Toughie No 3658 by Silvanus
Hints and Tips by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty * – Enjoyment ****
Only just a Toughie but the usual excellent Silvanus crossword
Please let us know what you thought
Across
1a Watch entertaining performer’s finale as poet (6)
VIRGIL A night watch ‘entertaining’ the final letter of performeR
4a Enthralled by form of jazz Mussolini disparaged (8)
TRADUCED The title of Mussolini ‘enthralled’ by a type of jazz
10a Scoundrel vicar condemned over first of exhumations of a corpse (9)
CADAVERIC A scoundrel and an anagram (condemned) of VICAR, the latter going over, or having inserted, the first letter of Exhumations
11a Stock large variety of fruit previously, one third stolen (5)
BANAL The abbreviation for Large goes before (previously) a six-letter variety of fruit with one third of the letters ‘stolen’
12a Capital city feature reportedly seen in Venezuela? (7)
TRIPOLI If you look at Venezuela carefully, you will see that there are three Es. A homophone (reportedly) of a way of saying that this word has three Es is the name of a capital city
13a Awfully rough time backing variable dairy product (7)
YOGHURT An anagram (awfully) of ROUGH followed by the abbreviation for Time goes after (backing) one of the mathematical variables
14a Section of garage MOT about to come to conclusion (5)
OMEGA Hidden in reverse (about) in a section of garAGE MOt
15a Draw out scandal engulfing Tesla CEO? (8)
ELONGATE The forename of the Tesla CEO and a suffix denoting a scandal connected to a particular person or place
18a Dame, icon mistaken for witty raconteur? (8)
COMEDIAN An anagram (mistaken) of DAME ICON
20a European eliminated from draw brings dismay (5)
APPAL The abbreviation for European is ‘eliminated’ from draw or attract one’s interest
23a Cycling break for Luton Town FC players (7)
HATTERS I knew this nickname for Luton Town FC from the days when Eric Morecambe was a director of the club and used to include the headwear in various sketches. Cycling indicates that the solver should move the first letter of a verb meaning break to the end of the word
25a Snake one learned article conceded rose up high (7)
ASPIRED A snake, the Roman numeral for One and a synonym for learned without the A (article ‘conceded’)
26a Making small advance, strikes brute (5)
BEAST Take a synonym for strikes or hits and ‘advance’ the abbreviation for Small further up the word
27a Overwhelming political victory that might impact Cliff (9)
LANDSLIDE An overwhelming victory or something that might impact a cliff with a lower-case C
28a Like area of Birmingham? Wow! (8)
ASTONISH An area of Birmingham and a suffix meaning somewhat like
29a Rishi, into American traditions (6)
USAGES A rishi inserted into the abbreviation for American
Down
1d Calling venue failing to open after five (8)
VOCATION A venue without its first letter (failing to open) goes after the Roman numeral for five
2d Frenchman boxing regularly down in Burgundy, say (3,4)
RED WINE A Frenchman’s name ‘boxing’ the regular letters of DoWn and IN (from the clue)
3d Speaker’s wearing liturgical colour of penance, being pure (9)
INVOILATE A homophone (speaker’s) of a way of saying wearing and the colour of liturgical robes in times of penance
5d Range of tuna Simon could be served up (5,9)
ROCKY MOUNTAINS An anagram indicator (could be served up) tells you what to do with TUNA SIMON
6d Remove insects from raised garden area, vacuous undertaking (5)
DEBUG A raised or reversed garden area and the outside (vacuous) letters of UndertakinG
7d Ask advice of old magistrate back in court (7)
CONSULT One of two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic and the ‘back’ in courT
8d Enlarge supermarket, a Lidl partially erected (6)
DILATE Hidden in reverse (partially erected) in supermarkET A LIDl
9d They’re potentially devastating, holiday letters ditching Victor for student (6,8)
CRUISE MISSILES A waterborne holiday and some letters where the letter represented by Victor in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet is replaced by the usual abbreviated student
16d Those holding up bar in Lagos stop running (9)
GOALPOSTS An anagram (running) of LAGOS STOP
17d Joy of young man plugging rock artiste essentially overlooked (8)
GLADNESS A young man ‘plugging’ a coarse-grained rock without (overlooked) the letter in the middle (essentially) of artIste
19d Survive longer than disclosed ultimately (7)
OUTLAST Disclosed or in the open and ultimately or finally
21d Leaving one another is shock separation? (7)
PARTING A nice surface reading for this double definition
22d Fear pub close to Southsea has limited charm (6)
PHOBIA An abbreviated public house and the ‘close’ to SouthseA into which is inserted (has limited) a fetish or charm
24d Told college is damaged by woodworm? (5)
EATEN A homophone (told) of a well-known public school (college)
So, apparently tomorrow will not be a Dream Team Thursday but I still expect to be composing a blog for another Ray T gem this evening.
Thank you Silvanus for a very entertaining but, as CS wrote, only just a Toughie challenge – 1.5*/4.5*
Based on 23a, is it going to be football team nicknames from now on? I can offer two – Cottagers and Canaries.
Candidates for favourite – 12a, 15a, the aforementioned 23a, 28a, 5d, 21d, and 22d – and the winner is 21d.
Thanks again Silvanus and thanks to CS.
Well that was fun. Not particularly testing but beautifully and inventively clued as always. From any number of potential winners, I liked 5d the best.
My thanks to Silvanus for the entertainment, and to Sue.
A lovely puzzle, thank you Silvanus – and quite gentle, too, for a Toughie. An enjoyable lunchtime solve with plenty of smiles throughout.
Honours to 11a, 12a, 15a and 3d.
Many thanks also to Deansleigh
Appreciative as I would usually be of Deansleigh’s blogs, my thanks for this one are of course to CS! Apologies for the error, I have no idea how it happened.
Bang on for a midweeker, this was fun though not overly taxing.
Among the many excellent surfaces, my picks are Il Duce and his jazz in 4a, the homophone capital found in Venezuela at 12a and 23a’s footballers on a cycling break from Kenilworth Road.
I recall one of our visits to that venue some years ago for an evening kick-off. The match was postponed late on due to a waterlogged pitch. We exited the train as soon as we found out and spent a very pleasant few hours in a pub in Harpenden.
Every cloud, as they say…
My thanks to CS and Silvanus.
What a superb crossword! It was a joy to solve from start to finish with smooth surfaces throughout the icing on the cake.
From a mass of ticks on my page, 21d just nudges in front of several other contenders as my favourite.
Many thanks to Silvanus and to CS.
Many thanks to Silvanus and to CS.
All good fun!
The only bit I needed to check was the rock in 17d that was missing the letter I.
21d was my favourite with 26a in second place.
I’m fully aligned with CS on this one. Only parsing 12a takes this out of Floughie territory. Nevertheless, very cleverly done throughout. 15a and 5d get my joint prize, amongst a very strong field.
Thanks to Silvanus and to CS
A very entertaining puzzle which I didn’t find quite as gentle as others seem to have done. Many thanks to Silvanus and CS.
Ticks from me for 12a, 15a, 28a and 21d with my favourite being the reverse anagram at 5d.
I agree this was only just a Toughie but nonetheless as enjoyable as ever from Silvanus.
I thought 12A was very clever and liked 28A but favourite has to be 21D.
Many thanks to CS for the blog and Silvanus for the enjoyment.
When does too easy become too boring? A gentle stroll today, although this did not quite qualify for the aspersions i cast in my first sentence. However, I think it fell far sort of Toughie standard nevertheless it was an enjoyable solve and there’s nothing wrong in having one’s ego massaged occasionally. Tjhanks a lot to the setter and the blogger. Well done to all concerned!
If I can say so, then this was certainly at the Floughie end of the spectrum. Everything fairly and cleverly clued, only needing to consult the dictionary to confirm that 10a is a word and to visit Sue’s hints to verify the parsing of 12a. My favourite was 17d where I found the rock lurking deep in my memory bank.
Thank you Silvanus and CS
1*/4*
Enjoyed this a lot but didn’t think it was that easy. 9d resisted till the very end and the parsing of 12a [top clue] eluded me completely. Other tops were 28a, 21d and 24d. Surprised that lovers of good chardonnay have not taken issue with the definition of 2d!
Thanks to Silvanus and Sue.
Many thanks to CS and to all solvers and commenters.
See you all again soon.
A rare venture into Toughie-land, while travelling back home from Gatwick. I’m glad this is a 1* based on CS and other reviews, meant it was enjoyable much more than brain crushing.
Needed the hints to parse a few – kicking myself on 12A’s Venezuela, should’ve seen that, ditto missed the meaning of ‘shock’ in 21D. But 17D, nearly asked for help on what the rock is, but just found it in the Crimson Tome. Similar for the fetish/charm in 22D, a new one on me.
Pody picks – 12A’s playfulness, 23A’s footy reference and glad to pick up a ‘cycling’ clue quickly, 5D’s Simon – as long as we’re talking tuna fillets.
Thanks to Silvanus for a very enjoyable puzzle, especially for a rookie like me, and CS for the much-appreciated hints ⭐️
Much to our embarrassing chagrin we totally failed to parse 12a, despite having guessed the correct answer. We also struggled somewhat with 23a as being on the other side of the world and not football followers made the GK difficult. So, overall, a trickier solve than some are reporting here. Nevertheless an enjoyable experience and we’ll award top spot to 12a even though it beat us.
Thanks Silvanus and CS.
Needed the hints to parse 12a, 29a, 7d and 17d, 10a was a new word for me so not that straightforward as far as I was concerned. Not that I didn’t enjoy it because I did. Lots of contenders for favourite but I’ll go with 65d. Thanks to Silvanus and CS.
Hudson & Silvanus my idea of the perfect Dream Team so a real treat today. Who cares that it wasn’t really a Toughie when the clues are this good. It was only when reading Whybird’s comment about 12a that I remembered I’d bunged that one in & much to my annoyance have to report that I’m also in the camp failing to twig the 3 Es so that’ll have to be top of the podium with 5d relegated to runner up. Pick any 1 of a dozen or so for 3rd spot. Definitely 5* enjoyment here.
Thanks to Silvanus & to Sue.
1*/4* …
liked 15A “Draw out scandal engulfing Tesla CEO? (8)”