Toughie No 3616 by Elgar
Hints and Tips by crypticsue
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty ***** – Enjoyment *****
An email from a friend this morning described today’s Toughie as “Elgar-lite” – I would not go as far as to say that but most of the clues were friendlier than many of his recent crosswords, both here and in other places. I did like the helpful and clearly indicated Nina and am grateful to Gazza for his assistance with parsing two of the clues
Please let us know what you thought
Across
1a Chicken and canary maybe react to needle? (6)
YELLOW How one might react to an injection (4,2) would if combined be a colour associated with a faint-hearted person or a canary
5a Miss Heather means to keep the volume down (8)
MUFFLING An informal verb meaning to bungle or miss and another name for the heather plant
9a Stop signs are visual, limiting taste/touch (10)
OCTANGULAR An adjective meaning relating to vision ‘limiting’ a taste or touch of something
10a Earth e.g., habitat being periodically wiped out (4)
GAIA The personification of earth in Greek mythology is found in the even (periodically wiped out) letters of eG hAbItAt
11a Be covered by riding around, bumper hit cycles (8)
UNDERLAP A single word meaning riding (on a horse) goes around an informal heavy blow (bumper hit) the first two letters of which ‘cycle’ to the end of the hit
12a Location of Makry Gialos almost completely shut away (6)
SECRET The town of Makry Gialos is found in one area (abbreviated) of almost all of a Mediterranean island
13a Note absent-minded sort might make setter tick (4)
MEMO How our setter would refer to himself and a short period of time
15a One forcibly taken, reportedly plunged into a meeting (8)
ABDUCTEE A homophone (reportedly) of plunged or dived inserted into A (from the clue) and a gathering of people for joint amusement or competition
18a Gracie’s last five lines taken from Variety shows spirit (3,2,3)
EAU DE VIE The last letter of graciE and a variety show without the first Roman numeral for five and the two abbreviations for Line
19a On more than one occasion Harry is happy with this file (4)
RASP The difference between Harry and happy is that both instances (on more than one occasion) of the letter R AS (replaced by) two instances of the letter P
21a The likes of King Edward’s son brought forward sample (6)
TASTER An informal name for the vegetables of which King Edward is a variety with the abbreviation for Son brought forward or moved up the word
23a Carol dodges repossessing broken drinks machine (8)
ESPRESSO The machine for making a particular type of coffee – Carol can also be a verb and a synonym for this should be removed (dodges) from an anagram (broken) of REPOSSESsing
25a Pick up present in the auditorium (4)
HEAR A homophone (in the auditorium) of an interjection indicating that one is present
26a One’s own people perhaps are desperate to get involved (10)
BELONGINGS People or living things into which is inserted (to get involved) of a verb meaning to be desperate to get
27a Was attending couple moving to most prominent position on register? (8)
ENLISTED Paid attention with a couple of abbreviated bridge players moving to the start (prominent position) of the word
28a Compère cutting spot on O’Malley? (6)
TOMCAT An abbreviated Master of Ceremonies (compere ) ‘cutting’ a phrase meaning spot on (2,1,1) O’Malley was the male feline protagonist in a Disney film
Down
2d Most common of Reeves, rebelliously caught in Number Ten? She’s out now (2-3)
EX-CON The most common letter in rEEvEs and a reversal (rebelliously ‘up rising’) of an abbreviation for number, the cricket abbreviation for Caught and the Roman numeral for ten
3d Jumble sale: I’m sorry I missed that antique possession (9)
LEASEHOLD An anagram (jumble) of SALE, an interjection expression enquiry (I’m sorry I missed that) and a synonym for antique
4d People hurry to get it on goods boxed by device (6)
WIGGLE Two instances of the abbreviation for Good ‘boxed in’ by a trick or deceit (device)
5d What’s between columns 1 and 15 I can’t say (2,4,3,6)
MY LIPS ARE SEALED Between and the Nina found in columns 1 and 15 of your completed crossword
6d When Grand Prix is on, stay home (8)
FIRESIDE An abbreviation for motor racing and a verb meaning to stay or live in a particular place
7d Sense rising smoke over lake (5)
LOGIC A reversal (rising) of an abbreviated ‘smoke’, the cricket abbreviation for Over and the abbreviation for Lake
8d Top tennis player essentially wasn’t this! (9)
NOISELESS A phrase meaning the top and the surname of a tennis player (who was the first player known to ‘grunt’ excessively when playing) followed by the essential letter of waSnt
14d Disabled knight’s lover nearly secures Allied victory (2,7)
EL ALAMEIN Nearly all of the name of the lover of Sir Lancelot ‘secures’ disabled, specifically in the use of a leg
16d Advice for the young maiden that is continually criticised when stacking (5,4)
CARPE DIEM Nagged or continually found fault with followed by a reversal (when stacking) of the cricket abbreviation for Maiden, an abbreviated Latin expression meaning that is
17d Just fasten holsters next to gun getting cocked (5,3)
EVERY BIT A reversal (getting cocked) of a verb meaning to fasten into which is inserted (holsters) a preposition meaning next two and a slang word meaning to increase the speed of an engine (gun)
20d Something instrumental group wanted to secure stage (6)
SPINET The penny has dropped so my hint for this clue now reads: A full group or wanted collection into which is inserted (to secure) a synonym for stage
22d Cover for Gurkhas protected by fighter aircraft (5)
TERAI Hidden in (protected by) the last two words of the clue
24d In it one is framing grand opening for Sophocles? (5)
SIGMA The Greek character that corresponds to the letter that ‘opens’ Sophocles – An abbreviation for Sexual Attraction (it) ‘framing’ a way of saying I’m going to (one is) and the abbreviation for a grand (1,000 dollars)
Elgar is less fiendish than usual today but as entertaining as ever – thanks to him and CS.
In spite of 5d I still managed not to spot the Nina until I had a full grid because I was looking for something horizontally.
Top clues for me were 18a, 19a, 28a, 2d and 8d.
The usual number of bung-ins and help with parsing enabled me to crawl over the finishing line this afternoon. I found it genuinely tough and brain-mangling, with a great sense of satisfaction upon completion. 2d was my favourite. Needless to say I forgot to look for a Nina which did not help my understanding of 5d.
Many thanks to both Elgar and Sue.
I too didn’t think to look for a Nina, but looking at the grid, it is easily picked out.
I had 5d in early doors, but couldn’t parse the columns part. So smart, so obvious now.
A welcome lack of anything overly obscure increased the enjoyment level for me, though admittedly it is not one of this setter’s most difficult.
18a is my pick of many super clues.
My thanks to Elgar and Sue.
With the top half almost complete I thought this might be an unheard-of 3* Elgar. No such luck as the bottom half proved a great deal less tractable. Eventually finished but I really can’t get my head round the definition in 17d – can anyone come up with an example? Nor am I convinced by your parsing of 20d Sue, although I don’t have anything completely satisfactory to offer, but if the definition were just “Something instrumental” then that would leave “group” [s..] wanting to secure [include] a word for “stage” which [my synonym dictionary tells me] could be p.. though I’m damned if I can see them as synonyms either. Sorry to muddy the waters and thanks for the blog.
Thanks to Elgar too – btw my faves were numerous but can narrow down to the neat little 13a, the v clever and unusual 6d and the lol 8d.
How about just as good / 17d as good?
17d ‘x is every bit/just as useful as y’ ?
20d The BRB under pin gives ‘a degree, stage, pitch’ but I can’t come up with an example.
Obvious really! Thanks both.
On 20d, I suspect pin has gone out of fashion in this sense, in favour of peg (e.g. x needs knocking down a peg or two).
Phew, that was tough but then it is an Elgar toughie. Wouldn’t have completed without a couple of hints from Sue and also some help with the parsings. Very satisfying to finish though. I thought the Nina was very clever.
Thanks to Elgar for the challenge and Cryptic Sue for the help.
A puzzle from Elgar I only needed copious help with.
Some starting letters in column 1 and the middle Nina gave me the other side of the Nina, then copious use of the hints allowed me a filled grid.
Thanks to CrypticSue and Elgar.
According to Elgar;
“I’m currently setting #299 for February 6th, so I make #300 for Feb 20th”
I doubt that will be as “Elgar-Lite” as this one.
Elgar has corrected himself.
“I checked with James (Brydon AKA Robyn, I assume), and it appears you are correct – I’ve missed two out! so 300 due on March 20…”
Would it be possible to update the list we have under the Miscellaneous tab as that stops on 14 Aug 2020 with Toughie #2489 (Elgar’s 155th)
The Telegraph’s own archive of toughies no longer includes the list and only goes as far back as #2486
I have a spreadsheet that may help with the update, or would it be possible to allow me to update this periodically, much as Falcon updates the FAQ
I’ll look into updating that list
Gentle by Elgar’s standards (or at least I hit a seam of seeing most things in the relevant way) but still a proper Toughie. For once, I saw the Nina and it helped with the solve. That never happens to me!
I completely failed to parse 17d (to focused on Very Pistols) and also just bunged in 19a, with vague ideas about it being a play on “Spare” which doesn’t work at any level, really.
Too many top notch blues to pick a favourite, but now I’m going to have find something else to do over the next 3 days that are normally allocated to an Elgar….
Thanks to Elgar for a wonderful puzzle, and to CS for the blog and filling in the parsing deficiencies.
I saw the Nina !! Would not have finished otherwise. Tough, but fun.