Toughie No 3587 by Django
Hints and tips by ALP
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Toughie difficulty */** – Enjoyment ****
The usual cleverness from Django. Some quirky little tricks, fun definitions and a riot of 80s reference – in (bar 28a!) a good way. All yours.
Across
1a Drunk eating cold stew (6)
SCOUSE: Drunk/sot eating/containing abbreviated “cold”. I see Chambers lists this synonym of drunkard as an Americanism. Collins disagrees and so do I!
5a Saves defender getting on end of crosses (4,4)
CUTS BACK: Defender (full, centre, etc) after (on end of) of crosses/intersects.
9a Sauce brand also liking bottles – it normally comes in tubes (10)
TOOTHPASTE: Also/as well and liking/penchant bottling/containing “sauce brand” (not Daddies).
10a Press club (4)
IRON: Double definition.
11a 18 Across regularly taking trains – badly needing compensation (8)
REPRISAL: The usual three-letter synonym for 18a + regular(ly taken) letters of [t]R[a]I[n]S[b]A[d]L[y]. “Needing” is, presumably, a slightly unusual link from wordplay to definition here.
12a Finally caught the criminal exporting drug – it won’t stick (6)
TEFLON: [caugh]T [th]E + criminal/crook, minus/exporting the usual “drug”.
13a Last and first of patients in hospital (4)
SPAN: P[atients] in(side) three-letter hospital/clinic.
15a/18a All season, Mike’s working with a new deceptive pitcher (5-3,8)
SNAKE-OIL SALESMAN: ALLSEASONMIKES, working, + ‘A’ from the clue and abbreviated “new”.
18a See 15a
19a Scorsese oddly ignored Canadian people (4)
CREE: [s]C[o]R[s]E[s]E
21a Soloist originally meant to play viola part? (6)
STAMEN: S[oloist] + MEANT, playing.
23a Powerhouse deciphered clues after the penny drops in just seconds (8)
HERCULES: CLUES, deciphered, after the second letters of “the penny drops”.
25a LSD in bag discovered by police unit (4)
ACID: [b]A[g] + police unit (of detectives).
26a Bento boxes feed computer department – just not first (6,2,2)
BEATEN TO IT: “BENTO” from the clue boxes/contains “(to) feed” + computer department/technology.
27a Entirely audible safety signal (3-5)
ALL CLEAR: Double definition. Reverse ferret! Two synonyms + one definition. As a chap who, sadly, knows all about hyphens, I really should have read the enumeration properly!
28a 80s band making comeback film – it’s sweet (6)
SORBET: 80s band (Matt, Luke – and Craig) reversed + the usual “film”.
Down
2d Clutch extremely, well, close to brake and throttle (5)
CHOKE: C[lutc]H + well/fine + [brak]E.
3d Unqualified dunce essentially interrupting expert’s statement (9)
UTTERANCE: Unqualified/total, plus [du]N[ce] interrupting/inside expert/champion.
4d Reveal stance in support of electronic vote (6)
EXPOSE: Stance/position after/in support of abbreviated “electronic” and the letter that signifies an electoral vote.
5d Crazy dreams of rooks flying? (7,2,3,3)
CASTLES IN THE AIR: How one might cryptically describe rooks (in chess – yes, I know, I know, chess buffs won’t like it, but it’s a crossword!) flying skyward.
6d Stage actor ultimately missing out on a lead in Mexican TV show (3,1-4)
THE A-TEAM: Stage/playhouse, minus/missing out [acto]R, plus ‘A’ + M[exican].
7d/16d Nurse with answer following thumbnail picture (5,9)
BRIEF ENCOUNTER: Abbreviated “nurse” + answer/respond, following (adjectival) thumbnail/concise.
8d Screen Dundee clubs put on right before Old Firm Derby is large enough initially (9)
CROCODILE: Abbreviated “clubs”, “right” and “old” + usual “firm” + first letters.
14d New Mac not opening clipart for real (9)
PRACTICAL: [M]ACCLIPART, new.
16d See 7d
17d Open in the morning – with permit (8)
AMENABLE: The usual “in the morning” + (to) permit/allow.
20d Son joining book groups (6)
ORDERS: Abbreviated “son” joining/after (to) book/reserve.
22d Wine some doctor’s imbibed (5)
MEDOC: Lurker, hidden in the second and third words.
24d Cream tea snubbed by priest (5)
ELITE: TE[A] (snubbed) by/after (biblical) priest.
Today, we have four anagrams, one double and a lurker. I especially enjoyed 9a’s surface, 15a/18a’s definition, 23a’s construction and 6d’s misdirection. 5d tickled me too. How did you get on?
Great fun, at a level I can (just about) manage — thank you to Django for the entertainment. My top few are the deceptive pitcher in 15a/18a; 3d’s unqualified dunce; and the Old Firm Derby in 8d.
And thank you to ALP for explaining 5a’s crosses; how the first 3 letters of 23a work; and the nurse in 16d (that I know in theory but don’t yet seem to have got the hang of remembering). I didn’t know the 22d wine, but that was easily solvable (and checkable). Most of my wine knowledge comes from crosswords, and it’s been a while since I’ve added a new one to the collection.
Pedantically, I suggest that 27a might not be double definition, with the wordplay being separate synonyms for ‘entirely’ and ‘audible’, because of the hyphen?
Ha, you are, of course, right about 27a! Ta.
Good fun as usual from Django and just about right for a midweek Toughie [I’d go for **/*** for difficulty, especially up the top end]. I had 1 and 5a plus 2d right away, then it was “hmmm.. better try those little ones”. My faves were the viola part at 21a and the Screen Dundee at 8d.
Thanks to Django and ALP.
Great fun as always from Django – thanks to him and ALP.
I’m waiting for an eruption from RD about 5d.
My top picks were 9a, 23a and 8d.
A fairly gentle Toughie today that was a real joy to solve. Some of the clues looked a little daunting at first, but they soon sorted themselves out. My favourite was the clever 21a ahead of the 15a/18a combo.
Thanks to Django for the challenge and ALP.
Game of two halves/sides with this one. Managed the LHS without too much problem but struggled over t’other side. Managed to fill the grid but the wordplay with the Lean classic escaped me & revealed a letter checker (too embarrassed to say where 🤔) to see me home. As ever with a DG puzzle (enjoyed his Graun one on Tuesday) very enjoyable – 9,15/18, 23&26a + 3,6&8d particular likes.
Thanks to Django & to ALP – 👍 for picking Toussaint’s great song over Reg&Bernie’s from Honky Chateau – Boz Scaggs’ version of it my fav.
I thought i was going to struggle with this but once a enough checkers went in that enabled me to get the more tricky ones and there a few of those. All in all a most satisfying solve. Thanks to Django and ALP.
After a quick look through this morning, I thought I wasn’t going to get far with this one but a day in the chilly Lancashire sun worked wonders. A couple of parsings eluded me not least the David Lean film, although with a few checkers, the answer leapt out, as well it should as I live in Carnforth which is were the film was made!
I liked the viola playing soloist.
Thanks to Django for the puzzle and ALP for explaining a couple.
After grafting away for hours in the cold to clear an area for a new carport and driveway to be laid, I’ve finally got round to lock horns with one of my favourite compilers.
Kicking back in the warm now, with a well earned Spitfire and Tamdhu chaser listening to Floyd as I do so.
As enjoyable as ever I’ve picked out the strongman in 23a, the unqualified dunce in 3d and the retro TV show in 6d.
Best of all was 15 & 18a. I’ve met a few of those types and have taken great delight in using the term to tell them where to get off.
My thanks to Django who never disappoints and to ALP for the blog.
That’s pretty much an unbeatable combo! I can’t top that. Hats off, fella.
I am relatively new to the Toughie and previous offerings have been manageable, but I really hit a wall with this. Accomplished just over 50% before resorting to ALP’s hints, but for the life of me still don’t understand what 13a has to do with in hospital. If someone would like to explain I’d be grateful.
Obviously I need more practice.
Hi Dave, it’s SAN[atorium]. Less common than the ‘H’ abbreviation, but it does pop up from time to time. All best.
Thanks ALP . I have come across SAN before but I didn’t cconsider it as a possibility as I took the last and first of patients as the first 2 letters and was seeking another 2 letter insert.
Thanks ALP and thanks all.
Many thanks for dropping in, and for another cracker.