Sunday Toughie No 184
by Beam
Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee
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After the Centenary celebrations, we are back to normal with this fine Beam toughie. All his signatures are there, toilet humour, initial letters, underwear, queens and sweethearts and an impressive five-and-a-bit words per clue.
We have a generous 16a and 16d clues, and I have hinted just less than half, allowing me to provide a nudge or two if required.
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 not so new at this any more, but I 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 Sailor on oceans reported guiding light (8)
An informal sailor follows a homophone (reported) of oceans as a vast quantity. The guiding light is a figurative noun for the Pole Star.
10a Bird carried away by old rook (6)
To be wholly engrossed or carried away, and abbreviated old, and the chess notation for a rook.
13a Went up against son in race (5)
Went for “Number Ones” follows an abbreviated son.
19a Joined in lair lizard rolled over (7)
A venomous lizard, whose full name includes monster, and an animal’s lair are reversed (rolled over).
25a View of loch including small head (9)
The map abbreviation of loch, a conjunction for including, s for small and a head or point of land jutting into the sea, lake or loch.
27a Feature about work revealing composer (6)
An abbreviated musical piece of work with a facial feature going about.
too obvious to remain unhidden.
28a Housing people imprisoned by conviction (8)
A conviction or belief “imprison” a term for people that ignores gender.
I went for “number ones” next to Bram Tchaikovsky at a concert in Leeds Uni Refectory once!
29a Recites letters in order for incantations (6)
A double definition.
Down
2d Regretted going north taking to byroad? (6)
A synonym of ‘regretted’ is ‘reversed’ (going north in a down clue) around to from the clue.
6d Undergarment that is about below neck (9)
Neck or cheek, an abbreviated Latin that is, and one of our usual abouts.
8d Piercing Spartacus finally with spear (8)
A final letter and a three-pronged spear.
17d Poles carrying strain making camp (8)
Poles or rods around the strain caused when forcing a square structure into a parallelogram
18d Book about passion’s lacking interest (8)
A large book goes about plural anger, rage or passion.
21d Admit prisoner with iron shackles, gutted (7)
One of our usual prisoners, with the chemical symbol of iron and what remains of shackles when gutted.
a tenuous link to the clue, but any excuse for some more Tomfoolery.
26d Rocked for the audience in leather? (5)
A homophone of a synonym of rocked.
Compiler
Beam
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1a tickled me, 13a’s always an easy smiler and 7d’s smart. Etc. Best thanks to Beam and Sloop.
Really enjoyed this one.
Once I broke the seal at 13a it all flowed freely, though I did get a bit held by the last few drops in the SW.
17d was the last to shake off with the definition of strain holding me up for a while.
Thanks to Beam and SJB, I was relieved to finish in a decent time.
Ha ha – your toilet humour matches Beam’s
Childish I know, John, but once I start, it just keeps gushing out!
Well, the clue of the day has to be 8d, does it not
I also enjoyed 1a, 13a (hah!) and 21d. The lizard in 19a had to be checked out as I wasn’t sure if my memory was serving me well – it doesn’t always, these days!
Interesting hint on 17d, SJB. I went for the kind of strain used in my brain when thinking about 19a! I liked your image for 10a. We’re seeing more of these around Kent these days – always a nice moment when I can be sure I have seen a kite and not the more common buzzard. 13a illustration brought a smile too!
My thanks to Beam and to SJB.
There are loads here, I think they first released some near Eccup reservoir and they have done well. We even disturbed one on its roadkill lunch less than an hour ago.
Red Kite’s not monstrous lizards*
I did strain my brain over 17d too, I didn’t know what to do with the W until I found it was just an alternative 29a’ing
Ah, I see. I’ve never spelled it with a ‘w’ in this sense. I’ve just read an interesting(?) discussion in Merriam-Webster about the alternate forms, but it doesn’t arrive at a definitive conclusion!
Chambers too has a myriad of definitions, not limited to shallow fords and the skin of young rabbits, and don’t forget the slightly vulgar form that would benefit from a well fitted 6d
I’ve just been reading about a stiffness measure when related to the required word in 17d being used for what I have always considered to be ‘shear deformation’. I hadn’t come across the stiffness measure before. I still think the strain used when rummaging in my brain sits better with the clue, though. I wonder what our setter had in mind? The current strain I am enduring is following the state of play at the Oval. Last time I started to watch the match on a screen England immediately lost a wicket, so I don’t know if I dare watch – maybe from behind the sofa…
There are similar warning diagrams on the pallet “shelves” we store stuff on. You don’t want to be up a scissor lift when they sway
Can anyone explain 14 across to me. I just can’t parse it – please
Port is the definition, and it is a reversal of our late queens regnal cipher and a two letter about. (In Israel)
Thanks for the above explanation for 14a, I was struggling with the parsing for it.
A most enjoyable puzzle with a mixture of straightforward answers and some more challenging ones. 5a favourite for me.
Her Indoors (now Her Outdoors walking the dog) saw the 10a illustration here for the first time this morning. Up here, they were first released on The Black Isle (not an island!).
Back to watching adverts on tv annoyingly interrupted by a few minutes of sport.
Thanks to Beam and SJB.
According to the Yorkshire Red Kite Society, there are more than 1000 in Yorkshire now.
https://www.yorkshireredkites.net/
A lightish Toughie from Beam – thanks to him and SJB.
My top three clues were 1a, 5a and 21d.
I don’t understand what men find so appealing about lavatorial humour but I guess ’twas ever thus – silly boys!
That apart, this was an enjoyable Sunday puzzle with my top scores going to 1&29a plus 7&8d.
Devotions as ever to Mr T/Beam and thanks to SJB for the hints.
Ha ha – Beam started it, and I guess Frankie finished it, ????
My apologies, Jane, but after reading 13a, I had nowhere else to go.
“titter”
A brisk solve until a bit of brain fog in the SW – no excuses for struggling to think of the lizard that pops up here every now & again. Got there in the end though. 1&5a plus 15d get the nods for podium spots.
Thanks to Beam & to John
Until it hit the cutting room floor, I considered a Sandra Bullock clip for 15d but it would have had to go under a spoiler.
A late comment from me just to say how very much I enjoyed this. Mind you, I always do enjoy RayT / Beam puzzles.
Among my many ticks are 1a, 5a, 24a, 27a, 29a and 15d.
Appreciative thanks to Beam for the entertainment. And the same to Sloop John Bee for the ‘Hints and Tips’ which I didn’t require but its great to have them. Nice illustrations. Don’t fancy meeting that lizard!
That picture flatters to deceive
**** monsters are the largest lizards native to the United States, typically growing to a length of 18 to 22.5 inches (46 to 57 cm). They can weigh between 3 and 5 pounds.
But I still wouldn’t want to meet one on a dark night.
Nor me! Interesting details. That’s a hefty lizard!