Toughie No 3334 by Gila
Hints and Tips by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***
A Gila Toughie usually turns up every three months or so and they are usually on the friendly side. I found this one friendlier than usual – it would have made a nice Thursday backpager
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought
Across
1a Company returning to occupy former site (6)
LOCATE A reversed (returning) abbreviated company inserted into (to occupy) a synonym for former
4a Jane is disheartened by a rotten feeling of resentment (8)
JEALOUSY The outside (disheartened) letters of JanE followed by A (from the clue) and an informal word meaning rotten
9a Tear into quinces (occasionally still green, perhaps) (6)
UNRIPE A verb meaning to tear inserted into the occasional letters of qUiNcEs
10a Virus strain going round eastern part of tropical country (8)
BULGARIA A virus and a melody (strain) ‘going round’ the letter at the east of tropicaL
12a What sailors have on land, or else have at sea (5,5)
SHORE LEAVE An anagram (at sea) of OR ELSE HAVE
13a European talent spotter ignoring United (4)
SCOT A talent spotter without (ignoring) the abbreviation for United
14a One patched from time to time (3)
ACE The even letters (from time to time) of the second word in the clue
15a Is Patrick shifting a large amount of cash to fund a start-up? (4,7)
RISK CAPITAL An anagram (shifting) of IS PATRICK followed by A (from the clue) and the abbreviation for Large
18a Everybody repeats what everybody eventually does? (11)
ALLITERATES Synonyms for everybody and repeats
20a Flower finally removed from raised section of garden (3)
BED The final letter of floweR removed from raised or brought forth
21a Mostly wonderful Christmas party? (4)
MAGI Almost all of an adjective used informally to mean wonderful
22a One greater, flourishing source of fruit (6,4)
ORANGE TREE An anagram (flourishing) of ONE GREATER
24a Lead scientist primarily taking on variant plants (3,5)
POT HERBS The chemical symbol for lead and the primary letter of Scientist ‘taking on’ variant or different
25a Extract provided by author is questionably bordering on unseemly (6)
RISQUE An extract provided by authoR IS QUEstionably
26a Plot to track soldier’s drone (8)
PARASITE A plot of land ‘tracks’ or follows an abbreviated soldier
27a Show mercy with regard to needing fast time? (6)
RELENT The usual ‘with regard to’ and a time of fasting in the Christian calendar
Down
1d Past French leader in America touring a state there (9)
LOUISIANA A former King of France, IN (from the clue) and the abbreviation for America ‘touring’ A (from the clue)
2d Rust in part of reactor containing fuel cylinder? (7)
CORRODE Part of a nuclear reactor ‘containing’ a fuel cylinder
3d Confidential place for prayer session set up? (3,6)
TOP SECRET A reversal (set up) of the third set of prayers in the Divine Office followed by a synonym for place
5d Being evasive, erroneously give caution about question (12)
EQUIVOCATING An anagram (erroneously) of GIVE CAUTION goes ‘about’ the abbreviation for Question
6d Pin supported by old bricks? (4)
LEGO The part of the body informally known as a pin ‘supported’ ‘in a Down solution’ by the abbreviation for Old
7d City‘s culture only periodically considered authentic (7)
UTRECHT The even (periodically considered) of cUlTuRe and an (originally German) adjective meaning authentic
8d How you may get a rise out of people voting for Trump at first (5)
YEAST People voting for something and the first letter of Trump
11d Snack was terrible when cooked, and hard inside (5,7)
WELSH RAREBIT An anagram (when cooked) of WAS TERRIBLE with the abbreviation for Hard inserted (inside)
16d One taking flight with free ticket east beyond Ireland (9)
PASSERINE An old order of birds (one taking flight) – a free ticket and the abbreviation for East, the latter going after (beyond) another name for Ireland
17d Strange old guys held in secure accommodation (9)
LODGEMENT An anagram (strange) of OLD and some guys ‘held’ in a simple way of saying secure or acquire
19d Vessel that is easier to pick up? (7)
LIGHTER A large open boat used for loading and unloading ships (vessel) or something easier to pick up than something heavy would be
20d Small ship filled with nothing elaborate (7)
BAROQUE A small ship ‘filled’ with the letter representing nothing
21d Method to get little dog clean (3,2)
MOP UP An abbreviated method of doing something and a young (little) dog
23d Article in L’Humanité covering northern area of Pas-de-Calais (4)
LENS A French definite article ‘covering’ the abbreviation for Northern
Pleasant to have the occasional straightforward toughie. Favourite was 21a. A bit early to mention the C word but it was a cracker! (Sorry!)
Thanks to setter and CS for the parsing of 17d.
A pleasant puzzle but hardly a Toughie – thanks to Gila and CS.
Jane’s clue was my favourite.
Light, yes, but also one of the most enjoyable puzzles I’ve completed in quite a while. I do very much hope it gets a wide audience from the “Toughies are beyond me” crowd. It was so witty and amusing I found myself smiling all the way through. Nigh-on impeccable surfaces and it seems I’ve ticked almost every other clue for special mention.
10a had me humming a certain Wimbledon-related theme; 21a was a super red herring; 25a one of the best combined surface reads/answers, evah; 21d a real LOL moment; etc etc etc. But if limiting to only three for the podium, well it has to be the superb 12a, extremely clever 18a, and possibly my COTY, 3d, which when I cracked the parsing almost had me applauding.
Gila, thank you so much for this great puzzle, and thanks also to CS
This particular Jane was very disheartened by the wonderful Christmas party – that, plus the interlocking dirty little dog took longer to sort out than the rest of the puzzle put together.
I did wonder whether the clue for 23d should have referred to ‘articles’ in the plural?
It does seem as though our setters are increasingly trying to drag us into the festive season – what’s their hurry!
Goes without saying that my favourite was the one taking flight, nicely illustrated by our reviewer.
Thanks to Gila for the puzzle and to CS for the review.
PS No.2 daughter has issued an edict stating that she will personally wring the neck of anyone who buys her little darlings any more 6d for Christmas!
Very come-hither, this. Light, for sure, but sharp as a tack. Big smiles in the NE and SW. 4a, 21a and 21d were particularly delightful. Many thanks to Gila and CS.
Quite a lot easier than yesterday’s, especially the top half and the rather obvious anagrams helped speed things up. Loved the Christmas party in 21a and the lead scientist at 24. And, though it’s such a cliche, I did smile at 8d.
Thanks to Gila and CS.
A delightfully elegant puzzle which was a joy to solve. Probably not tough enough for a Toughie, as others have commented, but who cares?
Ticks all over the place.
Thank you Gila and CS.
You’ve saved me the trouble of writing a comment. My thoughts exactly.
Thanks to Gila & to CS
This was a real pleasure to solve with a plethora of ticks. Only a couple of clues stretched the grey matter but, when it’s this much fun, as Shabbo says, who cares?
Does anybody British ever use the word “echt”?
Many thanks to Gila and to CS.
There are other words, ersatz for one
A couple of the geographic clues gave pause for thought but otherwise plain sailing. Thanks to Gila and CS.
23a stretched our geography knowledge but the wordplay led us to look up and confirm our guess. An enjoyable, not too taxing, solve for us.
Thanks Gila and CS.