Toughie No 3718 by Beam
Hints and Tips by crypticsue
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
A typical Beam Toughie with appearances for both his sweetheart and Her Majesty; no anagrams but a considerable number of clues requiring the insertion of something into something else, especially in the Across clues If you knew the required synonyms, it shouldn’t have taken that long to solve and parse
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought
Across
1a Defiant about works involving Republican (10)
REFRACTORY The usual two-letter about or on the subject of, and a works where goods are manufactured into which is inserted (involving) the abbreviation for Republican
6a One in front is swaggering (4)
VAIN The Roman numeral for one inserted into a synonym for front or lead
10a Indonesian island adopting English language (7)
BENGALI An Indonesian island ‘adopting’ the three-letter abbreviation for English
11a Incisive Democrat in second tirade (7)
MORDANT The abbreviation for Democrat inserted between an informal short period of time (second) and a tirade
12a Assume the French knight returned blessed (8)
INFERNAL Both the definition and solution are euphemisms meaning outrageous or unpleasant. A verb meaning to assume and a reversal (returned) of the French female definite article and the chess abbreviation for knight
13a Good land, even being ecclesiastical, initially (5)
GLEBE The initial letters of the first five words of the clue give us land attached to a parish church
15a Single included in list for party (7)
ROISTER The letter representing one (single) inserted into a roll of names (list)
17a Pragmatism of Isles within British Isles? (7)
REALISM The abbreviation for islands inserted into a kingdom (British Isles?)
19a One perhaps separates acquiring new lover (7)
PARTNER One who perhaps separates ‘acquiring’ the abbreviation for New
21a Crosses made from stake with beams (7)
BETRAYS A gambling stake and some beams
22a Sweetheart wearing sacks for dresses (5)
ROBES The letter at the heart of swEet ‘wearing’ steals from (sacks)
24a Revolutionary snubbed perfect contest (8)
MARATHON A prominent figure in the French Revolution and a truncated (snubbed) verb meaning to smooth or perfect
27a This month, each day, preferably (7)
INSTEAD An abbreviation used in formal correspondence to mean this month, and abbreviations for each and day
28a Green Party, after answer, nearly strident (7)
AVOCADO A party goes after the abbreviation for Answer and nearly all of loud and commanding attention
29a Fly speck (4)
DASH A verb meaning to fly in the sense of rush or a small spot
30a Lacking will to take Queen’s highway (10)
INTERSTATE Lacking a will ‘takes’ the Latin abbreviation for queen
Down
1d When tickled, one is amused? (4)
RIBS A reference to the tickling of a part of the body to produce laughter
2d One enthusiastic about centre for business? (9)
FINANCIER Someone who has a strong liking for something goes ‘about’ the letters in the centre of busINess
3d Open stove with pastry I dropped (5)
AGAPE A stove and a pastry without the I (dropped)
4d Flimsier detailed article on secret (7)
THINNER De-tail the definite article and put it on (in a Down solution) a synonym for secret
5d Leisure maybe includes stroll for stroller (7)
RAMBLER An acronym for Rest and Recuperation (leisure maybe) into which is inserted (includes) a verb meaning to stroll
7d Decrease of staff, say, in casualty? (5)
ABATE A heavy stick (staff say) inserted into the abbreviation for the hospital department formerly known as casualty
8d One Thermos tied round bottom (10)
NETHERMOST Hidden in the first three words of the clue
9d Sweet female’s given painter stipend (8)
FRAGRANT The abbreviation for Female, an abbreviated artist and a stipend
14d Nosed around, over cocky, having grounds? (10)
PROPERTIED Examined with impertinent curiosity goes around saucy or overly cocky
16d Barrel with good gun metal (8)
TUNGSTEN A large barrel, the abbreviation for Good and a submachine gun
18d Raised in Basilicata, Roman Italian lover (9)
INAMORATA Hidden in reverse (raised) in basilicATA ROMAN Italian
20d Fast fleet hasn’t run into sailors (7)
RAMADAN A fleet of ships without the cricket abbreviation for Run inserted into the abbreviation for the Royal Navy (sailors)
21d Pub anger leads to assault (7)
BARRAGE A pub and some anger
23d Collars virtuous person aboard vehicle (5)
BUSTS An abbreviated virtuous person goes ‘aboard’ a vehicle for transporting passengers. The definition and solution being slang for arrests
25d Fashions seeing small booty lifted (5)
TOOLS A reversal (lifted) of the abbreviation for Small and stolen goods (booty)
26d Medicine taken and occasionally drowsier (4)
DOSE The odd (occasionally) letters of DrOwSiEr
No too testing but fun, my favourite being 8d which is a fine old word.
Off out to get some rays, my thanks to Beam and CS.
I found this tougher than usual for a Beam Toughie but it was as enjoyable as ever.
I spent too long trying to parse “pink” as the answer to 1d before the penny finally dropped that it wasn’t the right answer!
30a is an Americanism, although some might argue that “Queen’s” could be taken as the indicator. However that would mean it is doing double duty.
My top picks were 10a, 11a, 8d & 21d.
The rage and anger from the back-pager appears to have spilled over here too.
Many thanks to Beam and to CS.
It took a while to get started, but I persevered and finally completed this Beam production in reasonable time (for me). Clever cluing throughout with much misdirection. The Queen’s highway was an early faller, so worked up from the SE. My favourites were the fast fleet 20d, the revolutionary contest at 24a, I even remembered him from David’s famous painting of his death during a visit to the Louvre, which I now find is a replica. My COTT is 14d.
Many thanks to Beam and CS.
I’m part way through solving and enjoying this but I have visitors due soon so will probably never get to finish it. I was wondering about 30a. I parsed it as a 9-letterer word for “Lacking will” containing R – the abbreviation of the Latin word for Queen. Have I got it wrong?
*9-letter – had ER on the brain!
You got it right, Jose.
Of course it is – hint now amended
Like Croye Dave above, this took some getting into. Getting the Italian lover at 18d opened up the Home Counties and from there I was able to spread across the grid. My COTT is the pub anger at 21d.
Thank you, Beam and CeeSoo
Took me a bit longer than usual for Beam but plenty of enjoyment along the way. 2d gets my vote, very clever. Thanks to CS and Beam.