Toughie 3259 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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Toughie 3259

by Gazza  

Toughie No 3259 by Django
Hints and tips by Gazza

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

Thanks to Django for a very enjoyable puzzle. The only real difficulty I had was with 9a where I needed all the checking letters in place before I could work out where the other letters went.

Please leave a comment telling us how you fared and what you liked about the puzzle.

Across Clues

1a  Distant relative extremely touched (7)
REMOVED: the outer letters of relative and an adjective meaning touched or emotionally affected.

5a  Roast meat with unlimited macaroni, for example (7)
LAMBAST: a type of meat and what macaroni is an example of without its limiting letters.

9a  Ringo Starr occasionally playing on good material (9)
GROSGRAIN: an anagram (playing) of RINGO S[t]A[r]R follows the abbreviation for good. Not a word I knew.

10a  Poplar, East London — finally pursuing 18’s killer? (5)
ASPEN: the abbreviation for east and the final letter of London follow the reputed killer of 18a.

11a  Reliable, possibly stainless steel cycles (5)
LOYAL: cycle the letters of what stainless steel is an example of.

12a  Settling a puppy recently arrived to replace Oscar (9)
ADJUSTING: start with A and what a puppy is then replace the letter that Oscar represents in the Nato Phonetic Alphabet with a phrase (4,2) meaning ‘recently arrived’.

13/18a Tragedy of American theatre yet to work with Aaron Copland (6,3,9)
ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA: an abbreviation for American and the initials of the theatre based on the south bank of the Thames are followed by an anagram (to work) of YET AARON COPLAND.

16a  Praise lieutenant after chopper comes back (5)
EXALT: the abbreviation for lieutenant comes after the reversal of a chopper.

17a  Rod’s handling old boat (5)
CANOE: a rod or stick containing the abbreviation for old.

18a  See 13a

20a  Unemployed nursing student follows women’s sport (9)
WRESTLING: a word for out of work (normally applied to luvvies) containing our usual abbreviated student is preceded by the abbreviation for women’s.

23a  All-time low as papers printed covers about … (5)
NADIR: the abbreviation for papers has a verb meaning printed or published around it. Reverse the lot.

25a  … famous gangster first (1-4)
A-LIST: our usual US gangster and the way ‘first’ may be written.

26a  Explain journalist hosting launch is oddly worried (9)
ELUCIDATE: our usual abbreviated senior journalist contains the odd letters of ‘launch is’. Append a verb meaning worried or gnawed away at.

27a  Dodgy cult’s inspiring marketing feature (7)
SUSPECT: a synonym of cult contains the 3-letter abbreviation for what companies try for in order to get an advantage over their competitors.

28a  A welder moved downwind (7)
LEEWARD: an anagram (moved) of A WELDER.

Down Clues

1d  Perfect beer on the counter in Crown & Sceptre? (7)
REGALIA: join together a two-letter abbreviation for perfect and a gassy type of beer then reverse it all.

2d  After discharging wind, dairy cow’s cry is starting to get angry (5)
MOODY: remove the wind from the word dairy and precede that with the cry of a cow.

3d  Crime-fighter‘s leaving it in disarray (9)
VIGILANTE: an anagram (in disarray) of LEAVING IT.

4d  Some Guardian Angels hunting female (5)
DIANA: a hidden word.

5d  Court official‘s note on sentence (4,5)
LINE JUDGE: a note or short message and a verb to sentence. Here’s Elton John moonlighting as one:

6d  Represents wealth (5)
MEANS: double definition, the second meaning wealth or wherewithal.

7d  Every year returning docile accommodating Conservative candidate (9)
APPLICANT: reverse an abbreviation meaning every year and add a synonym of docile containing an abbreviation for Conservative.

8d  Difficult to carry on this evening (7)
TONIGHT: an adjective meaning difficult (a spot perhaps) contains ON.

14d  Queen Anne tiles must go outside large shed and hide plants (9)
TANNERIES: how Queen Anne would have signed her official documents (4,1) goes inside the word tiles after the clothing abbreviation for large has been shed.

15d  Catch tie dancing around close to Ginger Rogers maybe (9)
ARCHITECT: an anagram (dancing) of CATCH TIE containing the closing letter of Ginger. Here’s a famous Rogers design:

16d  Former partner’s preoccupied dear (9)
EXPENSIVE: our usual former partner and an adjective meaning preoccupied or reflective.

17d  Some of Galloway’s issues with party initially being overwhelmed by smears (7)
COWPATS: Galloway here is not George the politician but a breed of cattle. Insert the abbreviation for ‘with’ and the initial letter of party into a verb meaning smears or covers. Superb!

19d  Boss supporting utter idiot (7)
AIRHEAD: a boss follows a verb to utter.

21d  Handle championship (5)
TITLE: double definition. Handle is an informal word for the answer.

22d  Revolting illness not unknown when eating last of Jamie Oliver’s food (5)
GRUEL: reverse a humorous term for an illness without its algebraic unknown and insert the last letter of Jamie.

24d  Shot a serious film (5)
DRAMA: another word for a shot or tot followed by A. Is this necessarily serious?

Lots to like today – my ticks went to 20a, 1d, 14d, 15d and 22d with my favourite being 17d. Which one(s) did the business for you?

 

15 comments on “Toughie 3259”

  1. I thought 17d was brilliant, and COTD for me. All went in very smoothly.
    Thanks Django and Gazza

  2. Great fun. My favourite was 12a’s puppy replacement, with the Galloway and Jamie Oliver clues also raising smiles, and a fantastic definition in “hide plants”.

    The puzzles site says this is the fastest I’ve ever completed a Toughie, but I suspect that it suffered some kind of memory loss recently (my best PlusWord time increased!), so that may not be reliable.

    Thank you to Django for the entertainment, and Gazza for explaining the answers for 23a and 26a.

  3. Apart from the never having heard of last in 9a, realising the tragedy didn’t contain an H & a bit of a head scratch at 14d where I initially failed to twig the context of hide this was a pleasingly brisk completion. Lots to like & plenty of ticks – I’d add 13/18a to our reviewer’s selections & agree with his pick of ‘em.
    Thanks to Django & to Gazza – I do hope Reg doesn’t do the Telegraph Toughie & cracking cartoons as per.

  4. Wow, what a beaut! Django back on top form here. Difficult to narrow down the choice of superb clues but tops for me were 12a, 8d [so smooth, so concise] 14d [hide plants indeed] and 22d [love the surface] but the clear winner is 17d which has everything a crossword clue should have – a smooth surface, cleverly disguised definition, neat wordplay and it’s extremely funny [also quite apposite, George].
    Thanks to Django and Gazza.

  5. I agree that the clear winner this afternoon is 17d: it could be the clue of the month if not the year. Quite brilliant. The rest of the puzzle went in very smoothly, with just the material at 9a holding me up until it had to be what it was. An excellent puzzle overall.

    Thanks to Django and Gazza.

  6. Another not that difficult but very enjoyable Toughie. I did know the material and would very much agree that 17d is brilliant

    Thanks very much to Django and Gazza

  7. What fun! Like others, I would have to single out 17d as CoD. Quite brilliant.
    Really enjoyable. More like this, please, Django.
    Thank you Gazza. I needed your help to parse 14d.

  8. Magnifique! Great puzzle, enough Toughie bite to make it very rewarding. Like Gazza I needed the checking letters before 9a fell – I had to get georgette out of my mind, so 4d & 5d were needed. 14d & 17d share the top spot for me but many others were close on their heels. Lovely surfaces reads, clever & precise clueing, super crossword.

    Many thanks to Django and Gazza

  9. A good Thursday Toughie which needed lots of thought. 9A was the most difficult to parse but the surrounding clues helped me with a material I’d never heard of. An excellent challenge with ticks all over the place. Special mention to 16D and 17D.
    Many thanks to Gazza (love the humour) and to Django for the enjoyment.

  10. Hadn’t heard of 9a but I have now. Struggled in the SW then wondered why as I finished in a rush. Needed the hint to parse 27a. Brilliant crossword and another vote for 17d as cotd. Thanks to Django and Gazza.

  11. I don’t often have time to do a Toughie but my poorly husband slept through my afternoon visit today and I liked this puzzle. Like CS, I knew the material, I should do as my wedding dress was made of a similar fabric. I liked the misdirection in 13aand the 13a/18a combo. 5a was a good lego clue and such a lovely word. Thanks to the setter and to Gazza for the tips

  12. A fine puzzle to cheer me up today after the Reds got the Blues last night at Goodison 🫤.
    Some terrific witty clues, 2d, 14d, & 22d ticked with the fantastic 17d getting the winner’s medal.

    Thanks Django for the fun and Gazza for the excellent blog.

  13. Lots of clever constructions here such as 12a led to a most enjoyable solve for us.
    Thanks Django and Gazza.

  15. 2*/5* ….
    liked 22D “Revolting illness not unknown when eating last of Jamie Oliver’s food (5)”

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