Toughie No 3543 by Kcit
Hints and tips by ALP
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Toughie difficulty */** – Enjoyment ***
An interesting mix of smart wordplay and generous definitions from Kcit made for a fairly speedy solve. I suspect (judging by 2d, etc) that he is a setter who sometimes has more faith in Collins than Chambers. And I’m largely with him! All yours.
Across
1a Also do without lines about beginning to manage a firm (3,4,7)
FOR GOOD MEASURE: To do without/waive + lines/poetry about/containing M[anage] + ‘A’ + firm/certain.
9a American railway line seen in star’s short book (7)
NOVELLA: American (elevated) railway (Chicago, famously) + the usual “line”, inside (astral) “star”.
10a American dance aspired to ditch piano – now under review (7)
HOEDOWN: Aspired/wished, minus P[iano] + NOW, reviewed.
11a Satisfied about Republican going over time in office (4)
TERM: Satisfied/fulfilled about/containing the usual “Republican”, all reversed/going over.
12a Victorian heroine mostly inspiring confidence about one putting others first (10)
ALTRUISTIC: Lewis Carroll’s heroine, minus the last letter, inspires/contains confidence/trust about/containing the usual “one”.
14a Nursery‘s curtailed set of principles restraining children (6)
CRECHE: Set of principles/belief, minus the last letter/curtailed, restraining/containing abbreviated “children”.
15a Cheers complaint about male addition to board? (5,3)
TABLE MAT: Cheers/thanks + (ovine, say) complaint about/containing M[ale].
17a Beach and garden footwear? (8)
SANDSHOE: Beach/dunes + (to) garden/weed.
18a Out for the count, when sheltered and quiet (6)
ASLEEP: The usual “when” + “sheltered” (sailing, etc) + the usual “quiet”.
21 French article, one with truth about opening for students in the Sorbonne? (10)
UNIVERSITY: One of the usual French articles + “one” + “truth”, about/containing S[tudents].
22a Time off school? Wet weather (4)
RAIN: To school/coach, minus the usual “time”.
24a Articles about limiting temperature in part of hospital (7)
THEATRE: Two articles (of speech) + about/concerning, limiting/containing the usual “temperature”.
25a Pub in Australia opening for Halloween if necessary (2,1,4)
AT A PUSH: “Pub” (short for ***room) in “Australia” (3) + H[alloween].
26a Follow everything to raise that girl in hurry (5,2,3,4)
BRING UP THE REAR: To raise (child, etc) + “that girl” inside (to) hurry/race.
Down
1d Excited, ditching last of pear, swallowing a nut (7)
FANATIC: Excited (with anxiety, etc), minus [pea]R, swallowing/containing ‘A’.
2d Determine hidden structures in greeneries never uprooted (7-8)
REVERSE-ENGINEER: GREENERIESNEVER, uprooted.
3d Just working lazily, not putting heart into it (4)
ONLY: Working/running + L[azil]Y.
4d Fell wood, involving daughter before end of day (6)
DEADLY: (Soft) wood involving/containing the usual “daughter”, plus [da]Y = “fell” as adjective.
5d Spiritual, with other writers coming round at this point (8)
ETHEREAL: Abbreviated Latin for with/and others (often used when referring to co-authors) coming round/containing the usual “at this point”.
6d Expert turned up old records on American espionage targets? (10)
SPECIALIST: Records (vinyl) turned up/reversed + how one might (cutely) describe “American espionage targets” expressed as (3,4). But … are these “records” really old? I bought a new one last week!
7d House unfinished? Adult suppressing anger to get acceptable warmth (4,11)
ROOM TEMPERATURE: House/dwelling, minus the last letter, plus adult/grown-up, suppressing/containing anger/rage.
8d Studies climbing and thanks uphill Alpine vehicle (3-3)
SNO-CAT: Studies/learns, reversed (climbing) + thanks/cheers, reversed/uphill.
13d English city style identifying English author (10)
CHESTERTON: (Cheshire) city + style/fashion.
16d Philosopher‘s tense abandoning collection for union? (8)
ROUSSEAU: Marital collection (bride’s clothes, etc), abandoned by the usual “tense”.
17d Blue Tory gutted to support upwardly mobile corporations (6)
SMUTTY: T[or]Y supporting/after corporations/stomachs, reversed/upwardly mobile. I had a cracking tune for this … but, possibly wisely, bottled it!
19d Pastoral god yonder, hiding tail, in form of cat (7)
PANTHER: (Greek) pastoral god + yonder/in that place, minus the last letter/hiding tail.
20d Brood about overturned craft in water channel (6)
STRAIT: Brood (as hens, say) about/containing craft/talent, reversed/overturned.
23d Regularly meet Italian poet, withholding name (4)
DATE: (The most?) famous Italian poet, minus the usual “name”.
I did enjoy this, though I clocked “about” being used six times for containment which seemed perhaps a little de trop! We have, impressively, just two (and barely that) anagrams, eight one-letter deletions and some clever Lego, e.g. 1a. 7d is fun too, but I think 6d takes it for me. How did you get on?
This was mostly fun. 10a and 15a left me stumped for a while. 2 down was COTD. I only started the Toughies last October, so every one finished is a bonus. Still struggling with Sundays……but 4 out of 4 since Monday pushes me forward
A belated welcome to the Toughie train. Power to your elbow!
Thank you. Long time reader from afar but only signed up a few days ago. I also do The Irish Crosaire X word The Observer’s Everyman.
Thank you Alp and Setter!
Friendly for a Thursday. My repetition radar beeped at all the ‘abouts’ too
Thanks to Kcit and ALP
What a fine day it has been in Crosswordland!
Following on from a very decent backpager, this was right up there too.
From plenty of very polished surfaces, I’ve
ticked the yee-haw at 10a, most of the Victorian heroine at 12a and the Smiley business going on in 6d.
Many thanks to Kcit and ALP.
Had to do a bit of 2d-ing, particularly for 1a, but eventually won out. Think my favourite was 12a with ticks also going to 25a plus 6&19d.
Thanks to Kcit and to ALP for the review – nice to hear a bit of Rod again.
A pleasant puzzle – thanks to Kcit and ALP.
I hadn’t noticed all the ‘abouts’ before reading the blog.
The clues which appealed most were 15a and 17d.
Reasonably gentle as Thursday Toughies go, but a cracking puzzle from first to last. Would have been a little quicker had I not biffed an unparseable lunatic at 1d, which delayed 1a – mulling Lor, Lir, Lar etc until the light dawned!
Honours to 16d, 15a & 3d
Many thanks to Kcit & ALP
Solving was one thing but parsing was another altogether. I got most but needed explanations for 1a, 9a and 25a but I’ll settle for that. I had to check 8d and I was another needing to 2d a lot of answers. Favourite was 26a. Thanks to Kcit and ALP.
Not particularly impressed with some of the surfaces nor with synonyms [?] for garden [17a] and house [7d] but fun overall. I liked the espionage targets at 6d.
Thanks to kcit and ALP.
I need to brush up on my philosphers. The rest was fairly gentle though, 6d making me smile. Thanks to Kcit and ALP.
Saved this for Friday as Elgar a strictly no go area. Surprisingly light for a Thurs Toughie but very enjoyable & a fair amount of 2d required for the whys. Didn’t notice all of the abouts either.
Thanks to Kcit & ALP – nice to hear Steppenwolf – thought you’d go with Curtis Mayfield
I continue to delve into toughie world. When i see a */** for difficulty I have a bash with a slowly improving rate of success.
Finished this eventually with quite a lot of reverse engineering but a good deal of satisfaction. thanks ALP.