Toughie No 3688 by Elgar
Hints and Tips by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty ***** – Enjoyment *****
This week has been one of gentle, solver-friendly, Toughies and in a way, Elgar’s crossword continues that trend in that it took me the time I’d expect for a 5* Toughie, but not an average Elgar Toughie.
I didn’t spot the Nina until it was too late for it to be helpful – Mr CS and I discussed whether it started with the first letter of 3d and proceeded in a clockwise direction round the edge of the grid finishing with the word that starts with the middle letter of 12d or vice-versa. He thought either way would work as it is still 19d!
We have several unknown words all fairly clued, an ear worm and a clue, which although it went onto a second page, was easily solvable without having to write the clue on the first page and then think about it
Please let us know what you thought
Across
4a Time abandons opposition to US attention-seeker (3)
HEM An interjection to draw the attention of the listener is obtained by removing (abandons) the abbreviation for Time from the opposition to ‘us’, the capitals being there to mislead the solver
8a Divert punchy type, sounding out Hornsey area? (8)
ALIENATE A well-known boxer (punchy type) and the area of London where Hornsey is situated, said out loud (sounding out)
9a With change of heart, it’s possible for cunning to function in Opposition (6)
ARCTAN A phrase meaning cunning could be able to and change the middle letters (heart)
10a Carrier of hot liquid has overall covering bottom (10)
NETHERMOST A flask for keeping liquid hot is covered by overall or final
11a To which extent Curie elongated cells (4)
ASCI Enlarged elongated cells in which eight spores are usually formed. An adverb meaning to which extent and the symbol for a unit of radioactivity (Curie)
12a Remove rights to run escort agency (6)
UNESCO Remove the abbreviations for right from rUN ESCOrt
14a Looks over hatches again (8)
RECHECKS Looks over or re-covers with fine diagonal lines (hatches)
15a Support particularly like a chocolate teapot? (7)
ESPOUSE An abbreviation meaning particularly and an abbreviated way of describing something completely ineffectual, like a chocolate teapot
17a Former authority assumed regressively by “Ma’am”/“Sir” as teachers (7)
TSARISM Hidden in reverse (assumed regressively) by maaM SIR AS Teachers
21a A bit of a buffet sadly knocked over poet on cycle (5,3)
SALAD BAR A reversal (knocked over) of an interjection of misfortune (sadly) and a poet where the final letter is ‘cycled’ to the front of the word
23a Elected bores given the go-ahead behaved swinishly (6)
OINKED Elected to Parliament ‘bores’ an informal way of saying given the go-ahead
25a Tuber fled Docklands stops (4)
EDDO Hidden in (stops) words two and three of the clue
26a What’s left spaces on back for newly filled in scoreline? (6,4)
SPORTS PAGE Part of a newspaper, quite often found on the back page, left with a space to include any last minute (newly filled in) scores. Thank you to Gazza for pointing out that there is some wordplay in the clue – it’s naval left plus reversed spaces replacing the inner letters of ScorelinE.
28a Ignoring the odds, persist with this person’s case (6)
ESSIVE A grammatical case denoting the state of being. The even (ignoring the odds) letters of pErSiSt and an abbreviated way of saying I have (this person’s)
29a Where sweet girl awaits husband in Calais, with all encompassing love (8)
AMARILLO Ear worm time! The French (as used in Calais) word for husband inserted into (encompassing) ALL (from the clue), the letter representing love being added at the end
30a Out of necessity, daughter called before wedding (3)
NEE Remove the abbreviation from Daughter from necessity
Down
1d Put wise uncle with Independent cryptic (4,2)
CLUE IN An anagram (cryptic) of UNCLE with I (Independent)
2d Fine tyres, as he periodically offers (4)
YEAH An informal word of agreement (fine) is ‘offered’ by tYrEs As He
3d Escalating argument about low roof, taking away nothing from brewery facilities (8)
TAPROOMS A reversal (escalating) of a petty quarrel goes ‘about’ the noise made by a cow (low) and Roof without (taking away) the letter representing nothing and the preposition meaning from
4d Old serfs, all bar leader on the line (7)
HELOTRY A two-word phrase meaning all or everything without the first letter (bar leader) goes on (in a Down solution) the abbreviation for railway (line)
5d Gum spasm beyond old lady’s control? (6)
MASTIC A spasm goes after (beyond) an informal way of saying belong to a mother (old lady)
6d No way sorry in business after completely hiking figure (10)
OCTAHEDRON A reversal (hiking) of NO (from the clue), an abbreviated way, an interjection of enquiry (sorry), a preposition meaning and an abbreviated business
7d A stack o’ Edinburgh’s premier bakes (8)
OATCAKES An anagram (bakes) of A STACK O E (the premier letter of Edinburgh)
12d Rubber bullet’s taken out sandwich ingredients! (3)
ULE Rubber made from a Central American rubber tree – remove the abbreviated name of a particular sandwich from bULlEt
13d For whom retail therapy is no therapy (10)
SHOPAHOLIC A cryptic description of someone who shouldn’t be asked to buy things as part of their therapy
16d Columbo’s employer perhaps beribboned hastily (8)
SLAPDASH The abbreviated name of the employer of the American TV Detective, Inspector Columbo, inserted into a band or scarf (beribboned)
18d Mark takes Charlie for a spin in recce vehicle (5,3)
SCOUT CAR The mark left by a wound which ‘takes’ the letter represented by Charlie in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet for a spin (3)
19d CEO cages a cuckoo (3)
MAD An abbreviated Chief Executive Officer ‘cages’ A (from the clue)
20d Rings of colour winding poetically over a ploughed lea (7)
AREOLAE A reversal (winding) of a poetical way of saying over and A (from the clue) the result followed by an anagram (ploughed) of LEA
22d Conductors briefly try to earn money playing music pieces (6)
BUSMEN Truncate a verb meaning to try to earn money playing music followed by some chess pieces
24d Overwhelm mischief-maker carrying revolver butt-first? (6)
ENGULF A mischief-making ‘carrying’ a weapon such as a revolver where the final letter (butt) goes first
27d Prude revelling in Grundyism, primarily (4)
PRIG The primary letters of Prude Revelling In Grundyism
As usual with Elgar, there were several obscure answers which needed confirming, though all were achievable from the wordplay.
This wasn’t as brutal as I feared when I saw the grid layout and as a consequence enjoyed it all the more.
I thought the postcode homophone in 8a was good until I was shown my way to 29a which was even better.
The trenchcoated ‘tec in 16a with his beribboned employers was right up there too and the solution is such a pleasing word to say.
I didn’t think to look for a Nina, but there it is, a complete wraparound.
Unexpectedly, I may even have a few brain cells still in working order, so I thank our setter for that.
Thanks also to CS for the blog.
Elgar’s not at his very toughest today but tough enough and I needed to check several of my answers in the BRB.
There is some wordplay in 26a – it’s naval left plus reversed spaces replacing the inner letters of ScorelinE.
For my podium I selected 23a, 29a and 22d.
Thanks to Elgar and CS.
Naturally I failed to spot the Nina until I came onto the site. Very clever indeed. As for the puzzle, I needed a couple of prompts to get me over the line, but I did find it a bit of a slog overall. 29a proved to be my favourite.
Thanks to Elgar for the stiff challenge and to Sue.
Tackled from the bottom (30a my FOI so that I did not need to print the second page or write it out) I saw the potential for the Nina quite early with the appearance of “m-d- of green”, but even with that assistance, the bottom half going in quite speedily, and later plenty of reference to dictionaries, I found this the usual Elgar beast. Had NHO the elongated cells and rubber – thanks heavens for the Nina – while what Hornsey had to do with my answer I did not know: to me it is/was just somewhere in east London; likewise having never watched Columbo had no idea of the relevance of LAPD. Thank the wotsits for Google.
Good to have a proper meaty challenge in the DT after a very soft run of back pagers and Toughies.
Some crackers – on my podium were the support in 15a, sweet girl in 29a and opposition in 9a.
Many thanks to Elgar and CS
For once I spotted the Nina [the grid suggested there might be one] and managed to parse everything except half of 26a [thanks Gazza]. The Nina actually helped with 9a and in choosing between 3 options for 6d. 5d, with its superfluous “control” is an “Elgar only” clue but no other complaints. Gold stars to the Hornsey area in 8a, the rights removal at 12a, the swinish behaviour at 23a and “all bar leader” at 4d. Clever stuff.
Thanks to Elgar and CSue.
Too difficult for me. Managed about 20% unaided. Too many words I didn’t know and couldn’t unravel. This is me not having the skill not a moan at the setter. My goal is to complete a Friday toughie unaided. I am a long way off! I remember when I started the DT cryptics 30-40 years ago my goal was to complete a standard puzzle unaided, I got there so there is still hope…….
The NINA was very clever – I wish I had seen it as it may have helped.
My COTD of all the ones I managed has to be 29a.
Can anyone help with 8a as I don’t understand the solution at all. The pugilist yes but the rest of it no, maybe as I am a northerner the London reference eluded me.
Hornsey is in (London) N8 so the second part of the solution sounds like this
Thank you .a I understand now 😊
Am busy solving this mornings Cryptic which is much more relaxing
For almost the first time ever, I spotted the Nina and it actually helped. Still stymied by just a couple of obscure ones, and needed the hints for some parsings. A good result for me with this setter though.
Thanks.
Definitely very Tough, but much more accessible than last week, and consequently a lot of fun, even though I didn’t know the rubber, the serfs, the function or the case. And failed to spot the Nina. Parsed 12d incorrectly, and needed CS’s help to parse 9a (I was too focussed on swapping out the H from Arch) but at least I was able to complete the grid even though I needed to leaf through the BRB to find most of the unknowns. 15a gets my prize.
Many thanks to Elgar for filling in the weekend and a bit, and to CS for filling in the gaps in my understanding!