Toughie No 3577 by Donnybrook
Hints and tips by Whybird
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BD Rating – Difficulty ***/**** – Enjoyment *****
Welcome to the Toughie Week! Well, the hawfinches might not have been obliging, but RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands has delivered a very showy bittern and a closing time/dusk glossy ibis so not all of my feathered friends are avoiding me.
This is very much a Toughie from Donnybrook, to whom many thanks for the challenge. I did double-check the top right corner of the newspaper, and it assures me that it actually is a Tuesday today. There are a few “gimmes” to get things rolling, and whilst there is a chunk of general knowledge that I didn’t have to hand, the clues are all clear and precise; many are very clever indeed. My podium places today go to 2d, 3d and 8d, with 23a and 6d getting very honourable mentions.
Please leave a comment telling us how you fared and what you liked about the puzzle.
I am taking a short break from the blog – I’m being “sent” to Tokyo for work, and then taking the opportunity to go chasing cranes, owls and eagles. Shabbo has kindly volunteered to craft the blog for the next two Tuesdays, so thanks very much to him for that.
Across Clues
9 Hole and green in Open (5)
OVERT The letter that looks like a hole followed by a heraldic green
10 Man in relationship very soon, one who betrays love (9)
INAMORATO A charade of a (2,1,2) expression meaning very soon, a rodent-related term for a betrayer and the letter that looks like the score “love” in tennis
11 Country genius retains the ne plus ultra (7)
BRITAIN Insert a two-letter synonym for “the ne plus ultra” into another term for a genius.
12 See 20 Down
13 Being a killer terrific in game shows? (5)
ICING A slang term for what you are doing if you are “being a killer” is lurking (shows) in “terrific in game”
14 Governor in prison incarcerating wife beater? (9)
CASTELLAN A three-letter, informal and principally American, term for “prison” surrounds the first part of the name of a Belgian-branded beer, cleverly marketed by reference to its inflated price. I didn’t know the “wife beater” reference, and I can’t imagine that AB InBev will be using it in their advertising
16 Admit being drawn into that inept, loony socialist party (5,3,4,3)
PAINT THE TOWN RED Insert a three-letter (slightly unusual) synonym of “admit” into an anagram (loony) of “that inept” and follow that with the colour associated with socialism
19 Activist or revolutionary adult among bright people (4,5)
ROSA PARKS Reverse (revolutionary) “or” from the clue and follow that with a term meaning “bright people” (itself often preceded by “bright”) into which is inserted the abbreviation for “adult”
21 Rather lustful – like Ayn? (5)
RANDY Take the surname of a Russian-American writer and philosopher (yes, one of the bits of GK I had to look up) and add a terminal letter to turn that into an adjective. I confess to spending a fair amount of time wondering if this had anything to do with a recently-defenestrated and now ex-prince.
23 Many trees in this region have vanished we’re told (7)
ARGONNE A forested region of North-East France sounds like (we’re told) a phrase that means “have vanished”. A doubly clever clue, because the area is often named as including the “forest” reference, which isn’t present in the solution. Again, knowledge that I didn’t have.
25 Convenience convenient for blues composer (1,1,5)
W C HANDY An abbreviation for “convenience” in the lavatorial sense, followed by a synonym of “convenient”. Another piece of GK I had to check
27 Keeping time, snake and cat dance (9)
COTILLION Insert the letter indicating “time” into a synonym of “snake” as a verb, and follow that with a large cat
28 Live and flourish having missed out initially (5)
DWELL Remove the “O” (missed out initially) from a (2,4) expression meaning “flourish” (or prosper)
Down Clues
1 Grave situation as doctor sees it … (4)
TOMB Split in half, this “grave” synonym is how you may begin a phrase describing how a doctor perceives a situation, using one of the abbreviations fo “doctor”
2 … first doctor in Florentine house? (6)
MEDICI Split (5,1) this is how you may describe an initial or leading doctor
3 Sound of wandering sheep, believe me (8,2)
STRAIGHT UP This term meaning “believe me” (or honestly) sounds like a phrase describing a lost ram.
4 Photograph endlessly pleasant alfresco meal (6)
PICNIC A charade of an informal term for a photograph and word meaning “pleasant” lacking its final letter (endlessly)
5 Rodent devouring small eastern monkey (8)
MARMOSET Insert the usual letters indicating “small” and “eastern” into a type of rodent
6 Some motorcyclists in twisted metal band (4)
TORC The solution is found within (some) “motorcyclists”
7 Spelunker nursing sick one with gripes (8)
CAVILLER Insert a three-letter synonym of “sick” into another name for a Spelunker
8 Safe out on the sauce? Au contraire! (4,3,3)
HOME AND DRY This phrase is the opposite (au contraire) of where you would be if you were out for a few alcoholic beverages.
13 Cremation arranged to incorporate quiet moment (10)
IMPORTANCE Insert the letter indicating “quiet” into an anagram (arranged) of “cremation”. “Moment” here has the sense of “significance” rather than time
15 Why in tussle with dreaded, murderous character? (6,4)
EDWARD HYDE An anagram of (in tussle with) why” and “dreaded” gets a literary, evil alter ego
17 Wearing spectacles, views with clarity? (8)
INSIGHTS A charade of a synonyms of “wearing” (clothes) and “spectacles”
18 Occult Mass held by religious rebel (8)
HERMETIC Insert the abbreviation for “mass” into another term for a religious rebel. I did not know the “occult” sense to this word
20 and 12 Across Singer? She came in mistakenly, entertaining fan (6,7)
SEWING MACHINE A sneaky misdirection! Forget birds or musicians and think dress-making, patchwork and the like, and a popular brand of equipment used therein. Insert a synonym of “fan” into an anagram (mistakenly) of “she came in”. I can’t say I’m keen on the “fan” synonym, but the BRB (or at least the online version) is happy with it
22 Bum around northern Loire location (6)
NANTES A term for “bum” (or buttocks) surrounds the usual letter for “northern”. I didn’t know the cheeky term
24 Non-existent new university students? (4)
NULL Take the letters indicating “new” and “university” followed by two of the usual “students”
26 Not the white couple on the radio? (4)
YOLK The part of an egg that isn’t the white sounds like (on the radio) a word meaning “couple” (or fasten together)
This was very witty and ingenious. Pleasure all the way.
Crackerjack. I certainly haven’t heard the eye-popping nickname in 14a for a while. 22d tickled me – just when I’ve got used to “prat”, another marvellous synonym comes along. Best thanks to Donnybrook and Whybird. Enjoy Tokyo – do try the fish market.
Thanks ALP. The fish market is a “possible”for a Team Building experience, but I might be out-voted! But I’ll certainly get plenty of fish, cooked and not-so: my birding extension takes me up to the fishing village of Rausu on Hokkaido.
Tricky for a Tuesday but most enjoyable – many thanks to Donnybrook and Whybird.
I started off strongly at the top but then slowed down markedly towards the bottom. My lack of GK awareness mostly matched that of our blogger (although I did know the bum).
My last answer to write in was 21a – it was fairly obvious from the checking letters but I tried unsuccessfully to find some clever wordplay based on the letters of Ayn appearing in the answer. I gave up eventually and asked Mrs Google about Ayn.
I particularly liked 19a, 2d, 3d, 8d and 20d/12a.
Crikey, that was genuinely tough, particularly in the SW corner. I did enjoy the challenge but was disappointed to see yet again the ghastly American term that is the answer to 13a.
I learned a few new things, which I shall probably forget: the wife-beater; Ayn; the occult; and it was good to be reminded by 25a of the excellent Walking in Memphis.
Many thanks to Donnybrook and to Whybird.
Great fun and it’s only Tuesday.
I found this to be humerous, entertaining and clever with one or two new words for me in there too, which is not a bad thing.
14a has a great surface, and the wife beater referred to is a well known term where I’m from.
I first heard of the blues man in 25a in Marc Cohn’s song Walking In Memphis years ago. I remember looking him up to learn more about him..
Best of all was the Singer in 20d & 12a. A great clue which reminded me of my mum, sitting at hers, feet rocking the treadle.
My thanks to Donnybrook for the memories and to Whybird for the blog.
I thought I had better get my eye in on Tuesday Toughies as I am on duty for the next two Tuesdays, as Whybird notes above.
If they are anything like this one, I am in for a treat. A fabulous puzzle.
My thoughts are very similar to Gazza’s. Started strongly at the top and then slowed down to a bit of a crawl in the SW corner. I also tried to make something out of the AYN letters at 21a, until Google came to my rescue. The current Mrs Shabbo knew the dance at 27a and is still grinning in a rather smug manner.
I loved the Singer clue. I too racked my brain for far too long trying to come with a bird, an entertainer, or indeed, someone who burns. I should have known better, particularly as I was responsible for building a shiny new retail park on the site of the old Singer factory in Glasgow in the mid 1990s.
The lager in 14a got its nickname when it was 5.2% ABV, but it is now 4.6% or even as low as 4%. Dreadful stuff, whatever the strength.
Great fun. Many thanks to Donnybrook and Hintsman, sorry, Whybird.
I’m with you all the way on the lager, Shabbo. Another beverage from a UK fizz-factory where the adverts are miles better than the product.
Someone who likes proper beer and birds. A man after my own heart. I don’t suppose you like rugby as well?!
Have a good trip to Japan and don’t forget to bring the bird list back with you!
Two out of three ain’t bad (I think I feel a song coming on…) I can take or leave rugby. The televised game suffers from too many whistles and video interference for my taste (both codes). When it’s good, it’s good, but there’s a lot of standing around! Being a scouser, football was the dominant sport (not that Everton provide much in that regard these days). Then living in Warrington, working in Widnes, tipped League into the dominant conversation piece. Now I have Caldy just up the road, but birding provides all the “standing around in the wind and rain” I need. And there are good pubs overlooking the Dee Estuary…
5.2% strong? Gosh. I don’t recall that being a feature of Stella, let alone the nickname, but in the 90s I usually went for draught bitter. Ah well. These days I generally opt for the better alcohol-free lagers and beers – just as enjoyable but safe to work/play/drive afterwards, and renders the alcohol versions redundant. Stella 0% is a very acceptable lager, Guinness 0% is truly excellent, and I’ve just discovered Erdinger ‘alcohol free’ weissbrau, my current ‘go-to’.
That certainly lived up to its name and there were a few references that I had to investigate, particularly the wife-beater which was a complete unknown, the lustful Ayn and the blues composer. Thank goodness there were other references I did know to balance out the equation!
Top three here were 3,8&20/12 with 3d sitting on the top step.
Thanks to Donnybrook and to Whybird for the review – enjoy the birding post-Tokyo.
Really enjoyed that, reasonably swift and straightforward so long as I didn’t worry too much about the parsing. Lots of GK and not-so-GK in this one.
Never heard of the ‘wife beater”; may have heard 25a’s music, may even have heard his name, but if so then long forgotten and fortunately the clueing was clear, similarly 23s; dug out 19a and 21a from somewhere in the recesses; had forgotten the bum synonym but knew it was the town.
3d top for me, too. Many thanks to Donny and Whybird
Thanks YB, thanks all.
Cheers
Donny.
Thanks for dropping in, Donny. And thanks again for a top-notch puzzle. Just a shame I couldn’t find a decent image for a Lost Sheep!
Quite tough for Tuesday. Not heard of the the wife beater [another reason to despise the product] but otherwise a fun challenge. Favourite was 20/12 which was almost the last in with a big clang as the penny dropped.
Thanks to DB and Whybird.
So we weren’t the only ones who found the GK the biggest stumbling block in this good fun puzzle. The 20/12 combo gets our vote for best clue because of the great definition mis-direction.
Thanks Donnybrook and Whybird.
Super puzzle but pretty tough for the likes of me. Needed Mr G on speed dial to tell me all about the dance, the forest, the occult context, the buttocks, the writer (I too wondered if plain old Mr AMW had owt to to with it) & the blues chappie, who I felt I ought to have heard of. Last in & the biggest head scratch was the medieval guv’nor which I also had to confirm once the wife beater penny (slang I did know) eventually dropped. Anyway all parsed ok & no letter reveal so quietly chuffed.
Ticks all over the shop but if forced to pick a fav it’d be the stray tup pipping the singer on the line by a short head.
Thanks to Donny for yet another corker & to Whybird for another great review. Enjoy Japan.
Americans use the term ‘wife beater’ to refer to the sleeveless vest that is also referred to as an ‘Italian tuxedo’.
14a “wife beater” maybe refers to the Marlon Brando character in Streetcar named Desire who’s wife is Stella. At one point in the film he calls “Stella, Stella”