Toughie 3489 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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Toughie 3489

by ALP  

Toughie No 3489 by Chalicea
Hints and tips by ALP

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***

It’s Chalicea, doing what she does best. Other than one Shakespearean burst, there’s nowt exotic here – just good clean fun. All yours.

Across

4a Singer regenerating old times (8)
MELODIST: OLDTIMES, regenerating.

8a Two lots of gold surrounding queen, a beautiful luminous sight (6)
AURORA: The two “gold”s contain/surround the abbreviation for “queen” + ‘A’.

9a Stretch thus, following Shirley B’s predecessor on Strictly (8)
LENGTHEN: Thus/so after/following the former Strictly Come Dancing head judge. Note the ‘B’ not Ballas.

10a Titles adapted for pointed item (8)
STILETTO: TITLES, adapted, plus a synonym of “for”.

11a Critically examine sites periodically for meetings (6)
TRYSTS: Critically examine (in court) + S[i]T[e]S.

12a Dull, principally ragged old hat (8)
SOMBRERO: Dull/gloomy + R[agged] plus the usual “old”.

13a Woman in command in Italian city (8)
VERONICA: The abbreviated “in command” in(side) an Italian city.

16a President in petrol company gets strong coffee (8)
ESPRESSO: Abbreviated “president” goes inside a fuel company.

19a Means of identifying phone function on the phone (4,4)
CALL SIGN: (to) phone + a homophone (on the phone) of a function (maths).

21a Incarnation of backsliding renegade, a vice-admiral (6)
AVATAR: Renegade/traitor + ‘A’ + abbreviated “vice-admiral”, all reversed/backsliding.

23a The gutless politician or a failure essentially not lasting long (8)
TEMPORAL: T[h]E + the usual politician + ‘OR’ + ‘A’ + [fai]L[ure].

24a Good French articles, including plunder for bard’s courtesan (4-4)
BONA-ROBA: “Good”, in French, plus plunder/steal from inside two usual grammatical articles = (Shakespearean) courtesan.

25a Reserve and secure way of reducing swelling (3,3)
ICE BAG: Reserve/coldness + secure/seize.

26a Plan of support also adjusted (8)
PROPOSAL: Support/strut + ALSO, adjusted.

Down

1d Public sale‘s advanced noisy ruckus not beginning (7)
AUCTION: Abbreviation for “advanced” + noisy ruckus/row, minus the first letter.

2d Tolerate after knockout in the manner of Aussie icon (5,4)
KOALA BEAR: Tolerate/stand after the shortened “knockout” and “in the manner of”.

3d Lanark’s vegetable is of poor quality, we’re told (6)
TATTIE: Homophone of “of poor quality” = a vegetable, as it’s known in Scotland.

4d Russian statesman given drink, an explosive mixture (7,8)
MOLOTOV COCKTAIL: Former Soviet PM + (type of) drink.

5d Enduring depressing prospect for pupil awaiting the holidays (4-4)
LONG-TERM: What might drag on to depress a school pupil who can’t wait for the holidays?

6d Slightly crazy, marked with spots (5)
DOTTY: Double definition.

7d Disbeliever, festering, catching cold (7)
SCEPTIC: Festering/infected, catching/containing the usual “cold”.

14d One extremely senior monk changing – one who eschews the habit? (3-6)
NON-SMOKER: ONE+S[enio]R+MONK, changing.

15d Taking excessive interest in America, unusual leader gets ousted (8)
USURIOUS: One of the usual “America”s + unusual/odd, minus the first letter.

17d Redeemer‘s one penetrating distinctive quality (7)
SAVIOUR: The usual “one” penetrating/inside distinctive quality/taste.

18d Tropical lizards from Guiana capriciously scuttle primarily (7)
IGUANAS: GUIANA, capriciously, + S[cuttle].

20d Clear gait impeded by injury I ultimately suffered (6)
LIMPID: Gait impeded by injury/hobble + ‘I’ + [suffere]D.

22d Vagrant Frenchman taken in by hidden danger (5)
TRAMP: Frenchman/monsieur taken in/inside hidden danger/pitfall.

Very gentle indeed, with four anagrams, two homophones and one double definition. I liked 12a and 14d but 9a gets my vote. How did you get on?

PS … this is, by the way, my last Tuesday blog as an exciting new debutant starts here next week. And what fun I’ve had. Best thanks all. But, before you start cracking open the champagne, ’tis just a reshuffle. I will be back … on another day. Sorry about that!

17 comments on “Toughie 3489”

  1. A delightful challenge from the Floughie Lady – 1.5*/4.5*

    9a was a bung in from three of the checkers because I have no idea who Shirley B and her predecessor are.

    Candidates for favourite – 8a, 19a, and 4d – and the winner is 19a.

    Thanks to Chalicea and ALP.

  2. Many thanks to Chalicea for the puzzle, and to ALP for the review.
    The only one I needed to confirm was 24a.

  3. Lovely puzzle, very much a Floughie, and I do hope those who don’t usually venture to the “inside pages” for their crossword give this one a go. COTD 9a, by a distance. Was delighted to work out the Chalicea-trademark 24a and on then looking it up, see that my answer was correct. Definitely a NHO. Some lovely surfaces.

    Many thanks to Chalicea and ALP

  4. Largely straightforward and very enjoyable. Thank you Chalicea and ALP.
    Ticks for 4a, 9a and 13a.
    DNK 24a, but managed to guess/work out the answer.
    I hope RD and TDS are managing to stay dry at The Oval.

    1. Having lost a half-hour at the start because the West Indies team were stuck in traffic, we’ve now lost another hour and twenty minutes due to rain.

      If there’s no more rain we will get underway again in 20 minutes.

  5. An enjoyable, if not overly demanding start to the Toughie week.
    24a a new one for me too, though fairly clued, I inked it in as I was confident my answer had to be the right one.
    My podium today consists of 9a, 14d and 15d, which to my ears has a very pleasing ring to it.
    Thanks to Chalicia and ALP.

  6. Gentle even for Chalicea, though I needed Mrs H to confirm the Strictly reference and had never come across 24a before. I liked the two lots of gold at 8a.
    Thanks to Chalicea and ALP [nice, relaxing selection this week] – are you about to lock horns with the Friday setters?

  7. This was great fun, and was very gentle even by Chalicea’s normal standards.

    24a was of course NHO but the wordplay and crossing letters left no doubt what the answer must be.

    The presumably unintentional very mini Nina in the bottom right hand corner is applicable to cricket 🏏 even though there is no play here at the moment.

    Many thanks to Chalicea and ALP.

  8. A lovely puzzle but I’m afraid it was DNF for me. I simply could not decipher 14d so many thanks, Alp for explaining it for me.

    Thank you, Chalicea for a fun solve, Than you, Alp for the hints.

  9. Clicked with this one for a PB completion time, which I’m rather chuffed with even if it was floughie in the extreme. Like others 24a got from the wordplay. Enjoyable as always.
    Thanks to Chalicea & to ALP – went all in you’d have one of my fav NY songs for 8a

  10. I had a go at this as it was mentioned on the blog as being accessible. It was great fun and I managed to complete it although I did need to check on 24a as I had not heard of it. 9a was brilliant and my favourite.

    Many thanks to Chalicea and to Alp for the hints.

  11. Late in today courtesy of a seemingly pointless hospital appointment. Just as well that our setter was in floughie mode, although she caught me out with the bard’s courtesan and I did try for quite a while to shoehorn an actual president into 16a until the light dawned. Top clues for me were 11&12a plus 2&5d.

    Thanks to Chalicea and to ALP for the review – see you again wherever you pop up next!

  12. Satisfying solve, though I also had to check the Shakespearean courtesan.
    Thanks to Chalicea and ALP, and congrats on your promotion? to another day

  13. Many thanks, Alp and good luck with what is coming next. Thanks to all the appreciative solvers. I love setting them and it’s great when they are appreciated.

  14. 1*/4* ….
    liked 14D “One extremely senior monk changing – one who eschews the habit? (3-6)”

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