Sunday Toughie 188 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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Sunday Toughie 188 (Hints)

by Sloop John Bee  

Sunday Toughie No 188

by proXimal

 

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

proXimal returns with what I found quite tricky, but maybe I was distracted by the tribute to Van Morrison on the BBC last night. It finished at about 01:30 this morning, and it was a close-run thing to parse some before the end.

14a and 16d clues today, and I have hinted at half. I am not too 22a that there are quite a few clues in the SW that remain unhinted, but I hope you find the checkers to fill the grid. A bonus nudge may be available if you ask.

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 you have all been so well-behaved that the red pencil is likely to remain in retirement.

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          Spooner’s drawn support for vehicular trial (4,4)

The words to Spoonerise today are to have drawn towards you like a broken-down car and a support for a snooker cue.

9a          Getting stuck gauging bearing east (7,2)

A phrase for gauging or estimating a problem contains the compass point.

13a       One posting welcomes firm supporter (8)

One who posts welcomes our usual firm.

15a       Educational class held by one of the people (13)

A Roman one and an adjective relating to of the people that contains (held by) a class at school.

18a       Vans routinely transported via vessel (13)
Not a hint (it is just an anagram) but my chance to offer a tribute to Van Morrison on his 80th birthday. Here he is singing with Lonnie Donegan, about a vessel close to my heart.

23a       Model apparently dismissing sacked arty correspondent (3,3)

An anagram (model) of apparently, but first remove (dismissing) an anagram (sacked) of arty

27a       Secure craft with haul, carrying third of plunder to west part of fortress (9)

To secure a craft, and a synonym of haul that contains the third letter of plunder. All reversed (to west in an across clue.

29a       After retiring, nobody runs in the morning (8)

A reversal (after retiring) of a two-word phrase for nobody, a cricket scorer’s run and a preposition for in.

Down

1d         Check son boards coach again (8)

A genealogical abbreviation on board to coach again.

3d         Maybe one asking for another card game (7)

One who calls for another card in pontoon or blackjack, or a party game for contortionists.
How to Play Twister – Game On Family

6d         See British invading old base (3-4)

I suspect this one will test the data miners, an archaic term to see, and somewhat old or dilapidated, that contains B for British.

7d         Dogs barking beg to leave disagreeable rogue (9)

An anagram (rogue) of disagreeable after another anagram (barking) of beg has left.
Airedale Terrier: Breed Information and Profile | zooplus Magazine

16d       Security measures let down repositories of valuables (4-5)

A synonym of let down and where valuables may be kept.

17d       Fancy complacently neglecting plot prepared for plant! (8)

Our third compound anagram. We usually have two anagram indicators to show that the part to be omitted is not removed whole. An anagram (fancy) of complacently after an anagram (prepared) of plot has been removed (neglecting).
Cyclamen Compact 'Red' (Pot Size 10.5cm) - Persian Cyclamen - The Boma Garden Centre

20d       Late deliveries of the French and English (7)

A collection of deliveries of a crickety nature, the French for of, and E for English

25d       Set up account with Post Office boss (4)

A reversal (set up in a down clue) of account and a Post Office abbreviation. Boss of the Mafia, perhaps.

Compiler

proXimal

 

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I can’t get enough of Mr Morrison so here is another fave of mine. Happy Birthday Van,
Let’s give the last laugh to Mark Knopfler and Van Morrison…
That’s All Folks!

34 comments on “Sunday Toughie 188 (Hints)”

  1. proXimal has treated us to an exhibition of his anagrammatical skills, with three trademark compound anagrams and a cracking traditional anagram in 18a. My favourites include the best of the triad – 17d as well as the usual 1a Spoonerism plus 18a, 26a, 2d, 3d (it’s many years since I have been able to play this game!), 20d & 21d (hah!).
    My thanks to proXimal and to SJB.
    I missed posting comments on the last three STs as we were enjoying the hot weather and chilled wine in France, so hope to catch up later today if not too distracted by sporting events…

    1. Mr Google gave some interesting if definitely NSFW images when researching 3d !. My elasticity would curtail anything like that too.
      Glad you enjoyed France, we have just had a rather nice Burgogne too

  2. A puzzle well suited to the Sunday Toughie slot – thanks to proXimal and SJB.
    Our setter is a great fan of subtractive anagrams but to have three in one puzzle does seem slightly on the high side.
    For my podium I’ve selected 15a, 26a and 8d.

    1. I was a tad surprised too, but the overall anagram count seemed reasonable to me.
      8d took a little thought as I mistakenly bunged in another set of Royals.

  3. Another fine tester by proXimal.
    I do like a subtraction anagram, which is just as well as there were indeed three of them here.
    My other ticks are against 12a, 27a and 6d.
    Thanks to our setter and SJB.

    1. 6d was my last one in, and took much thought for one so 6d! My first thought for 12a involved a trip to the periodic table too.

  4. I invariably look for a way round dealing with our setter’s subtractive anagrams and it worked out well today, thank goodness. 3d brought back memories of parties back in the day when the game was fun rather than impossible to play!
    Top clues for me were 9&26a plus 10,16&24d.

    Thanks to proXimal and to SJB for the hints and also for the Rick Wakeman clip – delightful piano-playing.

    1. I had forgotten that Rick played the piano on the Cat Stevens song, but I couldn’t pass over that version when Mr YouTube’s algorithm reminded me.

  5. This proved more accessible than i expected from ProXimal although i was defeated by 6 down (the right answer is not hyphenated in my abridged Chambers). I liked the extraction anagrams.

    Q. i’d understood ProXimal’s trademark was an X-less pangram. Clearly, I was wrong …. or i’ve got a whole lot of other answers wrong!

    Thanks Sloop JB and ProXimal.

    1. The X-less almost pangram is a proXimal trademark, and a sure-fire way to identify his back pagers and midweek toughies. In the Sunday Toughie he usually starts with a Spoonerism and several compound/extraction anagrams (three today). A little rarer is the variant with an X in each quadrant. He varies his signature for each type of puzzle.
      I am surprised by Chambers, the hyphen is present in both the paper and electronic BRB.

      1. Thanks. FWIW I use a free app (WordWeb) which claims to be based on Chambers dictionary and Thesaurus, Wikipedia and Wiktionary.

  6. Despite printing off the back-pager every day for years, as well as the toughies from Tuesday onwards, I was completely oblivious to there being a Sunday prize toughie until I noticed it this morning on the puzzles website!
    All fairly straightforward, and completed whilst watching a very boring F1 race.
    I nearly put a wrong answer to 6d, but fortunately spotted it before pressing submit.

    Thanks to proXimal and to SJB.

    1. Haha.. I see I have my initials as my new avatar. Still, anytime is better than that hideous change I adopted unwillingly last week when the site updated.

      1. Why do android phones change a typed sentence with a word which is not only not typed by myself, but makes the sentence meaningless? Change the word anytime for anything in my post above (which was what I wrote).
        I think I’ll go back to posting from my pc.
        At least that problem never happens.

    2. That makes 187 fine puzzles for you to catch up on, well nearer 163 as a quick check at the prize toughie archive reveals the DT only start their archive at #24

      1. Very funny! In the words of a former tennis professional, “are you serious?!”
        I have only just recently got back to the midweek toughies after a few years break from them, as I was too busy then to fit everything in.

        1. I could always add you to the mailing list I get each week from Jetdoc (Mrs Elgar) about 40 toughies a week from all the newspapers. I don’t expect that catching up is possible.

  7. Found this one even tougher than usual and I am still struggling to parse 2d – probably due to one of my senior moments. Enjoyed it all the same.

    Just in from an afternoon cutting back the herbaceous border only to uncover pink and white 17d in full bloom. Too windy for golf today unlike yesterday’s perfect conditions. It would have been flog rather than golf due to been being blown backwards.

    Thanks to proXimal and SJB (I am about to watch last night’s recordings of Sir Van The Man)

  8. So this is my first post on the toughie blog as I unwittingly started the prize toughie by mistake today. Still around a third of the grid to go and dipped in to check a hint . Determined to complete. Maybe I’ll pop back here again some time as I do sometimes give the toughies a go and can even complete if I put my mind to it, and have the time. Thanks to Proximal and SJB.

    1. The Sunday Toughie is a good place to start, it is usually pitched at a Tues/Weds toughie level and quite fun to decode. Keep at it and update us as to your progress.

      1. Thanks for your encouragement. It seems harder than the few Ikve completed before. Still haven’t finished – I ve dipped in a couple of times this evening and got a few more in . Maybe fresh eyes tomorrow will get me to the finish.

        1. I am a great believer in putting it down and looking at it again next morning. They do say sleep on it.

    2. So I picked this up again just now and the final few went in without too much trouble. I did baulk at 2d , so the help above was appreciated. I needed a couple of hints on the way but over all pleased to have completed. Maybe you’ll see me here again more often.

  9. Probably started this a bit late in the evening. Found the clues a mixture of the straightforward & real crumpet scratchers. Almost crossed the finish line unaided but fell at the last & only remounted after sneaking a peek at the hint for 29a – not a synonym I was familiar with but ought to have worked out from the wordplay.15&18a my top two.
    Thanks to proXimal & to John – it’s a shame there’s not a mass of concert footage on the BBC of Van in his real prime. I was disappointed they chose the Radio 2 concert rather than the 2008 BBC Four Sessions gig from St Luke’s – Van was in much better humour seemingly & it featured brilliant renditions of Vanlose Stairway & Help Me with Georgie.

  10. Super Sunday Toughie. I evidently had the fortune to tune in early on and despite the early hour even when initially thinking “wuh” on reading a clue, the answers magically appeared in my pre-dawn mind.

    Many thanks to Proximal and SJB

  11. I have one or two to chomp on, unhinged of course, such is Sod’s Law, but I shall soldier on. Many thanks to proximal and to SJB. I liked 17d.

    2. Are you just unhinged on Sundays, Daisy? I find it occurs most days and would love to know how to restrict it to just one day of the week!

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