on, he’s performing, polishing up act (9)
SHOESHINE: HEISONHES, performing.
12a Cool bash for band of groupies (3,4)
FAN CLUB: (Make) cool/waft + bash (as a caveman might).
13a Mega popular German bands (5)
LARGE: Hidden (bands) in words 2 and 3.
15a Holy rug moved about (7)
ROUGHLY: HOLYRUG, moved.
17a Parent going to sea equipped for battle again (7)
REARMED: (To) parent/raise + a (little) three-letter sea.
19a Clean space, it being messy (7)
ASEPTIC: SPACEIT, messy.
21a Top athlete running in the heat, perhaps? (7)
SWEATER: Double definition. A top to wear, and how one might describe someone exercising in hot conditions.
22a Our home, dirt (5)
EARTH: Another double definition. Our home/planet, and soil.
24a Fix motorway design inside it (7)
IMPLANT: (M)otorway + design (of a town, say) inside IT.
27a Cup that’s cracked set aside, milk initially seeping through (9)
DEMITASSE: SETASIDE, cracked, with M(ilk) inserted/seeping through.
28a Left-leaning socialist near English city (5)
DERBY: The usual three-letter socialist, reversed (left-leaning) + a two-letter for near or beside.
29a Number Ten initially backtracking somewhat (4)
NINE: Hidden, reversed (backtracking somewhat).
30a Go where solver’s saddle located? (2,4,4)
ON YOUR BIKE: Where to find the solver’s (that’ll be you) saddle (not the one on a horse).
Down
1d Uninspired medieval performer turned up (4)
DRAB: Ye olde minstrel, reversed.
2d Polynesian instrument: lid lifted on pipe in fluent playing (4,5)
NOSE FLUTE: A pipe (for the garden) minus its first letter (lid lifted) + FLUENT, playing. Didn’t we see this the other day? Funny how that happens!
3d Stripe on new sheets etc (5)
LINEN: Four-letter (long and narrow) stripe + N(ew).
4d Show documents turned over and spread out (7)
DISPLAY: The usual two-letter documents, reversed + (to) spread/turn out.
5d Belt, trousers and shirt etc (7)
CLOBBER: Yet another double definition. (To) belt/hit or garb.
7d Flexible branch offering several investors elbow room, first of all (5)
OSIER: An acrostic (first of all).
8d Clergyman with stoop breaking organ in nose (10)
PREBENDARY: (To) stoop/bow (4) inside/breaking a bodily organ (3), all inside (to) nose (3). Oof!
11d Recover from wild drinking in beerhall, finally (7)
SALVAGE: (Beerhal)L drunk by/inside a six-letter word for wild/fierce.
14d Member and pensionable teacher in conflict, ultimately? (10)
ARMAGEDDON: A three-letter member/limb + pensionable (4) + (university) teacher (3).
16d Wizard’s sexy photo (7)
HOTSHOT: Sexy/very attractive (3) + photo/picture (4).
18d Bones are cut in meat: it’s proving tricky (9)
METATARSI: AR(e) inside MEATITS, tricky.
20d Watertight chamber in America is so narrow (7)
CAISSON: New to me, but it’s a lurker, hidden in words 4,5,6 and 7.
21d Drink more rum, boss! (7)
SUPREMO: (To) drink (3) + MORE, rum (as in queer/odd = anagram).
23d Japanese dish right, I agree! (5)
RAMEN: R(ight) + the biblical “so let it be”.
25d Reptilian mathematician doing the basics? (5)
ADDER: Yep, another double definition. A snake and a (basic) mathematician, ie counter.
26d Order, printed letter (4)
TYPE: And … another. Order/sort and (a) printed letter or character, as seen in a newspaper, etc.
1a made me smile and I liked 8d (a potentially cracking surface is itching to get out, but not quite managing) but, for its surface read and image, 11d is my personal favourite. What did you think?
8d took a bit of parsing, but I got there. Like our blogger, 11d particularly floated my boat and was my favourite. It’s hard to believe that this comfortable yet enjoyable puzzle was compiled by the same person who gave us Sunday’s anagramfest.
Many thanks to Dada and ALP.
Not for the first time, and probably not the last, I agree completely with YS.
A gentle opener to the Toughie week which I thoroughly enjoyed. A big smile at 1A to start the puzzle off. I had ticks all over the place but liked 1 and 6A , 16 and 25D with favourite going to 14D.
Many thanks to ALP and Dada.
I sometimes find Dada’s puzzles a bit run-of-the-mill but this was a cracker and, I thought, a bit on the firm side for a Tuesday. I didn’t really notice the number of double defs as they were all quite clever but did think “oh another anagram”. Top clues for me were 13 [bands is sneaky] 17, 21a and the winner 11d.
Thanks to Dada and ALP.
An entertaining puzzle – thanks to Dada and APL.
I liked 1a, 17a, 21a and 11d.
A nice confidence booster for the week ahead completed in brisk back-page time. Only knew 20d as a wagon so pleased it was a lurker & chuffed to recall 8d (from Hardy maybe) once I’d twigged the wordplay. I parsed 1a (great illustration) slightly differently (anagram fodder inside the cricket term) which I think is ok too. Enjoyed the solve with 8d my favourite.
Thanks to Dada & to ALP – ‘twas a safe bet that Marwood would feature at 6a & good to be reminded of Robbie C in Blackadder. No doubt the nether regions of your guzzle will provide a stiffer challenge later on.
That last sentence of yours doesn’t sound quite right!!
Very enjoyable, a good start to the Toughie week, and I would have enjoyed solving and hinting half of this on a Sunday – 2.5*/4.5*
Candidates for favourite – 9a, 28a, 30a, 3d, and 14d- and the winner is 30a.
Thanks to Dada and ALP.
A fine Tuesday Toughie. I agree with Senf that this would have been a better alternative for Sunday’s prize cryptic. I’d not heard of 8d or 27a but both fairly clued. I did like 14d.
Always good to see a Withnail reference, though of course Marwood is drinking coffee here not 6a due to lack of washing up😁
Withnail does ask if it’s soup though
Well spotted. Good man!
Very enjoyable not-so-toughie which was right up my street. 1a, especially the illustration, got things off to a good start and is joined on the podium by 12a plus 8,11&14d – OK so it’s a large podium!
Thanks to Dada for the enjoyment and to ALP for the review.
This was a very enjoyable start to the toughie week for me(as I always struggle with Toughies), but this one and the Sunday Toughie were a joy to solve, I have no real favourites to mention but solving it was enjoyable.
Stay safe and travel safely
Most of this went in easily and I made heavy weather of the ones that didn’t. It made completion all the more pleasing. I managed to parse everything as well, always a bonus. Favourite was 14d, others ran out close. Thanks to Dada and ALP.
Managed half before needing hints
My COTD is 8d because my uncle was one
I did enjoy this and had to work for a few which always makes a puzzle more satisfying.
I was fortunate with 8d as the word was familiar to me having been married by one many moons ago – once I saw the word it was a fairly simple process to work out the convoluted Lego.
For sentimental reasons I am awarding this my fotd (with nod to JB in case it was the same one!)
Thanks to Dada and to ALP.
8d was our last in and required considerable head scratching but was eventually remembered from somewhere.
An enjoyable solve for us.
Thanks Dada and ALP.
Super puzzle, restores my faith in Dada. Was not able to give it my full attention to start with and in consequence found it a deal more tricky than eventually turned out to be the case. Some great surface reads and was relieved to see that all answers were familiar.
Many thanks to Dada and ALP
Ah, I found this puzzle much more enjoyable than the one on Sunday. I nodded off last night after about solving a quarter or so and completed it this morning between a few domestic ‘chores’. Difficult to pick one clue as my favourite, but 8d, 11d, 10a, 22a and 26d all floated my boat. I don’t think I have come across 27a before, so needed the hint. Thanks Dada and Alp.
Enjoyed this one better than the back pager for Wednesday.
2.5*/3.5*
Favourites were 1a, 15a,29a, 30a, 5d & 14d — with winner 29a
Thanks to Dada & ALP