Toughie No 3394 by Gila
Hints and Tips by crypticsue
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Our quarterly Toughie from Gila seemed to have an awful lot of ‘removing a letter’ going on. It also had two words where I presume he ‘painted himself into a corner’ as there was one option with the checking letters in 21a and two for 21d
Please let us know what you thought
Across
1a Flatbread set alongside small cooking apparatus (11)
ROTISSERIES Some Indian flatbread, a set of things in line or succession and the abbreviation for Small
7a Most lean bits one dished up (7)
BONIEST An anagram (dished up) of BITS ONE
8a Endless part of school year overwhelming every single tutor (7)
TEACHER Part of a school year without its final letter (endless) into which is inserted (overwhelming) an adjective meaning every single one separately considered
10a Limitlessly clever, or hopeless (2-3)
NO-WIN A synonym for clever without its outside letters (limitlessly)
11a Provided a translation, perhaps, but left edits out (9)
SUBTITLED An anagram (out) of BUT L (left) EDITS
12a Some random individual from an unknown organisation (7)
ANYBODY AN (from the clue), a mathematical unknown and an organisation of persons united by a common purpose
14a Sarcastic words spread around about the origins of people’s insecurities (7)
EPIGRAM A reversal of an informal name for a type of spread goes ‘about’ the origins of People’s Insecurities
15a Couple mostly wearing regular knitted clothing? (7)
TWINSET Most of a couple, an adverb meaning wearing and another meaning regular
18a Family member only half following dance moves (7)
STEPSON The first half of ONly following some dance moves
20a Musical instruction could be “sing loads!” (9)
GLISSANDO An anagram (could be) of SING LOADS
21a An exhibition display about empty spaces (5)
ANTRA The second appearance of AN (from the clue) and a reversal (about) of something often displayed in an exhibition
22a Group pocketing too much and making a stink, maybe? (7)
ROTTING A group ‘pocketing’ the abbreviation meaning over the top, too much
23a In need of fuel when touring a country (7)
HUNGARY In need of fuel ‘touring’ A (from the clue)
24a Prisoners had to accept bird, causing dismay (11)
CONSTERNATE Some slang prisoners and had or consumed ‘accept’ a type of sea bird
Down
1d Track of land home to a wild horse (7)
RUNAWAY A tract of land into which is inserted (home to) A (from the clue)
2d Marketing promotion that is restricted by money (3-2)
TIE-IN The abbreviation meaning that is ‘restricted’ by a slang word for money
3d Content of US exam is extremely fluffy (7)
SATISFY An abbreviated test used for college admissions in the USA, IS (from the clue) and the ‘extreme’ letters of FluffY
4d Like food initially extracted and put aside (7)
EATABLE The initial letters of Extracted And and a verb meaning to postpone to another time (put aside)
5d How to create characters in Minecraft? (9)
ITALICISE What should be done to the characters in Minecraft to make them look like the word in the clue?
6d Academic children consumed by a certain kind of energy (7)
SCHOLAR The abbreviation for children ‘consumed’ by a certain kind of energy
7d Big cat runs after a big, gentle mongrel (6,5)
BENGAL TIGER The cricket abbreviation for Runs goes after an anagram (mongrel) of A BIG GENTLE
9d Basic day return possibly covering one month (11)
RUDIMENTARY An anagram (possibly) of DAY RETURN into which is inserted (covering) the Roman numeral for one and the abbreviation for Month
13d A thing principally occurring before time with a therapist (9)
OBSESSION The principal letters of Occurring and Before and a period of time, possibly spent with a therapist
16d Stupid vernacular mother ignored (7)
IDIOTIC Vernacular or relating to the vocabulary of a particular dialect without (ignored) the informal mother
17d Working breaks strictly controlled later on this day? (7)
TONIGHT In operation or working ‘breaks’ an adjective meaning strictly controlled
18d Put out, I told you abruptly to take on board criticism in the end (7)
SMOTHER Almost all (abruptly) of a two-word phrase meaning I told you ‘takes on board’ the letter at the end of criticisM
19d French composer introducing oddly arty stuff (7)
SATIATE The odd letters of ArTy introduced into a French composer
21d Fluid containers may shimmer and shine, usually in the middle (5)
AMNIA Membranes enveloping the embryos of mammals, birds and reptiles – the middle letters of mAy shiMmer aNd shIne usuAlly
It took a while to gain a foothold in this one, but once I did it was fairly plain sailing, and ggod fun to complete. The SE corner was a bit sticky, but my two favourite clues were the musical 20a and 19d.
Many thanks to Gila and Sue.
Like YS above I took a while to get started and the RHS was where all the problems were, so I progressed anticlockwise from the NW. Top clues for me were the nicely disguised anagram at 11a, 14a where “spread” made me chuckle, and the clever 5d [how many, like me, spent time trying anagrams of minecraft?].
Thanks to Gila and CA [and this time I agree with both your star ratings].
It also took me a while to get onto this setter’s wavelength, but once there, it turned into an enjoyable solve. I was beaten by 21A and D so thank you CS for switching the light on.
Favourites were 14A 24A and 18D.
Many thanks to CS and Gila.
A pleasant enough puzzle but, as CS says, the SE corner seems rather odd. Thanks to Gila and CS.
My favourite clue was 23a.
Fun, with some sweet little tricks. I especially liked 14a, 5d and 19d. Many thanks to Gila and CS.
An east west divide. No problems in the latter but came unstuck in the SE & only remembered Erik with the assist of a letter reveal + both of the 21s needed a check. No real favourite but did like 1&23a + 13,16&19d
Thanks to Gila & Sue
Didn’t have chance to tackle this until late in the day and I found it quite a stiff challenge. Finally accepted help from Sue to deal with the unknown 21a and also 18d which I should have been able to get unaided. Top of my pile were the four perimeter clues.
Thanks to Gila and to CS for the review and help.
Like everyone else we had problems in the SE and needed to check our guesses in BRB. Apart from that it came together smoothly enough for us.
Thanks Gila and CS.
I suspect our setter painted himself into a corner in the SE and came up with a couple of obscure words to dig himself out. Generally enjoyable and a completed grid is a completed grid. Favourite was 5d when the penny finally dropped. Thanks to Gila and CS.