Sunday Toughie No 215
by Beam
Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
Beam has provided a very pleasant and not too tough Toughie today. I was pleased to have something a little easier than last week’s, as no matter what tricks I used, I couldn’t get the puzzle until 00:10
Beam has brought us a generous and symmetric 16a and 16d clues today. When selecting the clues to hint, I found that the across selection was equally symmetric, so I let that guide an equally symmetric selection of downs. That may have left a few of the trickier clues unhinted, so I will endeavour to help with a bonus hint or two if you ask.
All the Beamâ„¢ trademarks are there, sweetheart, the Queen, single word answers and no anagrams. I spotted quite a few definitions by example? hence the question marks. I expect you will find the checkers to finish, as this was much more straightforward than last week.
Here we go, Folks…
As it is a Prize puzzle I can only hint at a few and hope that will give you the checkers and inspiration to go further. I’ll return with the full review blog just after the closing date. Don’t forget to follow BD’s instructions in RED at the bottom of the hints!
Most of the terms used in these hints are explained in the Glossary and examples are available by clicking on the entry under “See also” Where the hint describes a construct as “usual” this means that more help can be found in The Usual Suspects, which gives a number of the elements commonly used in the wordplay. Another useful page is Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing, which features words with meanings that are not always immediately obvious. Don’t forget the Mine of Useful information that Big Dave and his son Richard so meticulously prepared for us.
A full review of this puzzle will be published after the closing date for submissions. Some hints follow: Remember the site rules and play nicely. Â
Across
1a         Do this again showing tenacity! (7)
The tenacity to start again when you have made an error in this crossword perhaps
10a       Plug more suitable for electrical device (7)
More suitable follows a plug or brief commercial
11a       Fraud is shameless taking over street (9)
Shameless, immoral or obscene thoughts contain abbreviations of over and street
15a       Concerning to admit past is false (9)
Two little words for concerning (from Latin) contain a preposition for time past
17a       Preparation of feasts inside uncovered fat (9)
A type of fat is uncovered, by removing its outer letters, a synonym of feasts goes inside
23a       Rapture seeing sunset’s end passed pool? (9)
A synonym of passed follows the end of sunset, followed by the type of physical pastime that is exemplified by pool?
25a       Start to roast one’s fish croquette (7)
The start to roast, a Roman one and its plural ‘ess, and a type of flatfish
28a       Cut out employing power drain (7)
A synonym of cut out contains a power abbreviation
Down
1d         Why you shouldn’t trust salesman’s answers? (7)
Split the answer (3,4) and you should see why the salesman is not to be trusted
3d         Reel turns making circles (5)
A reel for thread or fishing is reversed (turns)
5d         The French welcome time off (5)
A French definite article and a Latin welcome combine to give us some time off work
7d         Part of continent entering agreement (7)
A lurker (part of) the following two words, defined by the last
18d      They won’t stand for old people! (7)
They exhibit a disdain for old people
21d      Part is tempting absorbing performer (7)
A lurker (absorbing) in the first three words
23d      Spoil sweetheart in Italian eatery (5)
Beam’s™ sweetheart in an abbreviated Italian eatery
24d      Stem carrying grain of rice paddy (5)
To stem carrying a grain (or small part of) rice
Compiler
Beam
Could new readers please read the Welcome Post and the FAQ before posting comments or asking questions about the site.
As this is a Prize crossword, please don’t put any ANSWERS, whether WHOLE, PARTIAL or INCORRECT or any ALTERNATIVE CLUES in your comment.
Please read these instructions carefully – they are not subject to debate or discussion. Offending comments may be redacted or, in extreme cases, deleted. In all cases the administrator’s decision is final.
If you don’t understand, or don’t wish to comply with, the conventions for commenting on weekend prize puzzles then save yourself a lot of trouble and don’t leave a comment.
My favourite today has to be 16d. As I have been painting the garden fence, I also have a tinted exterior.
Thanks to Beam and SJB.
It does exactly what it says on the tin
An excellent and very approachable puzzle from Beam. Plenty of fun and all the usual trademarks. It’s not often I get a chance at The Mythical from a Toughie so many thanks, Beam for the opportunity. Thank you, Sloops for the hints.
Thanks for the thanks. I hope Hudson gets better soon.
Fingers 🤞 for The Mythical
For a Sunday Toughies I found this at the easier end of the scale, verging into backpage territory. Not exactly straightforward, managing about 50% on the first pass, but then going from the checkers I managed to find the solutions and then reverse parse. I needed to confirm the outer letters of 15a which I vaguely remembered. 5a had me scratching around for the only possible solution that works.
My favourites were 17a and 19a.
Thanks to Beam and SLB
I think Beam was being quite devious in his choice of V&A there as examples?
Bean and Dada on a par in terms of difficulty today, the toughie ever so slightly easier.
3*/4*
19a LOI and COTD for the penny dropped moment.
Thanks to Beam and SJB
Just about any of the five letter Greek characters we’re considered before I looked for the definition at the other end of the clue
Obviously not on wavelength for this as I found this tougher than the average Beam. It was not a great nights sleep though with the little one up so I will put it down to that.
I came to check my 5a but it didn’t make the chop. I feel like I’m missing something obvious.
Liked 1a and 6d
Thanks Beam and SJB
In an effort to preserve the symmetricallity of the crossword and blog, one clue in each row and column went unhinted. 5a was probably one that merited a hint and Beam was being quite tricky in choosing V&A – he could have chosen any of the other 24 available. As a man of… culture or scholarly attainment he chose V&A rather than MA, BA MSc etc
Good luck with the little one, I hope he or she wasn’t disturbing your sleep at 5 O’Clock
A very straightforward Beam today, marginally easier than the Prize Cryptic. Thanks to the setter and SJB.
My favourite clue is 1d.
I forgot to do the maths, but with 16@ 6 15@ 5 and a 4 word clue Beam is comfortably under 5.5 words per clue
A relatively straightforward solve today V & A second to last, followed by 6d , last one in .I can’t parse 6d ,any help ? Favourites 8 and 16 . Thanks to all . Similar difficulty to prize puzzle
Someone stoutly made moves the topmost letter to the other end
Very late to this one. Didn’t find it as straightforward as others clearly did & far from certain my last in entry for 6d is correct but can’t think of owt else. Not certain also about the last vowel at 10a – the wordplay suggests an E but surely an O is what we use this side of the pond. 18d was my pick of the clues.
Thanks to Beam & to John
Cancel that comment about 6d – hadn’t read your reply to Fran above – d’oh
Interesting thought about the last vowel in 10a, Chambers says that both are equally acceptable, with no region specific choices. Other places (https://www.grammarbook.com/blog/spelling/*****er-vs-*****or/) seem to suggest that you are correct in using O as the last vowel in British English
As Chambers has it as an equally acceptable noun, Beam is fine to choose the one that best fits the wordplay
At least it is better than last week when I had to accept a common misspelling
Solving this Beam puzzle came hot on the heels of ST218 for me, so I was already on the setter’s wavelength and it all came together quite smoothly. 5d provided a nice PDM and became my standout clue of the puzzle. I was not particularly enamoured with ‘passed’ as a required synonym, but listening to/watching the clip of Blondie in the hints more than compensated for any qualms I had with 23a.
Belated thanks to Beam and to SJB.