Sunday Toughie No 183
by proXimal
Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee
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A classic proXimal toughie, with a Spoonerism to start and a couple of compound anagrams that I enjoyed solving last night.
14a and 14d clues, and I have hinted half. I hope you find the checkers you need, but will provide a nudge if it keeps you away from DanWord and the like.
Over the last few weeks, we have had quite a few clues for which the data-miners suggest alternative answers. I hope my readers don’t rely on them. I have had reports of a large number of entries received at Telegraph Towers that prefer to believe DodgyDan and the like. The sole purpose of these sites is to sell advertising and other clickbait, maybe try the interactive guide to solving that the DT are doing for the Centenary instead.
For new solvers, there will be an interactive guide on solving cryptic crosswords published on the day of the centenary itself: July 30. On the same day, drop in to Waterloo Station if you happen to be near it for an immersive Telegraph Puzzles event. There will even be a Matt cartoon.
Here we go, Folks…
As it is a Prize puzzle I can only hint at a few and hope that will give you the checkers and inspiration to go further. I’ll return with the full review blog just after the closing date. Don’t forget to follow BD’s instructions in RED at the bottom of the hints!
I hope I don’t have to redact any comments but I am new at this and don’t want to rock the boat. If in doubt, I’ll rub it out! I think that sentence is a bit redundant. You have all been so helpful in sorting out prior parsing failures, and I am sure I will need similar help again.
Most of the terms used in these hints are explained in the Glossary and examples are available by clicking on the entry under “See also” Where the hint describes a construct as “usual” this means that more help can be found in The Usual Suspects, which gives a number of the elements commonly used in the wordplay. Another useful page is Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing, which features words with meanings that are not always immediately obvious. Don’t forget the Mine of Useful information that Big Dave and his son Richard so meticulously prepared for us.
A full review of this puzzle will be published after the closing date for submissions. Some hints follow: Remember the site rules and play nicely.
Across
1a Parasite acted as Prime Minister, according to Spooner (4,5)
The task of acting as the Prime Minister in his absence is given the Spooner treatment.
10a Tearful graduate rejected love of the Parisian (7)
A higher arts graduate, then a reversals of “of” in French and a score that is the same as love.
12a Heard those testing recorders (9)
Recorders or those who write annual records, are a homophone (heard) of those who test by scientific method.
16a Law enforcement groups displaying “Fraud’s unacceptable” on front of large sign (14)
Lego™ Time. Start with some frauds, add a variant spelling of unacceptable or forbidden, a large abbreviation and one of the signs of the zodiac.
20a Independent manner ultimately displeased hosts (9)
The ultimate letter of manner is hosted in a synonym of displeased, which is formed from a negative prefix and a synonym of pleased.
23a Sacking on article splits (7)
I had several possibilities here, but when I dismissed the splitting of The County of Yorkshire into thirds, I went with a synonym of on a horse or bicycle perhaps, split by the indefinite article.
26a Clearly play second fiddle to marshal, abandoning plans of rebelling (9)
The proXimal™ compound anagram – (marshal) the letters of play second fiddle into a synonym of clearly, but “abandon” an anagram (rebelling) of “plans of” before the shuffling.
Down
1d Killer – popular song starts to make Adamski notable (6)
The starts to the last three words follow a popular song.
3d Can you see orator that’s rich? (4,4,7)
A phrase like “that’s rich” that points out hypocrisy, to see or observe and an identifying phrase for the orator.
5d Cooking himself, the man setting aside fish prepared cheese (9)
Another proXimal™ compound anagram (cooking) of himself the man, but set aside an anagram (prepared) of fish before you start.
6d Description of Day-Lewis’s stunt replacement stowed in vessel (6-9)
A stuntman who replaces an actor in dangerous scenes, chosen for his close resemblance, and stowed in vessels.
I am reminded of my Grandad Emm, unlike me, his preferred tipple was rum. He always related the tale of the death of Nelson and the temporary “coffin” used to preserve his body. Grandad always wanted to find that “coffin” to move the bones to one side and drink the “soup.”
15d Cops, ones arresting jerk endlessly (8)
An informal synonym of cops. The ones in a deck of cards, contains most of (endlessly) a sudden turn, twist or jerk.
17d Not so confident approach ignoring a rival (7)
A noun for one who is a rival follows to approach without the a.
21d Dialect of doctor entertaining scientific group (5)
An informal doctor around the scientific group who give the entertaining Christmas lectures.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doric_dialect_(Scotland)
Under a spoiler but an interesting read.
Compiler
proXimal
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A typically toothsome Spooner to kick off and I always enjoy P’s special anagrams, be they deletion or compound. 16a was fun to piece together and 3d tickled me. Etc. Best thanks to proXimal and Sloop. Nice Ozzy touch to finish. Sad that the Tour’s coming to an end, but let’s hope for a slightly closer finish next year, eh?
I don’t think that today’s stage will be the usual procession, but I can’t see anyone taking enough time off Tadej. It won’t be the same without Ned and David to explain the ins and outs. I think I will wait for the Edinburgh Grand Départ in 2027 before subscribing again.
It’s a bold route, to be sure. But no, bar a crash that no one wants to see, Pog’s lead is unassailable.
Got there by myself today without having to look at the hints.
Favourite, much as I hate to say it, is the 1a Spoonerism.
Thanks for the spoiler as that is what we spoke when I was growing up. Most of the authors mentioned are on my bookshelves. Sadly, it seems to be slowly dying out due to the influence of television and southern incomers.
Thanks to proximal and SJB.
I doubt we will hear that dialect when the Tour comes to Edinburgh..
Although the answer I have for 25a seems ok in one way, I can’t parse it properly. Submitted in hope! Thanks for both of your puzzles this week proXimal, and thanks if you can enlighten me on the above SJB
A small abbreviation and a usual around approximation, and a piece of material should lead to a bony part of the neck (particularly in sheep)
Ah thanks. Was looking for a 4 letter word for piece of material reversed. Obvious now!
An enjoyable puzzle from the ever-reliable Mr X – thanks to him and SJB.
I don’t think 1a is quite right; it’s not the PM’s role to do what Spooner thought but that of a different minister.
My ticks went to 16a, 25a, 3d and 6d.
I thought that Lucy Powell (the current incumbent) acted on the Prime Ministers behalf in his absence, but maybe my knowledge of parliamentary protocol is somewhat wanting.
When the PM’s away his deputy stands in for him but the L***** of the H**** is a specific job whose role is to organise business in the Commons. As you say Ms Powell is the current incumbent.
I always forget about our setter’s penchant for compound anagrams which often leads to some parsing head-scratching but today it was the small piece of material that led me astray so I was very grateful for our blogger’s nudge.
Top clues here for the smile factor were 9&13a plus 3d.
Thanks to proXimal and to SJB for the hints.
I usually solve these online but the compounds always give me grief , as I need pen and paper to sort them out. My notes this morning are a veritable scribble
Another cracker from proXimal with all his particular quirks to enjoy.
Managed to get this done in fits and starts whilst on volunteering duty at our rural museum.
The old bill stationed in16a is my COTD, followed by the 10a tear jerker and the wealthy speaker depicted in 3d.
Thanks to proXimal and SJB
10a reminded me of the nickname for lachrymosal fellow who was a bit of a Reginald, from the former chancellor and home secretary whose surname was similar.
I thought of him too as I put the answer in.
Showing our age, John.
There is a tiny hamlet a few hundred yards south of Steyning, West Sussex, called (answer to 10a), oddly enough a few hundred yards west of an old railway line, which is now the Steyning bypass, axed by one of similarly named politician’s associates.
As Grandad Emm was won’t to say;
It’s a small world – but I wouldn’t like to paint it!
Mmm. Emm. From your previous anecdote re Nelson and the soup, he sounds like a fearsome person!
No he was a kitten really, He was originally a miner in Ashington and when he got out of the pit he became a butcher and 25a end of lamb was probably his favourite thing.
Thank you SJB for the hints. I got into a right pickle last night and gave up with most of the south west blank! All sorted this morning after reading your hints.
Thank you Proximal for a great puzzle. I’m finally getting the hang of your compound anagrams.
Happy Monday to you all
I’m glad you Njoy-ed it
Started this late last night but the eyelids said no more with 3 hold outs in the SW. Completed this morning though the the displeased synonym eluded me in the why at 20a & I’m not entirely confident my entry at last in 15d is correct – is it not cops that’s the informal synonym of the answer? Also I can’t quite reconcile my synonym for jerk having removed the outer letters.
Enjoyed the puzzle (though Friday’s back-pager had the edge on this for me) & pleased to twig the compound anagram straight away for a change so that can have my vote as pick of the clues.
Thanks to proXimal & to John
I don’t like making displeased from a negative prefix on pleased either. Cops is an informal synonym but the jerk just loses one letter from the end.
Ah got the synonym-not what I was thinking but still a tad tenuous methinks. Ta
Rejuvenated by a good night’s sleep I thoroughly enjoyed this puzzle alongside my morning tea. I thought it was a bit trickier than some other recent proXimal Toughies, but that just added to the enjoyment. A number of whimsical surfaces also kept me amused, e.g. 4d and 14d. The Spoonerism received its usual tick, and 1a was followed by 10a, 12a, 16a, 25a & 5d – the latter being another trademark clue with its customary tick. The 3rd trademark clue with its inventive ‘anagrind’s just missed out on the list. I had to work hardest in the SW corner, where 20a, 23a and 15d kept me at bay for a while. Pennies duly dropped on 20a and 23a which (if I have it right) confirmed my thoughts on 15d although, a bit like Huntsman, I was somewhat reluctant to accept the synonym I have for ‘jerk’ (which then loses just the last letter). I didn’t know that 21d could be a dialect, but I’m not too well versed in the ancient language in question!
Many thanks to proXimal for a fine challenge, and to SJB for the hints and tips.
P.S. Pogacar’s GC win was delivered with panache; but I thought the ride of the Tour came in Ben O’Connor’s win on stage 18: 5,500m of elevation over a 171.5km route finishing in the clouds high above Courcheval. How do they manage to do that?!
Looking at the BRB the jerk is one of those “once removed” synonyms i.e. the answer we need to truncate has jerk as one of its synonyms but not vice versa. The thesaurus was no help either, the entry for both words makes no mention of the other.
I think this may well be the first time I have attempted a ProXimal Toughie as I always felt it would doubtless be too difficult.
I’m delighted to say I thoroughly enjoyed this puzzle and have a completed grid without recourse to any hints.
My page is covered in ticks. 6d is top of my podium, followed by 25a (one of my first in). I also very much liked 13a, 16a, 3d and 15d, amongst others.
23a was my last in and caused a good deal of head-scratching. Having now read Sloop John Bee’s excellent hints and tips, I see I have parsed it in the same way as he has.
Thank you very much for this super entertaining Toughie, Proximal. Most enjoyable indeed.
And huge thanks too to Sloop John Bee. I enjoyed reading through your hints and loved the illustrations, especially 1a. Lots of laughs! I’m looking forward to the full review in due course.
I had a similar trouble understanding 23a as my comment about thirds of Yorkshire indicates. I also had other possibilities that I will save for the review as I am in danger of having to censor myself. The reviews tend to be a little “dry” in comparison with hints blogs