Toughie No 3683 by Bandit
Hints and tips by ALP
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Toughie difficulty ** – Enjoyment *****
Crackerjack. Bandit’s taken some big swings here with brio and invention. They didn’t all (quite) land for me, but most did. And one has to applaud such welcome novelty: smart, fair wordplay and some sparky definitions. SO refreshing.
I didn’t find this too tricky as 1a’s slight quirk set the tone from the off – it’s always a glorious sign when the first clue does that. Get on the setter’s wavelength early on, lap up a couple of gimmes and you’re away.
Added to which, he’s enabled me to self-indulgently clip G. Love, Rocky, Dury, Withnail, Loudon, Ivor, the Tour de France AND a spot of boss reggae … that’s a full house! So it could only be a fiver from me. With – I trust – 3ds at hand, the floor is yours.
Across
1a How to stop man making German sausage? (6)
BANGER: expressed as (3,3), how one might say: stop/prohibit “man” becoming “[Ger]man”.
4a Distributed gin, later something Cockney might call “free cider”? (8)
TRIANGLE: GINLATER, distributed. An original definition!
9a Supermarket, first to back drinking Right Guard (6)
ESCORT: a supermarket, with its first letter moved to last, drinking/containing abbreviated “right”. My only question is: why would anyone drink deodorant?!
10a Fellow presenter admitting Dec exploded over drug story (8)
ANECDOTE: (Dec’s) “fellow presenter”, admitting/containing DEC, exploded, and abbreviated “over”, plus the usual “drug”.
11a Slow learner in snooker class maybe not getting on (8)
CLUELESS: abbreviated “learner” in “snooker class maybe” (3,6), less the second word’s “on”.
13a Quip about a companion’s beer belly (6)
PAUNCH: quip/play on words, about/containing ‘A’, plus “companion” (of honour).
15a HM wanting chat about security guard arriving late (5-8)
NIGHT-WATCHMAN: HMWANTINGCHAT, about.
18a It reflects a lack of unanimity re solution, perhaps (5,8)
SPLIT DECISION: resolution written as “re solution” suggests what?
22a Acknowledge Andrew’s naivety over embraces (6)
ANSWER: lurker, reversed in the second and third words. “Nicely” topical.
24a Continued to be weepy – missing a Romeo not prudent (8)
WASTEFUL: “continued to be weepy” (3,7), minus the ‘A’ and abbreviated “Romeo”.
26a Screen icon Spooner’s held close (5,3)
SHORT CUT: held/seized and (to) “close”, Spoonerised. This initially felt like more of a definition by example but, to be fair, the two are synonymous as a (computer) “screen icon” is often so called. Still, to my eye, it does look a tad odd as (5,3) – for this specific definition – but that’s Chambers for you!
27a Is sorry about declining river birds (6)
EGRETS: “is sorry about”, declining/refusing abbreviated “river”.
28a Cobblers finally give son reason corn regularly returns (8)
NONSENSE: [giv]E, plus regular/alternate letters (starting from corn’s ‘N’) all returning/reversed.
29a Believe covering for Chancellor correct (6)
CREDIT: C[hancello]R + (to) “correct” (text, etc).
Down
1d Tossing caber on top of husband results in separation (6)
BREACH: CABER, tossed, plus abbreviated “husband”. Well, that would appear to be fair grounds for a divorce, yes.
2d Against flipping roll call in the middle of the night (9)
NOCTURNAL: “against” (not pro) flipping/reversed + roll/go round + [c]AL[l].
3d One blocks opening up with large bust (7)
EARPLUG: UP+LARGE, bust. Very Ray T-esque.
5d Let rip (4)
RENT: double definition.
6d Sly American in charge is past it (7)
ARCHAIC: sly/cunning + abbreviated “American” + the usual “in charge”. How very true!
7d Sound of adult grouse (5)
GROAN: homophone of adjectival “adult”.
8d Jumbo sausage’s end was bent, casing pinkish on the outside (8)
ELEPHANT: [sausag]E, plus was bent/inclined casing/containing P[inkis]H.
12d Compiler recovering after losing head for second (6)
SETTER: recovering/on the mend, with its first letter replaced with abbreviated “second”.
14d Film postman, one on a new round (6)
PATINA: (animated) “postman” + (Roman) “one”, plus ‘A’ and abbreviated “new” reversed/round.
16d It’s dangerous to stray into Bandit’s domain (9)
MINEFIELD: how Bandit might say “Bandit’s” + domain/speciality.
17d Rewarded waster and a couple of donkeys elected to parliament (8)
ASSASSIN: donkey + donkey + “elected” to parliament – or perhaps any other position of authority.
19d Two articles about enthralling time in dramatic location (7)
THEATRE: Two articles (of speech) + usual-ish “about”, enthralling/containing abbreviated “time”.
20d Bury introducing electronic golf, a number missing point (7)
INTEGER: (to) “bury”, introducing/containing abbreviated “electronic” and “golf”.
21d Scallops we ate every so often in secret (6)
CLOSET: alternate letters, starting from the ‘C’ of “scallops”.
23d Sniff at crumbs in tin (5)
SCORN: “crumbs” (interjection) in tin’s symbol.
25d Swear about exercises, lacking energy (4)
CUSS: abbreviated “about” + exercises/employs, minus abbreviated “energy”.
We’ve got four anagrams, plus a Spooner, a double definition and a lurker, etc. Much to admire here but I especially enjoyed 15a’s “arriving late”, 18a’s “re solution”, 2d’s surface/misdirection and 17d’s “rewarded waster”. What did you make of it all?
Loved this, an absolute cracker and an enjoyably testing lunchtime challenge. Had a “hummm” at 4a, but then again I haven’t been to London since the 2002 Liberty & Livelihood march (and won’t be upset if I never go there again) so maybe all cockneys do prunahnce ‘thr’ as ‘fr’. Ah well. And don’t usually think of those screen icons as being short cuts, but I guess they are.
Anyway, super puzzle with honours to 1a (v clever), 9a (for the smile when the penny dropped) and 17d for the very unorthodox definition.
Many thanks indeed to Bandit and ALP
Defo a 5-star for enjoyment from me too, plenty of fun and cleverly concealed misdirections.
The free cider in 4a and the cobblers that is 28a made me larf, as did the inappropriate consumption of supermarket deodorant in 9a.
The enraged Geordie TV presenters in 10a, along with the not very good snooker player in 21a and the rewarded waster at 17d were top-drawer too.
This was a great way to end the week for me, as I’ll be otherwise engaged for the next couple of days.
My thanks to Bandit and ALP.
An excellent puzzle, full of very clever clueing. I found this a lot more straightforward than Bandit’s previous offerings; I don’t have an issue with that! Amongst many top clues, in ascending order, I’m going with 3d, 16d and 17d.
Thanks to Bandit and ALP.
And I’ve never been near Comment #2 before!
And I see FrankieM has kicked out of silver medal position… Ah well.
A terrific puzzle which I enjoyed immensely – many thanks to Bandit and ALP.
I liked 1a, 11a, 18a, 28a and 16d with my favourite being the rewarded waster at 17d.
What Gazza said @4
I was nervous about this following Bandit’s previous outing which had me struggling, but I opted to have a go at it. That was a good decision as I loved it. It was quirky and challenging but very satisfying as everything fell slowly but surely into place…
… except that I didn’t understand the definition for 4a, and was hoping for rather more in the review than “an original definition”! Help please! D’oh! Having typed that the penny finally dropped – brilliant.
Plenty of ticks with 18a originally on top of the pile, but it’s just been superseded by 4a.
Many thanks to Bandit and to ALP.
This was refreshingly novel in every way, with some quite clever and sometimes outrageous clueing. 4a had me stumped for a long time, but became my COTD, although virtually any one of them could have taken the accolade. Bravo setter.
Many thanks to Bandit for the excellent challenge, and to ALP.
About the right difficulty for a Thursday I’d say. 4a was, and remains, a bung in. Right up there on the enjoyment stakes. Favourite was 9a (good spot). Thanks to Bandit and ALP. Ps I suggest you have a quick look at the clue for 29a.
Well spotted – oops! Duly amended. Huge thanks.
First time I have completed a Thursday Toughie so a touch smug! Still a bit confused about ‘Bandit’ reference (in 16 down). I print the crosswords off the Telegraph puzzle page each day. How do you people know who set which crosswords! Am I missing something? Any guidance to help a beginner would be much appreciated!
Well, firstly, hats off. Bravo. Secondly, if you’re accessing the app on a computer, you have to scroll down – the setter’s name is beneath the grid. On a phone (and perhaps tablet, I have no idea) you have to click the three dots top right to reveal such. This only applies to Toughies, obviously, as the backpagers are anonymous-ish. Certainly, if you didn’t know Bandit set this, 16d must have been extremely tricky … so doubly well done.