Toughie No 3298 by Dharma
Hints and Tips by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty ***/**** – Enjoyment **
Dharma’s turn to provide our Wednesday Toughie
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought
Across
1a Boycott cheers Botham’s last duck? (6)
BANTAM A boycott, an informal word of thanks (cheers) and the last letter of BothaM – I always thought these were chickens but apparently, they can be small ducks too
4a Devotee of pop art is anti-elitist (8)
PARTISAN Hidden in poP ART IS ANti
10a Form area of quality, with uncultivated space being made over (9)
CLASSROOM A slang adjective meaning quality or excellence and a reversal (being made over) of a wide expanse uncultivated land
11a Backs of admirals’ wings when landing flutter (5)
ABETS The ‘wings’ of AdmiralS into which is inserted (when landing) a wager (flutter)
12a Best bags seller online after year away in slump (3,4)
LIE BACK An informal word meaning to beat (best) ‘bags’ the online seller without the Y (year away)
13a Nothing to purchase metal, nothing for two metals together? (7)
NITINOL A synonym for nothing ‘purchases’ a type of metal and the letter representing nothing
14a Mark time, appearing late to showcase material (5)
SATIN Move the T in a mark or spot further down the word (time appearing late) to get a type of material
15a Stomach’s cramping right after lad on the counter provides questionable treatments (8)
NOSTRUMS An informal name for the stomach ‘cramping’ or taking in the abbreviation for Right go after a reversal (on the counter) of a male child (lad)
18a Crude manoeuvres by master builder (8)
PRODUCER A master followed by an anagram (manoeuvres) of CRUDE
20a Ecstasy to break diet and pig out (5)
FEAST The letter by which the drug Ecstasy is commonly known inserted into (to break) an extreme diet
23a Coach what Ronnie O’Sullivan does in return for place to board (3,4)
BUS STOP A type of coach and what Ronnie O’Sullivan does with a snooker ball
25a Support making secondary character in story take a break (7)
TRESTLE Remove the second character in a story and replace it with a break
26a Scrub turned biting cold (5)
SCOUR Gone rancid (turned) ‘biting’ the abbreviation for Cold
27a Perhaps be more conservative with car horn around hotel, it’s ineffective (9)
TOOTHLESS Be more cautious with the use of a car horn 4,4 put round the letter represented by Hotel in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet
28a March led by faction setting out Trump’s way? (8)
SIDEWALK A verb meaning to march goes after (led by) a faction to produce an American pavement (Trump’s walk)
29a Plots laid bare by Times must be wiped out (6)
ERASED The inside letters (laid bare) of some garden plots go after some periods of time
Down
1d Want Liberal to step down, choked by party’s negative reaction (8)
BACKLASH Take a synonym for want and move the abbreviation for Liberal down the word, the result should then be inserted (choked by) an informal party
2d Most spruce trees regularly cut after each acquired by conservationists (7)
NEATEST The abbreviation for one of this country’s conservationists (of buildings and land) into which is inserted (acquired by) the regular letters of TrEeS which go after an abbreviation for each
3d President casually accepting shame – Democrat sat on the fence? (9)
ABSTAINED A casual way of referring to the 16th President of the United States ‘accepting’ a synonym for shame, the result followed by the abbreviation for Democrat
5d Executive car, after publicity gaining status, impressing driver ultimately (14)
ADMINISTRATION A car marque goes after some abbreviated publicity followed by a position in life (status) into which is inserted the ultimate letter of driveR
6d Abrupt showers getting into dry property (5)
TRAIT Some truncated (abrupt) showers inserted into the abbreviation meaning dry or alcohol-free
7d Problem: bird’s broken bone (7)
STERNUM A type of bird broken or inserted into a mathematical problem
8d Curiously it’s only brewed when there’s no tea we hear (6)
NOSILY An anagram (brewed) of ItS ONLY without (when there’s no) T (tea we hear)
9d Bank promoted chief over excellent portrayal of business’s health? (7,7)
WORKING CAPITAL A reversal (promoted) of a bank, the chief person in the land and an interjection meaning excellent
16d About to get cheeky half of beer and tonic (9)
REFRESHER The usual two-letter about or on the subject of, an informal word meaning cheeky and the second half of beER
17d Maybe fools in retrospect overtaxed (8)
STRESSED A reversal (in respect) of some puddings (maybe fools)
19d Again mail letter in envelope and head out for Post Office counter (7)
RESPOND Remove the letter found in both envelope and head (thanks Halycon) from a way of saying again mail, and replace with the abbreviation for Post Office
21d Patriotic notes from workers protecting border (7)
ANTHEMS Some of crosswordland’s workers ‘protecting’ a border
22d Mars made from top grade British milk finishing touch for elevenses (6)
ABUSES Mars here being a verb rather than a type of chocolate bar – the top grade in an examination perhaps, the abbreviation for British, a verb meaning to milk or exploit and the finishing ‘touch’ of elevenseS
24d Bemuse cover with illegal delivery at Lord’s? (5)
THROW A triple definition – to bemuse or perplex, a fabric cover spread over a piece of furniture or an illegal cricket delivery
Surprised you gave this ***/**** Sue, as I usually find puzzles more difficult than you do. I’d have said ** but a bit more for enjoyment.
I liked the car horn thing in 27a, the abrupt showers at 6d and the Post Office counter at 19d. I parsed the last of those with the “e” indicated by “letter in envelope and head”.
Thanks for the blog and thanks, of course, to Dharma.
You have the parsing of 19d 100% correct Halcyon, thank you
An enjoyable and well constructed puzzle. There were lots to like, with ticks a plenty. With difficulty I’m choosing 13A as podium place.
Many thanks to CS and Dharma for the challenge.
One that felt a tad chewy during the solve but, on reflection, wasn’t: this all flew in pretty briskly, largely due to fair (22d notwithstanding) definitions. Some of the surfaces didn’t quite sing but the wordplay’s all very solid and typically clever. I wanted to like 24d more and 13a was (to me, at least) ouchy, but 1a and 16d are fun and 26a is smart. Many thanks to Dharma and CS.
I didn’t know the alloy in 13a so had to check it but fairly clued. I found this very hard and at one point I thought it would beat me but I stuck at it and finished at a bit of a canter. I enjoyed the challenge. Favourite was 27a. Thanks to Dharma and CS.
A pleasant puzzle – thanks to Dharma and CS.
I knew 1a as a mini-chicken but didn’t know it could be a duck and I’d never heard of the 13a but the wordplay in both was clear.
My top clues were 27a, 16d and 24d.
I enjoyed this challenge once I had cracked the setter’s style and got into the rhythm of the solve. I liked the political theme running through some of the clues, but my favourite was 27a.
Thanks to SL and Sue.
Thought our setter was perhaps straying into slightly unfair territory with 1&13a but, since both exist, I suppose they were fair game. Top clues for me were 10&28a plus 8&16d.
Thanks to Dharma and to CS for the review.
Not quite an unaided finish as I hit the check button a couple of times & made a correction en route but at least no letter reveal. 13a unfamiliar to me also & needed a check with Mr G & never knew 1a was a 🦆 either. As ever very enjoyable & always like this setter’s political clues. The wordplay in the 2 long ‘uns at 5&9d was fun but I’ll plump for podium spots for 12&27a + 24d with 1&8d narrowly missing out.
Thanks to Dharma & to Sue.
We also did not know the 1a ducks but the solution was clear enough.
Enjoyed the solve with 27a our favourite.
Thanks Dharma and CS.
If 13 across is nitinol then how can 6 down be train has to be trait surely
Welcome to the blog
Of course it does – my fingers were obviously on automatic pilot mode and I’ve probably typed train more often that trait