Sunday Toughie 235 by Silvanus
Hints & Tips by Sloop John Bee
A tiring day yesterday leaves no time to decorate the blog.
Across
1a Creature, rabbit, briefly seen by River Dee, perhaps (10)
Take an informal synonym of to rabbit or chatter inanely, make it brief by removing the last letter, then put it back as a river abbreviation and finally add the forename of the comedian Mr Dee
9a Writer, man Hislop regularly is cutting about (7)
A man on a chessboard, contains a reversal (about) of regular letters of Hislop
14a Current champ tours Olympic city (6)
To champ or eat noisily contains the physics symbol of electric current
15a Former Wimbledon champion (not British) essentially encouraging novice (8)
An Australian Wimbledon champion loses his British abbreviation and adds the essential or central letter of encouraging
22a Where one might shoot, which could suggest thin gun? (7-6)
A reverse anagram, where the anagram indicator goes into the grid along with what can be formed from an anagram of the fodder, which in this case is “thin gun”
24a Stand before door that revolves (7)
A poetic synonym of before, and the door into a garden perhaps are reversed (revolves) -A French display stand for small objects or ornaments
26a Drop something in the garden? (4)
A double definition, something you may have in the garden or to drop a skin or carapace
Down
1d Ancient Greeks worshipped her near landing-place reportedly (4)
Homophones (reportedly) of a poetic near and the place where a boat may land. An Ancient Greek goddess, nowadays more often associated with a brand of running equipment
2d Elevated shot, notice tennis players will use it (7)
A shot of whisky perhaps and to notice or see something are reversed (elevated in a down clue)
4d Day after rock star almost gets nicked (6)
Almost all of a rock star, followed by a day abbreviation
7d Titular Shakespeare role, male last to die maybe (7)
A titular Shakespearean role and a male abbreviation. A definition by example (maybe) as last is a word opposite in meaning to die
8d Boy racer, possibly amphetamine addict (10)
A double definition of an enthusiast of fast driving or a habitual user of amphetamine as a recreational drug. An attendant at a driver awareness course once met such a boy racer, who when asked how fast he had ever driven said at least 633 mph, as Richard Noble’s world record was an average of runs in opposite directions
11d Slow, as in late to make latte, say? (4-9)
The difference between latte and late is due to it having “eaten” a “t” abbreviation
20d Choose KLM for flights and share costs equally (2,5)
To opt to fly on the national carrier of Schiphol airport or to share the cost of a meal
Compiler
Silvanus
That’s All Folks…
Apart from 24a and 3d, neither of which I had heard of, this was a steady solve. Plenty to like with the writer at 9a, the former Wimbledon champion at 15a and the nicked rock star at 4d. My COTT is KLM at 20a.
Thank you, silvanus, for a satisfying puzzle. Thank you, Sloops for the hints and all your hard work for making yesterday happen.
Phew, I think I made that harder going than necessary. I needed every resource to get going, but once I got a foothold it fell into place quite satisfyingly, with the NW holding out until last. Can’t see where the river comes into play for 1a, surely the rabbit synonym has the appropriate letter already, or is it just a diversionary tactic? My podium picks are the thin gun at 22a, the Olympic city and my COTD 24a, which I only parsed once written down backwards.
My thanks to Silvanus and SJB.
I think it’s a kind of double bluff at 1a. Rabbit briefly then add river. I suppose it makes it a Toughie clue.
Certainly diversionary, take it off and put it back, like the hokey cokey. It certainly helps with the surface read of the clue
What a relief as the two that were eluding me at the end 26a and 11d were hinted thank you SJB!!
Of the rest I did have to look up 3d as never heard of this and was getting nowhere shuffling the letters myself.
Loved the clueing at 23d as I couldn’t help thinking of the modern usage of the phrase so it slowed me down.
COTD is 22a and honours to 11d
Thanks all
I wanted to put a pic of John Major’s Spitting Image puppet there. He was certainly an 3d
When I printed off both puzzles this morning I started off on this, then after half the grid (bottom half) was filled I thought to myself Dada must have been in a bad mood setting this. I picked up what I thought was the Silvanus puzzle which I then completed fairly quickly.
Having reverted to this puzzle I then realised I had mixed up the two puzzles…..
Anyway, very entertaining. I didn’t know 3d but solved it from the fodder.
14a and 7d shared the top spot.
Thanks to Silvanus and to SJB.
As we have come to expect with Silvanus, there are plenty of cleverly flowing surfaces to admire, this was a pleasure to solve.
I don’t suppose I’m alone in never coming across 24a before but it was concisely clued and reads beautifully.
My other ticks are alongside the creature in 1a, the problem at 19a and the the coffee making going on in 11d.
My thanks to our setter and SJB.
An excellent puzzle with some cracking clues – thanks to Silvanus and SJB.
I particularly liked 1a, 9a and 7d with my favourite being the very clever 11d.
This was pitch-perfect Sunday morning puzzling fare from Silvanus. I only had to check one answer, 24a, but the wordplay had pointed me in the right direction.
I have had to extend my usual podiums by two additional steps to accommodate a long list of favourites: 1, 9, 15, 22 & 24 Across and 1, 2, 7, 11 & 21 Down. Both of the tennis mini-theme clues had to be included
My favourite PDM was occasioned by 7d. It didn’t make my list but I did enjoy the anagrind used in 16d. My LOI was 10a – how on earth did that take me so long to spot
Many thanks to Silvanus, and also to SJB for hosting the blog alongside his busy weekend commitments. I trust the Saturday celebrations went well and were enjoyed by all in attendance.
Very well thank you, even though the trains and Daisy’s travails stopped a few people, a great time was had by all. I was up at 0530 to get Mama Bee to her daughter in Crewe and myself to Brum by 11. The journey home was somewhat delayed by Birmingham council roadworks forcing me on a 45 minute tour of the clean air zone. If I was in a slightly bigger car I would have to pay!
Home at 2230 just in time to have a cup of tea and prepare for Silvanus. I had the grid filled and my head on the pillow by 0120, but it wasn’t until drinking (espresso rather than latte) at 8am today, that the penny dropped on the coffee
Some day (and a half!)…
Agreed with this analysis, Gazza.
I liked 18d; well hidden with good diversion, despite the obvious solution
Great work SJB and Silvanus
Having just seen Odyssey, I should have spotted 1d more easily…
Ticks all over the pitch as per & a lovely surprise to get a Smooth Production in this slot. 24a was the only obscurity – if it’s cropped up before it’s been long forgotten but thankfully the wordplay was clear & Mr G gave it a post grid fill 👍. 11d was the clear fav (once the parsing penny dropped) and 1,9,14,15&22a along with 4,7,18&21d can fight it out among themselves for Top Ten spots.
Thanks to Silvanus & to John for the hints
Considering Coffee is one of my obsessions I forgive Silvanus for drowning a good espresso with so much milk
A flat white with a double espresso in it (nespresso) is my drink of choice at work
A long black with an extra shot is my Caffe Nero order, at home it is usually 20g of beans in to 55-60 ml out. Usually black, but if Mama Bee has a flat white I may pinch a bit of foam for a lightly stained macchiato
I just go for Taylor’s Rich Italian coffee bags. So simple! ☕️
At least Taylor’s is the same Harrogate company as Betty’s
😊
Many thanks to all.
Thank, you for a great puzzle, silvanus. It appears I’m the only one who doesn’t capitalise your moniker. Maybe I’m more observant than others? 😊
The Telegraph capitalise it too, but then they also capitalise ProXimal, when I know he prefers proXimal, maybe silvanus could clarify?
I’d rather go with the preference of the setter. If silvanus and proXimal wish to write their names uncapitalised who am I to contradict them? 😊
Oh dear, I am still bemoaning the fact that I did not make Birmingham! I was so looking forward to it combined with a visit to grandson and his wife. Anyway, what a stinker of a guzzle. SO clever. George has tried time and again to explain 17 acrosses to me but I don’t have a numerical mind despite dealing with figures all my working life! I knew 24ai from French literature and 3d is a well known phrase but 11d was just downright sneaky. I didn’t know 8d so that is a guess, 16d was another fiendishly clever clue. How DOES your mind work, silvanus? I had to run through all the Plays to get 7d and am bemused by Spangledcat ‘s comment? Many thanks to the Devious Setter and to to Host with the Most (even though I wasn’t there thanks for organising it all) for the hints. Maybe one day I will fully understand 17a
Do you think all these things become known in heaven?
Agreed with the devious description. 17a can be explained. Not here.
I am sorry you missed out. If we ever do a mid-summer do again it will have to be a dog friendly picnic (For Steve and Hudson) somewhere on the Cam, to be close to you. Steve or Smylers will have to organise it, as that was the last time I can shuffle Mama Bee off on her daughter
That should be Spsngledcat’s comment on 23d.
Lovely puzzle, initially slow to start and could not tune in, but after the first few pennies dropped the rest fell with increasing speed. Having next to no interest whatever in tennis I have taken 15a on trust from the wordplay, but the rest of the clues were all fully parsed and the GK familiar.
Oodles of ticks, so let’s go for 9a, 22a & 4d on the honours board.
Many thanks indeed to Silvanus and to SJB
A next day solve for me. Thank you so much for parsing 11d. I just could not see it. It should probably get my clue of the day, but I couldn’t help liking 1d, and 13d, the latter and 8d reminding me what a lovely day Saturday was.
Thanks again SJB for both the hints and Saturday. Thanks also to silvanus for some challenging clues.