Toughie No 3680 by Elgar
Hints and Tips by crypticsue
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty ***** – Enjoyment *****
Another of Elgar’s extreme Toughies – it took me just over twice as long as I’d hope to spend solving a Friday Toughie. I did think there might be a theme but it wasn’t until I solved 4d and investigoogled that I discovered that today (1st May) is a special day in the ongoing celebrations of the Bicentenary of the Modern Railway, and this crossword, in particular, celebrates the 150th Anniversary in the line found in 24d and part of the top row of the grid
My thoughts on the links with the theme are outlined at the end of the hints. Sorry no time for illustrations today
Please let us know what you thought
Across
1a Blemish first seen on chestnut, as one left from faller? (4-4)
LEAF SCAR Something left on a tree to mark where a small part of a tree has fallen is an anagram of the the first letter of Chestnut, AS (from the clue) and FALlER without one of the L’s (left)
5a Checking into hotels, I love spinning a yarn (5)
LISLE Hidden in (checking into) hotELS I Love
9a Source of meat & cheese Romeo delivered to Lord & Lady Montague? (5)
PARMA The letter represented by Romeo in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet inserted (delivered to) in informal names for father and mother (Edit: As SJB points out, Lord & Lady Montague were Romeo’s parents, so he was of course ‘delivered’ to them)
10a Delay passing through the southern wastelands, now clear (8)
THWAITES Delay or remain inserted into (passing through) THE (from the clue) and the abbreviation for Southern
11a Reds when cycling deduce placing in singles (10)
SOLFERINOS Purplish-reds – cycle the last three letters of a synonym for deduce and insert into singles (performances perhaps)
12a G Best’s striking partner recalled his rocket? (4)
WALD Treat the name of one of George Best’s fellow players in the same way as his name is in the clue and then reverse (recalled) I looked into the solution and could find things about statistics but not rockets. Thanks to Gazza for pointing out that the solution is an alternative spelling of weld, another name for Dyer’s Rocket
15a What’s blighted mown crop? (5)
SWATH An anagram (treated) of WHATS
16a Dumb-cluck Trump’s beginning to cut Iran’s region up (8)
MEATHEAD The ‘beginning’ of Trump inserted into (to cut) the abbreviation for the region where Iran is situated, followed by up or forward
19a Silver Lake shown in some pub picture (8)
ANAGLYPH The chemical symbol for silver and the abbreviation for Lake inserted into (shown in) an adjective and pronoun meaning some, the result followed by an abbreviation for pub, as shown on Ordnance Survey maps
21a Alternative to northern playwright (5)
ORTON A conjunction used to indicate alternatives, TO (from the clue) and the abbreviation for Northern
25a Grand, when hooking river fish (4)
GARS I was held up for a while until I realised the fish were plural! The abbreviation for Grand and a conjunction meaning when into which is inserted (hooking) the abbreviation for River
26a Horse called Bananas hems daughter in all right (10)
CLYDESDALE An anagram (bananas) of CALLED ‘hems’ a word of agreement (all right) into which the abbreviation for Daughter has been inserted
28a Copy overwriting article in black doctor’s writing? (8)
SCRIBBLE Take the heraldic name for black and ‘overwrite’ the A (article) with a verb meaning to copy or steal another’s work
29a 6 churchman can’t get a TV signal (5)
IDENT If you look at the solution to 6d, the first word tells you where to put a member of the clergy without (can’t get) the A
30a Fuel in van: steam train operating 27 by Stephen, most commonly (5)
STOKE The first letters (in van) of Steam Train Operating and the first letter of 27d, followed by the letter most commonly found in stEphEn
31a Cases led to cook being taken down a grade (8)
DECLASSE An anagram (to cook) of CASES LED
Down
1d I break down fat; Porky benefits, we hear (6)
LIPASE Homophones (we hear) of a fib (porky) and a verb meaning benefits
2d Elevation of brother briefly depressed jet stream? (7)
AIRFLOW A reversal (elevation) of almost all (briefly) of a member of a religious order (brother) followed by a synonym of depressed
3d Out of area fish-hunter involves pelagic algae (3,7)
SEA LENTILS A marine mammal (fish hunter) and part of a verb meaning involves without the A (out of area)
4d Hit in place of thematic transport, runs away (6)
ATTAIN Hit in the sense of achieve – AT (in place) and the thematic transport without (away) the cricket abbreviation for Runs
6d Current problem for head doing well (2,2)
IN IT The symbol for electrical current and a nasty problem for the head, usually requiring one of those ‘letters’ from school!
7d Sheltered position of ship close to Poole put in on time (3,4)
LEE GAGE The letter at the ‘close’ of PoolE inserted into the onside of a cricket field and a period of time
8d Was overcome without ace, overcome by spades and diamonds (7)
SWOONED The abbreviation meaning without and a single thing (ace) ‘overcome by’ or inserted between the abbreviations for the card suits of Spades and Diamonds
13d Pop art’s principal movement (4)
DADA Another informal name for your ‘pop’ and the principal letter of Art
14a Plant in which new-born baby is delivered? (10)
STORKSBILL Split 5’1, 4, this plant’s name could refer to the way in which a new-born baby is delivered
17d Archbishop not short of lassies! (4)
LANG The surname of this Archbishop is also a Scottish word (of lassies) meaning not short
18d Irregular pay keeps commoner in old county town (7)
APPLEBY An anagram (irregular) of PAY ‘keeps’ a person of unpolished manners or vulgar tastes (commoner)
20d When fool’s got before court, after stealing old fruit (7)
APRICOT The abbreviated date when people can be fooled goes before an abbreviated court, the latter ‘stealing’ the abbreviation for Old
22d Lear’s girl climbs aboard large military engines (7)
ONAGERS Ancient military engines for throwing great stones – reverse the name of one of King Lear’s daughters and inserted it into (aboard) the abbreviation for outsize or large
23d Stick two presents together (6)
ADHERE The abbreviation for the time we live in and present or in this place
24d Understand about Times editorial’s last fix (6)
SETTLE A simple way of saying understand goes ‘about’ two abbreviations for Time and the last letter of editoriaL
27d Where Scotty worships his commanding officer (4)
KIRK It is always good when the clue that had a second page all to itself on the print out solves itself as you read it, thus obviating the need to write it on the first page in order to save a second piece of paper. Where a Scotsman would worship and/or the name of the commander of the starship where Scotty was the engineer
Hidden in the solutions are places on the Settle Carlisle line:
Appleby
Armathwaite
Carlisle
Denthead/Dale
Garsdale
Horton in…
Kirkboswald
Kirkby Stephen
Langwathby
Ribblesdale/Head
Kirkby Stephen
Settle
According to Shakespeare, Lord and Lady Montague were Romeo’s Pa and Ma
Good spot on all the linked elements. I have been poring over maps looking for more
D’oh
I couldn’t tell you how “lang” I tried to make an anagram from Goneril
A very tough challenge from Elgar – thanks to him and CS.
Like our reviewer I was surprised by the gentle 27d which I didn’t have to hand-write on my paper and wondered whether Elgar was going to be in pussycat mode today. How wrong I was – my BRB has put in a claim for overtime pay!
I noticed the ‘thematic’ bit in 4d but I didn’t twig the specific anniversary today – thanks to CS for pointing that out.
12a is an alternative spelling of ‘weld’ which is some sort of rocket plant.
Ticks from me for 16a, 28a and 17d.
Too many obscurities for me to say I enjoyed this.
Completed the southern half, but got stuck in the north, with correct answers I couldn’t parse. I too fail to see the rocket in 12a, though I sussed the G Best partner early doors.
I was delighted to find my answer to 19a was correct, another one I had to confirm, having never heard of it, but got from the wordplay.
The Archbishop at 17d was also a new one, though when I mentioned the name to my missus she confirmed it, as she’s a guide at Canterbury Cathedral.
My ticks landed at 28a for the overwriting, the brother briefly elevated in 2d and the commoner in 18d, which is an enjoyable word to use.
I also liked the fool’s day reference in 20d and Lear’s girl climbing in 22d, yet another answer I had to check.
I made so many 28as, my pen ran out, though I had not a scoobie regarding a theme.
Looking forward to the sun being over the yardarm now, what’s left of my brain is in need of lubrication.
My thanks to Elgar and CS.
I managed most of the lower half bar 24/29. Once I read Sue’s preamble and realised that I had just been listening to a piece on World At One relating to the thematic railway, a few more doors were opened. However, I still need the answers to the algae, the current problem, the cycling reds and G Best’s partner to finish the fill. (Although I still can’t find where the rocket comes from?)
Many thanks to CS for what must have been a drawn out solve and to Elgar for the clever theme.
4*/4*
Rather than being an all in one clue as suggested in the hints, I believe 1a is an anagram of c (first seen on chestnut) + as (from the clue) + faler (one L (for left) removed from faller).
Thank you – I’ve amended the hint