Toughie No 3624 by Elgar
Hints and Tips by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty ***** – Enjoyment *****
Elgar’s fortnightly opportunity to mangle our cryptic grey matter. I might have given this one a 4.5* difficulty rating, had it not been for a couple of tricky bits of parsing. The crossword had quite a few reversals and several anagrams
Please let us know what you thought
Across
1a Recalled somewhat left-leaning teacher’s weekly file (4,3)
DATA SET A reversal (recalled) of an informal phrase meaning somewhat (1,3) and another (left-leaning) of the abbreviation for the weekly publication for teachers and others who work in education
5a Offensive outburst at alumni reunion? (7)
OBSCENE An unseemly display of feelings (outburst) of a reunion of abbreviated alumni
9a But doctor, steroid remedied psychotic symptom (7,8)
THOUGHT DISORDER A conjunction meaning but and an anagram (remedied) of DR (doctor) STEROID
10a Old book reduced by 50 per cent, old architect’s feature (5)
OVOLO The abbreviation for Old, half of a book (reduced by 50%) and the abbreviation for Old
11a Reserved bunk at first kept from Spooner (6,3)
SPOKEN FOR An anagram (bunk) of the first letters of Kept and From plus SPOONER
12a What’s subject to change, half on the ebb, with time included (4,5)
TIDE TABLE Reverse the first half (on the ebb) of an adjective meaning subject to change and then insert the abbreviation for Time between the two halves
14a The old man carrying about dope ahead of theatre (3-2)
PRE-OP An informal name for a father (the old man) ‘carrying’ the usual about, on the subject of
15a Something used to build the first road? (5)
STONE My favourite clue. The first road could be written as an abbreviation for street and a number
16a Trump’s avarice might seem out of place (3,6)
THE GIMMES US slang for avarice is an anagram (out of place) of MIGHT SEEM
18a As bleak as it can be in the North, Treasury backs Bundestag’s #3 (9)
DREICHEST A treasury goes after (backs) the German (as used in the Bundestag) word for three
21a System of exercises: round, round, round (3-2)
TAE-BO A reversal (round) of the round letter and a round, such as that of a policeman
22a Screwed up on planner, or so they say (8,7)
PERSONAL PRONOUN An anagram (screwed) of UP ON PLANNER OR SO
23a Our Chris Evans perhaps feeling the squeeze? (7)
PRESSED In his role at the Daily Telegraph, Chris Evans could be described as a term for newspapers and the abbreviation for his job title
24a Retiring primates accepting fine convertible … (4,3)
SOFT TOP Some reversed (retiring) West African lorises ‘accepting’ the abbreviation for Fine
Down
1d … automobile HQ tried to put out (7)
DETROIT The centre of the American motor industry is an anagram (put out) of TRIED TO
2d Mind-boggling excess of virtuosity at the expense of faithfulness? (3,4,2,2,4)
TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE To a greater extent than is required, virtuous, and a three-word phrase meaning faithfulness
3d/19d Christian may make such a face, becoming redder? (4,2,3,5)
SIGN OF THE CROSS A very red face might be an indication of a number of people being described as angry
4d Emperor raised temperature in clubs? (5)
TITUS A reversal (raised) of one part of a set of playing cards (clubs?) into which is inserted the abbreviation for Time
5d Of an epoch savages once legion finally dying out? (9)
OLIGOCENE An anagram (savages) of ONCE LEGIOn without the final letter (dying out)
6d/14d Better offer stops coin getting forged (5,6,3)
SCORE POINTS OFF An anagram (getting forged) of OFFER STOPS COIN
7d “Mother and baby doing well”? (3-2-4,6)
END-OF-TERM REPORT The quotation marks indicate that this is a report that might be made at the end of the duration of a pregnancy
8d A way to stop opening up pendant (7)
EARDROP A (from the clue) and an abbreviated way ‘stop’ a reversal (up) of a minute opening in the skin
13d Passing close to big copshop in large numbers (2,3,4)
BY THE YARD Passing close to the informal name for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police
14d See 6 Down
15s 7 Up or Dr Pepper? For the same reason, an old penny each (4,3)
SODA POP An American name for soft drinks, the two mentioned in the clue having originated there. An adverb meaning for the same reason, the letter used to indicate a pre-decimal penny, and an informal way of saying each
17d Appeared embarrassed (5,2)
SHOWN UP Appeared or made to feel embarrassed
19d See 3 Down
20d Spaniard eats this Italian food that’s recycled (5)
TAPAS Recycle the first three letters of some Italian food to the end of the word
As usual with Elgar, there’s a few words I’m unfamiliar with, in this case the architectural feature at 10a, the exercise system in 21a and the epoch in 5d.
I can handle the Americanism for a fizzy drink in 15d, but the term for greed in 16a is a step too far.
The Scottish word at 21a which sums up our recent weather was my pick, a cleverly constructed though rather lumpy to read clue.
Not the most difficult of puzzles from Elgar, but plenty to chew on nonetheless.
My thanks to the aforementioned and CS.
Minor point, but there is one letter short in your anagram for 11a, Sue.
So there is. I marked it but missed it when typing the hint
Elgar provides an Elgar-level puzzle for us – thanks to him for the entertainment and to CS for the explanations.
The American avarice was new for me.
I ticked 5a, 15a, 18a and 3/19d with my favourite being 7d.
The gentlest Elgar for some time [to solve] but parsing it all was another matter. Plenty of clever stuff as always – favourites were 5a, 18a, 22a [beautifully constructed] and 7d [which raised a chuckle. Chambers needed to confirm Trump’s avarice [new to me].
Thanks to Elgar and CS [in 11a the anagram fodder includes the first letters of kept and from].
Shouldn’t the anagram in 5d exclude N as the final letter not the G as the final letter of dying?
Of course it should; that’s what comes of trying to finish a blog post before going out for a Vitamin B12 injection.
It’s getting a bit boring now, but I have to ask a commenter once again what they thought of the crossword as a whole
FWIW I’m not good or experienced enough to do much other than to say I was here for the help (thank you), I tried to give something back, it was tough for me and that 7d was my favourite. I hope that’s enough and there’s not much more I can think to say. All the best.
For 9A, I’m sure our dear blogger meant that it is an anagram of DR STEROID.
Next time I have a badly timed appointment on a blogging day, I’m going to have to either get up extra early to get it done before I go out or post the blog a little late to avoid errors
Any thoughts on the crossword itself?
Thank goodness for that amendment, lol. I thought I was going simple in my old mind. I find Elgar impenetrable at the best of times and today’s offering has been no exception. I struggle on to try to understand Elgar’s thinking most weeks, but try as I do I rarely ‘get’ more than half a dozen solutions per puzzle and I admire those of you with the wit to end up with a completed grid.
I’m with you – I think it’s an ‘easy’ Elgar when I can solve at least four of the clues unaided 😂. I managed 5 today and felt like Einstein. I do love how elegant the answers are when I read the hints, though.
Elgar for me today is at the difficult end of the fiendish spectrum as opposed to the nigh on impossible. I managed a few, which is a few more than the non-starts of recent weeks, but even with Sue’s hints it was still torturous. For those who found 16a to be obscure it is a golfing term which explains why DT can return good scores, as confirmed by Chambers. Otherwise, I am one step closer to solving an Elgar unaided.
Hi Eagle,
I appreciate the term has a golfing context. I’m no golfer, but I know it means a putt that is so close to the hole that the opponent should concede that it is not necessary to tap it in.
It’s the context of it’s use in this case I object to, as I’ve never before heard the word as a plural.
To me, it is a bastardised Americanism which has no place in British English.
Blimey, reading that back, it all sounds rather heavy.
Still, that’s how I feel about the creeping dilution of our mother tongue.
Hi FM, Chambers does give the plural – (the gimmes) US slang greed; acquisitiveness, – but like you I find the inclusion of foreign argot disarming in a UK crossword.
Great puzzle, a stiff challenge and hugely satisfying even though I was defeated at the last, 21a. I could see where the instructions were going (round, round, round) but could not come up with an answer that made any sense to me.
So much wit, and such genius in the crafting of the clues. Honours for me go to COTD 7d, 18a, and 15a.
Many thanks indeed to Elgar and CS.
Good fun, and I found this to be by far the easiest Elgar I’ve ever done. Only defeated by 21a, like the previous poster, I had never heard of it, so needed the hint. 5/5
Thanks.
Once I got the time to focus on this, it was relatively gentle by Elgar’s standards. But still a very Friday Toughie. And Elgars are much more enjoyable when dialled back a notch in the difficulty level.
I’m not wildly happy about including the abbreviation for Doctor as part of the anagram; that has to be close to the edge of what’s allowable. And for me, 3d is pretty weak; it took me ages before I was convinced it must be right. Never heard of the horrid American 16a term, but that was clearly flagged, and the 21a exercise was a new one, but I could see what was being demanded.
I’m with CS on the outstanding 15a; a treat in a small package.
Thanks to Elgar for a thorough work out, and to CS for the blog.