Toughie 3226 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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Toughie 3226

by crypticsue  

Toughie  No 3226 by Hudson

Hints and Tips by crypticsue

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

An absolute joy of a crossword – something for cricket fans, people on holiday and best of all a favourite character from the Magic Roundabout – what more could the Toughie solver want?

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought

Across

8a           Lacking energy, English Test spinner’s a global icon (4,4)
MONA LISA Remove (lacking) the abbreviations for Energy and English from a way of saying  a particular cricket (test) spin bowler IS and add A (from the clue)

9a           Wearing Sikh headdress with edges trimmed, looking sophisticated (6)
URBANE Wearing a Sikh headdress without the outside letters (edges trimmed)

10a         Name US beer which is getting knocked back (3)
DUB Confirm a name or dignity on – a reversal (getting back) of an informal name for a type of American beer

11a         1D: “Leaving Archimedes baffled” — I’ve absolutely no idea (6,2)
SEARCH ME An anagram (baffled) of ARCHiMEdES without (leaving) I D

12a         Stupid leaders of Bank of England guzzling French wine (6)
BOVINE The first letters of Bank Of England ‘guzzling’ the French word for wine

13a         Timeless metropolitan rhyme about former European power (4,5,6)
HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE An anagram (about) of MEtROPOLItAN RHYME without the two abbreviations for Time (time less)

15a         Sandwich, perhaps with limeade, regularly packed inside hamper (3,4)
TIE DOWN An urban area such as Sandwich in Kent into which is inserted (packed inside) the regular letters of lImEaDe

18a         Rudely disturb cow on the tube without hesitation (7)
INTRUDE Remove an interjection expressing hesitation or doubt from the cow from the Magic Roundabout television series (on tube)

21a         Criminally corrupt CID tapes dispatch from traveller (7,8)
PICTURE POSTCARD An anagram (criminally) of CORRUPT CID TAPES

24a         Bird with a frog in the throat swallowing hard (6)
CHOUGH One of my fellow competitors in the Times Crossword Championship always say that if you can’t justify/parse your solution, its wrong!  Looking at the clue carefully again, I soon realised that I’d got the wrong bird and that I should insert the abbreviation for Hard into the action you take when you have a frog in your throat

25a         Sight rarely seen on British beaches nowadays depressed Jack (4,4)
BLUE FLAG A synonym for depressed and a small ‘jack’ flown on a ship

26a         Age from 7 upwards (3)
ERA Hidden in reverse in the solution to 7d

27a         Disagree with motorway being closed for diversion (6)
DETOUR Change the M (motorway) in a synonym for disagree or object and replace it with a two-letter word meaning closed – my Yorkshire granny would always tell us to put the door xx

28a         Stop aged artefacts heading west, hampering balance of payments data (5,3)
TRADE GAP Hidden in reverse (heading west) in the first three words of the clue

Down

1d           Wicketless seamer possibly beginning to open jacket (6)
BOLERO A cricketer described as a seamer without the abbreviation for Wicket, followed by the ‘beginning’ to Open

2d           Quite aloof air Lysander possesses (6)
FAIRLY Hidden in (possesses) in the second, third and fourth words of the clue

3d           Inscription on note from missing person? (4,3,4,4)
WISH YOU WERE HERE A note someone might write, on a 21a perhaps if they were missing someone at home

4d           Crazy; what a year … seized the opportunity! (4,3)
MADE HAY A synonym for crazy, an interjection expressing inquiry (what) A (from the clue) and the abbreviation for Year

5d           Organising a UK BBQ: sunbed, ale, something to eat (6,3,6)
BUBBLE AND SQUEAK An anagram (organising) of A UK BBQ SUNBED ALE

6d           Better than average sailor finished embracing dad (5,3)
ABOVE PAR An abbreviated sailor, a synonym for finished, the latter ‘embracing’ an informal name for a dad

7d           Caught drum during finale (8)
ENSNARED A type of drum inserted into a finale

14d         Large? That is a whopper! (3)
LIE Abbreviations for Large and that is

16d         PM concluding I must go first over home counties area, location of controversial border (5,3)
IRISH SEA The I at the end of the forename of the current Prime Minister moves to the front of the word then the abbreviation for the part of England known as the Home Counties and the abbreviation for Area are added at the end

17d         Completely adore Lorna endlessly carrying note aloft (4,4)
DOTED UPON The surname of the eponymous heroine of the book by RD Blackmore without its final letter (endlessly) into which is inserted (carrying) a musical note and an adverb meaning aloft

19d         Grape skin might be damaged by these rays (3)
UVA A type of grape or radiation that might damage your skin

20d         Bash tap, breaking jacuzzi? (3,4)
SPA BATH An anagram (breaking) of BASH TAP

22d         For the Yankees, Joe is out — caught before touching bases (6)
COFFEE The cricket abbreviation for Caught goes before an adverb meaning out, the result followed with two lots of the symbol for the base of the natural system of logarithms

23d         Tragic middle child throttles American president (6)
REAGAN The middle child of King Lear ‘throttles’ the abbreviation for American

 

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31 comments on “Toughie 3226”

  1. This was a real little gem with some excellent clues, none better in my opinion than the wonderful 8a. A great way to cheer up a dull Wednesday.

    My thanks to Hudson and Sue.

  2. Loved this. 24a was chucklesome, 15a’s excellent and 26a is very strong. A slight shame perhaps that 3 of the 4 long ‘uns were anagrams but 5d is a peach, just one of several fabulous surfaces. Great to see some clever shorties, too. Yes, 26a’s a gimme but it’s a great gimme and 19d’s smart too. I do think 16d’s a tad windy and 11a doesn’t quite work for me – a great idea oddly presented. Still, it’s a cracker of a puzzle and 27a is an absolute screamer. Genius. Huge thanks to Hudson and Sue (welcome back).

  3. A gem of a puzzle. Even by Hudson’s high standards this was a real peach. So many great clues but my top three are 11a, 27a and the winner 18a [I fell of my chair Brian].
    Many thanks to Hudson and to CS for the blog.

  4. A superb puzzle – many thanks to Hudson and CS.
    Luckily I remembered the name of the 8a spinner though it is perhaps rather specialised knowledge. I didn’t know the 22d Joe which I needed to verify.
    I spent far too long trying to use the middle letters of tragic to parse 23d before the penny dropped.
    My ticks went to 15a, 27a, 4d and 17d with 16d being my favourite.

  5. Loved this. Must agree with CS. Hudson is my favourite setter. Lots of smiles over a wide spectrum of clueing. Come back soon.
    Thanks to Hudson and CS

  6. What a lovely puzzle. Not too tough but a joy to solve with the delightful 18a my favourite.

    Although the answer to 22d can be derived readily from the wordplay, I couldn’t (and still can’t) see what the definition is. I originally thought that “joe” might be US slang for coffee, but the BRB only gives it as US slang for a soldier (which I was already aware of).

    Many thanks to Hudson and to CS.

    1. A cup of Joe! You’re right about the BRB, of course, but it is in Collins. I reckon Hudson’s just thrown it in to upset you!

      1. Arrgh! At least I am grateful to Hudson for indicating it clearly, but whatever happened to the Telegraph puzzle editorial policy that all (non-GK) answers must be in the BRB?

      2. Read enough American fiction of all types and there will always be a character or two either being offered or asking for a cup of Joe. I’ve also seen it in cryptic crosswords here too

        1. Re 22d, whatever the dictionaries say, American slang should have no place in crosswords in English newspapers.

  7. Can’t claim an unaided solve as I needed nudges from our reviewer to help with the parsing of the Test spinner, the cow on the tube and the grape. Seemed odd that the answer to18a contained most of a word from the clue.
    Rosettes handed out to 24&25a (sad state of affairs) plus 4&17d.

    Thanks to Hudson and to CS for the review – hope you’re feeling much better, Sue, and not simply battling on for the blog’s sake?

  8. I am not a cricket expert and although I got the answer by process of elimination I still haven’t worked out the cricketer despite the helpful clues above!

      3. Thank you, CS – one of two clues which I’d answered correctly but with no idea whatsoever as to the parsing, contrary to the otherwise good advice you note in your hint to 24a!

  9. Finished in a reasonably quick time and agree with CS difficulty rating, but 8a was a bung in – the checkers and last 3 letters meant it had to be what it was.
    Although I understand the logic of the parsing, I don’t have a clue about the spin bowler – my knowledge of cricket is severely limited.
    Is it a name of a particular bowler or a general term for a type of spin bowler?
    I don’t mind some obscure or specialist GK in our crosswords – when we’ll clued it provides good learning opportunity. But in this case, even with the knowledge of all the letters I can’t search Mr Google to enlighten me on the bowler.

    Other than that I fully enjoyed the puzzle and in particular all 4 long clues at 13a, 21a, 3d & 5d

    1. JS, 8a refers to a specific spin bowler. Please see Gazza’s link in the comment above yours.

  10. I seen the grid and thought OMG this could test my grey cells, concentrated on the long answers, I had to reveal one or to squares but I still found this an enjoyable solve. I liked 3d but 5d brought bad memories of a school dinner, 25 a was new to me.

    Stay safe and travel safely

  11. A reasonably straightforward and generally very enjoyable puzzle, but as with the curate and his breakfast egg, the taint from part spoiled the whole. Clever it may have been but I thought 18a poor, with ‘rude’ being in both the definition and answer; and with c.190 blue flag beaches in the British Isles, 25a just irritated me – they’re not ‘rarely seen’ although if the absence of a blue flag keeps tourists away from some of our wonderful smaller beaches and coves here in the south west, that’s a positive in my view!

    OTOH I thought 15a brilliant, and it was joined on the podium by 3d & 6d. Some excellent anagrams and many good surfaces.

    Thank you to Hudson & CS (good to read that you are now somewhat recovered!)

  13. Struggled with 8a as we had never heard of the cricketer and spent time trying to justify Coca Cola (much more of a global icon) until one of the checkers wouldn’t fit.
    Thanks Hudson and CS.

  14. A dnf for me. Having breezed through most of the crossword albeit with a few bung-ins I did indeed bung in coca cola for 8a which made 3d unsolvable. Once CS had pointed out the error of my ways I got it straightaway. My other bung-ins were 9a, 18a, 19d, 23d and 23d. Favourite was 16d. Let that be a lesson to me. Thanks to Hudson and CS for pointing out what wasn’t blindingly obvious to me. I’m glad you’re feeling better.

  15. What a super puzzle. I wish we saw more of Hudson. Solved while listening to the 3d album as it was first in having decided to start with the 4 long uns. The bird & the cup of joe vaguely rang a bell (I’ve never actually heard anyone say it when over the pond) but required post solve verification. ✅s aplenty but if pressed 15&18a were joint favs with 23d pinching the last spot. Still to parse 27a which I see ALP says is an absolute screamer so will ponder further before reading the review.
    Thanks to Hudson & to Sue – pleased to hear that you’re better.

    1. It occurred me to just how that people might think I was more poorly than I was – it was only really a day but because I don’t comment much on the blog these days, people might think i have been unwell for ages.

  16. Just the sort of Toughie I like. That is, one I can nearly do.
    Unaided finish snookered by trying to find a word to go before diva for 8a and trying to make it fit with an unparsed tuxedo for 1d. Hey ho.
    Thanks for the hints and to Hudson for a largely doable puzzle.

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