Sunday Toughie No 234
by Light
Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
Lots of films, birds, dogs and a little bit of Welsh – Suo Gân from Light today
I enjoyed this and would have liked to hint more, but as it is a prize puzzle, I have tried to restrain myself.
I hope you find the checkers to finish, but I will try to give a nudge if shopping and coffee permit
Don’t forget you are all invited to the Old Joint Stock next Saturday
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 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 Film magazine next to old folio paper (6,2,3,3)
A magazine (that happens to be about film), abbreviations of old and folio and a paper that is a rival of The Telegraph
I include this version rather than the Spielberg film version sung by Christian Bale, as it is a traditional Welsh lullaby, which I am sure is very familiar to our setter
17a Discovery perhaps of accommodation – flat (10)
Synonyms of the last two words
I include this here as Runrig was played on a sister ship to Discovery that failed to return. This song was a tribute to the astronaut Laurel Clark, whose Runrig CD’s were found almost intact – Bha mise ann
18a Barrister’s failures outside court, essentially things not worth pursuing (4,6)
The barrister’s failures go outside the essential letter of court
23a Gladiator director is initially hiding from Harris? (8)
The surname of Ridley, the director of Gladiator, is from the clue and an initial letter, from the Outer Hebridean island of Harris
Kudos if you remember this Special Agent from The Eagle
26a They have passed subjects (5)
An abbreviated column in The Telegraph whose subjects have all passed
He didn’t 27a bat defensively when scoring six sixes off an over, unless attack is the best form of defence
28a Flower girl getting help, in a manner of speaking? (5,9)
The flower girl from George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion is given elocution lessons to help her speak better
Down
2d This writer’s diamonds dug up (5)
That which belongs to this writer and an abbreviation of the suit of diamonds
6d What about new supermarket eggs here? (3-4)
An informal what is reversed (about) a new abbreviation and a supermarket group founded in Manchester in 1863
8d Husband visiting prime hotel, amazing bar after lots of driving (10,4)
A prime number, an anagram of hotel around a husband abbreviation, the bar where you may celebrate some successful driving around a golf course
9d Be a little mad? It won’t be Thatcher’s fault! (4,1,4,5)
To be a little mad. Deceptive capitalisation of Thatcher’s here, It won’t be the thatcher’s fault you are a little mad, as they use long straw or water reed, securely fastened to your roof
14d Creature, small dog in wicker basket (7,3)
A small abbreviation and a wicker basket used to carry fish around an originally Chinese breed of dog
16d
19d Abrupt trick taking in university team (7)
To trick or con is shortened (abrupt) about an abbreviated London University for a football team familiar to Terence
24d Everything included where Eve goes for examination (2,3)
If you believe the Old Testament, of Eve as the original mother, on examination a little bit of her is found ** *** of us. Not sure I have parsed this properly, but I am not a Bible scholar. The penny has just dropped – where you would find Eve in an examination that follows GCSEs
Compiler
Light
Could new readers please read the Welcome Post and the FAQ before posting comments or asking questions about the site.
As this is a Prize crossword, please don’t put any ANSWERS, whether WHOLE, PARTIAL or INCORRECT or any ALTERNATIVE CLUES in your comment.
Please read these instructions carefully – they are not subject to debate or discussion. Offending comments may be redacted or, in extreme cases, deleted. In all cases the administrator’s decision is final.
If you don’t understand, or don’t wish to comply with, the conventions for commenting on weekend prize puzzles then save yourself a lot of trouble and don’t leave a comment.
I found this very enjoyable and reasonably gentle. It took me a while to get started but once I got going it all fell into place very nicely.
26a was the one that took the longest time to crack.
Favourite was 4d followed by 8d.
Many thanks to Light and to SJB.
I can’t believe I forgot to praise 19d, my favourite team!
The pic is a bit left field, but that is Sir Terence at Abbey Road
I am an avid reader of Telegraph 26a, so that leapt off my stylus last night. 24d almost beat me as I don’t do Bible studies at GCSE or higher levels
George always turns to that page also. Found himself some years ago in the Old Campbellian magazine – they were highly embarrassed and very apologetic!
Very difficult, but a most enjoyable, puzzle although it took me ages. Hadn’t heard of the 9d expression, so the third word was my loi. I’m struggling to find the Welsh, thought it might be in 24d until I read your hint SB 😁 clever clue. Tvm Twm and SB of course
Suo Gân is aWelsh lullaby, I was going to use the version from the 1a film, but it revealed too much.
I also thought Christian Bale was singing about shoguns the first time I saw the film
Harris Tweed. I had a filmstrip viewer with him on my only film.
Enjoyable puzzle with 28a my cotd.
Thanks to Light and SJB
Very enjoyable with some amusing misdirections, this was just right for a Sunday Toughie.
The passed subjects in 26a, the supermarket eggs in 6d and the place to visit after driving at 8d stood out for me.
Where Eve goes for examination in 24d was best of all though, as like our blogger, it took a while to parse.
In the saying I’m more familiar with, the item missing in 9d is a screw or a slate, though the wordplay clearly points to the answer required, so fair enough.
My thanks to Light and SJB.
Putting .com twice in your email sent you to moderation now corrected
Didn’t realise I had. Thanks for sorting it out, John.
Very enjoyable puzzle. Never saw the film, but I won’t need a lullaby to drop off tonight having parsed 23d.
Actually, it was Gemini who took five seconds to work it out for me, even with SJ B’s hint, commenting;
That is a classic, incredibly clever piece of cryptic crossword wordplay!
Great setting, solving and parsing. Thanks as ever to all
Oh dear. I thought I had this in the bag but am quite stuck on 3d – the word I have doesn’t seem to be have any reference to cold blooded and 22a has me stumped also. I think I shall have to throw in the towel. Not often that happens, I usually scour all reference books! As I erroneously said on the back page blog, 38a was my favourite but I also liked the drug test at 4d. Many thanks to Light and to SJB
3d is a cold blooded type, from an anagram of half of aims and a gun.
22a think of a rake progressing through an autumnal garden, that is also a synonym of parts company
Of course! Silly me. I had got the cold blooded bit after I wrote but the rake makes sense now. Hope poor old Steve gets on OK tomorrow, I’ve had one and it’s not the best way to spend a day.
Another great toughie where great = doable (by me)
I needed a little help with the conductor, and had the wrong answers in 13a and 26a which didn’t help! The rest of it was fabulous though, really enjoyed solving the four peripherals.
So many to like it’s hard to pick a favourite but I will go with 18a – chiefly because my bung in of silk purses just made me laugh when I got the right answer. 22a was also lovely very happy that it just popped into my head without to much trouble
Thanks all
I am getting better at toughies yippee!
Thanks all, and thank you to SJB for the hints and write-up. (I don’t want to be the one who spoiled Daisy’s winning run!)
Thank You for the entertaining puzzle
A lovely puzzle – thanks to Light and SJB.
I liked 22a, 28a (although including ‘Flower’ probably made it a bit too obvious), 8d and 24d.
I was out all yesterday, so got round to this morning. A bit of a head scratcher, but got there with SJB’s hints for the last few in the W. For 22a I had another use for a rake with a different starting letter. Needless to say this prevented me from solving 9d, but once fixed it was my LOI. My favourites were the 18a barrister’s failures, the 7d photo and the annoyingly 10a.
Many thanks to Light and SJB.
A very enjoyable puzzle. 8d&28a were my picks of the four excellent peripheral long ‘uns & I had ticks against 6,14&19d + 22a. The surface at 21d reminded me of JR’s comical attempt to mime the Welsh national anthem.
Thanks to Twm & to John – glad the penny dropped for you re the why at 24d ‘cos it didnae for me (d’oh)
V funny vid, The penny drop for 24d happened just as I was about to schedule the blog yesrerday, it through me off my stride so much that I have only just cracked the Dada with Senf’s help
I hope you are enjoying yourselves at the Old Joint Stock today. My weekends have turned out to be very busy this summer. A family BBQ last week postponed my attempt at this puzzle but it was a mid-week delight for me. Light always comes up with some interesting and/or fun surfaces, which invariably bring a smile. Favourite clues from this puzzle were 10, 17 & 20 Across and 6, 9 & 14 Down. 17a was my last one in, but my last to parse was 24d, which – like SJB – required an enjoyable PDM!
My thanks to Light and to SJB.