Toughie No 3414 by Prime
Hints and Tips by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ***
Four quite difficult mini crosswords which I solved corner by corner in an anti-clockwise direction – SE, NE, NW, SW
Please let us know what you thought
Across
1a Second round indicating the end for some bars (8)
BACKBEAT Second or support and the round of a policeman, perhaps – the bars are musical
5a Sailor misspelled sail, perhaps, and let himself down? (6)
ABSEIL An abbreviated sailor and a misspelling of sail
9a Governor replaced half of Mars lander (8)
ALDERMAN An anagram (replaced) of the first half of MArs and LANDER
10a Alternative to rap etc? (6)
CARPET An alternative way of saying censure or reprove (rap) is an anagram of RAP ETC
12a Defender, perhaps Pole, tackling American in advance (3-6)
OFF-ROADER A type of vehicle such as a Land Rover Defender – a pole ‘tackling’ or going round the abbreviation for American, the result inserted into an advance
13a Favourite to lose games with a head coach (5)
TEACH Remove the abbreviated (to lose) school games from an adjective meaning favourite and add a synonym for a in the sense of everyone considered
14a Spare article ultimately not needed (4)
THIN An article without its last letter (ultimately not needed)
16a Do ask to hold service without clothing (7)
SUFFICE Ask or petition for ‘holds’ a service without its outside letters (clothing)
19a The French are claiming Northern Rhodesia’s capital, I’m discovering (7)
LEARNER The French definite article and ARE (from the clue) ‘claiming’ the abbreviation for Northern, the capital letter of Rhodesia being added at the end
21a Marvel’s first class exploit (4)
MILK The first letter of Marvel and a class, type or kind
24a Cautious about dangerous missing setter (5)
CHARY The Latin abbreviation for about and an informal word meaning dangerous without (missing) the I (setter)
25a Cryptic clue concept needing name of a mathematician (9)
EUCLIDEAN An anagram (cryptic) of CLUE, a concept, and the abbreviation for Name
27a Tic tac rival originally getting capital backing (6)
TREMOR The original letters of Tac and Rival followed by a reversal (backing) of a European capital
28a Spent months with journalist shadowing Italian club (8)
WINTERED The abbreviation for With and the usual abbreviated journalist going round (shadowing) the usual Italian football club
29a I’m surprised by refusal to return Caesar salad, say (6)
EPONYM A reversal (to return) of an interjection of surprise and a slang interjection of refusal
30a Snug cat in pan (8)
DENOUNCE A small cosy room (snug) and crosswordland’s favourite wild cat
Down
1d English artist’s holding blazer? (6)
BEACON The abbreviation for English inserted into the surname of a painter known for his upsetting imagery
2d Make official pet’s name up, in case of candidacy (6)
CODIFY A reversal (up) of a name often given to dogs inserted into the case of CandidacY
3d Donkey‘s brief retreat (5)
BURRO An animal’s underground retreat without its last letter (brief)
4d Clamour follows after dressing daughter in rubber in panto (7)
ALADDIN A clamour follows a preposition meaning in the manner of (after) ‘dressing’ the abbreviation for Daughter
6d Lovely tailored fit, blue with gold lining (9)
BEAUTIFUL An anagram (tailored) of FIT BLUE into which is inserted (lining) the chemical symbol for gold
7d Record company acquiring modern top 100 firm (8)
EMPHATIC A record company ‘acquiring’ a modern slang adjective meaning fine (top), the result followed by the Roman numeral for 100
8d Lord’s opener not starting game with main opener (8)
LATCHKEY The ‘opener’ of Lord, a game or contest without its first letter (not starting) and an adjective meaning essential (main)
11d Band leaders – or bandleaders? – only partially recalled (4)
BROS Hidden in reverse (partially recalled) in leaderS OR Bandleaders
15d Fine bit of bread with unknown fish (5-4)
HUNKY-DORY A lump of bread, a mathematical unknown and a type of fish
17d Liberal wearing former Truss costume (5,3)
BLACK TIE The abbreviation for Liberal ‘wearing’ a type of roof tie (formerly known as a truss)
18d Turned on after joke about content of salt and pepper (8)
JALAPENO A reversal (turned) of ON goes after a joke into which has been inserted the ‘content’ of sALt
20d European abandoning final of ping pong (4)
REEK A European without (abandoning) the final letter of pinG
21d Measure of speed in electronic engine (7)
MACHINE A measure of speed, IN (from the clue) and the abbreviation for Electronic
22d Starmer leading popular race (6)
KEIRIN Our PM’s forename goes in front of (leading) a synonym for popular to produce an eight-lap track cycling race
23d Nervous individual departs, say, northwards (2,4)
ON EDGE An individual, the abbreviation for Departs and a reversal (northwards) of the abbreviation meaning say, for example
26d Recipe initially welcomed by a fan of basic course? (5)
INTRO The initial letter of Recipe ‘welcomed’ by an informal way of saying enthusiastic about (a fan)
Definitely different. But after a slow start my brain attuned to Primes thinking. I think I enjoyed it. Not sure!
Thanks to Prime and CS
Quite tricky, I thought, but enjoyable. Thanks to Prime and CS.
I didn’t know the ‘modern top’ in 7d and needed to Google to check that.
‘Rubber in panto’ (4d) is great and I also liked 12a, 13a, 15d and 20d.
Too rich for my blood but I did enjoy the dozen or so that I managed and then looking through the review from CS. I’d never heard of either 1a or the ‘modern top’ but was ridiculously proud of myself for working out the pepper!
Thanks to Prime and most definitely to CS for the ‘words & music’.
By the way, does anyone know which setter uses that particular pseudonym?
I too threw the towel in with about half the answers in including a couple unparsed. There were some excellent clues on show but some were far too difficult for me in a reasonable period of time.
I believe that Prime is Twin.
Thank you, RD, I rather thought that his other pseudonym had been mentioned at some point.
Was this a challenge or a slog?! Not sure but, after just five solved on the first run through, I think that I enjoyed finishing it! Thanks to setter; I think 15D was my COTD and I agree with **** for difficulty and (for me anyway) ***/**** for enjoyment.
I didn’t know 1a, but bunged it in, LOI. 5a is a German word meaning down rope. The rope bit isn’t pronounced as sail, rather as “zile”. But it seems to be accepted English these days! Favourite was 12a.
Thanks CS
Thanks Prime, took me a while to get on your wavelength though.
We found this one really tough but did persevere and eventually, with a little e-help, managed to get a completion.
Thanks Prime and CS.
A slog, with an awful grid. Best clues for me were 16a and 26d [“a fan of” is clever]. Really struggled in the NE. 5a is so awfully obvious that I didn’t think it could be correct!. Penny has only just dropped re “a head” in 13a so that must be a top clue as well.
Thanks to Prime [come back on a Friday] and CS.
Shy of one or two of the whys but rather chuffed to have somehow ground out a finish in a puzzle I suspected would be way beyond my capabilities. Annoyingly/inexcusably couldn’t see the last bit of 1a (despite being a fan of the so titled Iain Softley film about the early life of the Beatles) nor the donkey until revealing the B checker. Top 3 for me were 12a + 15&18d.
Thanks to Prime for a challenging but enjoyable puzzle & to Sue for making sense of it. Another big plus was 4&15d prompted me to play some Bowie while pondering the last few clues.