Toughie No 3595 by Dharma
Hints and tips by ALP
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****/*****
I didn’t really need the byline – this was very, very Dharma. As ever, the definitions leapt out and the surfaces told stories, but some parsing needed (a little) teasing. There’s a pleasingly sporty flavour – football, rugby, racing, athletics, golf and tennis all get a look-in. But (I don’t think 3d really counts) no cricket? For shame! Cracking entertainment. All yours.
Across
1a Frenchman’s badly going around city, with limited mobility (6)
LAMELY: French for “badly” going round/reversed + (Cambridgeshire) city.
4a Took advantage of top player at Wimbledon Bob almost stops (7)
SEDUCED: One of the top 64 players at Wimbledon (other grand slams are available!) contains (is stopped by) bob/bend down, minus the last letter.
9a Miss any old guy getting confused (5,4)
YOUNG LADY: ANYOLDGUY, confused.
10a Another handle unfortunately the setter splits (5)
ALIAS: Unfortunately/sadly contains (is split by) what Dharma would call himself.
11a Spotted living in Chicago? (7)
NOTICED: How one (a gangster perhaps?) might say living/live in American lingo, expressed as (3,4).
12a Botched routine during a developmental stage? (2,5)
IN UTERO: ROUTINE, botched.
13a Protestant from another country checking good place to improve driving? (9)
ORANGEMAN: A[nother] country (in the Gulf) checking/containing a place where one might practise driving (a ball).
16a One in family of ten discovered fine clothes (5)
NIECE: [t]E[n] is clothed by fine/pleasant.
17a Man casually declined to introduce American (5)
FELLA: Declined/went down + the abbreviated “American”.
18a Maria Sharapova initially hard to break – good day for mentor (9)
MAHARISHI: MARIA+S+H, breaking, + good day/hello.
21a At last, Manchester United got better (7)
RALLIED: [Mancheste]R + united/together. Have they though?!
22a Made sense as “snake in the grass” runs away to join party (5,2)
ADDED UP: Snake (one literally found in the grass), minus the usual “runs” + political party (Northern Ireland).
25a Course, focus of Grand National (5)
ASCOT: [gr]A[nd] + national (person).
26a Fiddling tax he’s due that’s spent (9)
EXHAUSTED: TAXHESDUE, fiddled.
27a Animal shelter making a comeback filling requirement (7)
MUSKRAT: (floating) shelter, coming back/reversed, filling/inside requirement/necessity.
28a Watch Squeeze live set first (6)
BEHOLD: Squeeze/clasp after (to) live (set/put first).
Down
1d Criticise tolerance shown with horse repeatedly lacking power (3,4)
LAY INTO: Tolerance/flexibility + (piebald) horse, with P[ower] (repeatedly) missing from each synonym.
2d Build stage and clamber up (5)
MOUNT: Triple definition.
3d Report, I see, on delivery makes good sense (5)
LOGIC: Report/record + a homophone (on delivery) of “I see”.
4d Black hole leads to government intervention and nit-picking (7)
STYGIAN: Hole/hovel + the first letters/leads of the last four words. Huzzah, my Latin (I personally wouldn’t wish the Aeneid on anyone!) actually came in handy for once.
5d Bash ace Farah perhaps and Bolt (2,1,6)
DO A RUNNER: Bash/party + abbreviated “ace” + what (Mo) Farah is by example.
6d Primarily Monica Seles relaxed after game failing to finish fault-free (9)
CRIMELESS: M, + SELES, relaxed, after (card) game, minus its last letter (failing to finish).
7d Strip of land is Robert’s (7)
DISROBE: Lurker, hidden in the last three words.
8d Chance of tips for referendum – about zero (6)
RANDOM: The (outside) tips of “referendum”, as (1,3,1), about/containing the usual “zero”.
14d Team with no forwards opened up by centre from Salah (3,6)
ALL BLACKS: A way to say “no forwards” (3,5), contains (opened up by) Salah’s centre (letter).
15d Willing to join a riot abroad: one fought in Rome? (9)
GLADIATOR: Willing/happy plus (to join) ARIOT, abroad.
17d Part of member‘s class in which listener’s entertained (7)
FOREARM: (School) class containing/entertaining listener (organ).
18d American region‘s stew stirred, turning thick on top (7)
MIDWEST: STEW, stirred, after (on top) thick/stupid reversed/turned.
19d Moors houseboats after unpacking, subdued by warm weather (6)
HEATHS: H[ouseboat]S after/subdued by “warm weather”.
20d Pathetic character, not the first journalists checked (7)
IMPEDED: Pathetic character/drip, minus the first letter, plus two (senior) journalists.
23d Feel free to consume dip … (5)
DOUSE: How one might say “feel free to consume”, expressed as (2,3).
24d … the same with last bit of salad, I served up too much (5)
DITTO: [sala]D + ‘I’ + too much/excessive, reversed/served up.
We have seven anagrams (including partials), plus triple definition, homophone and lurker. I especially enjoyed 1d, 8d & 14d and 21a amused me, but 11a tickled me the most. How did you get on?
What a superb puzzle by my favourite setter, so stylishly constructed.
I love the way proper nouns are used to entertain and misdirect.
My page has so many ticks, once again it is impossible to narrow down to a podium.
The colloquialisms for criticise and bolt in 1d and 5d are terms I love to hear used and always make me smile.
Thoroughly enjoyable, my thanks to Dharma and ALP.
On the whole this was fairly straightforward.
The couple that help me up were 27a (no idea why I couldn’t see that one), and 4d.
Plenty of ticks. I liked the triple definition, the New Zealand rugby side, and the “dip” at 23d.
Many thanks to Dharma and to ALP.
Yep, agreed, great fun and stylishly set with lots of super-smooth clues. Those I most enjoyed were 11a, 18a, 22a and 28a [I think “set first” is a stroke of genius].
Thanks to Dharma and ALP.
A top-notch puzzle, not too tricky but laced with great surfaces and topical clues (e.g. 4d). Many thanks to Dharma and ALP.
My ticks from the down clues only went to 1d, 4d, 5d and 14d (I’d be willing to wager that this will be 2K’s favourite).
Excellent entertainment from a former BD commenter. Some very intricate and tricky clueing throughout; indeed, on my first pass I seriously wondered whether or not I would get into it. 14d was my clear winner.
My thanks to Dharma and ALP.
Top notch. For me it just edges Donny’s Tuesday Toughie as best of the DT puzzle of the week thus far. Had we not known who the setter was 4d was a good indication it was a Dharma production (clue set before the latest shenanigans I wonder?). As ever a few of the whys took me a while to unravel but pleased to see my parsing agrees with ALP. ✅ all over the shop – 11,13,18,21&28a + 2,4,5,14&23d would make my top 10 with 14d in at No 1.
Thanks to Stephen & to ALP – Devendra Barnhart has passed me by & am enjoying listening to a best of compilation while watching the snooker.
This was only my second attempt at a Toughie. I thoroughly enjoyed it and managed to complete without too much digital help so am feeling quite pleased with myself!
For me, several answers jumped out from the clue before I had finished the parsing, requiring a bit of backtracking and word checking after entry just to make sure, 4d being an example. I would agree that 14d was excellent and gets my vote for COTD.
I can only imagine how hard it must be to compile a puzzle of this standard, so hats off to the setter. Thanks ALP for spelling out the parsing and subtle hints.
Very well done, Roberto – Dharma’s puzzles are always quite deviously worded and tricky: if you can tackle his then most of the Toughies should be well within your sights: onwards and upwards!
As MG says that’s some going for a 2nd stab – I’m always delighted to fill the grid with one his puzzles without a letter reveal never mind parse the clues. You’ll be tackling Elgar with a dozen under your belt….
Three bung ins, 1a I didn’t know the French but it had to be what it was, 11a couldn’t parse it and 2d I could only see the third definition and still can. The rest were difficult but doable but it is Thursday and I enjoyed the challenge. Thanks to Dharma and ALP.
Comfortably the best DT puzzle of the week so far, inside- or back-page (despite the proliferation of celebrities – clever and themed but too much of a thing just doesn’t do it for me) and the most satisfying challenge, too. Tackled clockwise in strict blocks from NE, finishing with 2d. Perfectly fair clueing throughout with plenty of witty deception. Can’t say that I empathise with the aspiration expressed in 21a … Honours for me went to the wonderful 1d and 4d.
Many thanks indeed to Dharma for the excellent entertainment and to ALP for the review.
I thought this was marvellous! Took me a while but enjoyed every minute, thank you so much Dharma — a couple of clues jumped out for me as being exceptional, 11a (once I twigged) and 14d. What a pleasure this was. Thank you also to A for your useful guide for how to solve Dharma’s puzzles 😀
Many thanks to ALP for his usual spot-on review and to everyone who has taken the time to comment, much appreciated.
Just to answer Huntsman’s question @6 this puzzle was compiled a little while ago so the fact that 21a and 4d are particularly topical is a bit of luck. Usually events trip you up so nice when things go the other way for a change!
Huge thanks for popping in, and for yet another belter.
Well I have been doing toughies for a couple of weeks and this one was a winner. Good clueing, a lot just fell in place and just a bit of googling for the rest. Looked at the hints afterwards. Thanks to Dharma and ALP for such an amusing bit of time.
What a super Toughie! ALP has summed it up perfectly in his introduction. I concur with him and with the other commenters. This really is a cracker.
With five-star excellence throughout, I’m hard-pressed to name a favourite. I have whittled down (sic) my ticks to a selection starting with 14d, which is inspired. This is followed by 1d, 3d, 4d, 5d and 4a, 9a, 10a, 11a, 13a, 17a, 22a and 27a.
I like the vibrancy found in Dharma’s crosswords. There’s never anything stale or overused. Take for example the very clever 4d. And then there are the teasing misdirections… In other words, I greatly enjoy what ALP terms his ‘very, very Dharma’ style of setting.
Many appreciative thanks to Dharma for a splendid Toughie. And many appreciative thanks to ALP for the excellent review.
Can someone explain 11a?
Hi Pilum. To ice = to kill in US (criminal) slang. So, cryptically, if you’re living in Chicago, i.e. not dead, you’re NOT ICED.