Toughie No 3283 by Firefly
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
I wasn’t all that taken with this puzzle to start with because of all the cross-references but it grew on me as I finished it and wrote the blog. It has a theme (a show that I’ve always managed to avoid but it is sufficiently well known that the related clues shouldn’t provide too many problems).
Thanks to Firefly.
Please leave a comment telling us how you fared and what you liked about the puzzle.
Across Clues
1a Overcast back in outskirts of Derby (6)
DREARY: a synonym of back goes inside the outer letters of Derby.
4a/19d Performing with hot nudes, I’m focus for show (3,5,2,5)
THE SOUND OF MUSIC: an anagram (performing with) of HOT NUDES I’M FOCUS.
9a Withdraw public school test cutting Scarlet Letter from exam or else! (6)
RECEDE: the 2-letter abbreviation for the exam taken to get into public schools goes into a synonym of scarlet. Finish with the only letter that appears in both ‘exam’ and ‘else’.
10a Space next to bar room less tense and stressed (8)
EMPHATIC: assemble a printer’s space, the map abbreviation for a bar and a high room without one of its grammatical abbreviations for tense.
11a Supple chap ringing a bell easily (9)
MALLEABLE: a synonym for chap contains an anagram (easily) of A BELL.
13a Maiden introducing song – but not hers in 4 & 19 (5)
MARIA: the cricket abbreviation for maiden and an operatic song. The song is sung about her but not by her in the show.
14a I sussed design out for misleading state of concealment (13)
DISGUISEDNESS: an anagram (out) of I SUSSED DESIGN. Rather a clunky word!
17a First Lady takes off after subordinate Democrat shows immaturity (13)
UNDERDEVELOPS: the Biblical first woman and a verb meaning takes off or pares follow a preposition meaning subordinate and the abbreviation for Democrat.
21a Preferred expression of personal opinions about finale of Turandot (5)
OPTED: a part of a newspaper (2-2) where personal opinions are expressed containing the final letter of Turandot.
23a Comfortable going over heroic stories in conversation, their arms display their talent (9)
GUNSMITHS: reverse an adjective meaning comfortable or cosy and add a homophone of heroic stories.
24a European city with deficient rotunda gaining loyalty (8)
LIEGEDOM: a Belgian city and a rotunda without its last letter.
25a Stable in ancient city for Quilp maybe? (6)
USURER: an adjective meaning stable or unwavering goes inside our usual old Biblical city.
26a Heading to the West End, Penny faces brief month assuming role as lead in 4 & 19 (3,5)
VON TRAPP: the abbreviation for penny and the short form of a month contain a theatrical role. Reverse it all (heading to the West End).
27s Overlooks grounds (6)
SCUSES: double definition. This is a colloquial form of the proper word with the first two letters dropped. What makes me think that Firefly had backed himself into a corner here?
Down Clues
1d Kiddo reminiscing about what children were taught by 13? (2-2-2)
DO-RE-MI: hidden.
2d Picked up last of lingerie pinched by daughters, a lace stocking has ultimately got ladders in (9)
ESCALADED: the last letter of lingerie is ‘pinched’ by two abbreviated daughters. Add A LACE containing the ultimate letter of ‘has’. Now reverse it all to get a verb meaning ‘gained entry to a castle, say, using ladders to scale the walls’.
3d 4 & 19’s man of note right to provide a change of hat for seniors (7)
RODGERS: start with an informal word for old men and change its first letter to the abbreviation for right.
5d Fashion jug for 3’s oppo (11)
HAMMERSTEIN: a verb to fashion or shape and a large beer jug.
6d Archimedes, running out of air problematically, manoeuvred (7)
SCHEMED: remove the letters of AIR from ARCHIMEDES and make an anagram (problematically) of those that remain.
7d Pure voice (5)
UTTER: double definition, voice here being a verb.
8d Idler collapses regularly when on ecstasy, having lost footing (8)
DÉCLASSÉ: regular letters from the first two words followed by the abbreviation for the drug ecstasy. Footing here means social standing.
12d Pro-Brexit faction starts to become really unpleasant, getting ever spiteful with marshal (6,5)
BRUGES GROUP: the first letters of six words in the clue followed by a synonym of marshal as a verb. I dimly remember this right-wing faction but I wasn’t aware that they were still in existence.
15d Comfortable way to settle before working out my teasers? (4,5)
EASY TERMS: an anagram (before working out) of MY TEASERS.
16d European character’s back on throne, engaging “nothings” (8)
YUGOSLAV: reverse a character or chap and add an informal word for what throne is a humorous term for. That contains the plural of the nothing-resembling letter. I think it would be fairer to have ‘old’ at the start of the clue.
18d Perhaps stag do’s first held by socialist any time (3,4)
RED DEER: insert the first letter of do into a synonym of socialist and append a poetic word meaning ‘at any time’.
19d See 4a
20d Horrible Histories omits the original name of deity (6)
OSIRIS: remove the jumbled (original) letters of THE from HISTORIES and make an anagram (horrible) of what you have left.
22d A segment of outré entertainment, like the Mouseman’s creations? (5)
TREEN: a hidden word. The Mouseman was the nickname of a furniture maker who left his trademark motif on all his products.
The clues I liked included 9a, 23a, 12d and 22d. Which ones made you sit up?
I rather enjoyed this and thought it was remarkably gentle, especially with 4a/19d’s theme swiftly cracked. I totally agree re 16d as they no longer officially exist. I thought some of the surfaces creaked slightly and I defy anyone to actually use 14a in real life. 27a’s a tad cheeky, too. But there was certainly fun to be had. I liked 10a and 20d. Thanks to Firefy and Gazza, whom I can only applaud and envy for having avoided 4/19. How on earth have you managed that?!
A bit of a Curate’s Egg which I found mildly irritating until light dawned on the theme which , like you Gazza, I have always actively avoided. But there’s much to admire here [apart from “easily” as an anagram indicator] and my top picks are 9a [I liked the exam or else device] and 2d [a lace stocking is pretty neat].
Thanks for the blog and thanks to Firefly for the challenge.
This was guaranteed to lower my mood almost from the start – one answer over two lights in different quadrants, combined with cross-referencing clues. Fortunately 1d was a write-in, which meant 4/19 fell instantly but my heart sank further – a film I’ve successfully avoided ever seeing or reading about. Most of this puzzle was midweek back-page stuff, but for me 16d hasn’t worked since 1991 and ‘guy’ for ‘character’ is almost as loose as things get; if the verbose and obscure 2d hinted at possible “corner-painting” the ghastly 27a confirmed it without further doubt. A few odd surfaces, a welcome box-load of lego, and generally very fair and clever clueing. COTD for me 4/19 for the brilliant surface read.
2* / 2.5*
Thanks Firefly, and my apologies for being such a grumpy git; many thanks to Gazza for the blog & cartoons!
No need to apologise for being a grumpy git Mustafa G. The Sound of Music is without any shadow of a doubt the most ghastly film ever made. I have to confess to having seen it but I had a friend, now sadly no longer with us, who like you proudly boasted that he never had.
Sorry, guys, but I really enjoyed the show back in the day! What I didn’t enjoy were some of the entries in this puzzle such as 14&27a. Ah well, Gazza’s delightful selection of cartoons made up for a lot, particularly the poor, deluded turkey and the guy who got a loan!
Sorry, Firefly, with the exception of the show references and the Mouseman, I found this to be more of a slog than an enjoyable exercise. Many thanks to Gazza for providing the missing humour.
My second dnf of the week ultimately defeated by 24a, because I couldn’t think of a word that would fit and 27a as I’d never heard of such a word. Also needed the hints to parse 9a and 21a. I had to check 8d but at least that was fairly clued. All in all a little unsatisfactory. I did like 6d. Thanks anyway to Firefly and Gazza.
We didn’t know the 9a test and didn’t want to believe the answer to 27a, but everything else went in smoothly. Getting the theme quickly was a big help.
Enjoyed the solve.
Thanks Firefly and Gazza.