Toughie No 3343 by Beam
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ***
It’s the time of the month for a Beam Toughie and this one is relatively gentle but enjoyable as ever. Thanks to him.
Please leave a comment telling us how you fared and what you liked about the puzzle.
Across Clues
8a Naked but for last of lingerie (4)
BARE: a preposition meaning ‘but for’ or ‘except for’ and the last letter of lingerie.
9a Forward perhaps without a booking (10)
UNRESERVED: double definition, the first meaning ‘possibly not slow in coming forward’.
10a Reptile beginning to probe in ground (8)
TERRAPIN: insert the first letter of probe into a word meaning ground or land. An old chestnut/favourite (delete as appropriate)...
11a Type tending to the right? (6)
ITALIC: … and another.
12a Supporter of Queen in old club (9)
BRASSIERE: insert the regnal cipher of our late Queen into an old golf club.
13a Mars passes circling centre of ellipse (5)
RUINS: a verb meaning passes or flows around the central letter of ellipse.
15a Passes water by support for tents (7)
TEEPEES: a verb meaning ‘passes water’ follows the usual golf support.
17a Routine performance taking stage for prize (7)
ROSETTE: a performance lacking originality contains a verb to stage or arrange.
20a Fools judge endlessly (5)
ASSES: a verb to judge without its last letter.
22a Convinces Santa to wrap non-stop (9)
INCESSANT: hidden.
25a Practically wild sweetheart making pass (6)
RAVINE: an adjective meaning wild or irrational without its last letter followed by Beam’s very own swEetheart.
26a Found instrument’s electronic (8)
ORGANISE: start with a keyboard instrument, expand the ‘S and finish with the abbreviation for electronic.
27a Greek character renounced over decline (10)
DEGENERATE: stick together the seventh letter of the Greek alphabet and a verb meaning renounced or disowned then reverse the lot.
28a Untruths being sly is easy, occasionally (4)
LIES: occasional letters from three words in the clue.
Down Clues
1d Not worried about heartless judge (8)
CAREFREE: a 2-letter abbreviation meaning about and a judge with a whistle but no central letter.
2d Gentleman rises after young socialite remains (6)
DEBRIS: reverse a word for a gentleman after the abbreviated version of a young socialite who used to ‘come out’ in the past.
3d Staggered seeing safe almost forced (9)
SURPRISED: an adjective meaning safe or unquestionable without its last letter and a verb meaning forced or levered.
4d They cut fruit around summer’s end (7)
PRUNERS: wrinkly types of fruit containing the last letter of summer.
5d Jelly fish could be its source (5)
ASPIC: a savoury jelly that may be based on fish stock. The clue doesn’t seem to be terribly cryptic – I think Beam is trying to fool us into thinking that jellyfish can be two separate words.
6d Artist upset over adult model support (8)
ARMATURE: reverse our usual abbreviated artist and add an adjective meaning adult or fully-grown.
7d Harmless government’s leader in African country (6)
BENIGN: the leading letter of government goes inside a West African country.
14d Outlander power blocking enemy resistance (9)
FOREIGNER: a noun meaning power or rule is inserted into a synonym of enemy. Finish with the abbreviation for electrical resistance.
16d Properties with power casual about energy (8)
PREMISES: the physics abbreviation for power followed by an adjective meaning casual or negligent containing the abbreviation for energy.
18d Metal barrel on good gun (8)
TUNGSTEN: assemble a large beer or wine barrel, the abbreviation for good and the name of a lightweight sub-machine gun.
19d African from Lubango landed (7)
ANGOLAN: hidden.
21d Southern port having crew cut? (6)
SHAVEN: the abbreviation for southern and a port or place of safety.
23d Old face finally wrinkles up (6)
SENILE: string together the final letter of face and a synonym of wrinkles then reverse the lot.
24d Revolting disgust for one previously shunned (5)
LEPER: reverse a verb to disgust or nauseate.
The top clues for me were 25a, 6d and 23d. Which one(s) appealed to you?
Lovely. 8a’s very Beam, there’s summat oddly pleasing about 9a and 6d’s smart. 13a had me going for a while. On reflection, I have absolutely no idea why! Many thanks to Beam and the cartoon king.
13a was a problem for me as well – It took me a while to see there was a verb possibility!
Thanks to Beam for the puzzle, and to Gazza for the write-up.
Very enjoyable . First time for the queen to appear in underwear?
27a LOI
26a COTD
Thanks all
Not a fan of ‘passing water’ clues but I guess we’re stuck with them. Took me a little while to sort out the ‘passes’ in 13a but no real problems elsewhere. Top three for me were the trademark 8a, the wild sweetheart and the wrinkled old face.
Devotions of course to Mr T/Beam and thanks to Gazza for the review and cartoons – that’s some reduced haircut!
As I printed off I thought how concise a puzzle, then I saw it was Beam…say no more. He’s always a pleasure to solve and I do think he has a chuckle while he’s setting. Plenty to like but just for the fun I’m giving 15A my podium.
Many thanks to Gazza for more chuckles and Beam for the enjoyment.
An absolute pleasure. Many thanks to Beam and Gazza
This was very light for a Toughie but wonderful fun to solve
I’m not convinced by the synonym needed for “passes” in 13a nor for the definition for 26a.
I was, of course, delighted to see the inclusion of “leader” in 7d in recognition that g = government is American only.
Many thanks to Beam and to Gazza, especially for the cartoons.
Evening all. My thanks to Gazza for the analysis and to everybody else for your comments.
RayT
Good evening, Mr T, thank you for another very enjoyable puzzle and for popping in to see us.
Very enjoyable, Agree with those that found it easy going although 24d held me up.
Thanks to Gazza and Beam.
Thought this one was going to be a stroll in the park after the NW went in with 8a-ly pause for thought but in the end (like yesterday) needed a letter reveal to complete. 6d&13a were the holdouts & they only yielded once I revealed the checker. Couldn’t believe I’d failed to come up with the definition synonym for 13a (knowing it contained an i) so interesting to see others had issues with it too. Saw the wordplay with 6d but the definition context was unfamiliar. As ever with a Beamer hugely entertaining. 25a was my fav.
Thanks to Ray & Gazza
Most enjoyable solve for us that all flowed smoothly.
Thanks Beam and Gazza.
A lovely meal out this evening in the Algarve which means I am very late to the Toughie party. I enjoyed RayT/Beam’s puzzle today, but then I always do.
I struggled at the end with 24d and couldn’t parse 5d. Thank you, Gazza for explaining that one. I biffed it, but didn’t really understand it. I’m not convinced that I do now!
Thanks to Beam and Gazza.
Nice puzzle – certainly not overly easy – even if 5 down was rather weak.