Toughie No 3671 by Silvanus
Hints and tips by ALP
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Toughie difficulty */** – Enjoyment ***/****
Not too tricky and typically fair. I suspect 25a, for one, would have taken longer to unpick without crossers but – with them – it flew in. So … pretty gentle for a Thursday, I’d say. All yours.
Across
1a Modest artist right to get replaced by gallery essentially (5)
LOWLY: (Salford) artist, with abbreviated “right” replaced with [gal]L[ery].
4a One reading lines describing saint, composer of hymns (8)
PSALMIST: “One reading lines” (on hand), describing/containing abbreviated “saint”.
10a Way to keep dip in dish (7)
LASAGNE: way/road, keeping/containing dip/droop.
11a Back sporting official in charge given extremely unusual match (7)
LUCIFER: “Sporting official” + abbreviated “in charge” + U[nusua]L, all backed/reversed. The definition did ring a vague bell and it’s, obviously, in Chambers.
12a Not present in capital, Stanley sobs at Neil, regularly upset (2,8)
IN ABSENTIA: capital/excellent + alternate letters, i.e, [s]T[a]N[l]E[y]S[o]B[s]A[t]N[e]I[l], all reversed. It always mildly surprises me when Silvanus uses “upset” like this in an across but it’s a pretty artificial convention at the best of times and, knowing Silvanus, he will have a cast-iron rationale!
13a Genuine hit for Spandau Ballet (4)
TRUE: double definition. Clue – it ain’t Gold. And if anyone thinks I’m clipping this, they clearly don’t know me at all!
15a Collecting daughter one time leaving laundrette Pole runs in E10 (8,6)
UNLEADED PETROL: LAUNDRE(T>D)TEPOLE, running, i.e. add an abbreviated “daughter” and remove one abbreviated “time”. Having not actually bought any in an age, this definition did slightly push my memory.
17a Determine priest lacking English somehow gets wrongly understood (14)
MISINTERPRETED: DETERMIN[E]+PRIEST, somehow/anagrammed, i.e., minus one abbreviated “English”.
20a Musician appears heartless in dock (4)
PIER: musician (pied?), minus the central letter.
21a Sauce of American boy in film franchise (5,5)
SALAD CREAM: Abbreviated “American” + “boy”, inside (horror) film franchise. The seventh installment came out earlier this year. I have not – and will not – be watching it!
23a Ever clear he’s mistaken one for Rachel Reeves! (7)
ANAGRAM: What is EVERCLEARHES (mistaken) in relation to RACHELREEVES?
24a Almost suffer defeat against cricket side following century (5,2)
CLOSE ON: “suffer defeat” + “cricket side” (AKA leg), after abbreviated “century”.
25a Detached when sunbathing perhaps after cycling (8)
OUTLYING: “sunbathing perhaps” (5,3) – i.e. not sitting indoors! – with the last three letters “cycled” to the front.
26a Deer injected with small medicinal amounts (5)
DOSES: (female, plural) deer, injected with/containing abbreviated “small”.
Down
1d Place with tiny population? (8)
LILLIPUT: cryptic definition. Think Gulliver.
2d Revelry witnessed going north on voyage (7)
WASSAIL: witnessed/spied, reversed (going north) + “voyage” (on water).
3d State formerly guy’s viola playing aggravated at first (10)
YUGOSLAVIA: GUYSVIOLA, playing + A[ggravated].
5d Will novelist this writer’s left barely suppress conceit? (4-10)
SELF-IMPORTANCE: Novelist, first name Will (as per Weatherman yesterday) + how Silvanus might say “this writer’s” + (nautical) “left) + suppress/stop, minus outer letters.
6d Crowd losing belief finally in rugby player (4)
LOCK: Crowd/swarm, minus [belie]F.
7d Fire unspecified number, about to rise, breaking word (7)
INFERNO: abbreviation for “unspecified/indefinite number” + about/concerning, both reversed, breaking/inside word/news.
8d Brief letter secretary encloses (5)
TERSE: lurker, hidden in the second and third words.
9d Reactionary person performing lament Ann heard (11,3)
NEANDERTHAL MAN: LAMENTANNHEARD, performing.
14d Furore over Conservative getting vulgar, source of downfall? (5,5)
STORM CLOUD: furore/uproar + abbreviation for “Conservative” + vulgar/garish.
16d Scraps inequality involving soldiers close to retirement (8)
ODDMENTS: “inequality” (plural synonym, as per Chambers) involving/containing (old-fashioned) “soldiers” and the last letter of “retirement”.
18d Ignoring signs at intervals traveller is repeating (7)
ITERANT: traveller/wanderer, minus [s]I[g]N[s].
19d Like certain sandals, see lots about (7)
TOELESS: SEELOTS, about.
20d Republic’s creator, from anecdotal proof around (5)
PLATO: lurker, reversed in the fourth and fifth words.
22d Picked up very French café item? (4)
TRAY: homophone of the French for “very”.
We’ve got five anagrams and two lurkers, plus homophone, double definition & cryptic. 4a, 23a and 5d took my fancy. How did you get on?
I found this to be easier than yesterday’s toughie and happily there were no obscure solutions which needed checking.
The writer in 5d makes another appeance, he’s becoming a regular visitor to crosswordland.
Star billing today goes to the mistaken Rachel Reeves at 23a.
My thanks to Silvanus and ALP.
Lovely puzzle – not too tough & a pleasure from start to a brisk(ish) finish for me. Figured 15a nowt to do with Walthamstow but hadn’t a scooby what E10 had to do with the answer until Mr G enlightened me. As ever loads to like & difficult to pin down 3 for the podium but 12&23a + 5d will do.
Thanks to Silvanus & to ALP & particularly for Van with Curtis which I’d not seen before – have seen Mr Stigers a couple of times at The Stables of late & he puts on a great show.
Really enjoyed that, a swift and classy puzzle. The high proportion of anagrams would usually rile me but when they are this good, and with such excellent surfaces, I barely noticed.
Honours to 11a, 15a and 4a with 18d the runner-up. Many thanks indeed to Silvanus and of course also to ALP
A top-notch puzzle – thanks to Silvanus and ALP.
Top clues for me were 4a, 24a, 25a and 18d.
I enjoyed this more than today’s back pager, which is very unusual for me, especially on a Thursday. I did need the hints for a few but, when it comes to Toughies, I allow myself that. Many great clues but my favourite and COTT is the unusual match at 11a, which I thought was a great clue.
Thank you, Sylvanus for an enjoyable crossword. Thank you, ALP for the hints, which were a great help.
Many thanks to ALP and to all solvers and commenters.
Many thanks for popping in, and for yet another cracker.
Great crossword for someone like me who often struggles with the really tough toughies .Last two in with help 20a and 18d . Favourites out of many 4a, 15a and 14d .I found this more rewarding and enjoyed it more than todays back pager.Thanks to all
I often struggle with Sylvanus cryptics, so approached this with some trepidation. I needn’t have worried, it was a very enjoyable solve from start to finish and no hints required. Today’s Elgar toughie though…….is tough!
Thanks to Sylvanus and ALP.