Toughie No 3412 by Osmosis
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty ***** – Enjoyment ****
Many thanks to Osmosis for what I found to be a pretty tricky puzzle with his usual clever wordplay and no anagrams. I had some difficulty in deciding what to underline for a few clues.
Please leave a comment telling us how you fared and what you liked about the puzzle.
Across Clues
1a Long trousers stretchy, not prime material for models? (10)
PLASTICINE: a verb to long contains an adjective meaning stretchy without its primary letter.
6a Mike, getting soak outside, fumes? (4)
SMOG: the letter that Mike represents in the Nato Phonetic Alphabet with a dialect verb to saturate (new to me) around it.
10a Islander here wanting runs produces this? (5)
SKYER: where an islander might live in Scotland and the cricket abbreviation for runs. The answer is what a cricketer chasing runs might hit. I dithered about what to underline here.
11a She checks car lock (9)
AUDITRESS: a make of car and a lock of hair.
12a Pants Vince regularly dropped in each work like this? (7)
EROTICA: a word meaning pants or rubbish and the even letters of Vince go inside the abbreviation for each.
13a Welcome recess diverted ordinary artist (4,3)
YOKO ONO: an informal word of welcome, the reverse of a recess and the abbreviation for ordinary.
14a Red hot inside father’s place in Tuscany? (12)
CHIANTISHIRE: a red wine followed by the tap abbreviation for hot inside a (often equine) father. The answer (new to me) is a facetious nickname for an area of Tuscany where many UK citizens spend their holidays.
18a Band familiar with the sound of Sandie Shaw? (3,5,4)
THE BEACH BOYS: a homophone (for some people) of Sandie Shaw might be where the lads of this band used to hang out.
21a Fabulous Blues, moving son first, then daughter (7)
STORIED: a word for blues (politically) with the genealogical abbreviation for son moved to the front. The abbreviation for daughter brings up the rear.
23a Latest cleaner raiding case of Alsace, woozy (2,1,4)
IN A DAZE: start with an adjective meaning latest or trendy then insert a trademarked clothes cleaner into the outer letters of Alsace.
24a Husband to break current nuptial agreement and do drugs in such a party? (4-5)
ACID-HOUSE: the genealogical abbreviation for husband is inserted into an abbreviation for electric current and a verbal agreement during a marriage ceremony. Finish with a verb to do (drugs perhaps).
25a John shortened sample garment (5)
TOILE: what john is an informal word for without its last letter.
26a Inattentive clubs out of beverage (4)
DEAF: an informal word for a drink lacking stimulant without the cards abbreviation for clubs.
27a He played cop during decline and peak (3,7)
ROD STEIGER: the abbreviation for a CID officer goes inside a verb to decline or decay. Follow that with an Alpine peak.
Down Clues
1d I’m avoiding fake ad (6)
POSTER: remove “I’m” from a word for a fake person.
2d At least one house in yellow unoccupied (6)
ANYHOW: a synonym for one followed by the abbreviation for house inside the outer letters of yellow.
3d Language notes short and sweet (7,7)
TURKISH DELIGHT: assemble a Middle-Eastern language, two musical notes and an adjective meaning short or deficient.
4d Vehicle drivers circling bar after drink (9)
CHARABANC: a drivers’ club circling a verb to bar follows an informal word for a non-alcoholic drink.
5d Toy with green light and three feet upturned (5)
NODDY: a verb to give the green light to something by a gesture and the reversal of a measure of three feet.
7d Jogger, extremely mean, possessed no top (8)
MNEMONIC: the outer letters of mean and an adjective meaning possessed or demented without its top letter.
8d Lighter rabbit and game (3,5)
GAS POKER: a verb to rabbit and a card game.
9d Defensive structure certainly supporting football team’s set piece? (8,6)
STOKESAY CASTLE: a two-letter word meaning certainly follows a Midlands football team and the ‘S. Finish with a word for a piece in a chess set (the one that’s certain to drive Rabbit Dave apoplectic!). The answer is a fortified medieval manor-house in Shropshire.
15d Objection raised over Liz fencing in well-upholstered property (9)
TUBBINESS: reverse a word for an objection and follow with a nickname for Elizabeth containing IN.
16d Perhaps inflammation’s ending, with singular help reportedly (2,2,4)
IT IS SAID: the last four letters of various ailments involving bodily inflammation are followed by the abbreviation for singular and a synonym of help.
17d See about stopping endless class, something many schoolkids hated? (8)
SEMOLINA: reverse the dated exclamation meaning ‘see!’ inside a class for a small group of students without its last letter.
19d Having natter with speedster about Triumph (6)
JAWING: a make of car associated with speed contains a synonym of triumph.
20d Mask nurse dropped in shift (6)
VENEER: the abbreviation for an enrolled nurse is inserted into a verb to shift or swivel.
22d Wine yield our organisation bottles (5)
DOURO: hidden.
I liked 12a, 13a, 24a, 27a and 17d but my favourite was the well-upholstered property in 15d. Which one(s) made your highlights reel?
A slow and steady solve, on a par with Tuesday’s for me. I liked everything about 12a and the cleverly disguised definition in 15d. 18a works so well I wondered why we’ve never seen a clue like it before.
Thanks to Osmosis and Gazza.
Failed in the SW. But a good workout nonetheless. 13a and 18a my favourites. Thanks Gazza and Osmosis
Enjoyable way to spend a dull Friday afternoon in Kent. Great mental workout. Always happy to see the answer to 4d in a crossword; takes me back! To my mind, 24a is a musical genre rather than a party though. Thanks to Osmosis and Gazza for his typically well explained clarification.
Really good challenge and great fun. Just perfect for a Friday Toughie. Completed about 3/4 before conceding. Loved 7d. Thanks to Osmosis and Gazza.
I’m so pleased with myself today. I’ve never solved a puzzle at this level before and when I started it I thought it would be a non-finish but I got there in the end. I chuckled at 14a – never heard it called that before. Many thanks to Osmosis for a thoroughly enjoyable mental workout and Gazza for clarifying the parsing.