Toughie No 3306 by Serpent
Hints and Tips by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Because we no longer get the handy list of Toughie setters for the week ahead, I try to ‘guess’ who we’ll get and, for the last couple of weeks, I had been wondering whether we would ‘get a Serpent’ for our Wednesday Toughie solving pleasure. This week he’s here with an enjoyable mid-week Toughie, albeit with a couple of tricky rascals to parse. This time, it isn’t hard to spot what he has ‘hidden’ in the grid
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought
Across
1a Who speaks poorly of clumsy individual following sex change? (7)
MUMBLER Change the letter at the front of a clumsy individual from a female to a male (sex change)
5a Duo playing with brio in private venue? (7)
BOUDOIR An anagram (playing) of DUO with BRIO
9a Intended effect of strike affected student services (15)
DESTRUCTIVENESS An anagram (affected) of STUDENT SERVICES
10a Constable’s foremost painting, perhaps The Hay Wain? (4)
CART The foremost of Constable and a work of creative imagination such as a painting
11a Clear information reduced area of high pressure (5)
RIDGE A verb meaning to clear and some truncated (reduced) slang information
12a Speculate over end of model’s career (4)
BELT Career here meaning to move very fast – speculate or wager goes over the ‘end’ of modeL
15a Live in unused part of religious building (7)
MINARET A synonym for live inserted into an adjective meaning in perfect condition (unused)
16a Inaccurate essay overlooking article covering sleep’s part in nervous system (7)
SYNAPSE An anagram (inaccurate) of ESSaY (overlooking the indefinite article – A) ‘covering’ a short sleep
17a Country initially bombed by a de Havilland (7)
BOLIVIA The initial letter of Bombed and the forename of an actress called de Havilland
19a Before and after usual time? Maybe prior (7)
PRELATE A superior of a religious order – an informal preposition meaning before and a simple way of saying behind usual time
21a Opposed to transatlantic checks and insubstantial borders (4)
ANTI Hidden (checks, restrains) in transatlANTIc and ‘bordered’ in insubstANTIal
22a Notice that displays information about The Times (5)
CLOCK A slang verb meaning to notice or something that displays information about the times – splendid use of the misleading capital
23a Learned one’s coming between partners holding hands (4)
WISE The Roman numeral for one plus an S (one’s) inserted between abbreviations for two partners ‘holding hands’ in a game of bridge
26a Make more businesslike declaration with reporter’s associates (15)
PROFESSIONALISE A declaration with a homophone (reporter’s) of some associates
27a Support the French suppressing Republican struggles (7)
TUSSLES A supporting structure and the French plural definite article ‘suppressing’ or removing the abbreviation for Republican
28a Dispute to do with charges for transportation (7)
FREIGHT A dispute into which is inserted (charges) the usual ‘on the subject of’ (to do with)
Down
1d Very little to do with poetry bores mother (7)
MODICUM An adjective meaning to do with poetry ‘bores’ an informal mother
2d Film strip published cuts and charged items for incorrect subtitles? (15)
MISTRANSLATIONS A thin skin (film), a synonym for published, a strip of wood and some electrically charged particles
3d Comic almost upset bishop (4)
LORD A reversal (upset) of almost all of an adjective meaning comic or amusing
4d Treasurer voided shipping item, returning proof of payment (7)
RECEIPT The outside (voided) letters of TreasureR into which is inserted a single article (item) – the result then reversed (returning)
5d New union members acquiring good links between banks (7)
BRIDGE A newly-married (new union) lady ‘acquiring’ the abbreviation for Good
6d Person taking advantage of exercise regime to begin with (4)
USER A verb meaning to exercise and the ‘beginning’ of Regime
7d Making too much of unfortunate mishap interrupting sovereign’s reformation (15)
OVEREMPHASISING An anagram (unfortunate) of MISHAP ‘interrupting’ another (reformation) of SOVEREIGN
8d Prize series broadcast titles regularly (7)
ROSETTE A homophone (broadcast) of a series and the regular letters of TiTlEs
13d Ask personal questions about four ladies? (5)
PRIVY Gentlemen could also use this old ‘outhouse’ – a verb meaning to ask personal questions goes ‘about’ the Roman numeral for four
14d Lay to rest popular theory presented regularly (5)
INTER Popular or fashionable and the regular letters of ThEoRy
17d Where one might hear roars of support introducing Prime Minister cut short (4,3)
BEAR PIT A verb meaning to support goes before (introducing) the truncated surname of two old Prime Ministers
18d They may show the world to half-hearted young women (7)
ATLASES To in the sense of in the position of and some young women without the middle letter (half-hearted)
19d Selectively do away with best out of operation (4,3)
PICK OFF The best or choicest and not working (out of operation)
20d He or I (not him or me)? (7)
ELEMENT Him or me are not chemical symbols!
24d Marine life’s apex predator (4)
SEAL Concerning a great mass of water (marine) and the ‘apex’ of Life
25d Come to terms with female being able to do things well (4)
FACE The abbreviation for Female and being able to do things well
Absolute cracker of a puzzle, a not overly tough Toughie and I concur entirely with your ratings, CS. Many smiles, lots of clever constructions (eg 21a), but all clear if one follows “the instructions”. I started ticking clues at 1a and the juxtaposition of that clumsy individual alongside the 2a, and was still ticking them at 27a, 28a and 20d – a broad smile when the penny dropped almost straightaway this time.
Needless to say I neither noticed nor looked for a Nina until reading the blog, went back to the puzzle and it still took me several minutes to find, but how very clever. I do hope this puzzle gets the wider audience it deserves.
Many thanks indeed to Serpent, and also of course to CS
Serpent always provides an entertaining puzzle and this is no exception (and it’s got one of his clever trademark Ninas) – top marks all round. Thanks to him and CS.
I have a raft of ticks on my printout including those for 19a, 22a, 23a, 28a and 17d.
Apart from the nervy part which I had to check, this all went in steadily, helped along by the two long anagrams. 20d was my standout, there was a similar clue a week or two back. Still took me a while though!
Thanks for pointing out there was a Nina, CS, and a right rattler of a puzzle, Serpent. !
An absolute snorter, this. And a Nina to love, to boot. For me, 22a perfectly exemplifies the whole: whip-smart fun from start to finish. Huge thanks to Serpent and CS.
Manage to notice the Nina this time but only after completing the solve.
An enjoyable solve for us.
Thanks Serpent and CS.
Many thanks to crypticsue for her customary excellent blog. And thanks to everyone who has taken the time to comment. I’m delighted everyone seems to have enjoyed the puzzle.
A day late to this but hugely enjoyed it. Only noticed the Nina post completion when I remembered that this setter usually includes one – last in 3d would have yielded sooner had I pegged it earlier. 17a&d particular likes among a host of ✅s.
Thanks to Serpent & to Sue