Toughie No 3426 by Django
Hints and tips by ALP
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***/****
Yes, I’m afraid you’ve got me again, pulling a double. But, let’s face it, if anyone deserves a day off it’s Sue. I thought this was surprisingly light from Django. He’s gifted us a fair few letters in plain sight (an ‘A’, an ‘I’ an ‘AM’ and an ‘ON) plus an “initially”, a “finally” and a string of common abbreviations. There is a smidgeon of GK but nothing too exotic. Having said that, 4d/20d’s intriguing parsing (an extra star for difficulty in its own right) gave me pause. Still does! All yours.
Across
1a Airline stops virus I found on operating system – one that acted monstrously (4,6)
BELA LUGOSI: (Israeli) airline goes inside/stops (generic) virus + ‘I’ from the clue on/after the abbreviation for “operating system”. Entertaining Lego.
6a Drive taxi dropping Charlie to arrive at flat (4)
DRAB: The abbreviation for “drive” + taxi, minus the usual “Charlie”.
9a Vehicle partially ran aground when reversing (5)
ORGAN: Reverse lurker, hidden in the third and fourth words.
10a Stay the night right after police officer originally breaks cover (5,4)
SLEEP OVER: The usual “right”, after P[olice] O[fficer] goes inside/breaks “cover” (for vinyl, say).
12a/13a Student protest: amusing time to start sombre music? (7,5)
FUNERAL MARCH: The usual “student” and march/demo follow (to start) amusing (3) + time (3).
13a See 12a
15a A 7 am start for actor initially inspires choice language (7)
ARAMAIC: ‘A’ from the clue + the abbreviation for 7d + ‘AM’ from the clue + A[ctor] I[nspires] C[hoice].
17a Problem for cattle – maybe stop moving to and fro (7)
HOOFROT: Stop/hold (interjection) + TO+FRO, moving = a disease (perhaps more commonly known by its other name) that affects most cloven-hoofed animals.
19a Turned up with books about Greek university’s local courses? (3,4)
PUB GRUB: UP>PU + the abbreviation for “book” repeated about/around the usual “Greek” and “university”.
21a Iron shirt on vacation and finally go on deck (7)
FESTOON: The symbol for iron + S[hir]T + [g]O + “ON” from the clue.
22a/24a Angler bends truth – essentially circulating far-fetched tales? (5,7)
URBAN LEGENDS: ANGLERBENDS[tr]U[th], circulating.
24a See 22a
27a Thoroughly determined home team kicks off (6,3)
INSIDE OUT: The usual “home” + “team” kicks off/precedes “determined”, as in determined/set (to get revenge, say).
28a Muffin politician leaves in cellar, say (5)
CRUET: Muffin (toasted with butter and Marmite, please) minus the usual “politician” = cellar (as salt container, etc). Very restrained (and probably correct) of Django to go for “muffin” here as the non-PC alternative would have suited this surface very well!
29a Moved to avoid one foot drop (4)
SHED: Moved/budged, minus the usual “one” and the abbreviation for “foot”.
30a Cold as I dry funnel out (10)
UNFRIENDLY: IDRYFUNNEL, out.
Down
1d Knock bishop down (4)
BLOW: The usual “bishop” + down/blue.
2d Oddly missing clues Geoff left group of doctors after rolling joint? (3,2,4)
LEG OF LAMB: [c]L[u]E[s]G[e]O[f]F + the usual “left” + doctors’ group/union, rolling/reversed. “Rolling joint” is neat.
3d Band with new material (5)
LINEN: Band (on a chart say) + the usual “new”.
4d/20d Something to make you feel full of fuel – shake making energy expand (7,7)
GASTRIC BALLOON: Gazza really is the fourth emergency service! Huge thanks to him as I made a right meal out of this one. It is, of course, a simple replacement, arrgh..
(Type of ) fuel + (a) shake/moment with its ultimate E[nergy] made/becoming expand/mushroom. Sorry about that. Total brain fog.
(Type of) fuel + (a) shake/moment removing/making* E[nergy] + (to) expand/mushroom.
*I don’t really get “making” for this removal but I don’t quite see how else to parse the (4) in the middle. I suppose that if you’re made, your cover is blown, so making (just about) could = blowing. But, really? I’ve certainly never seen it used like this before. There is also an obscure (powdered) vitamin drink (3-1) and a Nigerian solar energy company (4) but the latter doesn’t explain the “shake” and the former barely does. Is a vitamin powder really an energy-making shake? As a martini should be, it’s stirred, not shaken, and Google categorically says it is NOT an energy drink. Also, as far as I can see, you can only buy it on eBay! I must be missing summat here. But I remain convinced (perhaps wrongly) that the “fuel” and “expand” elements are, at least, correct. I actually called in the cavalry for this one and much smarter heads than mine were equally flummoxed, though one did think the vitamin drink was the least unlikely option and he may well be right. Any thoughts? Thank goodness for the straightforward-ish definition.
PS … when enlightenment does eventually come, I look forward to crossing out most of the above!
5/21d Appropriate heft and girth to be converted into warplane (7,7)
STEALTH FIGHTER: (to) appropriate + HEFTGIRTH, converted.
7d Strictly’s third dancer wanting Jack Dee for example (5)
RIVER: [st]R[ictly] + dancer/mover, minus the usual “Jack”.
8d Delivery over fourteen pounds for one of twelve gems (10)
BIRTHSTONE: Delivery (in hospital, etc) + fourteen pounds (as weight).
11d Clean up post office – everyone can see this is ultimately foolishly grand (7)
POMPOUS: (to) clean/swab, reversed + P[ost] O[ffice] + the usual “everyone can see this” + [i]S.
14d Ringo discovered McCartney half-cut inside covers? (10)
TARPAULINS: Ringo’s surname, minus first and last letters, + McCartney’s first + INS[ide]. Simple, but a super surface.
16d Back garden or patio somewhat prepared for barbecue? (7)
APRONED: Reverse lurker, hidden in the second, third and fourth words. Fun definition.
18d Hilarious person joining head of Scotland Yard’s police division (4,5)
RIOT SQUAD: Hilarious person (Chambers) + S[cotland] + yard (university, say)
20d See 4d
21d See 5d
23d Boats at sea regularly keep moist (5)
BASTE: B[o]A[t]S[a]T[s]E[a]
25d Charming, accommodating hotel’s specialist area (5)
NICHE: Charming/lovely contains the usual “hotel”.
26d Visit son, 7 (4)
STAY: The usual “son” plus a (Scottish) 7d.
Four anagrams, two reverse lurkers and a couple of alternates made for a pretty breezy solve. As I’ve said, it was just 4d/20d that made me sweat. Ticks for 7d, 14d and 18d. How did you get on?
Great fun – many thanks to Django and ALP.
In 4/20d ‘making energy expand’ means replace the E (energy) with a verb meaning to expand.
I have lots of ticks including 19a, 21a, 27a and 2d.
Huge thanks, Gazza. I KNEW you’d be the one to save the day! Duly amended. Phew..
And a SHAKE is a short moment or time, which can also be a TRICE.
Was surprised that no one else is quibbling that a muffin is completely different to a crumpet. They are both made using a yeasted dough and can be toasted, but are otherwise easily distinguishable.
Thank you to ALP for explaining 17a (where it turns out my problem was an inability count the number of Os in the answer) and Gazza for 4d (in which I’d also somehow interpreted “making” as “removing” without spotting that doesn’t really work until ALP pointed it out).
And a big thanks to Django for the entertainment. My favourite is the local courses in 19a, and the “7 am” in 15a.
What a splendid puzzle in Django’s unique style. I’ve said it before but the way he keeps multi-word answers in the same row or column appeals greatly to my sense of order.
My one qualm is that the surface of 4d/20d is unconvincing.
Having solved 1d quickly, I spent too long trying to fit BA into 1a as the airline until the PDM.
Who knew that apron could be a verb? And does anyone apart perhaps from crossword setters really use it as such?
I had lots of ticks with 19a, 27a, 7d & 14d my top picks.
Many thanks to Django and to ALP for working overtime.
I had to check the monstrous actor, I suppose I saw the film once in black and white, but not when it was released! Otherwise friendly enough, thanks Django.
I remember my father explaining 17a, split 3,4, as meaning feet! For that reason 22, 24 my favourite! 15a LOI.
And thanks ALP for the double shift
I thought this an absolutely super puzzle (well, I did puff it in the back-page blog comments), but then again, it’s from Django, so what else would one expect? I’m no fan of split clues bouncing around the grid like drunks at closing time but, since these were in the same rows/columns, as RD notes, my ire-meter scarcely registered them. Great surfaces, witty, a lovely mix of clue types. Podium comprises 1a, 15a and 14d.
Many thanks to Django and also, of course, to ALP for your additional duty!
Two in a row – the names of Dharma and Django [and ALP!] always lift my spirits when I open the paper at the toughie page and, like yesterday’s, this was no disappointment. So many top clues but still eminently solvable so just right for midweek. I’ve whittled it down to 15a [A 7 am start – brilliant] 19a [local courses] 27a [had to think about that one] and 14d [Ringo discovered]. 4/20d was a bung in but I admit defeat in the parsing – “making energy expand is very clever” and thanks to Gazza for that.
Thanks to Django and to ALP for the blog and a second helping. Great to hear Cock Sparrer again. They were a bit of a cult in the East End when I first went to work there. Amazed to read they’re still playing.
Yep, oops re 4d/20d. Sadly, such replacements remain one of my (many) Achilles heels. I did flirt with clipping a recent live version from Cock Sparrer. Trouble is, they couldn’t ever really sing, and they certainly can’t now! Worse, there’s summat tragically comic about elderly, well-fed punk rockers. It just doesn’t/didn’t seem quite right!!
How about “We don’t need no education” sung by some of the wealthiest and most well-educated gentlemen in rock?
Love Dave’s solo but it’s otherwise quite possibly my least favourite Floyd track & the album ain’t great either
Love Django’s puzzles & today’s one no exception. A brisk grid fill but as ever the real fun is in the parse & still one or two (15,17& the last bit of 4/20d) to ponder over so yet to read the review. 1a was a terrific starter & the ticks just kept on coming – 10,12/13,19&27a plus 2,5/21,7&14d particular likes. Couldn’t begin to pick a fav. As with Hudson just wish we saw him more often.
Thanks to Django & to ALP – saw you were reviewing so popped in to play the tunes. Surprised the Camberwell veg didn’t feature at 2d & good to see John & Nick in close proximity.
‘Greek, without the sex’: Nick Drake and John Martyn’s folk bromance was an interesting read in the Graun I recalled.
The Camberwell carrot did, of course, spring to mind. But I decided against it, in favour of putting John and Nick close together. You know, I’m sure, that John wrote Solid Air as a tribute to Nick?
I did. The article mentions it too.
A fine Wednesday Toughie from Django as we’ve come to expect from him. Happy with my answers but I also had trouble with the e off trice in 4/20D. H for stop in 17A also bothered me.
Picks of the bunch for me were 9,12,13, 19 and 28A and 7,14 and 18D.
Thank you ALP for all your help with some tricky parsing. You certainly put a shift in today.
Thank you Django for the challenge.
Excellent stuff. A pleasure to solve. Hard to pick a favourite though but I’ll go with 12/13a. Thanks to Django and ALP.
Was surprised that no one else is quibbling that a muffin is completely different to a crumpet. They are both made using a yeasted dough and can be toasted, but are otherwise easily distinguishable.
Hi Infdesign. I was intending to make the same point, as I still have my dear mum’s words ringing in my ears from over 60 years ago, “a crumpet is nothing like a muffin”.
However, the BRB, as the ultimate arbiter for Telegraph crosswords, disagrees with you and me (as well as stretch24 and my mother!) It states under “crumpet”: A small thick yeast cake …, sometimes called a muffin.
Highly enjoyable apart from one frustration born of being abroad and away from a source of British tea goods. It set off a yearning for both crumpets and muffins. I’m sad to comment that they are not the same