Toughie No 3444 by Sparks
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Thanks to Sparks for the enjoyable Friday Toughie. He very often gives us something extra in the grid – I can’t see anything today (the only letters missing are J, Q, X and Z which are the four highest Scrabble scorers but I doubt whether that’s significant). Have you spotted anything?
Update: See the comment from Retiefus below – the Nina starts at the final character of 3d.
Please leave a comment telling us how you fared and what you liked about the puzzle.
Across Clues
1a When elevated turnover in battery production usually occurs? (7,7)
PANCAKE DAY: cryptic definition. Battery here whimsically means ‘made from batter’. Cracking clue!
9a Tense day, pre-noon, before international cataclysm (7)
TSUNAMI: string together four abbreviations: a) tense, b) a day of the week, c) pre-noon and d) international.
10a Strain is returning in part of joint (7)
TENSION: reverse IS inside a carpenter’s joint.
11a Long Parliament’s last legislative assembly (4)
DIET: an informal verb to long or yearn and the last letter of Parliament. The assembly with this name which sticks in the mind is the one held in the city of Worms in 1521, a cause of much schoolboy mirth.
12a Article back in forge splitting beam accordingly (10)
THEREAFTER: start with a grammatical article then insert the rear letter of forge into a type of beam.
14a Loiter around large lizard (6)
MOLOCH: a verb to loiter listlessly contains the abbreviation for large to make a thorny Australian lizard.
15a It’s comical to inhale animatedly (8)
IOLANTHE: an anagram (animatedly) of TO INHALE gives us the name of a comic opera.
17a Cuban cheat, saving skin, distracted African once (8)
BECHUANA: an anagram (distracted) of CUBAN [c]HEA[t]. The answer is a former name for a person who would now be called a Botswanan.
18a Bowl over that badly breaks cricket bat (6)
WILLOW: a verb to bowl over or excite greatly contains an adverb meaning badly.
21a Criminal Mafia practice, shunning decree, sufficient to bring on a charge (5,5)
PRIMA FACIE: remove the decree from MAFIA PR[act]ICE and make an anagram (criminal) of what remains.
22a Reversed HGV approximately a metre (4)
YARD: reverse a vehicle used to carry heavy goods (especially beer barrels).
24a Beginning to sabotage sickening sport (7)
SAILING: the first letter of sabotage and an adjective meaning sickening or in poor health,
25a Long time stopping row relating to several popes (7)
LEONINE: a word for a long period of time goes inside a synonym of row to make an adjective relating to the name taken by a number of Popes (13 so far).
26a Converted an alderman, then one of his ancient relatives? (11,3)
NEANDERTHAL MAN: an anagram (converted) of AN ALDERMAN THEN. I’m not sure if I’m missing something here – the answer is not just an ancient relative of an alderman it’s a relative of all of us.
Down Clues
1d Frantic plug propped up former conference centre (7)
POTSDAM: rivet together an adjective meaning frantic and a verb to plug then reverse it all to get the location of a famous conference in 1945.
2d Reduced fare that’s only natural? (8,7)
NOUVELLE CUISINE: cryptic definition of a culinary style known for its meagre portions and the use of natural ingredients.
3d Most of dish overturned, regrettably (4)
ALAS: reverse a cold dish without its last letter.
4d Prophet from Israel is hampered to some extent (6)
ELISHA: hidden.
5d Case of unusual half-hearted rogue will grab one in the future (8)
ULTERIOR: the outer letters of unusual followed by a synonym of a rogue or scamp without one of its middle letters but with a Roman one inserted. I didn’t know this meaning of the answer but it’s there in the BRB.
6d Old ship from Tasmania floundering around Arabia (5,5)
SANTA MARIA: an anagram (floundering) of TASMANIA contains an abbreviation for Arabia.
7d Logical philosophy MIT rationalises somehow (15)
ARISTOTELIANISM: an anagram (somehow) of MIT RATIONALISES.
8d Relative regrets shunning outsiders? False (6)
UNTRUE: bring together a female relative and a verb meaning regrets then remove the outside letters.
13d Post free coupon at centre in Wick (10)
OCCUPATION: an anagram (free) of COUPON AT [w]IC[k].
16d Confuse medical field on way to approach problem (8)
ENTANGLE: the abbreviation for a medical specialisation and a word meaning ‘way to approach an issue or problem’.
17d Ignore report of extra ticket (6)
BYPASS: a homophone of a type of cricket extra followed by a synonym of a ticket or permit.
19d Duck away from target catching front of gammy leg (7)
WIDGEON: an adjective meaning ‘away from target’ (another cricket extra, for example) contains the first letter of gammy. Finish with what leg can mean in cricket.
20d Moon landing initially fills screen in colour (6)
VIOLET: a moon of Jupiter and the initial letter of landing are contained in a verb to screen.
23d Bright star‘s lover? Not half (4)
NOVA: the name of a notorious lover without its first half.
My clue of the day is the superb 1a. Which clue(s) sang out to you?
There’s the title of a song lurking in the diagonals.
Ah, found it. Thanks Retiefus.
How did you enjoy the puzzle?
I filled in a big chunk of this fairly quickly and then ground to a halt with a handful left over.
I needed internet help to confirm the lizard, the African, and the conference centre.
Favourite clue – 1a, followed by 20d.
Thanks to Sparks and to Gazza.
I found this trickier than Gazza I liked 1a the best
Thank you to him and Sparks
Never heard of the lizard, and wasn’t sure if 7d could actually be a word, especially the way it’s spelt in the middle. 1d favourite, but I liked 18a and 19d. Clever Nina. 7d LOI.
Thanks Sparks and Gazza for extra pointers as required.
Ia was my favourite too. The lizard had to be what it was, and I thought the long anagram at 7d was very cleverly put together. Totally enjoyable, but I have yet to spot the Nina, as per usual.
My thanks to Sparks for a terrific challenge, and to Gazza.
Just spotted the Nina. Very neat.
Really enjoyed this “is it really Friday?” Toughie and it was a most satisfying solve with a good few cricket clues to boot, even if I totally missed the Nina. 1a an excellent groaner when the penny dropped, was pleased to recall the lizard and African and surprised the GK was all retrievable from near the top of my mind!
Honours to 7d (think it formed part of my degree, decades ago), 19d & 1a.
Many thanks indeed to Sparks and Gazza
I’ve seen this Nina used before on a diagonal, so it was some help. Overall on the friendly side for a Friday. MOLOCH was a nho but easily gettable. Alas I had to reveal 1a and 2d in the end — flummoxed by cryptic defs yet again, d’oh! Thanks Sparks and Gazza.
How refreshing to have such an enjoyable Friday Toughie. Super clues with fair wordplay meant it didn’t take long to get onto the setter’s wavelength. Of the many excellent clues to choose from, the standout for me has to be 1A….what a clue!
Many thanks to Gazza for the blog and fun and to Sparks for the enjoyment.
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A lovely puzzle and reasonably accessible for a Friday Toughie.
1a is a brilliant clue.
I am always in awe of anyone who can find a tricky Nina and this is certainly no exception. Incredible.
Thank you Sparks and the hard-working Gazza.