Toughie No 3311 by Beam
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ***
A pretty straightforward puzzle from Beam – thanks to him.
As I may have said before there’s little difference in difficulty (apart from the absence of anagrams in the latter) between Ray T’s back-pagers and Beam’s Toughies. Beam’s self-imposed restriction on the length of his clues does make it rather difficult to incorporate complex wordplay.
Please leave a comment telling us how you fared and what you liked about the puzzle.
Across Clues
1a Rare scoundrel’s keeping promise to pay (7)
CURIOUS: a scoundrel or dog plus the ‘S contain our usual promise to pay.
5a Simple stone in gold, oddly earned (7)
AUSTERE: the abbreviation for stone (i.e. 14 pounds) goes between the chemical symbol for gold and the odd letters of earned.
9a Little rod getting little swimmer (7)
TADPOLE: an informal word for a small amount and a synonym of a rod or staff.
10a Acceptance by right about rejected constituent (7)
RECEIPT: an abbreviation for right contains the reversal of a constituent or component.
11a Sense a battle facing European head (9)
AWARENESS: string together A, a military battle, an abbreviation for European and a head or geographical cape.
12a Material increase is reported (5)
SERGE: this sounds like a synonym of an increase or upswing.
13a Pips best players (5)
SEEDS: double definition, the best players at Wimbledon say.
15a Flow from spout containing one drink (9)
ORIGINATE: a verb to spout or sound off contains the Roman numeral for one and an alcoholic drink.
17a Husband and sweetheart plain cruel (9)
HEARTLESS: the genealogical abbreviation for husband, Beam’s usual swEetheart and an adjective meaning plain or simple.
19a Nudged only slowly, edging deliberately initially (5)
NOSED: initial letters.
22a Owner gutted after annual check for car (5)
MOTOR: the outer letters of owner follows the abbreviation for an annual check on roadworthiness.
23a Butterfly seeing colour on borders (9)
BRIMSTONE: a synonym of colour or hue follows a word meaning borders or edges.
25a Survives touching electricity supply (7)
REMAINS: a prefix meaning touching or concerning and a word for our electricity supply.
26a Weather restrained by Thunder God (7)
UNDERGO: hidden.
27a Arrest and hang (7)
SUSPEND: double definition, the first a verb to arrest or discontinue.
28a Matches involving depleted league teams (7)
ELEVENS: a verb meaning matches or levels containing the outer letters of league.
Down Clues
1d Sword is polished removing gladiator’s head (7)
CUTLASS: an adjective meaning polished or refined (of an accent say) without the first letter of gladiator.
2d Shine when ace detective in charge (7)
RADIATE: insert the cards abbreviation for ace and the abbreviation for a senior detective into a synonym for charge or cost.
3d Australia only gets bracing air (5)
OZONE: charade of an informal word for Australia and an adjective meaning only or single.
4d Worker night before day inside hold (9)
STEVEDORE: a word for the night before and the abbreviation for day go inside a verb to hold or hoard.
5d Lots of winners accepting silver finally (5)
ACRES: winning serves containing the final letter of silver.
6d Schism from church in conclave? (9)
SECESSION: the abbreviation for the established church in England goes inside a synonym of conclave or assembly.
7d A Queen with flag elevated country (7)
ERITREA: weld together A, the cipher of our late Queen and a verb to flag then reverse it all.
8d Radical former Tories meet occasionally (7)
EXTREME: a prefix meaning former and occasional letters from the 3rd and 4th words of the clue.
14d Placed vase specifically outside new grave (9)
SATURNINE: assemble a verb meaning placed or deposited, a type of vase and an abbreviation meaning specifically containing the abbreviation for new.
16d Open University? (9)
INSTITUTE: double definition, the first a verb to open or inaugurate.
17d Organic matter covering old king’s bone (7)
HUMERUS: a word for the organic component of soil contains the cipher of an old King (of which we had two in the last century).
18d Goddess Astarte misunderstood somewhat (7)
ARTEMIS: hidden.
20d Flog last of products company push (7)
SCOURGE: the last letter of products, the abbreviation for company and a verb to push or egg on.
21d Second refusal then drink up spirits (7)
DAEMONS: cement together the abbreviation for second, a word of refusal and an old alcoholic drink then reverse it all.
23d Having a position when in sack (5)
BASED: a synonym of when goes inside what ‘the sack’ is an informal word for.
24d Small border plant (5)
SEDGE: the abbreviation for the clothing size small and a border or rim.
The clues I liked best were 25a and 14d. Which one(s) appealed to you?
Cannot disagree with Gazza’s summing up of an entertaining if very gentle backpager which has ‘snuck’ in to a Toughie slot. One can only admire Mr T’s consistent high quality puzzles, the brevity of the clues, polished surfaces and, every week, a new way of including his tell-tale references. Honours today to 18d, 8d (great surface & answer, very topical and spot-on!), and 5a.
Many thanks indeed to RayT and to Gazza
This was rather sweet. Not tough at all but some lovely little flicks and typically smart synonyms – 25a’s “touching” and 14d’s “specifically” were especially brilliant. 1d was beautifully done, too. I do love it when a clue tells a story, even a grisly one. Ta lots to Beam and Gazza.
Our setter with his foot firmly on the soft pedal today but still giving us a most enjoyable not-so-tough Thursday challenge.
Top marks here going to 22a plus 1&8d.
Devotions, obviously, to Mr T/Beam and many thanks to Gazza for the review and cartoons – I rather liked the lesson for young swimmers.
I generally find Beam puzzles quite tricky [it’s the lack of anagrams perhaps] but this was the easiest Toughie I can remember.Top clues were 25a and 14d.
Thanks to Beam and Gazza.
Exactly what Jane @3 said.
I can only echo earlier comments about the relative simplicity of this still most enjoyable puzzle, with 22a my favourite. I assume many potential solvers are put off by the name ‘Toughie’ but they shouldn’t be. As Gazza says, concise clues and no anagrams does make the solvers task a lot easier if only they would have a crack.
Many thanks to Mr T and Gazza.
Very light for a Toughie but loads of fun.
Thank you Ray and Gazza.
A very concise offering as usual from this setter and as others have said, more Backpage than Toughie. Nevertheless a very enjoyable solve.
My joint favourites were 25A and I D.
Thanks to Gazza for the laughter and Beam for the enjoyment.
As straightforward as they come but nonetheless enjoyable for that. Favourite was 4d. Thanks to Beam and Gazza.
Evening all. Thanks to Gazza for the review and to all who left a comment.
RayT
Good evening Mr T. Thank you for being so gentle with us today, it’s a great confidence booster!
Great fun and a pleasure to solve.
Thanks Beam and Gazza.
A perfect pre lights out/tired eyelids Toughie. Didn’t find it quite as easy as everyone else did – though the specifically in 14d & the reversed drink at 21d were the only real head scratches. Very enjoyable.
Thanks to Beam & Gazza