Sunday Toughie No 137
by Robyn
Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
Bradford’s book of crossword lists didn’t get an outing today but the BRB certainly did. The Pirate’s rewards 21a gets my COTD today but what was yours?
A generous 16a and 16d clues today and I have hinted half, a couple of the little ones (20a in particular) caused me some grief last night so some of the longer bits of Lego™ remain unhinted. I hope you find the checkers to fill the lights, but I will try and provide a nudge if you are struggling
Plenty to eat and drink today and a 15a selection of music and pics you should have a fine Sunday Solve
Here we go…
As it is a Prize puzzle I can only hint at a few and hope that will give you the checkers and inspiration to go further. I’ll be back just after the closing date with the full blog. Don’t forget to follow BD’s instructions in RED at the bottom of the hints!
I hope I don’t have to redact any comments but I am new at this and don’t want to rock the boat. If in doubt, I’ll rub it out! I think that sentence is a bit redundant. You have all been so helpful in sorting out prior parsing failures, and I am sure I will need similar help again.
Most of the terms used in these hints are explained in the Glossary and examples are available by clicking on the entry under “See also” Where the hint describes a construct as “usual” this means that more help can be found in The Usual Suspects, which gives a number of the elements commonly used in the wordplay. Another useful page is Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing, which features words with meanings that are not always immediately obvious. Don’t forget the Mine of useful information that Big Dave and his son Richard so meticulously prepared for us.
A full review of this puzzle will be published after the closing date for submissions. Some hints follow: Remember the site rules and play nicely
Across
1a My behaviour’s pretentious in August (8)
How Robyn would say his behaviour was pretentious (2,6) (or (1’1,6) for those less 10a) becomes a synonym of August when (8)
5a Shadowy characters needing return fare from Asia (3,3)
Shadowy or in low light adds the plural reversal of the twelfth character of the Greek alphabet
12a Land carp? It’s food for Americans (6,4)
The land we walk on and to carp or moan is how an American would refer to what we call mince
16a How thick dough’s regularly cut (3)
Another interjection, this time suggesting stupidity, can be found by cutting regular letters from dough’s. Follow the word-play don’t just bung in a Homer Simpsonesque interjection like I did
20a Gruff ambassador ignored rows (4)
Can gruff be an anagram indicator and definition? If in remove the row or noise from ignored you get a former VP who is an ambassador for environmental activism but where is the anagram indicator to turn him into a gruff monster?
D’oh as Homer Simpson might say. A synonym of gruff of voice loses the letters that an ambassador is entitled to use leaving the means to row
Thanks again Gazza, the mythical is yours as that is the second bung in I got wrong!
21a Pirate with a case for rare cups etc (10)
A fictional pirate, an abbreviation of with, a from the clue and the case letters of rare. The cups etc. of a winning team
24a Wine you picked up in southern French city (9)
The abbreviation for southern and the letter that sounds like you in a French city in Provence
28a Batter’s opening run before wrong dismissal (5-3)
An opening letter, a synonym of rush and wrong such as food that is no longer fit for consumption
Down
1d Like following trendy disc – Kind of Blue? (6)
A synonym of like follows one of trendy and the letter that looks like a disc
A classic jazz album has to be played now… Duke Ellington’s Mood… being too obvious
3d Broadcaster declines to cover current news, or reveals all? (6-4)
A satellite broadcaster covers the physics symbol for current and plural news abbreviations, followed by a synonym of declines
6d Lie falsely and kiss Holly? (4)
An anagram (falsely) of lie around the letter that represents a kiss. The botanical genus of Holly plants
7d Focus on leading revolutionary beset by snub (9)
A synonym of leading is reversed (revolutionary)and goes in a snub
10d Pitch into African opponent of nanny state (11)
A resident of a West African country contains some sticky black pitch
14d Car racing gives a new image to troublemakers (10)
Gives a new image to follows an alphanumeric for a “type” of motor-racing
16d PC’s key bit of information applied, made bug-free (8)
A computer key and one of the binary bits of information and a synonym of applied
19d Irish singer put up stage, loudly hosting party (6)
A reversal (put up) of a stage and a musical loudly hosts one of our usual parties
Could new readers please read the Welcome Post and the FAQ before posting comments or asking questions about the site.
As this is a Prize crossword, please don’t put any ANSWERS, whether WHOLE, PARTIAL or INCORRECT or any ALTERNATIVE CLUES in your comment.
Please read these instructions carefully – they are not subject to debate or discussion. Offending comments may be redacted or, in extreme cases, deleted. In all cases the administrator’s decision is final.
If you don’t understand, or don’t wish to comply with, the conventions for commenting on weekend prize puzzles then save yourself a lot of trouble and don’t leave a comment
A colleague and co-founder with 19d of Band-Aid of this was equally seminal in my youth;
That’s All Folks…
Great puzzle from Robyn. Thanks to him and SJB.
I think the definition of 20a is ‘rows’ with an adjective meaning gruff losing the abbreviation for ambassador.
Top clues for me were 1a, 3d, 7d and 14d.
Thanks, I suppose that sort of mistake was inevitable when i lost the confirmation of a correct submission that the old site gave me
I have to say I’m with Gazza – that’s certainly how I saw 20a. Your version is just way too clever for me, Sloop! Lovely spot of Miles today and another cracker from Robyn. Ta both.
I presume a superfluous c in your email address sent you into moderation, I don’t know how to correct it from here – better ask Gazza about that as well as crossword matters as he is master here
Yep, sorry about that. Fat fingers. I tried to sort myself, and failed miserably!
And now Gazza’s original comment has disappeared – we are not in Kansas anymore Toto
I don’t know what happened there. I’ve reinstated my original comment as best as I could remember it.
Another case of “fat fingers” I think I unapproved it whilst trying to approve ALP’s comment sorry
Seeing the noise in ignored put me in mind of a proXimal compound, and once seen couldn’t be unseen
The right side gave me far more trouble than the left but the whole puzzle was worthy of its Toughie status. I’ll go along with our blogger and nominate the pirate for the leaderboard along with the 7d focus and the 14d troublemakers.
Thanks to Robyn for a definite challenge and to SJB for the hints – you can relax for a week now!
Yes the pirate could only have been improved if he arrived on International Talk like a Pirate day in 11days time
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Talk_Like_a_Pirate_Day
I do like the picture for 7d very atmospheric but way out of my price range
Not the Toughiest but as expected there was lots to enjoy
Many thanks to Robyn and SJB
Super puzzle, with the clever & smooth clueing. A good mental workout without being an overly Tough Toughie. Honours to 21a, 6d & 19d.
Many thanks to Robyn and SJB
19d was almost called an &lit as he certainly put on a loud party in Wembley and Philadelphia in 1985
An inventive puzzle from Robyn which I thoroughly enjoyed. I guess all puzzles are inventive, but this one stood out for me! Lots of ticked clues: 1, 9, 21 & 24 across and 3, 8,10 &15 down but my double tick clue-of-the-day went to 14d, which was my last one in once I’d twigged the ‘car racing’.
Thanks Robyn, and thanks to SJB.
Enjoyable Sunday Toughie that needed a fair bit of head scratching. All fairly clued although I’m still unclear how the second word of 15a that I have bunged in is parsed. I’ll award podium places to 21a and 3d for the smile and top place to 14d for the penny drop moment when the parsing became clear.
Thanks to Robyn and you SJB for the review and music selection.
The synonym of making a mess of makes up (2-7) of the solution, ‘er indoors without her iron is just the first two letters
Ah got it! Of course. Thanks
Strange though isn’t it, seeing a clue with wordplay of definition?
Toughies do seem to allow a more 10d interpretation of normal clue construction. I am sure Robyn’s Monday backpagers are more straightforward (and so they should be)
Didn’t get round to last Sunday’s Toughie but couldn’t miss Robyn. Found it pretty chewy & was very slow to get properly underway. Chuffed to battle through to a finish eventually with all satisfactorily parsed albeit a fair number of whys travelling on the usual later bus. Ticks all over the shop but if pressed for a top 3 it’d have to be 21a with 10&14d.
Thanks to Robyn for yet another super puzzle & to John – lost a wee wager as I felt sure you’d have a clip of The Boss for 3d – even though the lyrics don’t specify I feel sure they must have been
Thanks for that, You know me too well. it is a favourite of mine. I did manage to sneak him into the pic for 7d and I would probably buy a copy of it was less than the $650 quoted
The pic I did include for 3d was from the the North East naked swim at Druridge Bay a beach I know very well from childhood holidays
Hurrah! I’ve done it. Finished it off just now at breakfast before going off to Yoga. I am surprised that no one has commented on the number of clues (I’ve changed what I originally put as I might be chastised) , like 2d, 16a,13a. I am just an old fuddy duddy I guess. And George goes ballistic at 20a! When I looked at the guzzle last night apart from about six answers which came to me I thought it was way beyond me. But this morning the light dawned. Many thanks to Robyn and to SJB for confirming some of my queries. Sorry for being so late!
Apologies not necessary, we are here 24/7 to help (an awful phrase imo)
I should apologise for sending George ballistic with my error on 20a – my only excuse is outlined under comment #2
Took a while but got there in the end.
It would be interesting to compare this with how you did with the same setter today!