Toughie No 3480 by Elgar
Hints and Tips by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty ***** – Enjoyment ****
There were a few relatively friendly clues to get you started on this proper Friday Toughie, but the remainder took quite a bit of working out and I still don’t understand 1a
Please let us know what you thought
Across
1a Here’s the money which dad is paying mum – which is in that statement (dad’s not, oddly) (8,7)
RELATIVE PRONOUN I wrote this in from the checking letters; I can see there are examples in the clue but apart from that …..
9a Circle & Central Line’s surprisingly direct – this chap is aboard (9)
DIAMETRIC Relating to the central line of a circle – an anagram (surprisingly)of DIRECT inserted into which is the way Elgar might say he (this chap) is
10a Laid back, insist on not having a lock (5)
TRESS A reversal (laid back) of a verb meaning to insist on without the A
11a Icing on outside WC blocked house (5)
IGLOO The outside letters of IcinG and an informal WC
12a Spooner’s Muscadet Guide on the way (5,4)
WHITE LINE How Spooner might describe a Muscadet
13a Hospital unit on which I depend in every respect (8)
ENTIRELY An abbreviated hospital unit, I (from the clue) and a verb meaning to depend
14a Son, a little over 3, worked out plug (6)
SPIGOT The abbreviation for Son, a symbol used in maths for the ration of the circumference of a circle to the diameter (which just happens to be a number a little over 3) and a simple way of saying worked out
16a What one working behind bar gets, after a splash of soda? (6)
SIPHON What one working behind a bar would get when wanting (after) a splash of soda. S (a ‘splash’ of Soda) I (Roman numeral for one), an abbreviated public house (bar) and the usual two-letter working
18a Formal businesses at launch are wanting commitment (5-3)
BLACK-TIE The letter that ‘launches’ Businesses, without (are wanting) and a commitment
22a Extraction of all taste from second edition, which has axed pub (9)
RELISHING A second issue of a book, perhaps, without (has axed) PUB
23a An ounce of Chinese heather dresses what’s left of abrasion (5)
LIANG Another name for the heather plant ‘dresses’ the letter at the left of Abrasion
24a Family symbol connected with old books on counter (5)
TOTEM A reversal (on counter) of a synonym for connected and the Books of the Old Testament
25a Increase of garden visitors achieved at a canter? (9)
TITUPPING Split 3,6 this might refer to an increase of a particular garden bird
26a My mistake is temperature, with my play set out in the sun (1,5,9)
I STAND CORRECTED IS (from the clue), the abbreviation for Temperature, a conjunction meaning with, an informal interjection of surprise (my), an informal word for play and spread (newly mown grass) in the sun to dry
Down
1d Concerned with Hubble possibly entering port? (3,4)
RED WINE The usual two-letter on the subject of, concerned with, into which is inserted the forename of Mr Hubble, the American astronomer
2d Bill happily left alone doing skips (7)
LEAFLET An anagram (happily) of LEFT ALonE, skipping the ON (doing)
3d/6d Change of fortune: these holy foes approach me? (3,4,8,2,3,10)
THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE Originally written in from the definition and enumeration but I did check that an anagram (change) of FORTUNE THESE HOLY FOES APPROACH ME did produce the solution
4d Fit easily (4,4)
VERY WELL Fit as in healthy, or easily
5d Best take unfinished food outside (6)
PICNIC The best of something and an informal word meaning to take or steal, both without their final letters (unfinished)
6d See 3 Down
7d Bag nine points – up to claim first stage (7)
OPENING Hidden in reverse (up to claim) in baG NINE POints
8d Boy upsetting women’s lunch, a 5! (2,5)
NO SWEAT Another meaning of the solution of 5d is that it is easy – a reversal (upsetting) of a male child (boy), an abbreviated way of writing Women’S followed by a verb meaning to lunch
15d Barmy Army now like this rascal! (8)
BLIGHTER If you remove the ARMY from Barmy you make the B xxxxxxx!
16d Laughs about relocating the first passages to the end (7)
STRETTI Musical passages – a reversal (about) of some laughs once you have moved the first letter to almost the end
17d Coat pocket carries a permit (7)
PALETOT A (from the clue) and a verb meaning to permit inserted into a verb meaning to pocket (a snooker ball perhaps)
19d Someone behind dictator that sari still hides (7)
TSARIST Hidden in thaT SARI STill
20d The last of cheese soufflé and egg sandwiches spoken for (7)
ENGAGED An anagram (souffle) of AND EGG ‘sandwiches’ the last letter of cheesE
21d Parts of plan switched old signals, of course (3-3)
TIC-TAC Switch the two halves of a six-letter plan
We know what to expect from Elgar and he’s delivered again today. Thanks to him for the enjoyable challenge and to CS for the blog..
Like CS I’m unable to parse 1a and I’d be pleased to be enlightened.
For my podium I’ve selected 16a, 5d and 8d.
I rather enjoyed this although not without a couple of hold-ups. I took the second half of 1a as the definition.
Thanks to CS and Elgar.
This was definitely not as difficult as some of Elgar’s offering, although still a ***** grilling.
I also couldn’t parse 1A, but from the letters I had, it had to be that.
Some tremendous clues as we’ve come to expect from the maestro. My picks went to 16,22, and 26A, with 5 and 21D.
Many thanks to CS for your helpful blog and Elgar for the battle.
What an enjoyable crossword my thanks to Cryptic Sue and Elgar, as I may have said before I am beginning to enjoy my Friday with Elgar. Do I need help? (ha ha)
Happy Solving Worworcrossol
While I found 3/4 of this quite achievable (if, as with others at 1a, not entirely parsable) I was bowled all ends up with a few in the S. Not sure when I last saw a soda siphon anywhere, let alone in a pub, and the surface definition doesn’t really work for me; 15d a biff while 25a eluded me entirely; was delighted (stunned) to recall 17d, but needed e-help for 16d (incidentally, CS, I think the definition is “passages to the end” with the wordplay just being a relocation of the leading T before carrying out the reversal).
What a remarkable anagram for 3/6d, and some cracking surfaces throughout. Podium places to 26a, 3/6d & 13a.
Many thanks to Elgar but especially to Cryptic Sue, and your phenomenal solving abilities!
I think the first part of 1a is an example of a phrase containing a 1a, the bit after the dash is instructions on how to find it, and “(dad’s not, oddly)” is saying that ‘dad’ is not a 1a, which is odd, because you might expect it to be one given the words it’s made of.
Lovely crossword, pleased to have cracked. I must confess to a quick peek in the dictionary to confirm that 25a really is a word.
Thanks Elgar and CS.
That makes sense.
I enjoyed this puzzle, got there with a bit of checking of theories in the app, but in my book that’s totally allowed with this setter.
Thanks.
A mix of fairly straightforward clues with some fiendish ones and a couple of new to me words (25a/17d) which fortunately I was able to get from the checkers and the clues before checking online.
Thanks to Elgar, and to Crypticsue for explaining (I’ve not seen the “out in the sun” word used before, maybe surprisingly).
I did wonder if there was to be a Nina, as three letters in the penultimate row seemed to go with 21d, but if there is anything else in there, I am not seeing it.
Closest I’ve EVER come to completing an Elgar unaided, with 2 answers missing; 15d and 25a. Might have completed if I’d ever heard the term re 25a!! Challenging for me, but enjoyable!