Toughie No 3239 by Silvanus
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty **/*** – Enjoyment ****
A very enjoyable puzzle from Silvanus – thanks to him for the entertainment.
Please leave a comment telling us how you fared and what you liked about the puzzle.
Across Clues
1a TV show where couples dance, preferring tango to waltz originally (3,6,4)
THE REPAIR SHOP: a phrase meaning ‘where couples dance’ (5,5,3) replacing the first letter of waltz with the letter that tango represents in the Nato Phonetic Alphabet.
9a When rioting her allies cause much trouble (5,4)
RAISE HELL: an anagram (when rioting) of HER ALLIES.
10a Court before long will restrict parking (5)
SPOON: an old-fashioned verb to court comes from an adverb meaning ‘before long’ containing the map abbreviation for parking.
11a Come after son, breaking sequence occasionally on reflection (5)
ENSUE: the genealogical abbreviation for son goes inside the reversal of occasional letters from ‘sequence’.
12a Greeting bespectacled Pennsylvanian neighbour (4)
OHIO: a greeting wearing the visual representation of a pair of spectacles.
13a Competition giving away celebrity books and pleasure trip (4)
TOUR: start with a competition (which may have involved knights in the olden days) and take away the synonym for celebrity and the abbreviation for some Biblical books.
15a Help Rita briefly after mixing potion (7)
PHILTRE: an anagram (after mixing) of HELP RIT[a].
17a Shock coverage of German gentleman broadcast, facing capture (7)
HAIRNET: what sounds like a German gentleman followed by a verb to capture or bag.
18a Alternative options presented to soldiers in country (7)
ANDORRA: two different conjunctions used to link alternatives are followed by the abbreviation for a UK army regiment.
20a Duck farmer initially seizes each person found stealing (3,4)
TEA LEAF: a small freshwater duck and the initial letter of farmer bracket the abbreviation for each.
21a Remains undressed for moment (4)
TICK: a verb meaning remains or lingers with its outer letters dropped.
22a Stop doctors’ adviser attending operation essentially (4)
WHOA: the international organisation tasked with promoting health is followed by the central letter of operation.
23a Drier patch of ground westwards we must occupy (5)
TOWEL: ‘we’ occupies the reversal of a patch of ground.
26a Load vehicle then depart (5)
CARGO: a road vehicle and a verb to depart.
27a Current unrest erupts, involving four becoming pushy (9)
INTRUSIVE: the symbol for electric current is followed by an anagram (erupts) of UNREST containing the Roman numeral for four.
28a Work by Ovid, poem some trash unusually (13)
METAMORPHOSES: an anagram (unusually) of POEM SOME TRASH produces a narrative poem which you can read all about here.
Down Clues
1d Focus on procedure regularly aiming for improved accuracy (6,8)
TARGET PRACTICE: a verb to focus on and a procedure or method.
2d Leaves survive when temperature is higher (5)
EXITS: a verb meaning to survive or last with the abbreviation for temperature moved up a bit.
3d Following lead, maybe at intervals fairly simple? (10)
ELEMENTARY: what lead (rhyming with head rather than bead) is an example of followed by the even letters of fairly.
4d Rampant disease no menace to house plant (7)
ANEMONE: the answer is housed in reverse in the clue.
5d Bicycle, one that Elizabeth admired (7)
RALEIGH: double definition, the second someone whom the first Queen Elizabeth possibly fancied. Here’s how one of his imports may have been announced:
6d Great quantity of spirit, with gallons discounted (4)
HOST: a spirit or spectre without the abbreviation for gallons.
7d Articulate and extremely capable, she perhaps is superior (9)
PRONOUNCE: the outer letters of capable with what she, grammatically, is an example of preceding them.
8d Lying about time in posh hotel flusters nun terribly (14)
UNTRUTHFULNESS: the physics abbreviation for time is contained between the usual abbreviation for posh and the letter that hotel represents in the Nato Phonetic Alphabet. Now put an anagram (terribly) of NUN FLUSTERS around that.
14d Moneymaking ability criminal admits with pained expression (5,5)
MIDAS TOUCH: an anagram (criminal) of ADMITS and one of the milder expressions used when you get hurt.
16d Improper behaviour during last month over drink (9)
INDECORUM: assemble a synonym for during, the abbreviated last month of the year, the cricket abbreviation for over and an alcoholic drink.
19d Upset old lady penning article is creating disbelief (7)
ATHEISM: the reversal of an affectionate word for one’s old lady contains a grammatical article and IS.
20d Inscription on gift for Daisy, possibly electrical appliance? (7)
TOASTER: what could possibly be written (2,5) on a gift for a type of daisy.
24d Delays works inside cafe? (5)
WAITS: double definition, the second only applies if the café is not a self-service one.
25d Free to sack the French solicitor (4)
TOUT: a phrasal verb to free (3,3) without its French definite article.
The top clues for me were the excellent 1a, 10a, 17a, 20a and 7d. Which one(s) made you sit up?
Surprisingly “gentle”. A lovely range of clues, with typically clever wordplay and I loved the simpler ones, eg the very neat 5d. 4d’s rampant did (again) raise a slight eyebrow but I have seen it used this way before and it is, of course, fair: Silvanus is nothing if not meticulous. 10a’s smart and 28a’s surface is exquisite, and so true – I’m with the Ovid (ugh) trashers! But this had me at 1a’s hello. Just brilliant. Huge thanks to Silvanus and Gazza. Great cartoons as always.
Ah yes, the “Nutty Walt” sketch [5d] – haven’t heard that in years – still just as funny. The crossword was fun too, the RHS being more taxing than the left. Fave clues were the ingenious1a, the clever 7d and 12a which, altho we’ve seen it done before, still raises a smile.
Thanks to Sylvanus and Gazza.
On the whole this was fairly straightforward, although I did have the last 2 letters of 15a the wrong way round, which held me up with 4d.
Also with 4d I did not spot the reversal indicator (rampant). I had to think about 5d, even though I had one of them years ago!
Many thanks to Silvanus for the enjoyable puzzle, and to Gazza. 3*/4*
Something of a Thursday Floughie but an absolutely cracking puzzle from bottom to top, beautifully crafted and trademark silken surfaces. I loved the anagram at 28a – just had to remember to write in the correct book, the one where Caesar dies rather than Samsa! Difficult to choose any others to elevate above the rest when there are so many great clues but will opt for 1a and 20a.
Thank you so much Silvanus for such a great puzzle, and thanks also to Gazza – wonderful cartoons and loved the Bob Newhart sketch, which I’ve never previously encountered.
A terrific and fairly friendly Toughie that was an absolute delight to solve. There were way too many brilliant clues to even try and hit upon a favourite so I shall not do so. I will just offer my thanks to Silvanus for the entertainment and to Gazza for the review.
1a has to be my favourite Silvanus clue of all time – so darned clever. I also had big ticks alongside 13,17&20a plus 6&24d but I could easily have singled out several others.
Many thanks to Silvanus for an absolute corker of a puzzle and thanks to Gazza for another great selection of cartoons and the excellent Bob Newhart clip which always makes me chuckle.
Crossword heaven! Here we have a Silvanus puzzle (which I believe even surpasses his usual excellence) coupled with a superb review from Gazza. Many thanks to both of them.
Every one of the clues would normally have deserved to come into consideration as a favourite, but 1a eclipses them all and could arguably be acknowledged as the cruciverbal GOAT.
This was, quite simply, wonderful!
I had to ask Mr G about your GOAT but I’m so delighted that you derived as much enjoyment from this as I did.
Hi Jane, don’t you remember my clue for IBEX from last April (back-pager 30,286)?
“Heard how David Beckham declares himself GOAT?” ;-)
I have a horrible feeling that I struggled with that one at the time!
Many thanks to Gazza and to all those commenting, I’m glad that you all found much to enjoy.
1a is definitely one of my personal all-time favourites too!
Why?
Totally agree that 1a is a superb clue in a puzzle packed with excellent clues.
What a delight to solve.
Thanks Silvanus and Gazza.
Super puzzle as per. Another vote for 1a (saw the enumeration & immediately thought of The Golden Shot) which needed a few checkers for the programme (don’t think I’ve ever watched it) & for the penny to drop with the brilliant wordplay. 10a reminded me of Leo & Ted Burgess in The Go-Between. Particularly liked the 3 wee ones at 12,13&22a though don’t really know why I’m highlighting those clues as I liked ‘em all.
Thanks to Silvanus & to Gazza – love the Bob N sketch which I’d quite forgotten
Simply brilliant. Silvanus just gets better and better. A real pleasure to solve.
I will go along with others and nominate 1a as my pick of a very good bunch.
Take a bow, sir.
Thanks also to Gazza. That must have been fun to blog.