Toughie No 3757 by Shabbo
Hints and tips by Whybird
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***
Welcome to the Toughie week. Autumn is advancing on the Wirral, and the first pink-footed geese have made their return to the Dee estuary from the Icelandic summer holidays to brighten the region’s soundscape with their squeaking.
Shabbo has given us an enjoyable, and not-too-tricky puzzle today, although some of the parsing took me a little bit of head scratching. 5d, 6d, 9a, 10a and 24d all get honourable mentions, but I’m giving my top spot today to 8d. Thanks to Shabbo for easing us gently into the week.
Please let us know how you fared and what you thought of the puzzle.
Across Clues
1a and 5a Evening entertainment before a youngster goes out? (7,7)
BEDTIME STORIES A cryptic description of an activity traditionally indulged in by parents with children of a certain age
5a See 1a
9a Explain railway delay – no current (9)
TRANSLATE Take a (6,4) term that could be a description of a “railway delay” and remove the letter used in physics to denote (electric) current
10a Staff evicting lightweight former newsreader (5)
CRIER A two-letter abbreviation for a small Imperial unit of weight is removed from the name a staff with religious significance
11a Sarkozy originally quits boarding house for George V? (5)
HOTEL Remove the initial letter of “Sarkozy” (originally quits) from a synonym of boarding house
12a Books into Aintree perhaps to provide hospitality (9)
ENTERTAIN The abbreviation for the more modern part of the Christian Bible is inserted into an anagram (perhaps) of “Aintree”
13a Memo about advanced balance (9)
REMAINDER A synonym of “Memo” surrounds the usual letter indicating “advanced”
16a Walks out on former partner having sex with secretary initially (5)
EXITS A charade of two-letter terms meaning “former partner”, “sex” and the first letter (initially) of “secretary”
17a Surrounded by flora, Mongolian houses (5)
AMONG The solution is lurking (houses) within “flora Mongolian”
18a Drugs old Florentine bankers mostly dispatched to the west (9)
MEDICINES A synonym of “dispatched” lacking its final letter (mostly) is reversed (“to the west” in an across clue) and follows the name of a family of “Florentine bankers”
20a Endlessly respectful independent state constitutional (9)
POLITICAL Remove the final letter (endlessly) from a synonym of “respectful” then add the letter indicating “independent” and a three-letter abbreviation of a West-coast American state
23a West London town right to replace new player (5)
ACTOR Take the name of a West London town and swap (replace) the abbreviation for “new” with the abbreviation for “right”
25a Outside right is fit for contest (5)
ARGUE A name for a type of “fit” (or fever) surrounds (outside) the abbreviation for “right”
26a Close to a hypotenuse? (9)
ALONGSIDE A double definition, with the second sense being a (1,4,4) term that could be used to describe “a hypotenuse”
27a Please exclude 23 Across from fine (7)
SATISFY Remove(exclude) the solution to 23a from a synonym of “fine”
28a Cuts of meat go off on board ship (7)
SADDLES A word meaning “go off” is inserted into (on board) Crosswordland’s usual two letters indicating “ship”
Down Clues
1d More macho meat merchant (7)
BUTCHER A double definition
2d Plan to include fliers in Daily Telegraph‘s leaders (5)
DRAFT The abbreviation indicating the principal aviation wing of the UK military (fliers) is inserted into the initial letters (leaders) of “Daily Telegraph”
3d Current safety procedure to avoid atomic offensive (9)
INSULTING The letter indicating “atomic” is removed from a technique used to ensure safety in the field of electrics (current)
4d Floor covered by secret agent (5)
ETAGE The solution (which is a French word, but present in the BRB) is lurking amongst (covered by) the letters of “secret agent”
5d Possibly the elders’ choice of accommodation? (9)
SHELTERED An anagram (Possibly) of “the elders” which also gives a type of accommodation which maybe chosen by the elderly which is also an all-in-one. Thanks to Gazza for pointing out the nuance in the word-play, which I knew must be there but couldn’t see. I was trying to be too clever and was even wondering about the Miliband brothers, although Ed is the younger
6d Chelsea tractor’s award? (5)
OSCAR This award in the world of film when split is also a (2,3) way to describe the type of large vehicle known as a Chelsea tractor
7d Topless restriction is a mockery (9)
IMITATION Remove the first letter(Topless) from a synonym of “restriction”
8d Root’s getting time for golf and darts (7)
SPRINTS Start with a synonym of “Root’s” (or source’s) and replace the letter indicated by “golf” in the NATO phonetic alphabet with the usual abbreviation for “time”. Very clever and well put together
14d Work surreptitiously to produce piano sonata (9)
MOONLIGHT A double definition (to produce being grammatically necessary filler)
15d Alternative comedy about Carmen’s method of governance (9)
DEMOCRACY An anagram (Alternative) of “comedy” surrounds (about) a three letter abbreviation for a UK motoring organisation (car men)
16d Swapped old coins with dealer at first (9)
EXCHANGED The initial letter (at first) of “dealer” follows a word that, split (2,6) could be a way of describing “old coins”
17d Seems to change sides for legal reviews (7)
APPEALS Take a synonym of “Seems” and swap the letter therein that is an abbreviation for “right” for the on representing “left” (to change sides)
19d Confused trustees dropping university pathways (7)
STREETS An anagram (Confused) of “trustees” but lacking (dropping) the letter indication “university”
21d Terse eccentric leaves home? (5)
TREES An anagram (eccentric) of “Terse”. The question mark here is telling you there’s something odd about the sense of “leaves home” and to me it is also serving as an apology for the missing apostrophe
22d 51-0 gets two points for rugby team (5)
LIONS A charade of the Roman numerals indicating “51”, the letter that resembles “zero” and two main (compass) points
24d It’s going to save the setter’s clothing material (5)
TWILL Take a (2,4) expression meaning “It’s going to” and remove (save) the first instance of the pronoun that Shabbo would use to describe himself
No attempt at multi-tasking as the latest ‘match’ of University Challenge was over. A very enjoyable offering from Shabbo that was a little on the Floughie side but that’s OK for a Tuesday Toughie – 1.5*/4.5*
Candidates for favourite – 9a, 13a, 16a, 14d, 17d, 22d, and 24d – and the winner is 14d.
Thanks to Shabbo and Whybird.
Well that’s a bit weird. We’ve got a very similar grid layout to today’s backpager and 27a in both puzzles is the same answer. Well I never…
Always a pleasure to see Shabbo on toughie duty, I’m sure his legion of adoring fans (various family members) will be happy too.
Plenty of humour, with an add/subtract/replace a letter style very much in evidence.
The x-rated former partner having sex in 16a and the old Florentine bankers in 18a were great fun and it’s good to see the fine old word for fit making an appearance again in 25a.
My thanks to Shabbo and Whybird.
I thought this was going to be a rather dull knock-off but nearly all the best clues were in the lower half and it turned out most enjoyable. The votes go to 25a, 6d, 15d, 21d and 24d.
Thanks to Shabbo and Whybird [Plastic Bert and Jilted John, what a combo]
Tells you more about my musical age than anything. Jilted John was quite shocking for my age group. Such words on the radio… tut, tut. And my French teacher never did run through Ca plane…
Pretty gentle but very enjoyable – thanks to Shabbo and Whybird.
My podium is playing host to 1/5a, 6d and 14d.
What a fabulous puzzle with ticks all over my page.
Top picks for me were 27a, 21d, 10a, 1d, 3d, 14d and 6d.
Thanks to Whybird (lovely red backed shrike pic) and Shabbo.
A wonderful puzzle, which was a joy to solve from start to finish, full of smooth surfaces and sprinkled with humour (the alliteration in 1d was a lovely touch) and some cleverly disguised definitions.
I know it’s in the BRB, but I would have preferred 4d to have had a French indicator.
From a plethora of ticks, I have selected 1a, 26a, 15d & 21d for my podium.
Many thanks to Shabbo and to Whybird.
An absolute delight and would certainly not have been out of place as a back pager!
Many thanks to Shabbo and Whybird
What a brilliant crossword! Lots of clever clues that made me smile including the evening entertainment, the railway delays, the Florentine bankers and my favourite, Close to a hypotenuse?
This puzzle really should have been a backpager, it deserves a wider readership!
Thanks to Shabbo and Whybird.
A lovely midweek backpager with lots to enjoy while it lasted
I haven’t seen the clue for 26a for many a long year and so it goes on my clues I really liked list with 9a and 21d
Thanks to Shabbo and Whybird
I thoroughly enjoyed this Toughie by our erstwhile blogger that was beautifully clued throughout. I did not know the floor at 4d but the clue gave clear instructions. I saw that 17a was a lurker but picked the wrong one – “Ramon”, which is a Russian urban-type settlement. My COTT is the train delay at 9a – quite brilliant.
Thank you, Shabbo for the fun. Thank you, Whybird for the hints.
I found this a little tougher than the backpager with lots to like.
21d LOI and COTD. Honourable mention to 26a and 16a – I wonder if a line exists for the ruder clues?
I did spend rather too long trying to shoehorn beef into 1d as simultaneously trying to shoehorn elaborate into 9a.
Thanks to Shabbo and Whybird.
A rare foray into the Toughie based on recommendation in the ‘other place’. Glad I did, very enjoyable and not too testing for my occasional visit. 23a and 17d are both examples of the wordplay being in between and directly adjacent to the possible definitions at either end of the clue. Moreover, the swapped letter in 17d is not checked and therefore, I’d argue the answer could be with the ‘R’ rather than the ‘L’.
Favourites were the 9a railway delay, the 15d governance, the 21d leaves home and my COTD, the 26a close to.
Can I add my plea to others asking for Shabbo to be given a run-out on the back-pager!
Many thanks to Shabbo and Whybird
Didn’t know the George V was an 11a so had to check or the floor but fairly clued. This was so full of excellent clues it’s going to make picking a favourite difficult but I’ll go with 14d but to be honest it could have been any of them. Thanks to Shabbo and Whybird.
Halcyon need not have worried – this setter’s puzzles may not be particularly difficult but you’re guaranteed super smooth surfaces & usually a fair dollop of humour which always make ‘em a pleasure to complete.
A brisk(ish) grid fill in between writing the across & down hints but one or two parsing head scratches. I twigged the wordplay at 24d but though I knew what a Chelsea tractor was the OS bit escaped me & didn’t investigate further.
Ticks all over the pitch – 1/5, 9,18 &26a plus 5,7,14,15&24d particular likes but I’ll plump for the surface at 11a as my fav as it conjured up an image of thin-skinned Sarkozy, fresh out of stir pending his appeal & holed up in a hostel moving out to the Four Seasons.
Thanks to Shabbo & to Whybird – good to hear some George Benson who is a terrific guitarist. Tried & failed to get tickets to see him at Ronnie Scott’s for the gig that was recorded for his Weekend in London (Live) album.
Sound Tuesday fare and enjoyable while it lasted. Wrote in “bedtime” but pondered for a while whether “bedside” would be acceptable. The George V answer went in with a shrug. Quite a lot of letter removals, but I’d rather that than the same number of anagrams. Good surfaces. COTD 21d.
Many thanks to Shabbo and Whybird.