Toughie No 3709 by Chalicea
Hints and tips by Whybird
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BD Rating – Difficulty */2 – Enjoyment ***
Welcome to another Sunny Summer Inside Page Cryptic Crossword week. I know it says “Toughie” above, and in the paper, and on the Puzzles Page, but it isn’t. We have another TINO and I only raised the difficulty level by a quarter of a star because of a couple in the NE and for the parsing of 15d. That’s not to say the puzzle is in any way poor – it’s neatly and cleverly clued as ever for a Chalicea – it was just over far too soon for me, with the notable exception of 15d. Amongst my favourites were 3d, 7d, 16a, 19a, 20d, 22d and 29a. However, I’m giving my top prize to 15d.
Thanks to Chalicea for a very pleasant puzzle.
Please let us know how you fared and what you thought of the puzzle.
Across Clues
1a It befell at sea, this could help (8)
LIFEBELT An anagram (at sea) of “It befell”
5a Very good covers for compact masses (6)
SOLIDS A charade of a two-letter synonym of “Very good” (or even just “very” although there would be syntax problems) and another name for covers
9a Painstakingly careful from start to finish about records essentially (8)
THOROUGH A word meaning “from start to finish” surrounds (about) the middle letter (essentially) of “records”
10a In computing, integrated circuits lecturer employs initially producing chilly item (6)
ICICLE The solution is made up of the first letters (initially producing) of “In computing, integrated circuits lecturer employs”
12a Old crossword compiler’s admitting figure’s large (9)
EXTENSIVE The usual two-letter prefix meaning “old” and the (1’2) way Chalicea may say she possess something surrounds (admitting) the possessive of a round number
13a Order of ebb and flow reversed around edge of coast (5)
EDICT Reverse a synonym of “ebb and flow” and insert (around edge of) the first letter of “coast”
14a Periodically belching, getting something to smoke (1-3)
E-CIG The solution is found in the even letters (Periodically) of “belching”
16a Obese female’s parents (7)
FATHERS A charade of synonyms of “Obese” and “female’s”
19a Mad Lear distraught and agitated (7)
ALARMED An anagram (distraught) of “Mad Lear”
21a Camper’s equipment which driver might need to shift? (4)
GEAR A double definition
24a Rate eccentric poet, principally melancholy at heart (5)
TEMPO An anagram (eccentric) of “poet” has the initial letter (principally) of “melancholy” inserted in the middle (at heart)
25a Works in taxes, drinking beer intermittently (9)
EXERCISES A synonym of “taxes” surrounds (drinking) the even-numbered letters (intermittently) of “beer”
27a Looking after flipping cooler jewellery (6)
CARING A two-letter abbreviation for something that can be used to cool eg rooms is reversed (flipping) followed by an item of jewellery
28a Posture of a tense bird you’d picked up (8)
ATTITUDE A charade of “a” from the clue, the letter indicating “tense”, a small bird and a suffix that sounds like (picked up) “you’d”
29a First-born‘s somewhat cruel destiny (6)
ELDEST The solution is lurking in the letters of “cruel destiny”
30a Reportedly dull exam’s most weighty (8)
GREATEST A four-letter expression that is sounds like (reportedly) a synonym of “dull” followed by a synonym of “exam”
Down Clues
1d Second flat dish papa’s dropped (6)
LATTER Remove (dropped) the letter represented by “papa” in the NATO phonetic alphabet from a name for a “flat dish”
2d Shows contempt towards loud boors (6)
FLOUTS The letter indicating “loud” “in a musical sense) followed by a synonym of “boors”
3d Tanned forehead and tip of nose (5)
BROWN A charade of a synonym of “forehead” and the initial letter (tip) of “nose”
4d Getting behind insulation (7)
LAGGING A double definition
6d Innovative creators saving hour for musicians (9)
ORCHESTRA An anagram (Innovative) of “creative” has the letter indicating hour inserted (saving)
7d Lists fashionable Conservative policies (8)
INCLINES A charade of a two-letter synonym of “fashionable”, the usual letter indicating “Conservative” and a synonym of “polices”
8d Rather cute character turned up with chic clothing (8)
SWEETISH A reversal (“turned up” in a down clue) of a spelled-out letter (character) is surrounded by (with… …clothing) a synonym of “chic”
11d Steak, maybe, generates grumble (4)
BEEF I’m putting this one down as a double definition, but it also works as a type of meat commonly encountered in “steak” form being a synonym of “grumble”
15d By agreement adjusts enclosures round factories (9)
COMPOUNDS A double definition, the first sense requiring the insertion of a bit of punctuation as it is a synonym of “adjusts by agreement”. Sorting out the parsing took longer than doing the rest of the puzzle, partly for the word order, and partly because each word has common Crosswordland meanings indicating completely different things, so it took a while to find the correct rabbit hole
17d Op art – I clearly will frame a very small piece (8)
PARTICLE The solution is lurking in the letters of “Op art I clearly”
18d Remedy ma concocted made an outcry (8)
YAMMERED An anagram (concocted) of “Remedy ma”
20d Act stopped working at Holyrood (4)
DEED A double definition, the second sense being a BRB-approved Scottish form (at Holyrood) of synonym of “stopped working”
21d Person who welcomes feminist, entertaining film (7)
GREETER Take the surname of a noted feminist and author and insert a two-letter Spielberg film
22d Suppose stupid fellow raised bird (6)
ASSUME A charade of a synonym of “stupid fellow” and a reversal (“raised” in a down clue) of a flightless antipodean bird
23d Way of viewing redesigned space over time (6)
ASPECT An anagram (redesigned) of “space” followed by (“over” in a down clue) the usual letter indicating “time”
26d Mate’s tableware (5)
CHINA The solution is rhyming slang for something that may comprise tableware. For me, this is a piece of word-play that is over-used and could do with taking a fairly lengthy sabbatical from Crosswordland
A perfect complement to the back pager even if it is, as Whybird wrote, a TINO – 1.5*/4*
Candidates for favourite – 5a, 7d, 11d, and 26d – and the winner is 11d.
Thanks to Chalicea and Whybird.
It’s a Chalicea, so what’s not to like. The NE held me up a tad, but otherwise a joy to solve. From many contenders, I’ve chosen 21d as cotd. Thanks to Chalicea and Whybird
Excellent puzzle, which I very much enjoyed. I love Chalicea’s puzzles and she is one of my favourite, if not the favourite, compilers. She came up with yet another way to clue the musicians at 6d and I learned a new word at 18d. My COTT is the person welcoming the feminist at 21d.
Thank you, Chalicea for the entertainment. Thank you, Whybird for the hints and Deep Purple
Enjoyed that, a really lovely puzzle. I grumbled at my LOI, 5a, not liking “so” for “very good”, until it dawned on me that “so” was nothing to do with a qualitative assessment, but otherwise it was a very polished creation, a trouble-free and swift accompaniment for the cheese and biscuits. As I’ve said before I do wish Chalicea graced the back page with these puzzles far more often, as they deserve the much wider audience and thus would permit an actual Toughie to appear here instead.
Many thanks indeed to Chalicea and Whybird
This was not at all tough but it was a great puzzle and a joy to solve. I’ll even overlook the appearance of one of my bugbears – using a word to define a letter in 8d.
21d was my favourite of many ticked clues.
Many thanks to Chalicea and to Whybird. What a pleasure to hear the wonderful Jessica again. Take a bow, Dickey Betts!
I thought this was a tad tricksier than the usual from Chalicea as I got stuck on 15d. It had to be what it was so it was off to the BRB to confirm it – who knew? I was also slowed down a bit by the 25a/20d combo. But a fun solve.
Thanks to Chalicea and Whybird [more tunes than an ALP blog here – is there a contest?
No contest at all, but Chalicea made it rather easier than normal for me to come up with assorted random tunes (or at least my brain was working on something-like musical lines). And I had more time to devote to the “illustrations”!
I go along with the previous comments; a tad chewier in the NE and 15d and 18d both required the BRB to a) confirm the meaning and b) that it is a word. Otherwise a gentle solve for a Toughie. The 21d feminist gets my vote.
Thanks to Chalicea and Whybird
1*/3*
Thank you, I love your welcoming of my puzzles, as you so generously always do. Indeed, I am the first and easiest of the Toughie weeks each time but my pleasure is to gve solvers enjoyment. Yes, Mustafa G, I would love to be back there but it’s an editorial decision. Thank you Whybird – your blogs are always beautifully illustrated and appreciated.
Thanks for dropping in, Chalicea. And thank you for the opportunity to go Free Range with the images! You set me up well with this one. And as ever, thank you for a lovely puzzle.
I had to check 18d was actually a word but that was the only one. Set off at a gallop and completed at a canter but enjoyable all the way through. Favourite was one of the two with birds in but I’ll go with 28a. Thanks to Chalicea and Whybird.
I don’t often attempt the Toughie but comments on the cryptic encouraged me.
I enjoyed this with 21d my favourite.
Had to check 18d was a real word.
Thanks to Whybird and Chalicea.
What it a TINO? I did look at the FAQS but couldn’t find it.
Toughie In Name Only. Too much of a new term for the FAQs, I think. And probably wouldn’t make it anyway. See also Floughie.
Glad you enjoyed the puzzle. Tuesday’s Toughies recently have been generally on the gentle side.
Thank you. I knew of Floughie. I may try the Tuesday Toughie next week.
I completed the puzzle this morning in half my usual solve time. 15d was a bung in and I came here for explanation so thank you. I also wasn’t happy with “good” in 2a – this was my last in as it took me a while to get there as the extra word properly misdirected me. I think my favourite was 2d – just such a great word.
Re the musical numbers – are we sure that isn’t the late princess Di in disguise at 25a – I had to do a double take.
Have just returned from a swim with my local swimming group the reservoir bitches which was most welcome in the heat. And am now sat in some welcome shade ready to start today’s cryptic.
There’s definitely a similarity, although I don’t know how the Princess was when it came to vocals!
I’m glad the Blog was helpful. I had to dig into the BRB and even then it took time to work out how the verb fitted in.
Yes it was – but even then I have had to read the clue several times to really get it.
By no means tough but unlike our reviewer & Steve I did find it a wee bit trickier than the AP back-pager. As ever the clueing was spot on & the solve was fun while it lasted. Pick of the clues for me were 1,9&28a plus 7,20&21d. I struggled with the why at 15d also, came to a DD conclusion but wouldn’t have explained the 1st bit as well as in the hint.
Thanks to Chalicea & to Whybird – with 15 tunes across the 2 reviews it really was music day today. The Deep Purple tune reminds me of having a bash at the House of Games round of guessing at what point the vocals cut in. We played it as a round in a quiz one evening on a golfing trip & it’s much more difficult that you’d think even with tunes you think you know very well – Freebird, Baba O’Riley, Papa Was A Rolling Stone were particularly tough.
Even though the vocals are good in Baba O’Reilly, it’s one of those songs where I’d be happy if the intro went on fir much, much longer!