Toughie No 3746 by Zenas
Hints and Tips by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
The first actual Toughie of this week has been set for us by Zenas
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought
Across
1a This is one party game (6)
CLUEDO The thing you are reading now and a party
4a A family briefly entertains throng in evening entertainment (5-3)
APRES-SKI A (from the clue), people belonging to the same family without the final letter (briefly) into which is inserted (entertains) a crowd or throng
9a After revolution, leftist with spirit crows (6)
MURDER The collective noun for crows is obtained by reversing the colour associated with someone or something left-wing and a type of spirit
10a Scottish musicians abandoning the Queen’s state (8)
PROCLAIM The Scottish musicians who said they would walk 500 miles without (abandoning) the regnal cipher of our late Queen
12a Advanced talk about Beowulf? (4)
SAGA A reversal (about) of an informal verb meaning to chatter (talk) and the abbreviation for Advanced
13a Sky viewer might see this policeman, not entirely satisfied (5)
COMET Almost all of an informal name for a policeman and a synonym for satisfied
14a Scientist has question for the audience (4)
WATT A homophone (for the audience) of a question
17a Rumour three times included by headline story (6-6)
TITTLE-TATTLE Three abbreviations for Time, one included in a headline, the other two in a story
20a Suggesting plant and equipment for a marina (8,4)
FLOATING DOCK Suggesting or putting forward for consideration and a plant, the leaves of which are handy when you have encountered a stinging nettle
23a I study picture (4)
ICON I (from the clue) and study or commit to memory
24a Nick some salt (5)
PINCH Nick is a slang verb meaning to steal; the second definition is a small measure of salt
25a Consumed flipping large Indian dish (4)
DAHL A reversal (flipping) of a simple way of saying consumed followed by the abbreviation for Large
28a Poison of interminable fighting (8)
WARFARIN Engaging in conflict without the final letter (interminable)
29a Place to stay with the Spanish army at the front (6)
HOSTEL An army goes in front of the Spanish definite article
30a Lines of Oscar Wilde originally found in figures of speech (3,5)
TOWROPES The original letters of Oscar and Wilde found inserted in figures of speech
31a Grave markers in Australian city (6)
CAIRNS Heaps of stones raised over a grave or an Australian city
Down
1d Theatrical appearance announced in holiday venue (8)
CAMPSITE An adjective meaning theatrical and a homophone (announced) of appearance
2d Thugs rip out fixtures in football stadium (8)
UPRIGHTS An anagram (out) of THUGS RIP
3d Oddly pretend retiring is difficult (4)
DEEP A reversal (retiring) of the odd letters of PrEtEnD
5d Musical gift – something a groundskeeper wants (7,5)
PERFECT PITCH The ability to identify or remember a note accurately or something any groundskeeper would want
6d Bring back less fine cut (4)
ETCH Go and get (bring back) without the abbreviation for Fine
7d Abruptly stole a black sacred symbol (6)
SCARAB Another ‘almost all of’ this time of a garment worn round the neck or shoulders (stole), A (from the clue) and the abbreviation for Black
8d Confidential note removed for prisoner (6)
INMATE Confidential without (removed) the seventh note of the tonic sol-fa scale
11d On the other hand, aircrew is not scrambled (12)
CONTRARIWISE An anagram (scrambled) of AIRCREW IS NOT
15d Sylvester Stallone regularly plays in an artful way (5)
SLYLY The informal way we refer to Sylvester Stallone and the regular letters of pLaYs
16d Minions stealing left shoes (5)
CLOGS Unimportant people in a large organisation (minions) ‘stealing’ the abbreviation for Left
18d It’s unimportant talk about order (2,6)
NO MATTER An informal verb meaning to talk much about little goes ‘about’ the abbreviation for the Order of Merit
19d See Lulu playing, holding Kelvin’s instruments (8)
UKULELES An anagram (playing) of SEE LULU ‘holding’ the symbol for the SI Unit, the Kelvin
21d Fearful catching wife standing up for fool (6)
DIMWIT A reversal (standing up in a Down solution) of inclined to fear ‘catching’ the abbreviation for Wife
22d Feature about gold showing one way to obtain money (6)
BORROW A facial feature goes about the heraldic name for gold
26d Tips of some asparagus going on starchy food (4)
SAGO The ‘tips’ of Some Asparagus Going On
27d Letter to the Corinthians kept back by conservatoire (4)
IOTA A Greek letter is hidden in reverse (kept back) in the final word of the clue
I needed help with a couple but, otherwise, this was a fun puzzle to solve. Sometimes, 31a were just boundary markers but they are more often associated with graves. I loved the musical gift at 5d. My friend has 5d and a range of about eight octaves. She can sing any note you ask for and has a beautiful voice. The Scottish musicians at 10a was a clever clue but my COTT goes to the party game at 1a with yet another great surface.
Thank you, Zenas for the puzzle. Thank you, CeeSoo for the hints, which were needed, as I said, for a couple.
I enjoyed this and to my surprise managed to complete it unaided.
Top picks for me were 5d, 4a, 10a and 1a.
Thanks to CrypticSue and Zenas.
First pass with the across clues
produced just 2 tiddlers, but the downs from the bottom were much more productive. It took a fair amount of effort to finish with 20a being last in. I did question the use of ‘crows’ in 9a since the only tenuous link I could find is ‘croak’ (Am. slang), but then I remembered the collective noun. Ia is an inspired clue and the musical gift 5d was a pdm, but my COTT is the poison at 28a. Very enjoyable.
My thanks to ZENAS and crypticsue.
2*/3*
Really enjoyed that, despite thinking throughout “gosh, this is a bit stiff for a Wednesday backpager: Hudson’s definitely upped the challenge and changed his style” … then realised it was the Toughie! Knowing someone who has been on that “poison” for over 50 years, I’d say that sometimes it has its uses …
Many fabulous clues, with honours going to 30a, 9d & 1a/15d for the smiles they induced. I reckon there was more text in this puzzle than Sly was given to speak in an average film!
Thank you to Zenas and of course also to CS
Surprised to see Sue rated this as 3* for difficulty, I thought is was fairly lightweight.
I’ve no problem with that as long as it’s fun and this one ticked that particular box.
The collective noun at 9a, the bespectacled twins who like a long walk referred to in 10a and the old-fashiond word for a fool at 21d were among the best of ’em.
My thanks to Zenas and CS.
What a terrific Toughie, pitched just right for a midweeker. At first I thought I was going to struggle, but a couple of long’uns went in and I was away. I cannot separate 1 and 9 across so they were my co-favourites this afternoon.
Many thanks to both Zenas and Sue.
An excellent midweek Toughie – many thanks to Zenas and CS.
Amongst the clues I ticked were 1a, 9a, 17a, 20a and 5d.
Like FrankieM above I thought this was a doddle – apart from the 2 in the sw corner [30a and 22d] that took me as long as the rest of the puzzle – dunno why. My favourite was the neat little letter to the Corinthians at 27d.
Thanks to Zenas and CSue.
Given 1a, can you say who, where and how?
I can see the who and how but am still searching for where
In the kitchen.
Colonel Mustard in the library.
The policeman in the marina with Kelvin’s instruments??!!
I’m going with the ‘sly’ socialite, Miss Scarlett, in the study with the lead pipe, or is it the rope?
The Scottish musicians in the hostel with the ukuleles.
Top comment, Madders, well deduced.
An excellent puzzle, thanks Zenas! Many good clues but I think my favourite was the musical gift.
Thanks to Sue for the blog. I was going to look at the hint for my last one, 13a, but as soon as I clicked on the blog the answer popped into my head, so that worked!
This took a long time to get into and I needed a hint or 3 to get through it but I’m quite happy that I finished it.Favourites include 1a , 4 and 18d Thanks to all .
I made steady progress with this throughout finishing in the SW. Nothing obscure and all fairly clued. Best puzzle of the week so far. Favourite was 28a. Thanks to Ben’s and CS.
Good fun, and, despite slow progress in SW corner, completed in record time. Couldn’t remember the Scottish band if I ever knew it. Favourite was the musical gift
Thanks to compiler and blogger.
Thanks to crypticsue for the review and to all for the comments. Loved the more fanciful suggestions for the murderer, place and item, but they are all hidden in the grid as 1a staples!
Row 12 in the Column 14 with part of the solution to 30a
I thought that she did the foul deed with the weapon hidden in 30a.
Me too as my row 4 weapon is missing it’s last letter.
So it is. I can’t read my own writing
I’m also a bit surprised at the difficulty rating here. The pennies seemed to drop a darn sight quicker here than with Hudson’s back-pager. It was a pleasingly swift grid fill though I did just bung in 17a – couldn’t be bothered with all of those T’s. Lots to like but 5d nabs the top spot for me with 1&28a on the podium.
Thanks to Zenas & for popping in & to CS
Good fun and a proper midweek Toughie, without being too difficult. Like Halcyon, I struggled with 22d and 30a, but also 6d and 10a, but got there in the end. 1a was my favourite. I do like the slightly off-the wall clues, when I spot them for what they are.
Thanks to Zenas and CS