Toughie No 3477 by Zenas
Hints and tips by ALP
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
I think this could well be Zenas’ best yet. Smart and precise (but, of course!) wordplay and fun thinking. The one (for me) unknown (8d) was very fairly clued. No complaints there. I hugely enjoyed this. All yours.
Across
1a At Cenotaph, bishop represented king giving tribute (3,2,3,4)
PAT ON THE BACK: ATCENOTAPH+B, represented, plus the abbreviation for “king”. I was mildly surprised and delighted to see Zenas include an abbreviation in an anagram. Proof, if proof were needed, that it’s absolutely fine to do this!
9a Papal internet provider accepts position in charge (9)
APOSTOLIC: Internet provider (one not as dominant as it was in the 90s) accepts/contains position/job, plus the usual “in charge”.
10a Will break sanction (5)
LEAVE: Smart triple definition.
11a Main way bohemian embraces old queen (6)
ARTERY: Bohemian/creative contains/embraces our late queen.
12a Traitor has malignant side (8)
BLACKLEG: Malignant (medically, etc, as per Chambers) + side (think cricket).
13a I’m obliged to pay newcomer returning moonshine (6)
DEBTOR: Newcomer (in society, say – shortened) + moonshine/rubbish, reversed/returning.
15a Pantomime elephant entertains quiet wife (8)
DUMBSHOW: (Animated) elephant contains/entertains quiet/hush + the usual “wife”. Jolly surface.
18a Turns up with Ultravox singer swaggering (8)
COCKSURE: Turns up (a collar, etc) plus Midge.
19a Transatlantic partners recalled including note in puzzle (6)
SUDOKU: The two countries that allegedly still have a “special relationship” reversed/recalled, containing/including a (Sound of Music) note.
21a Release foreign articles about Rogers? (8)
UNBUCKLE: Two foreign articles (French) outside/about (comic strip>screen spaceman) Rogers.
23a Vehicle leaving Nicaragua crashed into animal (6)
IGUANA: NI[CAR]AGUA, crashed.
26a Foreign characters involved in Balkan jingoism (5)
KANJI: Lurker, hidden in the last two words.
27a Delay backing leading group with theory for the production of electricity (9)
GALVANISM: Delay/falling behind, reversed (backing) + leading group (short form, of military origin) + a three-letter “theory”, usually tacked on as a suffix.
28a Peter Andre denoted voice as “Out of danger” (4,3,5)
SAFE AND SOUND: Crosswordy “peter” + [AND]re (denoted – brilliant) + (to) voice.
Down
1d Bill is in Penny Lane meeting comedian (7)
PLACARD: The usual “penny” + abbreviation for “lane” + comedian/wit.
2d Schubert piano quintet rehearsal omits last bit of harmony (5)
TROUT: Rehearsal (3-3) loses/omits [harmon]Y.
3d Disreputable number associated with riotous cavorting (9)
NOTORIOUS: Abbreviated “number” + RIOTOUS, cavorting.
4d Sacred tree – only one left (4)
HOLY: Small tree/shrub (evergreen) with only one of its two L[efts].
5d Bug found by advisory group brought up by incompetent under-secretary (8)
BACILLUS: The UK’s free public advisory group reversed/brought up + a Chambered synonym for “incompetent” + the abbreviation for “under-secretary”.
6d Two forms of short shivery painful condition (5)
COLIC: Two synonyms of shivery (both missing the last letter) spliced together.
7d Fuss when heartless youth disrupts dance spectacles? (8)
BALLYHOO: Y[outh] + crosswordy “spectacles” disrupt/go inside “dance”.
8d Pay, say, raised to get cheap jewellery (6)
GEEGAW: Pay/salary + say/for example, reversed/raised = an alternative spelling for a synonym of cheap jewellery/bauble.
14d Nerve of philosopher defending court edict originally (8)
BACKBONE: 16/17th century philosopher contains/defends (a division of the High) Court (lovely) + E[dict].
16d Music produced by crude whistle-blower? (9)
BLUEGRASS: Crude/rude + whistle-blower/sneak.
17d Beginning to postpone changing hands (8)
PROLOGUE: to postpone/discontinue, switching the R[ight] to a L[eft]. “Postpone” is interesting as Chambers marks this as a Shakespearean definition. Fair enough!
18d Supporters of Chapter Masses (6)
CRUCKS: The abbreviation for “chapter” + masses/multitudes.
20d Bermudan heading off flying without weapons (7)
UNARMED: [B]ERMUDAN, flying.
22d Friend coming from march in Aldershot (5)
CHINA: Lurker, hidden in the last three words.
24d Posh English operatic princess retracted valediction (5)
ADIEU: The usual “posh” and “English” plus operatic princess (Gilbert and Sullivan), reversed/retracted.
25d Galleon oddly in gorge (4)
GLEN: G[a]L[l]E[o]N
A lovely mix of clues: four anagrams, two lurkers, a triple and an alternate, plus a fair bit of reversal. Supremely convincing surfaces throughout. I did very much admire 10a and 21a’s “Rogers” but I think my favourites were 13a, 28a and 14d. How did you get on?
It took me quite a while to get on to the right wavelength. Eventually when I did it all came together slowly but surely, although I do think it was rather tough for a Tuesday Toughie when compared with the likes of Dada, Chalicea and Donnybrook. Nevertheless I did enjoy the solve with 10a (excellent triple definition), 28a & 14d making it onto my podium.
Three new words for me today: 15a, 8d & 18d.
Many thanks to Zenas and to ALP.
Super, super puzzle. Started at a gallop, finished the last few rather more slowly. Great surfaces, all scrupulously fair, some interesting and uncommon synonyms. I needed to confirm the foreign characters, and spent a long while with my last two in – trying to justify the triple def in 10a, and the masses in 18d.
I’ve got to go for 16d as my COTD, but I could put a dozen on the podium. Thank you Zenas for an absolute cracker, and thanks also to ALP
Re 16d – ALP, I see you that version of The Boy Who Wouldn’t Hoe Corn and raise you with the incomparable Alison Krauss & Union Station, live in Kentucky (2002), running Peadar O’Donnell into The Boy Who Wouldn’t Hoe Corn. If you want to skip the first instrumental track, go to about 4’04 for the start of The Boy … The video quality is dire, but the sound is great. The studio recordings aren’t bad either.
No contest – would love to see Union Station live. My fav bluegrass band though The Steeldrivers ran ‘em close. Dan Tyminski’s & Alison in a band an unbeatable combo. Their latest album is great too.
Pretty tricky but very enjoyable – thanks to Zenas and ALP.
I do wonder why the Telegraph schedule Zenas puzzles on Tuesdays which are supposed to be the easiest Toughies of the week.
I knew the 8d jewellery from previous puzzles but had never heard of the 18d supporters and spent some time trying to justify ‘chunks’.
For my podium I selected the clever 10a triple, 28a and 6d.
Liked this one. Learnt some new words (like 8D and 26A) but all could be deduced from the clues. Thanks to setter! 👍
Didn’t know 25a, 26a or 2d and 5d was (and remains) a bung in, incompetent? Needed the hint to parse 6d, I just couldn’t see it. Most of the rest I found plain difficult. Favourite was 17d mainly because I got it and parsed it. Thanks to Zenas and ALP.
Yes, I couldn’t think of a phrase/sentence in which “incompetent” could exactly be substituted. But I imagine there is one as that definition is there in Chambers, next to incorrect!
I found this much tougher than the usual Tuesday Toughie. It felt more like a Thursday. I found several of my answers difficult to parse, so thank you ALP for switching the light on. 18D was my only failure with “chunks’ a bung-in. I didn’t realise “rucks” were masses, so something else I’ve learnt.
From lots of smart clues 10A, 28A and 6D take the podium.
Thank you ALP for the blog and Zenas for the challenge.
Add me to the chunks club so a DNF & it needed 3 letter reveals & a couple of corrections en route to get that far. Anyone finishing that one unaided deserves a hearty 1a – ** stars for difficulty my eye & as Gazza said a puzzle probably better suited to a later in the week slot. That said very much enjoyed the uphill struggle – lots of great clues incl 9,12,18,19&21a plus 7,16&17d with the triple taking top spot.
Thanks to Zenas & to ALP – 👍 for Walter, Jake & MTF & liked that Glen Hansard number.
I find myself in complete agreement with Gazza. Certainly high on enjoyment (28a is a great surface, as well as being very clever – my clear favourite). My only very minor quibble is that there are as many unchanged hands in 17d as changed ones, although you could make a case for postpone doing double service by suggestion changing the second of them.
Thanks to Zenas for the fun, and ALP for the blog.
Evening everyone. Many thanks to all who have commented and to ALP to the review.
Huge thanks for popping in, and for an absolute snorter.
2*/3* …
liked 11A “Main way Bohemian embraces old queen (6)”