Toughie No 3458 by Prime
Hints and Tips by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
A just right for a Wednesday Toughie with lots to enjoy, including two opportunities for multiple ear worms!
Please let us know what you thought
Across
1a Head of News 24 retaining award for a few weeks (8)
NOVEMBER The ‘head’ of News and the solution to 24a between which is inserted an abbreviated British honour or award
5a Soft sound of strange spirit returning (6)
MURMUR Reversals (returning) of a slang word for strange and an alcoholic spirit
10a Board aircraft when line moves (5)
PANEL Move the abbreviation for Line in a short name for an aircraft
11a European country drops Scotsman (9)
UKRAINIAN The abbreviation for this country, some watery drops and a Scotsman
12a Plain lout cried regularly (5)
LUCID The regular letters of LoUt CrIeD
13a Tramp’s companion departs through park (4)
LADY The abbreviation for departs inserted into (through) a verb meaning to park or set down in a particular place
14a One will broadcast in key? (4)
ISLE A homophone (broadcast) of an abbreviated way of saying one will
16a No Panda Cola supply without right US barman? (5,7)
AARON COPLAND An anagram (supply) of NO PANDA COLA into which is inserted (without) the abbreviation for Right. His Fanfare for the Common Man was an ear worm until I solved 3d!
21a Like acid mistakenly melting drain (4-8)
MIND-ALTERING An anagram (mistakenly) of MELTING DRAIN
24a Finished spinning gun round (4)
OVER A reversal (spinning) of a synonym for gun in the sense of increase speed of an engine and the ‘round’ letter
25a Unwanted messages from old man engaged in S&M (4)
SPAM An informal name for a father (old man) inserted between S and M in the clue
27a Oasis get nothing at first (5)
HAVEN A synonym for get and the first letter of Nothing
29a Suitable proportion swapping carbon for metal (9)
PERTINENT Swap the chemical symbol for Carbon in a proportion for a metal
30a White House rejected American serving ladies? (5)
IGLOO A reversed (rejected) abbreviated American soldier (serving) and an informal name for a lavatory (ladies?)
31a Fancy party axes chocolate brand (6)
GALAXY A fancy party and the axes on a graph
32a You need this, getting hit by car? (4,4)
SEAT BELT A car marque and an informal way of saying hit hard
Down
1d It’s familiar in Vietnam War? (6)
NAPALM A highly-inflammable jelly used in bombs in the Vietnam War – a friend or familiar inserted into a contraction of Vietnam, especially used when referring to that War
2d I came for Roman church in Italian city (6)
VENICE The Latin (Roman) for I came and the abbreviation for the Church of England
3d Song and dance man briefly grabs drink with Jeff Lynne etc (9)
MELODRAMA The first two (briefly) letters of MAn ‘grabs’ the informal name for the 1970s rock band, one of the members of which was Jeff Lynne and a small drink of alcohol
4d Like Brussels taking Quebec city over (5)
EQUAL The group of countries informally known as Brussels into which is inserted the letter represented by Quebec in the NATO Phonetic alphabet followed by a reversal (over) of a US West Coast city
6d Mole perhaps in the dark, left out (4)
UNIT Here a mole is an example of a system of measurement – in the dark without the abbreviation for Left
7d Fundamental part of water network: Scottish river (8)
MAINSTAY The water network and a Scottish river
8d Career ladder (3)
RUN A verb meaning to career or a ladder in a stocking perhaps
9d Music-maker changing up record (8)
PRODUCER An anagram (changing) of UP RECORD
15d Extract from translated Danish or Icelandic literature (4)
EDDA Hidden in (extract from) translatED DAnish
17d One in eight or half of people involved in cut to novel (8)
OCTUPLET The second half of peoPLE inserted into (involved in) an anagram (novel) of CUT TO
18d Believer works to avoid large theft (9)
PANTHEIST A works or factory without (to avoid) the abbreviation for Large and a robbery or theft, especially an armed one
19d What comes before twelve minute shot? (4)
AMMO The abbreviation for morning (what comes before twelve) and an informal word for a small period of time (minute)
20d Whole contents of cellar get nibbled up (8)
INTEGRAL Hidden in reverse (up) in celLAR GET NIbbled
22d E.g. Tesla delight after rising progress (6)
EVOLVE A reversal (after rising) of an abbreviation for a vehicle such as a Tesla and something that brings great pleasure (delight)
23d Record-breaking sportsman trailing a Parisian in Open (6)
UNBOLT A record-breaking sportsman goes after (trailing) the French indefinite article
26d Joint head of cathedral comes under this? (5)
MITRE A type of joint or something worn on the head of an Archbishop or Bishop
28d Tease consort about name (4)
MINX Consort or keep company with goes about the abbreviation for Name
29d What holds washing up for Margaret (3)
PEG Something to hold washing on a line or a diminutive form of Margaret
One of the most enjoyable crosswords I’ve had the pleasure of solving in a long time. Full of humour and subtle clueing.
I spent longer parsing than solving but got there eventually.
Ticks all over the place, especially 30a, 4d and 18d.
Congrats on a fine piece of work to Prime and thanks to CS.
What an excellent puzzle! A slow start that picked up speed as I got a foothold.
Too many ticks to select a favourite, but my top three might be 32a, 23d and 26d.
Many thanks to Prime and to CS.
5* for enjoyment
Yep, one of the best puzzles of the year without a doubt, whether as Toughie or back page. Grinning almost from first to last. Ticks everywhere, so shall limit to 21a, 2d & 3d.
Thank you so much, Prime, 5+ for enjoyment today. Thanks also to CS for the blog.
What a pleasure after yesterday’s dnf. An absolute belter. I hadn’t heard of 16a but fairly clued. Almost impossible to pick a favourite, so many to choose from, but I’ll go with 11a. Thanks to Prime and CS.
Re 16a, TG – I’m sure you will have heard a version, at least, of his “Fanfare for the Common Man” (performed by ELP), but it’s well-worth listening to some of his other best-known works, such as Appalachian Spring and Rodeo. A hugely influential C20th US composer.
A delightful puzzle – many thanks to Prime and CS.
Among my many ticked clues were 5a, 24a, 32a and 23d with my favourite being the excellent 1d.
Mercifully easier than yesterday & a super puzzle too. Along with an excellent back-pager we’ve been well & truly entertained today. Ticks too numerous to mention – pretty well loved ‘em all.
Thanks to Prime & to Sue
Yes, a bit easier than yesterday’s but just as much fun. Top picks were 11a [it’s all about European country] 30a [white house! ladies!] and 4d [which took a great deal of cogitation].
Thanks to Prime and CS.
Re 26d, mitres are worn by bishops who are the head of dioceses but not of cathedrals. The heads of cathedrals are deans who are priests and who do not wear mitres. The clue is therefore not strictly accurate.
You changed from Grammarian to Ecclesiasticus so your comment required moderation. Both aliases will work from now on.
Many thanks Gazza.
A thoroughly enjoyable solve with just the right level of difficulty to keep us on our toes and having fun.
Thanks Prime and CS.
A good Wednesday solve. 22d and 16a fun but 1d gets my biccy.
Thanks to Prime and Sue
Thought this was excellent and trickier than CS’s difficulty rating (as is often the case). But it was beautifully clued with lots of humour and misdirection – a delight to solve.
Many thanks to Prime and CS for unravelling the parsing.