Sunday Toughie No 218
by Beam
Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
Only slightly harder than the last from Beam, and that may be just due to losing an hour’s sleep last night. A typical Beam puzzle, well under 6 words per clue, single word answers, a variation on his usual sweetheart and an initial letters to finish.
A reminder to let me know if you are interested in the forthcoming Mid-Year Bash All are welcome, and it should be a good time.
14a and 14d clues today and I have hinted half, I hope you find the checkers to finish, but I will try and give a nudge or two if required/asked.
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.
Across
8a Endured pain in the neck (4)
A double definition to start today. He endured with great fortitude, despite being a tedious pain in the neck
9a Protocol later allows outside security (10)
A lurker (outside) is contained in the first three words. Outside seems a strange indicator, but the BRB allows it as an adjective to mean external to.
17a Cross about dull tool? (7)
A cross at the entrance to a church chancel is reversed (about) followed by a synonym of dull. The question mark indicates that we want an informal, uncomplaining person whom others treat inconsiderately
20a One’s tossed about, about bowled over (5)
One of our usual abouts and a bowled abbreviation is reversed (over), it follows another of our usual abouts
26a Deck hands inside almost busy (8)
Male hands on deck go inside almost all of much or elaborately decorated. Is it unusual that as well as sharing a crossing letter with 18d, it shares a definition too?
27a Things within people note in diary (10)
An abbreviation of note is inserted into a diary or formal record, then it goes within a synonym of people
28a Provided fast time (4)
A triple definition to finish, provided with a view to having it returned – see the pic at 17a for a hint to the other two definitions
Down
1d Place American flag with difficulty (8)
How an American would spell the shades of a flag, followed by a Shakespearean difficulty, much about nothing
2d Standing, quietly released gas? Run away! (6)
I had a plausible answer bunged in, but as I had already lost an hour to the clock change, I slipped off to the land of Nod with this unparsed. Dreams of the musical notation for quietly using a registered® trademark tear gas disturbed my sleep, and I woke with a start when I realised that (standing – in a down clue) was the reversal indicator to turn the musical notation and the tear-gassing into to Run away!
3d Bible is definite covering reported tomb? (9)
A synonym of definite is covering a homophone (reported) of a tomb
6d Domestic charge paid in advance (8)
A double definition, here is a third;
14d Study missing one old head teacher (9)
To study, examine or check in review, loses one of the o for old abbreviations and adds a headland. I “studied” this again and again before the parsing dropped
16d Lift English tax, in part raised (8)
E for English and a type of sales tax go in to a dramatic part that is reversed (raised in a down clue)
23d Sun‘s opening with buxom specimen (6)
An opening letter and a buxom synonym
Compiler
Beam
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Needed most of your hints today. Not sure if my slowness is due to lack of sleep or the icy wind which is spoiling a sunny day.
Favourite 13a.
Thanks to Beam and SJB.
We have the icy wind and rain too, and no sun to take the chill off.
Why do toothbrushes need to know the time? surely it is always tooth hurty to them
Dreadful!
This was all solved at a steady pace until I ground to a halt in the NW and SE.
I then crawled over the line and needed the hints to check that my 2d and 17a were correct.
I thought the released gas was in fact a spray and I don’t believe tool is synonymous with the answer to 17a.
I’m sure, as always, I am in the wrong!!
14d favourite for the PDM of not looking for a singular study.
Thanks to Beam and SJB.
4*/4*
I think the question mark makes the tool slightly more acceptable for someone who is “walked over” all the time
I definitely needed help with the parsing today. It was a bit of a slog. I agree with others that “tool” is a bit of a stretch. I only see 2 definitions in 28a rather than 3 so I wonder if I am missing something here.
Not so many stand out clues for me, but I’ll give my gold to 27a.
Thank you Beam and SJB.
I put it down initially as just a double definition, but changed to triple when I remembered that **** is not only a Fast but the time period of the forty days before Easter when said fasting takes place
Oh I see what you mean now. Thank you
You can’t write the answer SJB!!
Straight to the naughty step
Do not pass go
No cake
Don’t tell Sue!
Oops – takes myself off to have a stern word with myself
Needed assistance on several from Ross today. All came together in the end.
I agree about 17a. But although the answer is not a tool, the person who is the answer could be considered as a “tool” of someone using him.
I liked the misdirection of 28a, especially at this time of year! I would classify it as a double definition if you take the last two words together.
I do like the trademark and laconic simplicity of the six word clues, although it doesn’t make them any easier!
Huge thanks to SJB and Beam.
Beam doesn’t often pop in to his Sunday Toughie’s, but I would bet he wouldn’t have used three words if two would do
I hadn’t considered tool in this manner. It does make sense though.
A second Beam prize puzzle I don’t seem to have found as easy as other solvers. I thought there were some less than usual synonyms in this. Saying that though only needed to confirm my 2d for which I had no idea of the parsing and assumed was wrong. Very pleased to see it was right.
Thanks Beam and SJB
As said in the hint 2d was a tough parse for me too. I had to sleep on it
The SE went in fairly easily but then the shutters came down and I was floundering. SLB’s hints were sufficient to rescue me from a DNF.
No real standout clues and more workmanlike than entertaining. If I was asked to pick a favourite it would be the truthful hunger (10a) which was my first in.
MT Beam and SLB
I do enjoy the challenge of unravelling a Beam toughie….and this was certainly a challenge! I needed some of SJB’s fine hints to get me going in a couple of places.
There are one or two parsings I don’t quite understand, so will have to wait for the full review.
I think Ray T’s puzzles are the ones I most enjoy, for me, they are just very clever. I often wonder what became of Kath, I know she was a big fan and enjoyed her blogs on Ray T Thursday.
Thanks to Beam for the puzzle and SJB for the hints and tips and losing an hours kip!
Kath is much missed by me too.
I don’t suppose I have lost any more sleep than anyone else, but an early night wouldn’t go amiss, especially if I want to get posts in the right place
Just playing catch up after some weeks of holiday then a jaunt last weekend. As always, an enjoyable Beam puzzle, but this time containing a not-as-always ‘sweetheart’. Podium places went to 15, 17 & 27 Across and 1, 2 & 19 Down. 17a was last one in after a PDM on the required characterisation of ‘tool’. I also needed a PDM for the Matryoshka wordplay in 27a.
My thanks to Beam and to SJB.