Sunday Toughie No 226
by Silvanus
Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee
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Silvanus was last here on Easter Sunday and seems to becoming the regular bank holiday substitute.
Good fun until I made a mess of parsing some of the south. I was sailing along smoothly until a bad night for Mama Bee somewhat messed up my thinking.
She seems a bit more compos mentis this morning, so we are going out for the day. I have hinted at (just about) half of a slightly unbalanced 16a and 13d clues. Some tricky bits have hit the cutting room floor, so I’ll nudge if needed (and can).
Here we go, Folks…
As it is a Prize puzzle I can only hint at a few and hope that will give you the checkers and inspiration to go further. I’ll return with the full review blog just after the closing date. Don’t forget to follow BD’s instructions in RED at the bottom of the hints!
Most of the terms used in these hints are explained in the Glossary and examples are available by clicking on the entry under “See also” Where the hint describes a construct as “usual” this means that more help can be found in The Usual Suspects, which gives a number of the elements commonly used in the wordplay. Another useful page is Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing, which features words with meanings that are not always immediately obvious. Don’t forget the Mine of Useful information or the Big Dave’s Little Guide to Cryptic Crosswords that Big Dave and his son Richard so meticulously prepared for us.
A full review of this puzzle will be published after the closing date for submissions. Some hints follow: Remember the site rules and play nicely.
Across
1a Speaker in court upset judge (6)
To court in a romantic sense and a reversal (upset) of a football judge
5a Hiss and abuse boxing team across Belgium (8)
A team of eleven players around the IVR code for Belgium, are boxed in by a transitive verb to abuse or reprimand
9a Insect Australian sheep tolerate (6,4)
An Australian term for a sheep due for shearing and a synonym of tolerate
15a Object found in transport café, traditionally on the counter (8)
A lurker (found in) that is reversed (on the counter) in the rest of the clue
21a Mind whisper principal murmured (6)
Two homophones (murmured) of a whisper and the principal stone in an arch. In Greek mythology she was a mortal princess who became the wife of Cupid and was later made immortal; she personified the human soul or mind
23a Diamond, say, extra pay at intervals secures, reversing transfer (8)
Once you find the right Diamond, he is inserted between alternate letters (at intervals) of extra pay. Make sure you are reversing the order before putting them into the grid. The music should help…
26a Limits wearing old DJ and possibly tangerine jacket (6,4)
A limit or scope goes in (wearing) o for old and an old DJ, whose favourite song was “Teenage Kicks”
27a Wanting golf game, ambassador succeeded to tour islands (8)
A card game without G for golf is surrounded by how you should address an ambassador and the genealogical abbreviation of succeeded
Down
2d Humpty Dumpty figure, typically round and hollow (5)
The round letter and a hollow or absence, is egg-shaped like Humpty Dumpty
6d Time Bill lifted hearts in place where Robin drinks? (8)
An informal term for time in prison, a reversal (lifted) of a bar-bill and an abbreviation for the card suit
7d Pressure group left flyer, hard to ignore (5)
L for left and an “avian” of prey, but ignore a hard pencil
14d Rock ace not “semi-literate”, revolutionary claims (9)
A lurker (claims) that is reversed (revolutionary) between the definition and (indicators)
16d Spooner’s curious electrical device that’s used in the kitchen (6,3)
To be curious or nosey and an electrical device for cooling are given Spooner’s treatment
20d Root striking ball matching Pope’s last run (6)
I am not sure I have totally parsed this. Matching or ***** together strikes the ball-shaped letter, followed by Pope’s last and a cricket abbreviation
24d Military volunteers once getting letter from Crete? (5) or (3,1,1)
Compiler
Silvanus
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The parsing of several clues pushed this towards the more difficult end of Sunday Toughies. I came to a grinding halt several times, then when I cracked one which was holding me up, the checkers enabled me to fill in others which were adjacent, fairly briskly.
5d made me laugh, a fine old expression and I also liked the construction of hiss at 5a, where Robin drinks at 6d and best of all the Diamond reversed in 23a: so good, so good, so good.
Whoever achieves the mythical for this will have earned it.
Re 20d, I parsed it the same as you did, John.
The quickie pun was clever, too.
My thanks to Silvanus and SJB.
So good so good…
The rendition of Sweet Caroline would have been a better hint
Tough with some tortuous clues.
20d – parsed as SJB hinted.
23a – realising the correct diamond was a great PDM.
5a very clever. Couldn’t get XI out of my head for the side.
Thanks to Silvanus and SJB.
Good luck to those that enter for the prize.
The SW corner held me up until I ‘twigged’ the ‘tree’ in 22d
The double homophone ‘Mind’ subsequently fell into place and then my LOI was the ‘pesky 4-letter’ 25a. There was much to enjoy along the way, with my Across podium places going to 1 & 26 plus a tie for bronze between 11a & the excellent lurker in 15a. My Down medals were awarded to 4, 5 & 7. A good Spoonerism is always a treat, so I enjoyed 16d. I also concur with your 20d parsing, SJB.
My thanks to Silvanus for the Bank Holiday enjoyment and to SJB for his hints and tips. 26a was a favourite and your accompanying illustration was perfect, SJB. We met Michael Portillo whilst on a cycling holiday in Spain a few years ago. We were having dinner in the outskirts of a small town and he was scurrying along to a meeting, but still took the time to stop and chat with us for a few minutes. A very affable chap, just as he comes over on his TV train odysseys. One of those inspired us to take a trip on the Rocky Mountaineer between Vancouver and The Canadian Rockies – it was truly memorable experience
Nice anecdote, when I saw that pic I had to include it along with John Ravenscroft’s favourite song
Another puzzle with lots of scribbles in the margin with a few unhinted answers still to parsed.
A nudge for the parsing of 25a would be appreciated. If the clue was “to anger”, I could understand it, but not “become very angry”.
Favourite has to be 24d after spending many years in it’s ranks.
Just inside after the annual struggle to get the net over the raspberry cage. Thankfully our temperature is in the mid-teens unlike down south.
Thanks to Silvanus and SJB. Hope Mama Bee has a more peaceful night.
‘Become very angry’ is 2,3
Thanks Gazza, understand now.
Thanks for nudging Gazza, despite not going anywhere unusual with Mama Bee my wiffy has been patchy all day. I blame the software update to one ui 8.5 as my 5g has been off all day
Silvanus is a bit trickier than usual but as enjoyable as ever. Thanks to him and SJB.
I ticked 1a, 27a and 17d with my favourite a dead heat between 23a and 26a.
Thanks SJB for the hint for 21a and the nudge for 25a, but still at a loss for the parsing of 20d and 22d. I needed to check 5a having got the answer from the checkers, so a new word for me. Otherwise a slow and laborious fill. 18a is a lovely word so I’ll elevate that to my COTT.
My thanks to Silvanus and SJB
I had my doubts last night, but other comments seem to agree that the hint for 20d is spot on. 22d involves a bit of cycling. A bent in the shape of part of a circle cycles first letter to last, but in this case you have to do that twice
ABCDE becomes BCDEA then CDEAB
Thanks to all.
Following my stand-in appearance on Easter Sunday, I was invited to submit regular Toughies in this slot, so I’ll be appearing from time to time now going forward.
See you again soon.
You will be a very welcome addition to the roster
Great puzzle. Good to be reminded of the third child. Would you Adam & Eve it!
Still vague about 20d. Thinking sushi…
Proud to have met the setter and the awesome Senf last year.
Keep up the great work. Priceless
Photo
I never stop boasting about it!
Finished this off this morning, Sunday is grandparent duties and I don’t get a chance to look at the puzzle till late.
Excellent puzzle that stretched me but was accessible at the same time.
Finally solved the last few stragglers this morning
Namely 21a,22d, 25a, 23a and 20d. Which seem to have been sticky for others too.
I was thinking of the wrong diamond (Anne) soo!
And then had two possible options for 22d but the hints regarding cycling helped be choose the right one. And last to go in was 25a which was actually a brilliant clue when I had the aha moment.
COTD has to be 5d just because it’s such a great phrase we need to use it more.
Will check out the full review later as I still am not really sure of the parsing of 20d – however o my we’ll have the wrong word in there 😂
Oh dear apologies for rambling on I think the heat has gone to my head.
Me too with Anne
Crikey this was a darn sight trickier than his midweek Toughie. Can’t really claim an unaided finish & not entirely sure my grid fill is correct either. I have the right Diamond but can’t satisfactorily parse the other 4 letters assuming I have the correct answer. Wouldn’t have been able to identify a 9a & had to check on the Aussie sheep slang too. Needed the hint to understand the parse for the 1st 4 letters of 20d
As ever ticks aplenty – 21,26&27a + 6,16&17d particular likes.
Thanks to Silvanus & to John – reckon Diamond’s first chart success among the best of his songs. Only found out it was his listening to a fine cover of it by Chris Isaak
That tune and Sweet Caroline would have been better choices for my hint. Mama Bee was rushing me to take her out
Great puzzle, nicely chewy with some slightly left-field thinking required. Honours include 1a, 18a, 26a and 5d, but I could have listed nearly every clue.
Many thanks to Silvanus and SJB