Toughie 3220 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
View closed comments 

Toughie 3220

by Dutch  

Toughie No 3220 by Osmosis

Hints and tips by Dutch

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

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

Good lord! We have a full pangram!

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a    Ex-footballer went wrong, driving over South African mountain with Ford rep? (6,8)
DENNIS BERGKAMP: The reversal (driving over) of a 6-letter word meaning ‘went wrong’ or transgressed, the South African word for mountain, a 2-letter model of Ford and a political rep

10a    Exhibitionist‘s forte, for all to see, in light aircraft (9)
LOUDMOUTH: The meaning of the musical term forte, then the cinema classification ‘for all to see’ goes inside a 4-letter biplane

11a    Get bull’s eye in test? Tom might do (5)
MOULT: The central letters (eye) in ‘bull’ go inside an annual car test

12a    Company drinking nothing with mature type of cheese (7)
COTTAGE: The abbreviation for company, ‘drinking nothing’, and a verb meaning to mature

13a    Fail to go along with vacuous party disc (6)
FLOPPY: A word meaning to fail plus ‘party’ without the inner letters (vacuous)

15a    I’ve made a mistake keeping last of ruminant does from those over the hill (4)
DOTH: Wat Homer Simpson might say when he makes a mistake goes around (keeping) the last letter in ruminant. The definition means an old-fashioned word for the verb ‘does’

17a    Rather soft police like this reported one that’s hammered? (5-5)
MEZZO PIANO: A homophone (reported) of London police and a short word meaning ‘like this’, then an instrument that is ‘hammered’ (ie has hammers)

18a    Servant, most senior member, switching variable exercises (5,5)
DAILY DOZEN: A 5-letter cleaner or char, then a ‘most senior member’ with the central variable changing

20a    Stream second musical band (4)
JETS: A stream or spout plus the abbreviation for second

22a    Hum fast track like master (6)
MIASMA: A motorway, a word for ‘like’, and a Master’s degree

23a    Islanders here regularly view local clothing James reduced (3,4)
IWOJIMA: The even letters in ‘view local’ cover (clothing) the nickname for James

26a    Detective annoyed, recalling hiding spots (5)
NAEVI: Reverse hidden (… recalling hiding)

27a    Two-thirds of chocolate bar magpie left out there (9)
UNTYPICAL: The last 2/3 of a 6-letter chocolate bar brand, the magpie genus, and the abbreviation for left

28a    Excessive nicety about punishment guys received in public (4-10)
OVER-REFINEMENT: A short word for about or concerning, a 4-letter money punishment and some guys or males

Down

2d    Display joy skywards, some light filling the void (5)
EXULT: A reversal (skywards) of a unit of light inside (filling) t(h)e without the middle letter (void)

3d    Formidable article underpinning Cockney residence in news (2,4)
NO MEAN: An article goes underneath a cockney’s residence, all inside twice the abbreviation for new

4d    Date set for gig featuring this? (7-3)
SQUEEZE-BOX: A slang word for date or girlfriend, and a set or tv

5d    Genuine groove, with tango at end (4)
ECHT: A verb meaning to make a groove, where the letter with radio code tango is moved to the end

6d    Where to work out mounting beer habit (3,4)
GYM SLIP: A place to work out, then a reversal (mounting) of a type of lager

7d    Travel on water with amp, as smoother (9)
AQUAPLANE: The abbreviation for ampere, a latin word meaning ‘as’, and a tool that is a smoother

8d    Dick previously right leaving somewhat criminal firm (5,9)
PETTY CONSTABLE: The abbreviation for right is omitted (leaving) from a 6-letter word meaning somewhat or rather, then a 3-letter criminal and another word for firm or solid

9d    Cool old Mod promoted vogue wee singer (7,7)
PLACIDO DOMINGO: A 6-letter word for cool or calm, the abbreviation for old, a reversal (promoted) of MOD, vogue or trendy, and a verb meaning to wee

14d    Country‘s Ulez extremists head around south disrupting equipment (10)
UZBEKISTAN: The outer letters (extremists) of Ulez, then a slang word for head goes around the abbreviation for south inside (disrupting) some 3-letter equipment

16d    Asian fly semi-visible circling polished sink (9)
TAIWANESE: A 3-3 fly which is only half visible goes around (circling) 2 characters that can mean polished or excellent plus a verb meaning to sink or decrease

19d    Increasingly hot year, one in July etc going topless (7)
YUMMIER: The abbreviation for year, then the July season without the first letter (going topless) containing the Roman numeral for one

21d    Gun lifted, repeating shock (3-3)
POM-POM: A reversed (lifted) and repeated word for a shock of hair

24d    Contemporary preserver of language (5)
INCAN: Contemporary or trendy, and a container used for preserving

25d    Spam perhaps behind topping in fridge (4)
BUMF: A word for behind or bottom plus the first letter (topping) in fridge

I think my favourite was the Ulez story (14d). Which clues did you like?

19 comments on “Toughie 3220”

  1. We have a double pangram! A superb finish to a superb week of toughies. I really struggled with 8d [not having come across the term before] and 20a [finding it difficult to believe Osmosis would clue Mr Zappa’s mythical doo-wop band] but got there in the end. Favourites were 12a [drinking nothing] 17a [the homophone] 2d [the void] and 14d [the wit – here in outer London it’s pretty topical].
    Many thanks Osmosis and Dutch.

    1. Ah, I noticed the multiple x y z, but I quickly checked q and obviously missed the second. Well spotted

      1. I can add osmosis is a master at pangrams and double pangrams. It was tantalising that he had so many recent puzzles that were one letter short of a pangram. I keep feeling like I’ve missed some message there.

    2. Sorry to nitpick Halcyon but TT does not mean drinking nothing; it means abstaining from drinking alcohol.

  2. Oof, I got there but I had to work pretty hard for the checkers that led me over the line. I knew I was in trouble from 1a’s footballer on. Not keen on 17a. The definition’s fine but it feels very busy and the surface is, frankly, odd. But there are some very clever clues, no question. 10a is lovely, 18a and 22a (now that is a great surface!) are both incredibly smart and 9d is genius. Thanks to Osmosis and Dutch.

  4. After three completions this week I was hoping for a success today. Sadly, way beyond my pay grade and, with the obscurities and failure to get anywhere near the right wavelength, I’m afraid no enjoyment at all. Five completed taking me some distance beyond ***** difficulty but I was pleased to see comments reflecting both completion & enjoyment. Well done but I’m with Baldino!!

  5. That was brilliant. I realised it was a pangram early on which helped a bit when I got stuck, but a double pangram? Outrageous. This was clueing of a very standard, and it took me a constellation of stars in terms of time, but so worth the effort. The superb 9d gets my nod.

    My thanks to Osmosis for this mighty challenge, and to Dutch for a couple of explanations.

  6. Got seven answers in over ninety minutes, so gave up. Way too hard today. Thanks all and hats off to those who solved it all

  7. Tricksy Toughie this. Ouch. Took me well into 5* time but eventually got there. Some very clever clues, particularly 9d & 10a. Had to check with Google for confirmation of a couple (the islanders for example).
    Dutch, your 28a hint is missing the ‘in public’ bit 👍

    Thank you for the blog and Osmosis for the workout

  8. Didn’t bother to solve (know my limitations) but revealed all & had fun parsing (or trying to) the answers. Is my memory playing tricks or did we once have a triple pangram Toughie & if so can anyone remember who set it?
    Thanks to Osmosis & Dutch

  9. Was on pangram alert earlier on and what a surprise it was to discover a double pangram.
    Needed help with 18a and 4d to complete.
    Thanks to Osmosis for the great workout and to Dutch for the review.

  11. Strewth. That’s taken me 7 days, dipping in and out and getting a few here and a few there, with one bit of assistance from Dutch’s hints early on, and another clue towards the end – I knew the petty but had never heard of petty constable. Thank you Dutch.

    Tough beyond any puzzle I think I’ve ever got to the end of – a bit further along the scale even from Elgar – and a lesson in looking at every component, even every letter, of a clue. Immensely satisfying. Thank you Osmosis.

  12. A tough toughie. Managed the south & some east plus 13a. Hats off to the setter & those clever enough to solve it all.

Comments are closed.