Sunday Toughie No 187
by Beam
Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee
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A floughier toughie from Beam today. We have a generous 16a and 16d clues today, and I have hinted at just under half of them. I have an allowance for a bonus nudge or two, but I don’t think you will need it today.
Plenty of Beam trademarks today and an impressive 5 1/4 word average.
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!
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 Anxiety almost frozen in isolation (10)
Almost all of frozen goes in a synonym of isolation.
11a Respecting mum keeping one strong (9)
An abbreviation of respecting and a synonym of being “mum” contains (keeping) the letter that looks like one.
12a Fashion from street a renegade backed (8)
Fashion a lurker (from) that is reversed (backing) the rest of the clue.
21a Prior to girl making proposition (7)
A grammatical term meaning prior to, and an unmarried girl, lead us to a proposition. or a variant spelling thereof.
24a Land losing head, banking through flight (8)
A land, country or state, without its head letter, contains a synonym of through.
27a Former cab company worker getting rich (9)
A usual former, a company that provides a taxi service and a worker insect.
30a Track account, blocking access (10)
An abbreviation of account blocking a synonym of access.
Down
2d Queen involved in agreeing to inscription (9)
Our late queen’s regnal cipher in a synonym of agreeing to.
8d Go in force for campaign (10)
To go in and a synonym of force…
9d Faithful following prayer to find solace (8)
A synonym of faithful follows a prayer.
14d Shot duck, not ruddy, on trail (10)
The score represented by a duck, the opposite of ruddy in complexion and on the trail, like a bloodhound. Leaving ‘shot’ as the definition, a quick dive into the BRB reveals that ‘shot’ is indeed synonymous with our answer. Think of a gemstone or silk “shot” through with a shimmering iridescence.
16d Advocate adult still raising housing rent (8)
A for adult and a synonym of still (reversed -raising in a down clue) that is “housing” a synonym of rent.
18d Common European standard? (9)
19 countries in Europe follow this basic design for their standard.
Here are two;
21d Aphrodisiac could produce pronounced strain (7)
This aphrodisiac is pronounced the same as a synonym of strain. Arguably, “could produce” is redundant in the clue, but Beam has conjured up (to me™) a mental image of the pronounced strain caused by said aphrodisiac.
26d 
Red, yellow and white, but not an 18d.
Compiler
Beam
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I struggled a bit with the definition of 14d but came to the same conclusion as the hint.
Said to Her Indoors that I knew what the 8d illustration would be!
No real favourite – just a good puzzle.
Thanks to Beam and SJB
For this Trekkie, 8d was easy to illustrate, 21d was a bit more problematic
Good gracious! Am I only second in line? Well, jolly good guzzle, I particularly liked the simplicity of the former cab company – it tickled me. I have spent two hours trying to get my new printer to talk to my computer. Apparently it is blue tooth whatever that means and doesn’t have a physical connection. I’d rather have a plug and just plug the damn thing in. I’ve gone through all the ‘helpful’ videos which show a different model from mine. I shall be devastated if I cannot scan my finished guzzle to sent it off to Telegraph Towers. Anyway, many thanks to Mr Beam and SJB (regards to Mama Bee)
Lots of other distractions today, the TMC puzzles and Zandio in the vintage for two.
Just been out with Mama Bee for an ice cream by the ings in Wetherby. The brass band were 27a but Mama Bee needed to come home for a wee.
(https://youtu.be/bIbbEmk9Tbc?si=YqG-Hi_W8oak1Fh8)
Sorry I misattributed the vintage as by Zandio, he was the DT editor then and the vintage puzzle is one he edited, but of course Brian Greer set it. Well worth the effort it was too
Bluetooth can be exasperating DG. You have to have both enabled, then ask either of them to search for available devices. You may have to enter a self generated code to get them to connect. Wiser heads will read this and correctly realise I am no expert, but good luck anyway!
A pretty gentle and enjoyable puzzle from Beam – thanks to him and SJB.
30a is interesting – a couple of weeks ago (DT 31005) Ray T gave us an almost identical clue with ‘blocking’ fulfilling a diametrically opposite role:
Track access blocking account (10)
The clues I liked best were 27a, 23d and 25d.
Interesting re 30a. I thought it seemed familiar, but couldn’t put my finger on wherefrom.
I thought this was just about the right level of difficulty for a Sunday Toughie.
The retained uplift in 19a was subtle and the wealthy former cabbie in 27a along with the lawyer in 16d were my other picks.
Thanks to Beam and SJB.
14d was probably my pick, yet I am rent about 16d too.
14d my pick from a fine bunch of clues – 11,27&30a plus 8,16&23d other particular likes. 21d sort of rang a bell but checked it nevertheless – otherwise plain sailing so more a gentle long hop than a vicious beamer but very enjoyable. I’d certainly forgotten the variation on 30a from a couple of weeks ago but the clue did prompt a listen to a fav Rory song, Walk on Hot Coals.
Thanks to Ray & to John
I am not sure why 30a prompted a trip to Mr Gallagher but the version from the Whistle Test I have just watched was certainly accomplished.
I should have waited for the second verse…
I should have said earlier; I have left an Easter Egg for discerning ears to find…
What an enjoyable Toughie this was!
The problem with Ray T/ Beam puzzles is there are so many delightful clues it is very difficult to make a selection for one’s podium.
My ‘short list’ consists of 11a, 19a, 27a and 4d, 14d, 16d, 23d and 25d.
Many appreciative thanks to Beam and to Sloop John Bee.
I know what you mean, they are so concise and neat that even with 32 clues you want more.
Very enjoyable, a Floughie Toughie indeed.
Many thanks to Beam and SJB