Toughie No 3723 by Donnybrook
Hints and tips by ALP
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Toughie difficulty */** – Enjoyment ****
Pretty straight(forward). 11a’s dramatist pushed my memory and 16a reminded me that I’ve never known how to spell his name. But both are generously clued and, as such, this was more of a skip than a jump. The floor is yours to tell me I’ve got the ratings absolutely spot-on yet again … or not!
Across
9a Eliot’s cruellest month lands pair in trouble (5)
APRIL: abbreviated “pair” inside trouble/afflict.
10a City area veto damaged union privilege (5,4)
BLOCK VOTE: “city area” (surrounded by streets) + VETO, damaged.
11a Dramatist jokes amongst current company (7)
IONESCO: “jokes” amongst/inside the symbol for (electric) “current” and the usual “company”.
12a Understatement from one devoured by 50 bears? (7)
LITOTES: the (more!) usual “one” devoured by/inside Roman “fifty” and bears/carries.
13a European republic in revolution inspiring unease (5)
EERIE: abbreviated “European” + (European) “republic”, reversed.
14a Duck in city by river and building thereon (9)
BOATHOUSE: cricket’s “duck” inside (Somerset) “city” + (Yorkshire) “river”.
16a Nimble Warwick is strangely optimistic character (7,8)
WILKINS MICAWBER: NIMBLE+WARWICK+IS, strangely.
19a Outlaw cross about wine store next to house (5,4)
ROBIN HOOD: (religious) “cross”, about/containing “wine store” (stand) and abbreviated “house”.
21a Romantic writer in past first to leave club (5)
BYRON: past/beyond + (golf) “club”, minus its first letter.
23a Bully ambassador parking in constricted space (7)
HENPECK: abbreviated “ambassador”, plus abbreviated “parking” inside “constricted space” (as per a bottle, etc).
25a Satire performed – stick around (7)
CANDIDE: performed/carried out, with (walking, say) “stick” around it = Voltaire’s famous satire.
27a Despicable celeb in pop lady cleaned out (9)
DASTARDLY: celeb/A-lister, inside pop/father and L[ad]Y.
28a Put out in Paris, I recalled shocking treatment (5)
EJECT: French for ‘I’ + the usual “shocking treatment”, reversed/recalled.
Down
1d Mia Klein periodically visited country (4)
MALI: periodic letters of “Mia Klein”.
2d Smuggle in a cutting implement (6)
PRUNER: the usual “smuggle” inside the three-letter ‘a’.
3d Good law easing supply for Govan native (10)
GLASWEGIAN: abbreviated “good”, plus LAW+EASING, supply.
4d Drink in sailor’s world? (6)
ABSORB: abbreviated “sailor’s” + “world”.
5d Cook hake endlessly and broil some greens (8)
KOHLRABI: HAK[e]+BROIL, cooked.
6d Saint Christopher’s parody (4)
SKIT: abbreviated “saint” + diminutive “Christopher”.
7d Hot tub with two males excited little fellow (3,5)
TOM THUMB: HOT+TUB+M+M, excited.
8d Send fresh fish minus tail for broadcaster (3,7)
NED SHERRIN: SEND, fresh, + (sea) “fish”, minus its last letter = a late broadcaster.
13d Where daddy treated murderous alter ego (6,4)
EDWARD HYDE: WHERE+DADDY, treated.
15d Fanatical sort in old car following van (10)
HEADBANGER: old car/crate, after “van”(guard).
17d Syrian neighbour curses in shelter (8)
LEBANESE: curses/sauces of misery inside the usual-ish three-letter “shelter”.
18d Stakes raised for the defence? (8)
STOCKADE: cryptic definition, i.e. a barrier of stakes.
20d Period outside court on left foot (6)
DACTYL: period (of time) outside/containing abbreviated “court”, plus abbreviated “left”.
22d Attacker, one helping to support Resistance (6)
RAIDER: someone helping/assisting, after (supporting) abbreviated “resistance”.
24d Value reflected welcoming a wronged brother (4)
ESAU: value/benefit, reflected/reversed, welcoming/containing ‘a’.
26d Scratching head, Kerouac and Ginsberg scoff (4)
EATS: the term for Kerouac and Ginsberg (and those they inspired), minus the first letter = a synonym of “scoff” that I know everyone loves!
We’ve got seven anagrams (including partials), an alternate and a cryptic definition. I especially enjoyed 27a, 2d and 4d. How did you get on?
For a Thursday Toughie, this was completed pretty early; I usually don’t finish them until the evening. 9a was first in, albeit not knowing the poetic reference until confirmed post solve, but easily accessible from the clue. Then a steady meander to build up sufficient checkers to completion. I didn’t know of the dramatist at 11a, but again the wordplay was clear. 12a was vaguely familiar although I couldn’t remember the exact meaning.
For my podium I’m going with 2 anagrams, 7d & 16a together with the broadcaster at 8d.
Many thanks to Donnybrook for the enjoyment and to ALP for the spot on appraisal
1.5*/4*
A crossword that wasn’t really a Toughie but was most enjoyable while it lasted. Did anyone else notice the Ray T like brevity of all the clues?
Many thanks to Donnybrook for the fun and ALP for the blog
Quite a range of general knowledge required to complete this, but all was fairly clued and easily gettable from the wordplay. The letter B seemed to have been working overtime too.
The building in 14a was neatly constructed, the optimist in 16a turned up nicely and every time I see the answer to 27a written, I think of Muttley sniggering in Wacky Races.
The fanatic in 15d is my COTD, a fun word which got me nodding my approval.
Sometimes I can’t believe the old tosh I put together when I comment, but I can’t stop meself…
My thanks and apologies to Donny and ALP.
Great to hear Ivor Cutler, what a mad and unique talent he was!
thoroughly enjoyable, both this and yesterdays had a strong GK requirement which is right up my street and adds huge amounts to the enjoyment. If I dont know the answer (11a 12a and 20d) then I am learning something!!
didn’t know 16a first name so did a little look up for that as this went in early.
25a is my COTD “all for the best in the best of all possible worlds”!
Thanks all – and can we have more of the same
Very entertaining with a sort of optimistic theme – many thanks to Donnybrook and ALP.
My ticks went to 14a, 2d, 4d and 18d.
On the gentle(ish) side but still a tad trickier than a 1* in my book. Funny how selective the memory can be – despite having read the book eons ago & seen a number of film/tv adaptations I wouldn’t have been able to dredge up the optimist’s first name without the fodder though I’d have had a punt (correctly as it turned out) that Ralph Richardson played him on film & a vague recollection of Bob Hoskins doing likewise in a miniseries. Similarly with the first name of the doc’s alter ego. Never heard of the 11a dramatist & wasn’t familiar with the metrical foot either so they both needed a post solve chat with Mr G.
As ever with a Donny puzzle lots to admire – 10,12,14,23&27a + 3&15d particular likes. Fav was 8d for no other reason than I was in his company having been invited to some Hampstead soirée many years ago & he was delightful.
Thanks to Donny & to ALP
Didn’t know the dramatist or the satire and 26d was a bung in. Some others were tricky to say the least so no, I didn’t find this very straightforward but I did enjoy the challenge. Favourite was 27a. Thanks to Donnybrook and ALP.
I found this hard work. A bit too much general knowledge to be my cup of tea. 27a was my favourite.
Thanks to Donnybrook and ALP.
Although much was straightforward, overall definitely a Thursday-level Toughie for me, what with the NHO dramatist, long-dead broadcaster, & a 15-letter anagram for which I needed all the checkers. In the SE it did not help that I went for headhunter, which certainly parsed, convincing myself that it was a fair term for a fanatical sort. So the romantic writer eluded me for a DNF.
COTD 27a. Many thanks to Donny and ALP
11 across – Why is ones-jokes?
11 across
I don’t understand the connection or wordplay involved.
I is current and co is company which is straightforward but ones =jokes?
Hi John. It’s not the most obvious synonym, I agree, but one does see it used, and it’s defined as such in Chambers, as in: “have you heard the one about …”
2*/3* …
liked 7D ” Hot tub with two males excited little fellow (3,5)”