Toughie No 3632 by Elgar
Hints and Tips by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty ***** – Enjoyment *****
Although some of the parsing of the clues in our fortnightly brain-mangling by Elgar took a bit of teasing out (that’s an understatement!) I found most of the crossword friendlier than some of his recent offerings, together with several d’oh moments to make you smile while trying to work out the wordplay
Please let us know what you thought
Across
7a Gold king put in the care of eccentric landlady with her clowns (6,3,5)
LAUREL AND HARDY The chemical symbol for gold and the Latin abbreviation for King inserted into (put in the care of) an anagram (eccentric) of LANDLADY with HER
9a Reactionary produces cuttings for reading about Lassie? (10)
SCOTSWOMAN A reversal (reactionary) of produces [grass] cuttings TO (for) inserted into a reading
11a Further work required to clear top layer? (4)
THEN ‘Clear’ the abbreviated work from Top and then add a bird that lays eggs
12a Waits, perhaps, as 007 reports? (3)
TOM The diminutive form of the forename of Mr Waits, the American singer/songwriter, could, if split 2,1, could follow the last three words of the clue
13a Youth’s rise inspires old people’s pain (10)
ADOLESCENT An ascent ‘inspires’ an archaic (old people’s) pain
16a Having a beard of a brown colour, shaving face (4)
AWNY Of a particular shade of brown without its first letter (shaving face)
17a Slow pieces later, with a grand opening (7)
ADAGIOS A Spanish interjection meaning goodbye (later being an informal way of saying the same thing) into which is inserted (opening) A (from the clue) and the abbreviation for Grand
18a Is trained at initiation in function of Pope (7)
SISTINE IS (from the clue) and the first letter (at initiation) of Trained inserted into one of the six trigonometrical functions of an angle
20a Job initially denied by big boss (4)
UMBO The initial letter of Job is removed (denied by) from huge or extra-large (big)
21a Leaders trading in Bay 144 a big plus? (5,5)
GREEK CROSS Swap (trading) the first letters of a small inlet or bay and a group of 144 items
23a My tally for the game unveiled (3)
COR The tally for a game without its outside letters (unveiled)
24a Mad about point one’s taken to heart (4)
INTO Hidden in the middle (taken to heart) of poINT Ones
25a Maybe just taking Pop to Plough? (2,3,5)
ON THE WAGON Not drinking alcohol, the final word and Plough being names for the seven brightest stars in the constellation Ursa Major
28a Study done for housing firm backs court, in which Capone wound up? (6,8)
WOODEN OVERCOAT A study, a phrase meaning done for, the latter ‘housing’ an abbreviated firm, go after a verb meaning to court or try and win the affection of
Down
1d Position filled by conservative type – me, old opera star (7,7)
PLACIDO DOMINGO A synonym for position ‘filled’ by an informal name for an old-fashioned person (conservative type), an alternative spelling for the third note of the tonic sol-fa scale (me), the result finished off with the abbreviation for Old
2d Statue like that which inspired Ozymandias, or the Venus de Milo? (4)
BUST In Shelley’s poem of the same name, Ozymandias was inspired by a particular piece of stone sculpture, the same word could be used to describe the Venus de Milo
3d Poster stolen from field – that was spiteful! (4)
MEOW An abbreviated poster is ‘stolen’ from a field
4d Stuck-up of course, maiden left a medium sweet white wine (7)
MALMSEY A reversal (stuck up) of a word of agreement (of course), the cricket abbreviation for Maiden, the abbreviation for Left, A (from the clue) and the abbreviation for Medium
5d Divers kind to seals short of nourishment? The opposite (1,4,5)
I DON’T THINK An anagram (divers) of KIND TO ‘seals’ or goes round how one might look if very short of nourishment
6d Professor of History who had an office in the Lodge? (4,6)
PAST MASTER One might describe a professor of history as an expert on bygone times (history); the same phrase could refer to someone who held a particular office in a branch of the Freemasons (the Lodge)
8d Not quite make it to the anti-toxin counter at the local pharmacy? (3,2,4,5)
DIE IN ONE’S BOOTS If one had been poisoned and not made it to the anti-toxin counter in the local branch of a particular pharmacy, one could be said to have done this
10d Please refer to letter (3)
SEE Double definition, the second one being the third letter of the alphabet
14d Cryptic and cagy, not quite Leonardo’s last oil (2,8)
LA GIOCONDA An anagram (cryptic) of AND CAGy (not quite telling you to omit the Y), the last letter of leonardO and OIL. The ‘cryptic and cagy’ could refer to the enigmatic expression of the painting’s subject
15d Who’s this, setting for exhibitions? (10)
SHOWGROUND This indicates what you do to WHOS, the anagram indicator following as part of the solution
19d 1 per cent of Brazil’s real airlines sadly excluded from revamped national service (7)
CENTAVO The monetary unit of Brazil is the Real. An anagram (revamped) of NaTiOnAl serVicE without (excluded) the letters AIRLINES (sadly telling you that they aren’t found in that order
22d Intimidate one in van, caught with cases (3)
COW The first letter (in the lead or van) ‘cased’ by the cricket abbreviation for Caught and the abbreviation for With
26d Make new receiver set higher up (4)
EARN The organ of hearing (receiver) is set higher up than the abbreviation for New
27d All our characters book for tour in Australia (1,2,1)
A TO Z A synonym for for and a slang name for Australia
Very entertaining and not ultra-tricky by Elgar’s standards (but still very devious). Thanks to Elgar and CS.
I thought all 3 and 4-letter answers were very clever.
My ticks went to 11a, 21a, 25a, 6d and 15d.
Gazza is right, I’m sure, about the 3 and 4-letter clues and they were certainly cleverer than me. I had “tier” = layer for 11a and of course couldn’t parse it. Then I had “eyry” = set higher up [if you’re desperate] for 26d. And I still can’t parse the first 2 characters in 27d or the last 2 characters [the same letters!] in 28a. Apart from that it was not too bad for Elgar, although perhaps I should have taken it more slowly! The ones that made me admire his deviousness the most were 9a and 12a.
If it says Elgar on the tin, I know what to expect. By that I mean trying to parse a number of answers after filling the grid, which always adds a great deal of time, whilst by brain gradually seizes up.
It’s surprising how often a brief break to do something else can free up the cogs on returning.
My favourites were two of the long ‘uns, 8d and 28a. I do like a bit of humour in a crossword.
My thanks to Elgar and CS.
For me and Elgar this was a step up from recent abysmal performances. Managed 9 unaided and found the remainder with the assistance of CS’s hints bar one; viz I had to reveal the answer to 28a, an expression I have never come across. 16a and 20a are new words for my mental lexicon. However I am still not able to understand where the ‘to’ comes from in 9a, surely it is not the same as ‘for’?
Thank you Elgar, see if I can improve on your next outing. Thanks crypticsue for the hints.
4*/4*
This was a terrific challenge and helped pass some of the afternoon which is just as dreary as the morning. Maybe this wasn’t Elgar at his most fiendish, but it was still very testing and worthy of the Friday Toughie slot. 8d made me laugh so that was my favourite.
Many thanks to Elgar and Sue.
Picky me again. I think there’s a typo in the explanation for 27D? I do look forward to my Friday Elgar with CS’s review
I can’t see the parsing for 27d or 28a. I struggle to think of a single sentence/expression where the word in the answer could be a synonym for ‘for’
But I’m probably just revealing my ignorance of English 😂
We’re aiming at/for promotion this season?
Brilliant puzzle, a proper brain mangling from Elgar. I had four which were correct but not fully parsed, and a fifth – the Leonardo – where my failure to parse resulted in me misspelling the art work as ‘Gia…’ – this left me utterly unable to think of a coherent answer to 20a, and I had to admit defeat.
Super crossword, COTD 12a for the genius of it and laugh-out-loud moment.
Many thanks to Elgar and Sue
Ouch. I said there would be a reckoning, and it arrived. I failed to parse 9a, didn’t twig the alternative spelling in 1a and don’t like the not quite all in one double duty anagram fodder in 14d, so failed to parse that either. However, there is a great deal of satisfaction in completing an Elgar grid without “cheating”. And many of the clues were wonderfully clever, it just takes a long time for the coinage to plummet. It certainly did the Fill The Weekend job.
Thanks to Elgar for the pummelling, and to CS for again showing the light!
Elgar is for experts.But had a stab at it which I enjoyed.Looked at the clues given by Big Dave and checked on a few answers to see if right.like ” Past master”. Then I was away and had some success.