Toughie No 3702 by Django
Hints and Tips by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty * – Enjoyment ****
Before I turned on the computer, I mentally ran through the list of compilers I thought/hoped might have set our Wednesday Toughie and Django was at the top of the list. I really enjoyed the solve, even though a couple of parsings did cause the brow to furrow just a little bit
Please let us know what you thought
Across
6a Swimmer getting on in Olympic sport (13)
SKATEBOARDING A type of fish (swimmer) and getting on (a bus, train or plane perhaps)
8a Savvy copper following adult males (6)
ACUMEN The chemical symbol for copper ‘following’ or going after the abbreviation for Adult followed by some males
9a One atrocious kid’s regularly in drug-induced stupor (8)
NARCOSIS The even letters (regularly) of the first three words in the clue
10a Nonetheless according to terms of my service contract (3)
YET The ‘terms’ of the last three words in the clue
11a Amazon’s owner, having turned his focus to its margins, parties (6)
BEANOS The BRB describes these parties as ‘rowdy jollifications’ Take the surname of the owner of Amazon – the letter in the middle (his focus) is A Z; the Z should be ‘turned’ round to make a different letter to go after the A – the letter in the middle of his name (focus) is changed to the ‘margins’ of AmazoN
12a E Street Band cut off (8)
ESTRANGE The abbreviations for East and street and a row or band
14a Foul smell largely concealed by order (7)
OBSCENE Most (largely) of a smell or aroma ‘concealed’ in an abbreviated Order of the British Empire
16a Irreverence of mischievous child – one turning 10 (7)
IMPIETY A mischievous child, the Roman numeral for one and a ‘turning’ of the solution to 10a
20a Blooming obvious to start empty (5,3)
CLEAR OUT Very obvious and (I think) to start or bring into the open A synonym for obvious starts the solution followed by another for blooming (like a flower)
23a Laugh with two litres disappearing from deep hollow crack (6)
GUFFAW Take a deep hollow and a crack or defect and remove the abbreviation for Litre from each word
24a Can of Tango at home (3)
TIN The letter represented by Tango in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet and the usual two-letter ‘at home’
25a Wrap parcel out on the counter covering it right round (8)
TORTILLA A reversal (on the counter) of a verb meaning to parcel out ‘covering’ IT (from the clue) and the abbreviation for Right, both of which have been reversed (round)
26a Finally, no worries about space in circus for performing seals (1-5)
O-RINGS The final letters of nO and worrieS go ‘about’ the performing space in a circus
27a Film suggestion for Keith? (4,4,2,3)
SOME LIKE IT HOT The title of the well-known 1959 American crime comedy film could also be a clue (suggestion) as to where to find Keith, because if you look at it carefully, there he is!
Down
1d Musical man working with choir (8)
HARMONIC An anagram (working) of MAN with CHOIR
2d Iron Mike used to press the green gown – ultimately one that left lines behind (8)
TENNYSON The surname of the boxer known as Iron Mike into which is inserted (to press) the ‘ultimate’ letters of thE greeN gowN
3d Protein shakes giving bit of useful info (7)
POINTER An anagram (shakes) of PROTEIN
4d Perhaps Beeching set railway back over time – this could ruin deal (3,3)
DRY ROT This deal has nothing to do with a business transaction. The title of the man noted for the closure of many a railway (Beeching), a reversal (back) of the abbreviation for railway, followed by the cricket abbreviation for Over and the abbreviation for Time
5d Ma, I’m so excited seeing Bucks Fizz in Vegas (6)
MIMOSA An anagram (excited) of MA IM SO gives the American name for what we would call a Bucks Fizz
6d Votes of confidence? (6,7)
SECRET BALLOTS Votes kept in confidence
7d Reforming rag got insight after being harassed (5,8)
GOING STRAIGHT An anagram (after being harassed) of RAG GOT INSIGHT
13d Hip-hop beat (3)
RAP A type of music also known as hip-hop or a verb meaning to beat
15d Discovered drunken mistake (3)
ERR The inside (dis covered) letters of tipsy or enlivened by drink (drunken)
17d Colour retro detail on game shows (8)
MAGNOLIA Hidden in reverse (retro) in detAIL ON GAMe
18d I feel discontented during evening on board aircraft? (2-6)
IN-FLIGHT I (from the clue) and the outside (dis contented) letters of FeeL inserted into another word for evening
19d A toll heard in storms (7)
ATTACKS A homophone (heard) of A (from the clue) and a toll or levy
21d Raise shared – mostly – before new season (6)
AUTUMN Most of shared by two or more is reversed and put before the abbreviation for New
22d In an unctuous way, essentially Woody Allen maybe pinches Soon-Yi’s rear (6)
OILILY The ‘essential’ letter of woOdy and the forename of a female English singer and actress between which is inserted (pinches) the ‘rear’ of soon-yI
Great fun – 11a tickled me, with his “focus” becoming the “margins” of his company. Clever stuff. Best thanks to Django and Sue.
This may have been at the lighter end of the setting spectrum but it was no less enjoyable. This setter rarely fails to offer some innovative and clever ways of clueing that keeps us on our toes; this was no exception. For a favourite, I went for 27a.
Many thanks to Django and Sue.
Not the most challenging offering we’ve had from this setter, though I did manage to increase the difficulty level myself.
For 6d, I had the first word as ‘second’, which to me parses ok. However, try as I might, I couldn’t make the Amazon boss fit in with 11a.
There’s an often repeated adage on this site which states ‘when all else fails, look for a lurker’, to which I add ‘or look for a mistake’.
Eventually, after following my own advice, I corrected the error and was able to fit the zillionaire into the frame.
Overcoming this self-imposed obstacle increased the enjoyment factor, so those two clues along with the foul smell in 14a, the wrap in 25a and the deal breaker in 4d were the standouts for me.
My thanks to Django and CS.
Our second very enjoyable puzzle of the day. Thanks to Django and CS.
I took the replacement letters required in 11a to be the margins of AmazoN.
I particularly enjoyed 6a, 11a, the oldie but goodie 27a, 4d and 22d.
This just shows how a puzzle doesn’t have to be difficult to be enjoyable. There was so much to like, it was difficult to pick a favourite. 11A was very clever and I also liked 20A, 4D, 6D and 22D. I’m giving podium place to 2D.
Thanks to CS for the blog and Django for the enjoyment.
Yes, another very enjoyable Wednesday puzzle. For me to finish a Toughie in one sitting is a rarity, so agree with Sue’s rating: in fact, for me completing a Toughie at any time is a rarity. For 20a, I parsed it as a synonym for obvious (to start) followed by a synonym for blooming.
11a, 23a, 25a and 6d are my picks.
Many thanks to Django and CS
Cracking puzzle & the full 5*s for enjoyment here. 11a was the big parsing crumpet scratch – I’m with ALP & Gazza on the why. Ticks aplenty – 6,9,11,14,23&27a + 4,6&22d the ones I liked best with the Woody Allen surface just edging it as my pick of the clues, even though I could hardly believe the answer was actually a word.
Thanks to Django & to Sue
I found this tricky to start although I was on a bus. Back home it fell into place though 22d took ages to parse. I was fooled by Woody Allen into ignoring the singer and tried to incorporate OL and Y [essentially WA maybe] without much luck. Must be a good clue then. My other picks are the performing seals at 26a and the old chestnut that I’ve never seen before at 27a.
Very enjoyable toughie and no help required.
Very much liked 1a 23 an and 26a I think 1a was my favourite today.
Didn’t like 22d horrible word