Toughie No 3678 by Light
Hints and Tips by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ****
It appears to have been quite some time since we last had a weekday Toughie from Light – this one was mostly friendly and I enjoyed the solve, particularly as a couple of solutions made me think of my mum
Please let us know what you thought
Across
1a Move a pot marked “live dairy product” (10,4)
EVAPORATED MILK An anagram (moved) of A POT MARKED LIVE – a solution which made me think of childhood puddings of tinned fruit and/or jelly with the solution poured over the top once the can had been opened using a special opener. I wonder whether a modern child would even know what we were talking about?
10a One who tries to relieve pain in organ? (5,4)
AGONY AUNT A newspaper (organ) columnist who tries to advise readers on how to relieve painful problems, usually of a personal or romantic nature
11a Handling string of sausages (5)
USAGE Hidden in the final word of the clue
12a Any minute now, ring daughter sulking (2,1,4)
IN A MOOD An informal way of saying any minute now, the ring-shaped letter and the abbreviation for Daughter
13a Popular, like duck – it’s not teal! (6)
INDIGO Not teal but another shade of blue – the usual two-letter popular, a slang word meaning to like and the score of a duck in a game of cricket
15a City stifled by left back for Bournemouth, a dirty sort (4)
LECH The postal area of the City of London ‘stifled by’ or inserted between the abbreviation for Left and the letter at the back of BournemoutH
17a Doctor is against fruit if an adult succumbs to temperature (10)
CONSULTANT Against and a type of dried fruit where the second appearance of the abbreviation for Adult is replaced by (succumbs to) that for Temperature
18a A jolly time binding one’s Frost poems finally in peaceful periods (10)
ARMISTICES A (from the clue), the abbreviation for Royal Marine (jolly being the slang name) and the abbreviation for Time ‘binding’ or having inserted IS (ones), followed by frost and the final letter of poemS
20a I put back tissue husband’s left (4)
SELF A reversal (put back) of bodily tissue without the abbreviation for Husband (husband’s left)
22a Sponge from far side of beach area Charlie turned over (6)
LOOFAH A reversal (turned over) of the letter at the far side of beacH , the abbreviation for Area and a person lacking in sense (Charlie) Yes, we all know it is a gourd but it is used as a sponge!
23a Air passes through these branches on birch when windy (7)
BRONCHI Branches of the lungs rather than trees – an anagram (when windy) of ON BIRCH
26a Turn from Little and Large entertaining hotel (5)
WHEEL An adjective meaning little and the abbreviation for Large ‘entertaining’ the letter represented by Hotel in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet
27a Scrap request for Spooner’s cod? (5,4)
WHITE FISH The Reverend Spooner might desire an informal fight
28a Rapper worries politician? That’s a joke (6-3,5)
SHAGGY-DOG STORY An American-Jamaican singer (rapper), worries or plagues and an informal name for a member of the Conservative party (politician)
Down
2d Instrument, cembalo, Ivor’s pounding, rampant (5)
VIOLA Hidden in reverse (rampant) in cembALO IVor
3d Chat at length about Spar cashier’s booth (3-3)
PAY-BOX A reversal (about) of an informal verb meaning to chat at length or speak constantly followed by a verb meaning to spar (the capital S being there to mislead)
4d Where BBC Question Time panel once sat for end-of-year update? (5,5)
ROUND ROBIN You probably have to be a certain age to remember the forename of the original presenter of BBC Question Time from 1979 to 1989. A description of where the panel once sat can also refer to the sort of end-of-year update that might be included in a Christmas card to keep relatives up to date with the goings-on in your family
5d I’ll be seeing you regularly at last, dad (2-2)
TA-TA An informal goodbye is found in the regular letters of aT lAsT dAd
6d What might dispense tea into mug daily (7)
DIURNAL Something used to dispense large quantities of tea inserted into a face (mug)
7d Dull islands visited by granny and companion (9)
INANIMATE An informal granny ‘visiting’ or going between two abbreviations for Island, a companion or friend being added at the end
8d Hole up in part of castle cracking (4,3,2,5)
KEEP OUT OF SIGHT Part of a castle and an informal expression meaning cracking or marvellous
9d Book delay is badly hampering western actor (6,3-5)
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS A book of the Old Testament and an anagram (badly) of DELAY IS ‘hampering’ the abbreviation for Western
14d Meeting in building (10)
ASSEMBLING Meeting or getting together in one place; building or putting together
16d Vulgar characters inside harem used up our time (6,3)
COMMON ERA A synonym for vulgar and a reversal (used up) of the characters found inside hAREm
19d Reportedly glimpse swallow – it may be in rocky pool (3,4)
SEA SLUG A homophone (reportedly) of a verb meaning to glimpse and a gulp or swallow
21d Decent son replacing old Ford’s light at the front (6)
MODEST Replace the L (Light at the front) in the name of Ford’s first mass affordable motor vehicle with the abbreviation for Son
24d One getting weepy, Old Yeller, in town? (5)
CRIER Someone getting weepy or someone who used to ‘yell’ the news to people in towns
25d Outstanding doughnut chewed, half gone (4)
OWED A ring-shape (doughnut) and the second half of cheWED
I do like a bit of humour in a puzzle and this one has its fair share.
The good doctor’s request for a punch-up at 27a, Mr Boombastic troubling the politico at 28a and the son doing a spot of car maintenance at 21d were all amusing images.
My COTD though, is ‘One of the greatest actors in the history of cinema’ at 9d.
I had to big him up as he was with his mate Gary Oldman, a fellow knight of the realm, at The Den earlier this season. Two local boys done good, cheering on the team they’ve supported all their lives.
There can’t be many of us down there who can claim their dad was the Poet Laureate either.
My old man’s favourite poems began with ‘A boy stood on a burning deck’…
My thanks to Light and CS.
I think this setter must have a great sense of humour to use this pen name because I always struggle to get on his wavelength. Some of my answers needed Sue’s parsing. I didn’t know that string was an anagram indicator for 11A and 9D and 21D also needed her help.
A good Wednesday Toughie with lots to like.
My picks are 17,20, and 26A with 10A taking the podium.
Many thanks to CS for the enlightenment and Light for the challenge.
11a isn’t an anagram, it’s a hidden word
Very entertaining stuff – thanks to Light and CS.
Ticks from me for 10a, 16d, 21d, 24d and (my favourite) 4d.
Light stuff, with plenty of clever amusing clues.
28a gets my vote.
Thanks to CS and Light.
Again, needed a few hints ( Thank you, crypticsue). I find it more difficult than you did though feel proud if i can get down to under five DNF clues. I’ll get there one day.
Abso-blooming-lutely wonderful, a cracker of a puzzle. The actor and Ronnie Corbett specialty both took a little longer to come to mind than should have been the case, but with the exception of a few in the SE this was a reasonably swift and hugely enjoyable solve.
Honours to 10a, 15a, 28a & 9d.
Many thanks to Light and CS