Toughie No 3464 by Elgar
Hints and Tips by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty ***** – Enjoyment *****
Elgar was obviously wearing his fluffy slippers instead of his hob-nailed boots when he set this crossword as I had a completed grid a lot sooner than several recent Elgar Toughies. It was still a full-on Friday Toughie, just slightly less fiendish than usual
Please let us know what you thought
Across
1a/31a What adds something outstanding on tour of China? (6,6)
SUMMER PALACE Someone or something that adds and an informal adjective meaning outstanding between which is inserted (on tour of) an informal friend (China being Cockney Rhyming Slang for friend)
4a Aren’t its components moving? (5,3)
TRAIN SET An anagram (moving) of ARENT ITS
9a/13a To see us shift 4 grand is so easy – invest pounds (6,5)
DOLLAR SIGNS A lovely definition. An anagram (easy) of GRAND IS SO into which is invested two Ls (Pounds Sterling)
10a What’s in pot – une pièce de résistance – in oven? I’m flexible (8)
OMNIVORE The letter in the middle of pOt, followed by one (une) ‘piece’ of Resistance inserted into an anagram (flexible) of IIN OVEN IM
12a Not a specific problem for the audience (4)
SOME A homophone (for the audience) of a mathematical problem
13a See 9 Across
14a Restaurateur’s offering to text us both (4)
MENU A list of ‘offerings’ in a restaurant could be text-speak for us both
17a Silly not coming to me following emotional blow? (2,3,7)
ON THE REBOUND An anagram (silly) of NOT, an instruction to a dog, perhaps, meaning coming to me, and an emotional blow
20a Women, it was said, wrongly taking time off with jilted partner of broadcaster (3,6,3)
THE FAIRER SEX The act of stealing (wrongly taking) without the final T for Time and a former partner going after a someone who broadcasts
23a One directing spies to track the US? No! (4)
THEM The person directing James Bond and other spies goes after (to track) THE (from the clue)
24a/29a Having nipped back, batter well done? (5,6)
CLEAN BOWLED An anagram (batter) of BACk (nipped telling you to omit the K) WELL DONE
25a Archbishop’s appendage carried back to front (4)
EBOR The title given to the Archbishop of York, deriving from the abbreviation for the Latin name for the city. Cycle the letter at the ‘back’ of a synonym for carried to the front of the word
28a The writer’s favourite work receives a single complaint (8)
IMPETIGO How our writer would say he was going to, a favourite and a verb meaning to work into which is inserted (receives) the Roman numeral for one (single)
29a See 24 Across
30a Something I’ll wager will embellish social event in the City? (8)
ANECDOTE A type of bet
(something I’ll wager) will embellish or ‘decorate the outside of’ the postal district for the City of London and a party (social event)
31a See 1 Across
Down
1d Suspect whose daughter is setting up diversion (8)
SIDESHOW An anagram (suspect) of WHOSE D (daughter) IS
2d So only the she-dog will bark? (8)
MALEMUTE The name of this Alaskan dog would imply that a he-dog would be unable to bark (speak)
3d Ronnie’s (or Reggie’s!) aunt has adopted one of the twins (4)
ESAU An Old Testament twin is adopted by reggiES AUnt
5d Diversion from suffering Maryland-Ohio trains (5,7)
ROMAN HOLIDAY An entertainment or profit derived from the suffering of others. An anagram (trains) of MARYLAND OHIO Yes, I know the illustration has nothing to do with the definition but…
6d Flag of the Taoiseach perhaps finally taken down (4)
IRIS This flag is a flower. Relating to the Taoiseach or his country without the last letter (finally taken down)
7d/16d Buried detail from censured nude won Surrealists over (6,5)
SNOWED UNDER Hidden in reverse (over) in censuRED NUDE WON Surrealists
8d See 21 Down
11d Stuff removed from delicate projectile’s path (4,2,6)
LINE OF FLIGHT A verb meaning to stuff, an adverb meaning removed from and a synonym for delicate
15d/22d Constitution’s beginning to help poorly baby set about taking exercise (2,3,6)
WE THE PEOPLE The first three words of the American constitution – an anagram (poorly) of TO HELP and PE (exercise) inserted into (set about) inserted into little or tiny (baby)
16d See 7 Down
18d Drab farfalle’s plated up with basil (8)
ISABELLA No-one knows why this name is given to drab, dingy or yellowish grey. For a while your blogger didn’t know how this clue worked either but finally I saw that it is hidden in reverse (up) in farfALLE BASIl
19d Where the privileged learn nothing: Times cryptic grid filling live! (8)
OXBRIDGE The letter representing nothing, the letter used to mean times in a multiplication sum, and an anagram (cryptic) of GRID inserted into a verb meaning to live
21d/8d Barbarian now found in new health unit (6,3,3)
ATTILA THE HUN AT (now, at a precise period of time) inserted into an anagram (new) of HEALTH UNIT
22d See 15 Down
26d Concern for horse-breeding boss (4)
STUD A horse-breeding establishment or a raised knob
27d Part of suite yet to be completed (4)
SOFA An expression meaning yet to be completed without is final letter (yet to be completed!!)
I really enjoyed solving this crossword and didn’t find the whole solving/parsing/blogging process quite as exhausting as some weeks, so, instead of a lie down in a darkened room, I’m off to sit in the sunny garden with a proper traditional fruity Hot Cross Bun, none of this Cheese & Marmite nonsense in our house!
I agree entirely with our blogger’s description of this excellent puzzle. As always it was very fairly clued, yet was missing the impenetrability of some of his more difficult crosswords. That said, this was still a genuine Toughie worthy of the name, with 24/29a combination my favourite(s). Great stuff.
Many thanks to Elgar for the gentle mangling, and to Sue.
Elgar was uncharacteristically generous today in giving us quite a few 4-letter gimmes which were a great help when it came to tackling the remainder of the (much trickier) clues. Many thanks to him and to CS.
My ticks went to 9/13a, 24/29a, 3d and 19d.
Yep – a mildish and fairly straightforward Elgar – for me on a par with yesterday’s kcit offering. Agree with Gazza that some of the weans [and some clear anagrams] were a boon to get cracking. Faves were 20a [lovely construction] 23a [clever] and 2d [obvious really but makes a great clue].
Thanks to Elgar and CS for the blog.
It is always a Good Friday when I do the backpager and Elgar before dark.
Thanks to Sue for showing me the way to the final countdown. And thanks too to Elgar for sending his slightly less brain-mangling twin today
What a relief!
A much more accessible Elgar toughie than many of late and therefore a great deal more enjoyable, with his hallmark subtle clueing nonetheless.
I didn’t know the hound in 2d or that 18d was a colour and have the something to wager in 30a as ante.
COTD 15, & 22d.
Thanks as ever to CS for her usual succinct clarifications and to Elgar for his mercy.
Of course it is. Hint now amended
Cracking puzzle, despite the trademark peripatetic wandering of clues across the grid. 18d made this a DNF for me – 24/29 by Elgar!
Really do have to look at clues differently on a Friday, and this was hugely satisfying to (almost) complete. I loved 9/13, was tempted to disagree with 18d (I did not feel especially privileged…), but there were so many other great clues.
Many thanks indeed to Elgar and Sue (it’s been cold and rained all day here!)
Despite having been to University in York, I needed the hint for the Archbish, then got the butterfly without understanding why. So the collision of previously unknown GK did me in.
Agreed this was a difficult puzzle, but at the doable end of the Elgar spectrum, great fun, and not at all “beyond my pay grade”.
Thanks
Finished, eventually. I gave up yesterday but came back today for another crack at it. Plenty of electronic assistance came into play but I finally got the grid filled in. It’s time now to check the hints for the ones I still can’t parse.
Is the American No for number as in those / them, and the any number greater than one? If it is, it seems a bit of a stretch to me. Perhaps I’m missing something.
I assume that you’re referring to 23a. In the clue US is falsely capitalised so you want the opposite of us.
Yes I should have seen that. The nearest I could see was as in ‘there’s gold in them there hills’. Thanks Gazza.
Elgar at his best. So much more enjoyable when you feel you have a chance, even if it has taken a couple of days. But being ultra picky (and why not, after what he’s out through the past couple of his toughies; and Elgar is normally so very precise) you’ll only get one sign from one shift 4. Thanks Elgar, and to CS for the excellent blog.