Sunday Toughie No 140
by Robyn
Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee
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Robyn a little tougher than we get in his Monday guise (3d!) – but that is as it should be for a Sunday Toughie. I had a bit of trouble parsing a few (14a and 25a) but I think I have them now
Four different ways of indicating outer letters (4a 10a 24a and 3d) but they all work for me and some nice computer-related surfaces too, I was working with a high-level Windows user in 14a for a while until I chucked it out of the window
We have 14a and 14d clues and I have hinted half, I hope you find the checkers to finish this puzzle but I will remain on hand with a bonus nudge if you are stuck
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
4a Surface Pro’s case returned after iPad, say (5,3)
iPad say is an example of a hand-held device, the reversal of the case letters of Pro follows it – Nice Surface Robyn!
11a Socialist Worker journalist in a compromising position (3-6)
The colour associated with socialism, followed by a usual worker and journalist is caught in flagrante delicto
14a Windows user’s chucked out secure screens a tester corrected (13)
A synonym of secure contains (screens) an anagram (corrected) of a tester – You will be chucked out of that window if you don’t leave soon!
17a Following French drink, I make wraps? At first, chew the fat meat cut (13)
Lots of Lego™ here start with a French term for a drink, add a trademark make wrapped around I from the clue. Before you bung that in, put a term for chew the fat first and you should have a rather expensive cut of meat
25a You shouldn’t have brought back tat for Sally (6)
An alternative to “You shouldn’t have” would be thanks or somewhat shortly Ta, this is reversed (brought back) and followed by some tat
26a Sin of very old-fashioned Parisian dropping ecstasy (8)
How someone from Paris may say something is very old fashioned, loses its second e for ecstasy
A live recording from Paris!
27a Heartless person capturing rook, leading to mate (6)
A heartless person captures the chess notation for a rook, this leads to the heartless person becoming a mate
(I was pocket-dialled by a mate waiting on the first tee, whilst writing these hints. Thanks, Andy or should I refer to him as Pops as he is a whole eight days older than I!)
Down
1d Blunder snubbing leader, back from busy place parliament meets? (6)
A blunder without its leading letter and the back of busy would be a place where a collective noun would meet
More Lego™
6d Louder melody that is going in opposing directions (7)
Opposite directions contain a melody and a Latin that is – Who won the Belgian Grand Prix?
7d Oversentimental name for a Year Seven kid? (5)
It wasn’t called Year Seven when I was at school, the first 5 years of my education were infant and junior years, and I started at senior school as a first year again! Those awkward years when one is no longer a child but not yet adult, from a word for oversentimental and n for name, hadn’t been coined then, and belongs in the same place as Sharenting in my opinion
12d Resolutions upset country club workers coming in flipping intoxicated (11)
More Lego™ A reversal (upset) of the country club that we recently left goes into another reversal (flipping) of a slang synonym of intoxicated, and into that some of our usual workers are coming in
16d After king leaves, happen upon long letter? (8)
A synonym of happen loses a Latin King, followed by to long or desire a letter or tenant
19d Reader of current novel comes up with theory, oddly (7)
An electrician who reads Jane Austen would know this, A reversal (comes up) of her comedy of manners and odd letters of theory would be used by the electrician to read the current
22d Wild tapir at ecosanctuary’s cages (5)
A synonym of wild is caged in the other three words
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Time to start soaking Sloes in Gin in time for Christmas here is some advice from Joe Bonamassa…
That’s All Folks…
Another chicken dinner from Robyn. 14a and 17a are both whip-smart mouthfuls. Beautifully built. 13a, 26a, 27a and 16d are all great fun. Does 23a really need that “on the rich list”? That certainly foxed me for a second. Lovely, lovely stuff as always. Huge thanks to Robyn and Sloop. Only you could segue from the Kaisers into the Carpenters. Priceless!
Ahh but did you get the scary lyrical rhyme to The Chiefs?
Another cracker from Robyn – thanks to him and SJB.
Did anyone else fill in an anagram straight away for 1a only to have to overwrite it as soon as 1d became obvious? No? – just me then.
Masses to like including 10a, 11a, 17a, 2d, 3d and 12d (country club – brilliant).
Oh me too, all the way, with 1a! I wasn’t terribly happy with it, mind. Mightily relieved when I realised it wasn’t.
Yes moi aussi with the anagram
Yes, I wrote in an anagram for 1a but then recalled that the saying [redacted – alternative hint/clue territory]
Not as Toughie as someone but enjoyable as ever. I almost fell into the anagram trap at 1a but thought again when I decided the resulting word didn’t quite fit the definition
Many thanks to Robyn and SJB
Another great puzzle from the prolific Robyn. I did resort to e help for 17a then kicked myself for doing so! Not heard of the fruit variety in 23a but the clever cluing meant it had to be. 26a and 6d (what a great word) join it on my podium. Many thanks SJB for helping me parse 12d and 17a.
Struggling with this -I cannot think the answer I have for 21a and 18d right. However, it completes the grid but is 21a really celebrating? Any way, it looks good but I don’t think I shall get my fourth pen ( sorry, lads🤭). Many thanks to Robyn and SJB.
Celebrating goes after the university – getting through is the definition. Not your wheelhouse perhaps but the football chant “you only **** when your winning” may help
An abbreviated example (for one) may help with the drink
🥰
Looks as though I’m struggling on one that’s been no problem for anyone else. Can someone help me with the first part of 4a, please.
iPad is an example of for the first 6 letters of the answer, followed by the case letters of pro that have been reversed (returned) definition is just the first word split 5,3 you have a surface
Sorry, John, I know all that but am stuck on the description of an IPad – it’s just a thingy to me!
Moses had the first two thingies!
Aha – now I understand, thank you ALP.
A generic term for a computer without a keyboard (or a detachable keyboard like the picture)
Thanks, John, but it was the ‘moses’ mention from ALP that made the penny finally drop!
A good job Brian never strays into toughie territory – he would hate the biblical reference
First six letters is the type of computer that an iPad is.
Snap you beat me to it by a few seconds. Welcome to the blog, you shouldn’t have to wait for approval next time
Tough but extremely enjoyable, as ever with a Robyn puzzle. More than a little chuffed to complete & think I have them parsed ok too albeit a good few reverse engineered. 18d&23a weren’t familiar so required a check with Mr G. Ticks aplenty but if forced to select a podium it’d be 26a + 12&15d with 14&17a narrowly missing out.
Thanks to Robyn & to John – I’ve seen Joe perform Sloe Gin as an encore at the RAH on a couple of occasions – my fav rendition is in his acoustic set Live at the Vienna Opera House because it better captures the terrific original by Tim Curry – check it out on You Tube if you don’t know it.
Ps this song cropped up on one of my playlists today
I used to be a character on the US soap opera Days of our Lives, but I like being a soul singer too.
I was also the head distiller at Tullibardine distillery but he has since died
I will settle for being a bum-blebee
Nice to hear the Carpenters again. Here in Kent today… “Rainy days and Mondays always get me down”, but I was cheered up by solving Robyn’s Sunday puzzle. Favourite clues were 9a, 2d and 19d, but I also enjoyed the lego-work required for 17a, the identification of a good clue opportunity by Robyn in 23a and the cracking use of ‘country club’ in 12d.
Many thanks to Robyn and SJB.
Nice enough to trim the yew tree yesterday – absolutely biblical today 🥺 the “country club” certainly tickled the fancy, if it really is Robyn in the Backpager his versatility is amazing
Took for ever and a day but got there in the end. Used the hints to confirm our answers. Thanks for that.
Favorite 14a. Always associate the term with events in Prague at the start of the 30 years war!
I had an image of countless westerns where some was always getting 14a