Toughie No 3753 by Beam
Hints and tips by Whybird
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BD Rating – Difficulty **/*** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings, Toughieland! Seeing Beam appear on a Tuesday is thankfully increasingly common and he hasn’t disappointed today. All of his Toughie Trademarks are there (Her Majesty, initials, an absence of anagrams and today a double dose of sweethearts) along with the customary concise cluing. I found this to be at the upper end of what I expect for a Tuesday, difficulty-wise, with the North going in noticeably more easily than the South. The high proportion of unchecked initial letters was definitely a factor in this, as with hindsight, the clues and solutions themselves (with one exception – I’m looking at you, 21d) aren’t noticeably tricky or obscure. One can only tip one’s hat to a very well-crafted puzzle.
There are plenty of ticks on my dead tree today, notably 2d, 5d, 9a, 10a, 18d and 23d, but I’m giving my top prize today to 12a.
Thanks, Beam, for a great start to the Toughie-solving Week.
Please let us know how you fared and what you thought of the puzzle.
Across Clues
8a Sweetheart could be excessive (4)
DEAR A double definition, the second sense being price-related. I’m putting the “could be” down as necessary filler, but there’s an argument for it being part of the second definition
9a Level match catching United finally (10)
EVENTUALLY A four-letter synonym of “Level” followed by a synonym of “match” (or add up) into which is inserted the usual letter meaning “United”
10a Left pig covered in fat (8)
LARBOARD A term for a male pig is inserted into a type of fat
11a Task Queen performed before do’s opening (6)
ERRAND A charade of the two letters indicating the UK’s late Queen, a synonym of “performed” (or managed) and the initial letter (opening) of “do”
12a Shanty perhaps about popular salt? (9)
SEASONING Insert a word meaning “popular” into a (3,4) expression which could be used to describe a “Shanty”
13a First Lady in France creating excitement (5)
FEVER Insert the biblical “First lady” into a two-letter abbreviation for “France”
15a Trudged and ran holding in stomach (7)
STUMPED Take a synonym of “ran” (or moved quickly) and insert (holding) a three-letter informal name for “stomach”
17a Needles covering large plants (7)
TEASELS A synonym of “Needles” (as a verb) has the abbreviation for “large” inserted (covering)
20a Provokes blokes embracing sweetheart … (5)
LEADS Take a four-letter synonym of “blokes” (in a casual, matey sense) and insert the central letter (heart) of “sweet”
22a … feeling thrilled with sex embracing blokes (9)
SENTIMENT Start with a four-letter, slightly unusual but perfectly legitimate, synonym of “thrilled” (derived from the jazz scene, apparently) then add a two-letter term for “sex” into which is is inserted a (different from 22a) synonym of “blokes”
25a Creature’s back showing bony plate (6)
LAMINA A reversal (back) of a synonym of “Creature”
26a A container accordingly for plant (8)
ACANTHUS “A” from the clue, plus a type of (metallic) “container” plus a synonym of “accordingly”
27a Mocks flipping allowance for divorce (10)
SEPARATION Reverse (flipping) a synonym of “Mocks” (or copies) then add a synonym of “allowance”
28a Reckless and somewhat hasty, initially (4)
RASH The solution consists of the first letters (initially) of the preceding words
Down Clues
1d Degenerate is modest receiving promotion (8)
DECADENT A synonym of “modest” has a two-letter “promotion” inserted (receiving)
2d Attempts to comprehend British clans (6)
TRIBES A synonym of “Attempts” has the letter indicating “British” inserted (to comprehend)
3d Rest cue round centre of black (9)
REMAINDER A synonym of “cue” has the middle letter (centre) of “black” inserted (round)
4d Overspend anticipated purchasing necklace (7)
PENDANT The solution is lurking within (purchasing) the letters of “Overspend anticipated”
5d More trouble going topless (5)
OTHER Remove the first letter (going topless) from a synonym of “trouble”
6d Hard and close shaven? (8)
HAIRLESS The letter indicating “Hard” followed by (and) a synonym of “close” as an atmospheric descriptor
7d Drop exercise taking breather … (6)
PLUNGE A two-letter abbreviation for “exercise” surrounds (taking) an organ involved in breathing
14d … control balance taking exercise (9)
RESTRAINT A synonym of “balance” (or 3d) surrounds (taking – again) a synonym of “exercise”
16d Enthusiastic over capital line in song (8)
MADRIGAL A charade of a three-letter synonym of “enthusiastic”, the capital of Latvia and the abbreviation for “line”
18d Suffering under Labour’s leader’s decline (8)
LANGUISH A synonym of “Suffering” follows (“under” in a Down clue) the initial letter (leader) of Labour
19d Demure gal I admire pinching finery (7)
REGALIA The solution is lurking (pinching) amongst the letters of “Demure gal I admire”
21d External protection for canines? (6)
ENAMEL A cryptic definition, but where you need to be thinking “teeth” rather than the equally appropriate sense of domestic animals. Sadly for me, I went for the animal sense, as I thought the “teeth” sense was more blatant, and it fitted with the checker in 27a that I already had. This made a mess of the SW until I twigged my error.
23d Getting on coaster on river (6)
MATURE A charade of a three-letter synonym of “coaster” (think furniture protection rather than shipping) followed by (“on” in a Down clue) a Yorkshire river
24d Canoe going up and down? (5)
KAYAK The solution is a palindromic type of “canoe” (“going up and down” in a Down clue)
I agree that this was more of a toughie from Beam than I would normally expect to see.
The three that were my last in were the consecutive 15a, 17a, and 20a.
Favourite clue 18d (not only did I like the surface, but if you change one letter you’d have my surname).
Thank to Beam and to Whybird.
I enjoyed this but it did put up a bit of a fight. LOI was 5d.
Top picks for me were 6d, 16d, 21d, 12a and 26a.
Thanks to Whybird and Beam.
Not the toughest ever, but it is a long time since I enjoyed a puzzle so much. Perhaps a preponderance of insertions, but who would complain with so many wonderful clever and misleading surfaces? My favourite was one of the insertions the rest at 3d. Thanks Whybird and Beam, whose next puzzle I await eagerly.
Just about the right level of difficulty for the first toughie of the week.
Going all nautical, I’ve given the thumbs up to the old term for port at 10a and the shanty about the salt at 12a. Another song at 16d completes my podium, a fine old word.
My thanks to Beam and Whybird.
The usual excellence from this setter. The rest of the crosswords will have to go some to beat this for enjoyment. I didn’t find this too taxing as I always find him approachable. Favourite from a long list was 16d. Thanks to Beam and Whybird.
A very good Tuesday Toughie, no pushover and enough bite to make it interesting, with red herrings aplenty.
Many thanks to Beam & Whybird – especially for the Classix, Canada’s Finest, The Commentators (have not heard that for a very long time) and TMTY. Good picks!
Excellent! This was nicely challenging without being impenetrable – just right for a Tuesday Toughie.
My podium selection was 10a, 12a & 18d.
Many thanks to Beam and to Whybird.
Somewhat surprised by the difficulty rating & the first 2 comments. I guess I must have tuned in from the off (certainly not always the case with Ray T in either slot) as finished it in only a fractionally longer time than the back-page Plumbing took. The definition synonym at 15a wouldn’t have been the first to spring to mind but the wordplay was clear.
Ticks aplenty – Carrick’s boys surrendering a lead, the ditty about the popular sailor, the snooker clue & Starmer at 18d particular likes.
Thanks to Ray & as ever to Whybird – didn’t guess a single tune.
I’m with Huntsman on this as after a speedy start the E in the form of 1d, 15a and 16d held me up for a while, but the penny dropped after re-reading the clues and finished in backpager time. The nautical left, the line in song and the popular salt are my picks.
Thanks to Beam and Whybird.
A rare visit into the Toughie for me and a completion unaided in quick time (for me)! All the favourites on parade as usual.
Many thanks to Whybird and Beam!