Toughie No 3337 by Donnybrook
Hints and tips by ALP
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ****/*****
I must admit 1a’s rather frosty “hello” threw me momentarily and I doubt I’ll be totally alone. There is certainly a smidgeon of jumping about here. But it’s worth it. I Hotly scanning down to 4d, I then leaped to 27a, and it all fell into place very quickly from there. There’s a toothsomely helpful theme of sorts, as well as a slight theatrical flavour. Thoroughly entertaining. All yours.
Across
1a See 4d
4a Strip police officer’s authority (9)
DISMANTLE: The usual-ish “police officer’s” + (an assumed) authority.
9a Tory sensitive and hopeful (9)
CONTENDER: The usual “Tory” + sensitive/soft.
10a See 26a
11a Gunners in retreat pursued by field marshal (7)
ARRANGE: The usual gunners, reversed, and field (of interest, say). Lovely surface.
12a/23a Close to 26 10 on a stool that collapses in comedy show (3,4,3,4)
NOT ONLY… BUT ALSO: The close of 26a + 10a + ONASTOOL, collapsing. What can I say? Genius, as befits the answer.
13a Dramatist an individual with health issues (1’5)
O’NEILL: (An) individual/single + with heath issues/poorly.
15a Rent reduction bringing small show of emotion? (4,4)
TEAR DROP: Rent/rip + reduction/decrease.
18a Hard to be involved in onerous movie (3,5)
THE STING: The usual “hard” inside onerous/tricky.
20a In due course Greek letter seen by a girl (6)
SOPHIA: In due course/thereupon + the 21st letter of the Greek alphabet + “A” from the clue.
23a See 12 Across
24a East German rook opening strange beak (7)
ROSTRUM: The German “east” opens/goes inside the usual-ish “strange”.
26a/10a Ultimately Andy Linden backed outspoken actress (5,5)
EMILY BLUNT: [And]Y + “linden”, reversed, (new to me, but it is, of course, in Chambers) + outspoken/direct. Very smart to get Andy Linden in there.
27a Comedian indulged favourite chef after some hesitation (5,4)
PETER COOK: The usual “favourite” who is invariably indulged, then “chef” following one of our usual hesitations. Smooth as you like, this.
28a Run poorly? Silly removing spikes at the start! (9)
MISGOVERN: REMOVING+S[pikes], silly.
29a Compound from revolutionary secret service (5)
ESTER: Reversed lurker, hidden in the last two words.
Down
1d Misbehave in Scottish island with customised U-boat (4,5)
MUCK ABOUT: A Hebridean island + UBOAT, customised.
2d Freeholder with ace houses on river (5)
OWNER: W[ith] housed by ace (dice/cards, etc) + the usual “river”.
3d Endless ale drunk – wind reportedly trapped (7)
ETERNAL: ALE, drunk, contains/traps a homophone of (to) wind.
4d/1a Dicky Emery with old duo who partnered 27? (6,5)
DUDLEY MOORE: EMERYOLDDUO, dicky. An anagram to love.
5d Part-time journalist’s copy way superior? (8)
STRINGER: As this would also work without the “copy” (it wouldn’t read as sweetly, mind) but just with “way” + (a) “superior” (person) I was puzzled for a second. And the fact that there is actually a Copy Way in Bootle briefly distracted me. But it could never have been that. So, the way/thoroughfare precedes/is superior to a synonym of copy/double (often seen with an accompanying dead). I love this surface, very close to my heart.
6d Judge a vicious dog possibly detaining Republican (7)
ARBITER: “A” from the clue + “vicious dog possibly” (ie what one might be/do), detains/contains the usual “Republican”.
7d Loyal old prime minister provides direction (4,5)
TRUE NORTH: Loyal/faithful + an 18th century PM.
8d Door found by guard after polling (5)
ENTRY: A “guard” is polled, ie loses its first letter.
14d Wiring in circle with set broken (9)
ELECTRICS: CIRCLESET, broken.
16d Piano malarkey given order – expert at creating scores? (9)
PLAYMAKER: P[iano] + MALARKEY, ordered. Who doesn’t love a spot of malarkey in a clue?
17d Monsieur et Madame in divorce? (8)
UNCOUPLE: How the French might describe a Mr and Mrs (2,6). Fun.
19d Shout from chasing pack while keeping band together (5-2)
TALLY-HO: The poetic “while” keeps/contains (to) band together. So smart; it pretty much reads like an all-in-one.
21d Comply with note and watch clock (7)
OBSERVE: Quadruple definition. Donnybrook’s just showing off now! Marvellous.
22d Citizen cross having escaped London prison? (6)
BRITON: The one-letter “cross” escapes/leaves a category C prison in south London.
23d Look delighted when consuming right fish (5)
BREAM: (To) look delighted/smile radiantly consumes the usual “right”.
25d Squadron’s leader in base where fliers land (5)
ROOST: S[quadron] inside base/source = where fliers land/settle.
Seven anagrams, many of them partials (the best kind of anagram, I always think), a garlicky quadruple definition and a delightful mini-theme made for a hugely fun solve. Fairly gentle but the nitty-gritty of 5d just pushed me into 1.5 time. I especially enjoyed 27a, 3d, 4d/1a, 5d, 17d and 21d (I could easily go on) but, for its sheer bravura, my Derek and Clive must go to 12a/23a. What did you make of it?
A fun start to the Toughie week
Thanks to Donnybrook and ALP
For once the linked clues fell into place quite early, and they gave a good framework for the rest of the solve. The 4d/1a combo proved to be my favourite from a grid stuffed with potential winners. Great fun.
Thanks to Donny and ALP.
Thank heavens this intensely irritating puzzle was not overly challenging so that having completed it I can put it aside and dismiss it as being a bad dream. An excess of anagrams, clues that bounce about all over the place, clues that are dependent on each other, (very out-)dated references, this one had it all. I know it will please some, but certainly not me.
Thanks anyway Donny, just not for me, and thank you to ALP
Good fun with a nice theme which brought back some good memories – thanks to Donnybrook and ALP.
The clues I liked best were 18a, 26/10a and 5d.
I’m not a fan of inter-connected clues and having to dart around the grid but once I realised this contained one of my favourite films and an excellent comedy partnership it seemed worth battling through – and so it proved! Rosettes awarded to 15&18a plus 7d whilst the film and acting credits are too numerous to mention.
Thanks to Donnybrook for a bit of escapism and to ALP for the review and very appropriate clips.
I’m not a fan of personal name clues but given the theme I suppose this once I’ll forgive. I proceeded in the same way as ALP, directly to 27, but spent a while trying to make Ernie Wise fit. Overall the gentlest Tuesday for several weeks with a trio of standout clues at 5d [way superior makes a change from streets ahead], 17d [LOL] and the foursome at 21.
Thanks to Donny and ALP. Sorry – I could only bear 20 secs of Nellie, which was only slightly less awful than the laughing policeman [anyone remember him?]
Haha! Sorry about Nellie. i’m impressed and amazed you lasted even 20 secs to be honest. Terrible clip, terrible recording and a pretty terrible song. I don’t mind her Blasted Oak, but that’s about it. I couldn’t agree more re the laughing policeman, proper Guantanamo stuff that!
I usually enjoy a Donnybrook but not today. I also dislike chasing all over the grid for my solve. That said there were some good clues and for me, none better than 17D.
Many thanks to ALP and Donnybrook
I didn’t know the beak, the island or the journalist, I do now, and 19d was a bung-in. Difficult but doable but I enjoyed it particularly the theme which made it a little easier. Favourite was the quadruple definition. Thanks to Donnybrook and ALP.
I thought it fairly difficult as well, and same as Halcyon above wasted some time trying to justify Ernie Wise . Apart from the clever theme, I think my favourite was 21a.
Thanks ALP and Donnybrook
Not a quick completion but that was mainly due to starting it late last night & nodding off a few answers in. Add me to those not a fan of having to chase around the grid for clues (is anyone really?) but I’ll tolerate it for a Pete & Dud theme – shame we couldn’t have got Betty Grable in there. Ticks all over the shop: 13,15&18a + 26/10a together with 1,5, 7,16,17& 21d. I watched some of 15a quite recently for the first time in years & didn’t think it stood up nearly as well as Butch.
Thanks to Donny & to ALP