Sunday Toughie 118 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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Sunday Toughie 118 (Hints)

by Sloop John Bee  

Sunday Toughie No 118


by proXimal

 

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

This would appear to be the last time I get to use the “old” site and I think I will struggle to do without some of the beneficial features. I didn’t need to reveal any letters last night, but I checked a few bung-ins with the submit now feature. I am sure, when both those features disappear, I will make some mistakes and we will have to work together to get the right answers.

We also lose the list of Toughie Setters and that means it is back to waiting for the actual puzzle before I can prepare a blog. I hope to be able update the app soon after midnight to see the puzzle, but it always appears later than I would like. I forsee a steep learning curve! In this case, I didn’t need to know that it was a proXimal as he has as good as signed this with an opening Spoonerism and a smattering of eXtraction anagrams

We have an even 14a and 14d clues today and I will hint half, I hope you find the checkers to help with those clues that don’t make the cut, but remain on hand with a bonus if I can

Here we go, Folks…

As it is a Prize puzzle I can only hint at a few and hope that will give you the checkers and inspiration to go further. I’ll return with the full review blog just after the closing date. Don’t forget to follow BD’s instructions in RED at the bottom of the hints!

I hope I don’t have to redact any comments but I am new at this and don’t want to rock the boat. If in doubt, I’ll rub it out! I think that sentence is a bit redundant. You have all been so helpful in sorting out prior parsing failures, and I am sure I will need similar help again.

Most of the terms used in these hints are explained in the Glossary and examples are available by clicking on the entry under “See also” Where the hint describes a construct as “usual” this means that more help can be found in The Usual Suspects, which gives a number of the elements commonly used in the wordplay. Another useful page is Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing, which features words with meanings that are not always immediately obvious. Don’t forget the Mine of Useful information that Big Dave and his son Richard so meticulously prepared for us.

A full review of this puzzle will be published after the closing date for submissions. Some hints follow: Remember the site rules and play nicely.      

Across

1a           Spooner’s polite request to sing for tropical forest native (6,5)
A polite request to sing like a Gregorian monk or a species of tropical fauna whose leaves resemble a dairy product

10a        Right Reverend invested with such power could be ideal guy (5)
We are looking for a synonym of power such that when the abbreviation of a Right Reverend is invested within we get a guy who is the ideal mate or marriage partner

11a        Recalled gentle one admitted to disliking rock (9)
A reversal (recalled) of gentle and the letter that looks like one go into a synonym of disliking – an iron-bearing rock often with a blood red colour
Geology - rocks and minerals

14a        Squealed feeling returned punch (7)
An informal squealer or rat and a reversal of a feeling in the atmosphere, a punch of a similar hue to 11a
Spring is here, and our housemade 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗮 is ready to show off with a blend of Red Wine, Ruby Port, Sweet Vermouth, ... | Instagram

18a        Having bands start to practise in cleared-out shed (7)
I took forever to parse this, do we start with the outer letters of shed and insert some physical practise in a synonym of cleared out but that leaves a t?
Cleared out or removed surplus hair from a dog that sheds perhaps loses the starting letter of practise
Last of the Onion Johnnies - Discover France

20a        Timely drink after work with a Parisian (9)
Start with some abbreviated work, after that a drink often found in 11a and one of the usual Parisian a’s

23a        Fruit in rank drink reportedly (7)
Homophones (reportedly) of a singular rank or file and a small drink become a fruit not often encountered past childhood but it was a good source of vitamin C during rationing

Rosehip Syrup | Maria Dernikos

I recall being force-fed this and similar even in the sixties, the seeds when collected and shoved down the back of a rival’s shirt made a fine itching powder too!

Down

3d          Switching sides, fastens bag (7)
A synonym of fastens switches its first and last letters

4d          Lager beginning to pour over trays (7)
A brand of Belgian lager is reversed (over) and follows the beginning of pour
New Stella Artois Unfiltered - Beer, au naturel

6d          Waiter tense with porter not opening (7)
A synonym of the porter who bears your loads replaces its opening letter with the abbreviation of tense. A waiter who lingers, loiters or delays bringing your order

7d          Search at high-street store for military apparel (6,5)
To search methodically and thoroughly, at from the clue and a high-street pharmacy give us some military apparel
Genuine Belgian Army Surplus Para Boots - New - Forces Uniform and Kit

13d        Mean to collect unwrapped part that’s second-hand (9)
A synonym of mean collects what remains of part when unwrapped, a loose adjective for not experienced personally but imagined through the experience of others

17d        Deeply emotive performing fabulously, withdrawing by back of Astoria (7)
An anagram (performing) of fabulously but first withdraw by from the clue and the back of Astoria

21d        Not in step with partners? On the contrary (5)
A fine clue to finish that I loved when the penny dropped. A ballet step from French and two compass points that are not partners (on the contrary) in a game of Bridge perhaps

 

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I just love this – an absolute belter
That’s All Folks!

20 comments on “Sunday Toughie 118 (Hints)”

  1. Not so much a DNF as a CNS (can not start) – well I’ve got 3. Think I’ll watch Spurs v Arsenal & return to it later.

    1. After 20 mins of trying to get the app to update to Sunday and the rest of the first hour on the old I had a similar number of answers

  2. I thought this proXimal was ‘Toughier’ than usual – just as well it was raining outside so I didn’t feel too guilty about the jobs I wasn’t doing! When I looked at my ticks (a double tick for 10a) they were largely in the NW corner, so I am going to crowd the entire NW corner onto my podium. Not only were my ticks there, it included a splendid Spoonerism and a very good homophone; the dodgy homophone having been relegated to the SE corner – which is also where my last-ones-in were to be found. Like SJB I had a pleasing PDM for 21d, and the 18d/18a answers took some coaxing out – albeit the dog grooming comment by SJB has left me flummoxed…
    My thanks to proXimal and to SJB. I was also alarmed by the notice that “This website will close soon” :cry: I hope the new website has significantly improved since I last tried it, as the ability to easily access and legibly print puzzles from the archive was very poor :negative:

    1. I was thinking of a dog grooming term for removed the undercoat of a dog such as a Lab, but really I was just relieved to see something other than the rubbish I crossed out

      I quite like the new website but it takes me too long post-midnight to get it to update and it no longer tells you if you are right

      1. OK – I’ve now found some references to the process you have described. Never heard of it before (not being a dog person) so it is today’s obscurity for me!
        And, yes, I was another one who blithely embarked down the ‘cleared-out shed’ rabbit hole…

        1. We had a lovely border terrier a while back who required the term we’re looking for. A professional dog groomer did this when we first rescued her and managed to tear her skin in a 1″ x 1″ right angle. After that we did it carefully ourselves, bit by bit. She had a Mohican once….!! The vet bill was over 70 pounds.

    2. I agree the archive is poor – it doesn’t even cover all the Sunday Toughies (the earliest I can still get is #45) I think that they have ambitions to extend the archives but don’t hold your breath

      1. Taking a very quick look it appears the archive is indeed incomplete, inaccurate (I picked a Toughie date and the wrong puzzle was presented – because there is no publication date on the printout I wouldn’t have known if I didn’t already have the puzzle for that date), inefficient (it defaults back to present day when you try to return to a previous webpage) and the PDF formats are not solver-friendly, having small font sizes. When I compare it to the ‘classic’ puzzle site or, better still, BD’s elegant design of the NTSPP archive… GRRR!
        I’ve sent some feedback, but have never received a response to anything I’ve previously sent.

        1. I have a spreadsheet of all the Sunday Toughies and Toughies with links to the relevant blog and review but the work to include links to the old site will soon be redundant, If Big Dave can keep all the blogs back to the very first blog of toughie 86 on the 29th Jan 2009 I don’t understand why the DT can’t do the same

          Toughie No 86

          They seem to be extending the archives a bit as I can find Sunday Toughie #24 now but the other puzzles are poorly represented

  3. A few head scratchers for me today, 2d for instance. I didn’t spot the lager until I’d written the answer in and 6d was a new word for me.

    I fell into the same trap in 18a with the outer letters of ‘shed’ until the penny dropped.

    Thanks for the John Miles track Sloop, they put everything into that one don’t they?

    Good fun from proXimal. Thanks to him and of course to Mr B.

    1. I tried the outer letters of shed and the outer letters of practise and a synonym of cleared-out but I always had a letter left over until the penny dropped

  4. A proper Toughie-level puzzle from proXimal – thanks to him and SJB.
    I liked the cunningly-worded clue at 18a which caused a bit of head-scratching until the penny dropped as well 10a, 7d, 18d and 21d.

  5. Dear goodness, I need a long lie-down after that! Took all the hints, a great deal of thought and some lucky guesses to get there but I now have the satisfaction of a completed grid and a heart-rate that’s slowly settling down.
    Top three awards going to 10&20a plus 13d.

    Thanks, I think, to proXimal, and to SJB for his helpful nudges.

    1. My heart rate at 01:00, when I couldn’t access the new website and had hardly started on the old, doesn’t bear thinking about

  7. I have been lurking but would like the opportunity to comment or more likely ask a question from time to time so I guess I am setting up an account of sorts?

    1. Welcome to the blog Daffodilly,
      We are a friendly bunch and want to help so feel free to ask away
      Now your first comment has been moderated the rest should come through without delay

      1. Thank you. I’m in Ontario so I am always a little late to the daily crossword but do enjoy the blog.

        1. UK here and I was a little late to your first comment because I was asleep but we have plenty of Canadian bloggers and commenters so there will always be someone to chat to

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