Toughie 3645

Toughie No 3645 by Dada
Hints and tips by Whybird

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BD Rating – Difficulty ***   – Enjoyment ***

Namaste! Many thanks to Gazza for filling in for the past two weeks whilst I “trundled” around India seeing most of the cast of the Jungle Book, through some absolutely wonderful wildlife experiences– although the leopards weren’t black – and eating equally wonderful food .  I thought I might return somewhat lighter and slimmer, but that hasn’t happened at all. Fortunately, the return flight from Delhi was direct to Heathrow, and the normal route is well north of the Gulf, so everything went smoothly.  I’m disappointed to see I missed blogging a Tuesday Django – I’d been looking forward to that pleasure, so I hope the chance comes around again soon.

I was hoping for a gentle reintroduction to the blog, but that hasn’t happened.  Dada has given us a quirky puzzle, which I think would have fitted in reasonably well later in the week.  Perhaps the cough and head cold I have acquired, coupled with the “safari massage” my body has endured, has deadened my senses somewhat, but I found this rather tricky.  My podium places are occupied by 2d, 16a and 21a today.

Thanks to Dada for a re-baptism of fire.

Please let us know how you fared and what you thought of the puzzle. 

Across Clues

7 Old pussy occupying brown seat (7)

OTTOMAN Start with the usual letter indicating “Old” and follow that with the insertion (occupying) of a male cat into a shade of brown

10 Fragrant thing partial to espionage romances revolutionary (7)

OREGANO This fragrant herb is lurking (partial) in reverse (revolutionary) in the letters of “espionage romances” 

11 Most just put their feet up after brief collapse (7)

FAIREST What people who “put their feet up” can be said to do follows (after) a synonym of “collapse” with the final letter removed (brief)

12 Picture back behind solver and setter (7)

WESTERN A nautical term for “back” follows the pronoun that could be used by a solver and a setter 

13 Question with clues on display (5,4)

LIGHT SHOW Take a slightly unusual synonym of “clues” (similar to what you might be said to see when the penny drops) followed by a three-letter interrogative term, then split that (5,4)

15 Broadcasting aboard express (2,3)

ON AIR A charade of synonyms of “aboard” and “express” (as in state)

16 One of those taken to court, dominant criminal defended by supporter (9,6)

BADMINTON RACKET Insert an anagram (criminal) of “dominant” into a type of support, used for eg shelves.  This took a bit of thinking about given that the first three letters are also a common crosswordland support which crops up in another guise in 26a

21 Exchange – by letters? (5)

BANDY How you might list the letters in “by”. Concise and very clever

23 Plot stuff – as something brewing? (9)

GUNPOWDER A double definition. The first is a famous UK plot marked annually , the second a type of tea 

25 4 Down low inside pot (7)

VAMOOSE Insert s synonym for “low” (as in the noise made by cattle) into a type of pot (often used for flowers)

26 Daring elasticated garment against bustle (7)

BRAVADO A charade of an “elasticated garment” (or support) is followed by a Latin word meaning “bustle” in the sense of “hurry”. *** BUT see Gazza’s post  #2 which offers an alternative less obscure parsing which is almost certainly what was expected – although both are equally valid/  Thanks, Gazza***

27 Mashed tater in salt (7)

NITRATE An anagram (mashed) of “tater in”

28 Eggs around burrow in cluster of leaves (7)

ROSETTE Insert a name of an animal’s burrow into the term for (fish) eggs

Down Clues
1 Hawk soaring over bat – where range found? (4,4)

GOLF CLUB Nothing to do with birds! Take a synonym of “hawk” in a commercial sense, reverse it (soaring) and follow it (“over” in a Down clue) with a synonym of “bat” 

2 Marry silly-billy on the radio? (4)

KNIT A synonym of “silly-billy” sounds like a word meaning “marry” (or combine)

3 Dip cracker for dog (3-3)

BOW-WOW A charade of synonyms for “dip” (as in what you may do as a a mark of respect) and “cracker” as a noun (or an exclamation of awe) gives a childish expression for “dog” 

4 Come along street to the north walled in by bricks (4,2)

LETS GO Insert (walled in) an inversion (“to the north” in a down clue) of the usual abbreviation for “street” into a very popular Danish model-making brick

5 Dance – a waltz? (8)

CAKEWALK A double definition, “a waltz” here having the sense of “easiness”

6 Rather like that, I end in despair (6)

SOONER A charade of a synonym of “like that”, the spelled-out form of the number that “I” resembles and the final letter of (end in) “despair”

8 Bit of broth in grocery bag (5)

THING This type of “bag” (in the sense of something you enjoy) is lurking in the letters of “broth in grocery”. This was easy to solve, but took a bit of thinking about to parse, and for a while I though “bag” was the lurker indicator and a dodgy synonym of “bit” was the solution.  Until I saw the 15a part one! 

9 Mr Satie composed – as do they! (7)

MAESTRI An anagram (composed) of “Mr Satie” gives a plural term that can be applied to renowned composers

14 Sweaty hip (3)

HOT A double definition

17 Banger banging! (8)

DYNAMITE Another double definition, the first being a type of explosive

18 Declaration of love for sister (3)

NUN If you were to recite (declaration of) a synonym of “love” as number, you’d come up with this type of religious sister.  I think this is a bit iffy – to me, the terms only sound alike if the “love” term is accented, although I’m struggling to think of a region having that accent. I’m sure the BD community will enlighten me!

19 With a king dressed, a Scandinavian shortened coats (7)

ANORAKS Insert (dressed) “a” from the clue (the first one) followed by an abbreviation of “king” into “a” from the clue (the second one) and a type of Scandinavian lacing its final letter (shortened)

20 Value of sales, something sweet! (8)

TURNOVER A double definition

21 Six cuts through rib? Cow, say (6)

BOVINE Insert the Roman numeral “six” into (cuts) the type of body part of which “rib” is an example

22 Farmer in country inferior to you (6)

YEOMAN A Gulf state follows (inferior in a down clue) and old word meaning “you”

23 Cove in spring mentioned? (6)

GEEZER This type of “eruptive) “spring” sounds like a informal term for a “cove” (or man)

24 Planks and timber originally bought and sold (5)

DEALT A name for planks is followed by the initial letter (originally) of “timber”

26 Unfortunate release sees prisoners reoffending usually, burglaries initially on the rise (4)

BURP Take the first letters (initially) of “prisoners reoffending usually burglaries” and then reverse them (“on the rise” in a Down clue).  A rather wordy clue for a four-letter solution.