Toughie No 3315 by Silvanus
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
An enjoyable puzzle from the prolific and very popular Silvanus with a few references to the Conservatives (remember them?) – thanks to him.
Please leave a comment telling us how you fared and what you liked about the puzzle.
Across Clues
7a Controversy involving PM, immigration and Rwanda flights encountered here (8)
HEATHROW: split 5,3 the answer could describe a controversy relating to a Conservative PM of the 1970s.
8a Rift with Conservative seconds before that chap’s married (6)
SCHISM: an abbreviation for Conservative is preceded by the abbreviation for seconds. Follow that with a possessive pronoun (“that chap’s”) and the genealogical abbreviation for married.
9a Member of this writer’s club oddly rejected sandwiches (4)
LIMB: the contacted form of ‘this writer is’ from the setter’s perspective is sandwiched by the even letters of club.
10a Those who have succeeded replacing Irish tenor (10)
INHERITORS: an anagram (replacing) of IRISH TENOR.
11a Build up a team in speech (6)
ACCRUE: this sounds like a team (of rowers perhaps).
13a Clubs perhaps on legendary Man. United striker’s case (7)
LAWSUIT: what clubs is an example of follows the surname of a famous Man. United and Scotland forward. I know little of football these days but this chap played at a time when I was interested in it.
14a Truss maybe accepts ribbing regularly by European polymath (7)
LEIBNIZ: the first name of the Truss who was thrown out at the recent election contains regular letters of ribbing following an abbreviation for European. Read all about the polymath here.
16a Is employed to ferry princess round destitute area (4,3)
SKID ROW: a verb meaning ‘is employed’ contains the short name of the people’s princess. Reverse the lot.
19a Advocate editorial backing end of censorship (7)
PLEADER: a synonym for a newspaper editorial follows the end letter of censorship. This word always makes me think of Frankie Howerd’s line “I’m a miserable *******”.
20a Express boredom, penning variable article for review regardless (6)
ANYWAY: make an involuntary sign of boredom and insert one of the mathematical variables. Finally append one of our indefinite articles and reverse it all.
21a Caught feeding stray Indian cat content of tea (6,4)
TANNIC ACID: insert the cricket abbreviation for caught into an anagram (stray) of INDIAN CAT.
22a Standard entertaining international match (4)
PAIR: a word for standard (on a golf course, say) contains the abbreviation for international.
23a Flash small sensitive fleshy areas (6)
QUICKS: an adjective meaning flash or sudden and the clothing abbreviation for small.
24a Severely reprimand rugby player, six-footer (8)
LACEWING: a verb to reprimand severely and a, usually speedy, rugby player make a slender insect (new to me).
Down Clues
1d Doctor possibly nurses love on average (8)
MEDIOCRE: an informal word for a healthcare professional (doctor possibly) contains the love-resembling letter. Finish with a preposition meaning on or concerning.
2d Go crazy when upset (4)
STAB: reverse an informal adjective meaning crazy.
3d Some neighbours in Exeter typically like Teddy Robinson (6)
URSINE: hidden.
4d The Italian is draping fruit over tongue (7)
SWAHILI: assemble an Italian definite article and IS containing a red fruit then reverse it all.
5d Spring weekend date with buffet and dessert reportedly (10)
WHITSUNDAY: join together the abbreviation for with, a verb to buffet and what sounds like a dessert including ice cream. The religious festival is usually two words (4,6) so I think the answer as a single word relates to a Scottish quarter day (May 15th).
6d Liveliness of riposte losing nothing in translation (6)
ESPRIT: an anagram (in translation) of RIP[o]STE without the nothing-resembling letter.
8d On holiday shortly, visiting island state of Malaysia (7)
SARAWAK: an adverb meaning on holiday without its last letter is inserted into one of the Channel Islands.
12d Masseuse gets drink for coach tourist (10)
RUBBERNECK: a synonym for masseuse and an informal verb to drink. I originally thought that the answer was only a verb and not a noun but the BRB has put me right.
15d Poles crossing Channel to support current American conscripts (7)
INDUCTS: the abbreviations for the two geographic poles contain a channel. That follows the symbol for electric current.
17d Cheers those that are charged over tax previously (8)
OVATIONS: charged particles preceded by the cricket over and a type of tax.
18d Count rising cost having lost case with paper (7)
DRACULA: glue together a synonym of cost or price without its outer letters and stiff paper. Reverse it all.
19d Calamity when capital’s river turns into lake (6)
PLAGUE: the capital of a European country with its abbreviation for river changed to that of lake.
20d Run off with bad cut dressed (6)
ABDUCT: an anagram (dressed) of BAD CUT.
22d Name, basis for hand puppet (4)
PAWN: the abbreviation for name follows an informal word for a hand.
The clues I’ve selected for my podium are 16a, 23a and 18d. Which one(s) did the job for you?
I got onto Silvanus’ wavelength a bit quicker than I normally do. Confused for a while by the verbosity of 1a and, in 3d, by Teddy Robinson [don’t think he was around in S. Yorkshire in the 50s]. Faves were the neat little 9a and the cleverly done 17d.
Thanks to Silvanus and Gazza.
I was pleased to see it was one of my favourite setters as I printed off this morning. However, as I worked my way through, I didn’t feel he was as smooth as he usually is, that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it.
Lots to like but I’ll pick 9, 14 and 20A and 1,12,and 17D.
Many thanks to Gazza for the laughter as always and to Sylvanus.
PJ, your commnts are all requiring moderation as you’re putting two extra characters at the end of your email address.
Thank you Gazza for pointing that out. I’ll rectify it.
How lucky am I – a double whammy from Silvanus today!
Unlike our blogger, I’m very familiar with the six-footers at 24a, plenty of them wandering about in the kitchen on summer evenings, but I did have to investigate Teddy Robinson – it was all about Winnie the Pooh in my childhood. The polymath was another one that I had to ask Mr G to verify, although I’d worked him out from the wordplay.
A few tricky bits of parsing but a very satisfying solve – many thanks again to Silvanus and of course to Gazza for the review and cartoons – the aircraft carrier moored in the Thames tickled my funny bone!
Wow that was hard. Hadn’t heard of the polymath or the teddy or the coach tourist for that matter. Favourite was 17d. Thanks to Silvanus for the mental drubbing and Gazza.
Did not know the footballer but guessed correctly and there were plenty of other excellent clues to make up for that one. Had heard of the polymath but had to confirm the spelling.
Thanks for all 3 puzzles Silvanus and Gazza for this blog.
Many thanks to Gazza as always and to all those commenting.
Thanks for the super puzzle, Silvanus, and thanks for looking in.
We have been very spoilt today with two Silvanus puzzles on offer.
This was, as it should be, tougher than the back-pager but just as enjoyable.
For me, 16a is 100% American. However, as often seems to be the case, the BRB is keeping its options open with the rider esp N American.
I needed to Google Teddy Robinson as I’d never heard of him.
Many thanks to Silvanus and to Gazza.
I found that very tough, but then it has been a long day.
Didn’t know the insect or the teddy, but both were gettable.
Congratulations to Silvanus on two fine puzzles today and thanks to Gazza for the blog.
A few unknowns for me too (the insect, the sensitive fleshy areas, Teddy Robinson & the polymath) & found a good bit harder than ** difficulty & particularly so on the LHS. Can’t say it was my fav Silvanus puzzle but maybe that’s because I needed 2 letter reveals & 1hint to complete it. Still very enjoyable though. Top 2 for me were 7a&12d.
Thanks to Silvanus & to Gazza.
How does 22d work – aren’t the 2 parts in the wrong order but this is not indicated by the clue?
Basis (as in underlying support) indicates that the N supports or comes under (in a down clue) the hand.
What did you think of the crossword?
Of course – can’t think how I missed that.
Found it very hard but some great clues (7a in particular, also 16a).
Also hadn’t heard of 24a and thought it started “lock” as I had checking letters.
All told, a great puzzle.