Toughie No 3619 by Kcit
Hints and tips by ALP
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BD Rating – Toughie difficulty * – Parsing 28a ***** – Enjoyment ***
Fairly straightforward Lego from Kcit today, bar one spot of parsing (28a). I had to dredge up some A-level vocab for 1a and 6d’s “amount of work” but the definitions largely jumped out. All told, a pretty brisk solve. Pondering over the mechanics of 28a easily took as long (for me, anyroad) as the entire puzzle! All yours.
Across
1a Time with a nattier model transformed ragamuffin (14)
TATTERDEMALION: Abbreviated “time” + ANATTIERMODEL, transformed.
10a Took steps and moved about during recording with daughter (3-6)
TAP-DANCED: AND, moved, plus abbreviated “about” during/inside record(ing), plus abbreviated “daughter”.
11a What may be seen in really crass tight fabric? (5)
LYCRA: Lurker, hidden in the sixth and seventh words.
12a English support one account of a sad nature (7)
ELEGIAC: Abbreviated “English” + support (for table, etc) + the usual “one” + abbreviated “account”.
13a Equipment I’d put beside source of fire in icy conditions (6)
FRIGID: Equipment/gear + ID beside/after F[ire].
15a Republican repeatedly abandons pen brand (4)
MAKE: Pen (magic, say) minus its two Republicans (third and sixth).
17a Household appliance smell I start to dissipate if that is right (10)
HUMIDIFIER: Smell/reek + ‘I’ + D[issipate] + “IF” + abbreviated “that is” + abbreviated “right”.
19a Egomaniac nun initially given help to capture Catholic ego (10)
NARCISSIST: N[un] + (to) help/aid, capturing/containing abbreviated (Roman) Catholic + the usual “ego”.
20a Program, hacker’s first as well (4)
BOTH: (Routine computer) “program” + H[acker].
22a One threatened by French mob is hiding in middle of box (6)
ARISTO: “IS” inside the middle letters of a six-letter box/container.
23a Consistent gallon, one used in pub (7)
LOGICAL: Abbreviated “gallon” and the usual “one” inside “pub” (not bar, tavern, inn or PH – the other one!).
26a Lament source of electricity being taken over by another source of electricity (5)
DIRGE: Source of electricity (National, say) taken over/reversed + E[lectricity].
27a Mysterious things broadcast in eco-satire (9)
ESOTERICA: ECOSATIRE, broadcast.
28a As seen here, one possibly equivalent role? (8,6)
OPPOSITE NUMBER: The definition is clear, the parsing less so. The “best” I ended up with is that 28a is ********/on the other side of One/1a in the grid. I (along with various members of the elite guard – many thanks to them all) did consider other theories, including the fact that two possibly significant letters are opposite/reversed (here) in “one”, not to mention that “one possibly” could give you the second six-letter word, which is facing/******** the first. Arsenic hit the hook very early on, and the possibility that “As” referred to the placement of the letter ‘A’ in the a[nswers] soon after. Etc. Any thoughts?
LATE EDIT: MASSIVE hat tip to the brilliant 2Kiwis who worked out that the Oppo website sells the A series of mobile phones. So the wordplay would indeed seem to be that expressed as (4,4) + “one” by example. I note with interest that while Oppo represents just over one per cent of the UK’s mobile phone market, it is the third biggest player in New Zealand – where Kcit is based – after Apple and Samsung. This may well be the toughest GK since Prime’s “consultancy” for EY! I’m going for a lie-down …
Down
2d Fruit stone I spat out in beer (5)
APPLE: Stone/seed, minus its ‘I’ inside “beer”.
3d Bowler, perhaps, in position running up, in other words (4,2)
THAT IS: What a “bowler” is by example inside (to) position/place, reversed/running up.
4d People use bad language about old sporting venue (10)
RACECOURSE: People/stock + use bad language/swear about/containing abbreviated “old”.
5d Stops grants, saving pounds (4)
ENDS: Grant/give, saving/minus abbreviated “pound(s)”.
6d Uncovered bad feeling about large amount of work, reacting sensitively (8)
ALLERGIC: Bad feeling/enmity, without its outer letters/uncovered about/containing abbreviated “large” and amount/unit of work.
7d Unimportant worker in pub initially offended to receive unidentified item with no name (9)
INCOGNITO: Unimportant worker (in the machine, say) inside “pub” (see 23a and take your pick!) and O[ffended], receiving/containing unidentified item/thing.
8d Archaeological discovery? Handle a remnant clumsily (11,3)
NEANDERTHAL MAN: HANDLEAREMNANT, clumsily.
9d Speeding across river, car radio’s ultimate source of music (9,5)
STREAMING AUDIO: Speeding/moving fast across/containing abbreviated “river”, plus (German) “car” and [radi]O.
14d Money group admit suppressing large part of entertainment business? (10)
TINSELTOWN: Money/cash + group/band + admit/concede suppressing/containing abbreviated “large”.
16d Church reduced sizable opening in fix for lock (9)
KIRBIGRIP: (Scottish) “church” minus its last letter + sizable/large + opening/tear.
18d Is temperature in rig producing suffering? (8)
DISTRESS: “IS + abbreviated “temperature” inside rig/outfit.
21d Shining silver moon vehicle covering area (6)
AGLEAM: The symbol for “silver” + moon vehicle/lunar excursion module, covering/containing abbreviated “area”.
24d Agree boss will bring in male, not female (5)
CHIME: Boss/head bringing in/containing the abbreviation for “male”, minus the one for “female”.
25d Qualified upturn in bustle (4)
MEET: Bustle/swarm, reversed/upturned.
We’ve got four anagrams, a single lurker and a fair amount of Lego. There is also a six-letter word lurking, down, in the grid that could be a Nina of some significance or purely accidental. I know Kcit’s cat sadly died in November but, otherwise, I have no idea. 1 think 10a, 22a and 2d probably pleased me the most. How did you get on?
The only reason that I’ll remember this puzzle is for the amount of time I spent, in vain, trying to make sense of 28a.
My favourite clue was 22a.
Thanks to Kcit and ALP.
I’m baffled by 28a too but can make a couple of observations – [a] the word “one” is present in no fewer than 4 across clues but no downs [b] possibly more significant – in 1a the number 1 is at the start and the letter n [number] is at the opposite end [ignoring the enumeration]. Hmmm…
I did rather like the “and moved about” in 10a.
Thanks to kcit and ALP.
That’s certainly a possibility, thanks halcyon. 1a is indeed opposite (ish) N, or, even No I, reversed. The convention is, of course, that referenced, low-numbered clues are typically indicated by the digit, not the word. But conventions can always be broken, I guess!
I decided someone else could work on parsing 28a. We’ll probably never know as I don’t think Kcit (who is missing a C I in the blog’s title) comments on blogs of his crosswords
Thank you Sue, duly corrected. I fear the saga of 28a dulled my subbing skills! Yes, it’s a shame Kcit doesn’t pop up here as he comments quite regularly on his puzzles elsewhere. Ah well, nowt wrong with a little mystery.
Hardly a barrel of laughs & I found the grid fill quite tough going – the east easier than t’other side. I quickly gave up on the why at 28a & also failed to parse 6d (which I ought to have pegged) as well needing to confirm 1a&16d. Still I’ll settle for a full grid with no letter reveal. 4&14d along with 22a would be my podium picks.
Thanks to Kcit & ALP – some good music choices.
I was rather relieved to see that nobody has thus far been able to satisfactorily parse 28a but its oppo at 1a gets my vote today as it’s such an excellent word for a ragamuffin. I was also rather taken by the lament for electricity.
Thanks to kcit and to ALP for the review.
I didn’t find this easy and needed help with a few but looked at the answer to 28 and said fine ” this is the opposite end of the puzzle ergo !! What do I know ? Anything else seems over complicated .I couldn’t see 9d and put in radio which held me up for ages . Thanks to all.I think I’ll go and have a rest now
A Toughie by name and a Toughie by nature. I got over the line, but needed some device assistance and ALP to explain the hair clip which is a new word to me; I didn’t consider the Scottish church. I also had not heard of the word for ragamuffin.
For 28a I read “As seen here” as being opposite to the solver when viewing the clue???? Otherwise I don’t have a clue!
Thanks to Kcit and ALP.
The top half fairly flew in, the bottom half was a different matter altogether. After first pass the to was almost full the bottom almost empty. 16d was a new word for me and like the rest I got 28a but didn’t understand it. Favourite was 1a my FOI. Thanks to Kcit and ALP.
I’m a bit late to this, but maybe there’s a lot of overthinking regarding 28a.
As CD suggests above, perhaps the first three words of the clue simply define the first word of the answer, as in ‘viewed from this place’.
What a fabulous word is the solution to 1a! Loved it so much it took away the pain of struggling with the rest of the crossword. Needed much help from the blog as I just couldn’t hit the right wavelength. Appreciated the cleverness of the clues once I had the answers and wondered why I’d found it so difficult on the first two passes.
Just a thought re 28a. We have found that “A” is the model of a range of Oppo smartphones.
Kia ora Aotearoa.
If that’s the road Kcit is dancing down, I’ll give up the ghost, eat my hat and jack it all in.
Simultaneously.
We think you should start adding salt and pepper to your hat. The wordplay fits so perfectly we’d lay several Kiwi dollars on it being correct.
Brilliant sleuthing – hats off to you both. It’s beyond brutal GK but I’ve just checked their website and, yes, the facts and wordplay do indeed work perfectly. I’m speechless!
I agree the parsing is spot on.
Just concerned that knowledge of obscure Chinese mobile phones and their associated website is a tad niche for the average Daily T crossword solver.
Still you never know how these setter’s minds work.
And it is a Toughie…
Many thanks to 2Kiwis for solving the 28a problem. That’s pretty obscure.
Solved early morning. I also didn’t understand the wordplay for 28a, although I kept coming back to one being a number (no) and its opposite “equivalent role” being (on)… which is not an abbreviation as far as I know.
My only thought on 28 was reference to 1a, top & bottom clue. Otherwise a steady solve although I did need to check my construction for 16d.
Thanks to Kcit and ALP.
I wonder whether 28a is being over-thought? I just took it as being quite literally the clue is opposite its number (as seen here) and the definition is ‘possibly equivalent role’.
Good puzzle, a decent challenge and for me a bit more than a 1*.
Many thanks to Kcit and ALP
28A. The clue is written opposite [the] number (28). Entertaining grid. Dnf due ignorance of kirbigrip. More evidence of creeping easterly colonialism?
Kirbigrip appeared in a Times puzzle a few months ago – I thought it was US origin but to my surprise turned out to be British (Wiki says trademarked in 1853 by Birmingham manufacturers Kirby, Beard & Co. Ltd). This time it came to mind more swiftly, at least!
I’m in the “simple camp” with 28a, and am perfectly happy with the reference to the grid. The puzzle took me far too long, really and I gave up trying to parse 22a and 26a – neither of which should have held me up.
Thanks to Kcit for the challenge, and to ALP for opening my eyes to the b***d**’ obvious…
Without giving any context I asked CM2 if she’d heard of a ‘Kirbigrip’. Answer: “Something your mother probably wore.” Every day’s a school day.