Toughie No 3674 by Beam
Hints and Tips by crypticsue
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***
A typical Beam crossword which only took a tiny bit longer to solve than one of his Thursday back pagers
Please let us know what you thought
Across
7a Rendezvous embracing miss turning bare (8)
DESOLATE A rendezvous or arranged meeting ‘embracing’ a reversed (turning) verb meaning to fail (miss)
8a Stressed beam inside, strengthened (6)
FRAYED A beam put inside part of a verb meaning to derive strength or sustenance from food
9a Religious ceremony fit for the audience (4)
RITE A homophone (for the audience) of a synonym of fit
10a Showered after snooze to get sober (10)
RESTRAINED Showered with water goes after a snooze
11a Glib one’s employing old lingo (6)
PATOIS With fluent or glib repetition and a simple way of writing one’s, between which is inserted (employing) the abbreviation for Old
13a Leak makes water over time (7)
SEEPAGE A reversal (over) of an informal way of saying urinates (makes wager) followed by a period of time
14a Skin of sweetheart bathed in perspiration (7)
LEATHER The ‘heart’ of swEet inserted into (bathed in) froth from perspiration
16a Mechanic with fan losing power (7)
ARTISAN An adherent of a party or faction (fan) without (losing) the symbol for Power
19a Imprison criminal facing financial penalty (7)
CONFINE A slang criminal and a financial penalty
20a Amorous advance? (6)
TENDER Double definition
21a Bully is personal checking documents (10)
INTIMIDATE Personal or private into which is inserted (checking) abbreviated identity documents
22a Rise is hot air, occasionally (4)
SOAR The even (occasionally) letters of iS hOt AIR
23a Smallest room available housing one (6)
TOILET Part of a house euphemistically known as the smallest room – available to rent (2,3) ‘housing’ the Roman numeral for one
24a See about van’s last exhaust? Absolutely! (8)
ENTIRELY The diocese (see) that probably appears in more crosswords than any other goes ‘about’ the last letter of vaN and a verb meaning to exhaust
Down
1d Success surrounds Queen with mature legacy (8)
HERITAGE A success ‘surrounds’ the regnal cipher of the late Queen, followed by a verb meaning to mature
2d Centre of russet extracted, initially (4)
CORE The initial letters of the first four words in the clue reveal something you would extract before eating the rest of the russet apple
3d Fathers with discontented rage in homes (6)
PADRES Slang for homes into which is inserted the outside (discontented) letters of RagE
4d Last among newspapers is Telegraph (7)
PERSIST Hidden among the last three words of the clue
5d Northern flight welcomes good steersman’s art (10)
NAVIGATION The abbreviation for Northern and the art or practice of flight ‘welcomes’ the abbreviation for Good
6d Worship divinity taking till doomsday (6)
REVERE An alternative name for the ancient Egyptian sun-god ‘taking’ eternally or until doomsday
8d Decline of terror gripping globe (7)
FORBEAR Extreme apprehension (terror) ‘gripping’ a sphere or globe
12d Seeming over prudent keeping time (10)
OSTENSIBLY The cricket abbreviation for Over and a synonym for prudent ‘keeping’ the abbreviation for Time
15d Partly genteel, it is terribly snobbish (7)
ELITIST Hidden in part of genteEL IT IS Terribly
17d Alpha males practised being submissive (8)
AMENABLE The letter represented by Alpha in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet, some males and skilful or practised
18d Performed with experience in sack (7)
BEHAVED A verb meaning to experience inserted into a piece of furniture, the slang name for which is a sack
19d Works without bearing mortar? (6)
CANNON The clue which made this crossword, for me anyway, into a Toughie, as I was initially thinking of a different definition of mortar. The recognised genuine works of any author goes round (without) a compass bearing
20d Score a couple of kisses? (6)
TWENTY The Roman numeral for this quantity known as a score looks like a couple of kisses written on a birthday card perhaps
22d Sensitive god of love is upset (4)
SORE A reversal (upset) of the Greek god of love
Just about got there without the hints.Two thirds went in fairly easily, but the other 1/3 kept me pondering for longer than necessary having hobbled myself by bunging in an incorrect answer for 4d having not seen the obvious lurker. Otherwise fairly clued throughout.
11a and 12d are my favourites.
Thanks to Beam and CS
3*/3*
I spent longer than I should have to wrap this one up, due to what appeared to be an unhelpful grid layout. It seemed at the time that the majority of answers began with unches, though on checking, it was a 50/50 split.
One or two less than obvious definitions muddied the waters slightly but everything was fairly clued.
The two letter divinity worshipped in 6d and the seemingly grand sounding 12d stood out for me.
My thanks to Beam and CS.
I found this quite tough in comparison with other Beam puzzles, but it was still very enjoyable indeed.
I’m not entirely convinced by 20a. However my page was covered with ticks with 10a my favourite.
Many thanks to Beam and to CS.