Toughie No 3759 by Django
Hints and tips by ALP
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BD Rating – Toughie difficulty * – Enjoyment ****
Another breezy Thursday, but typically entertaining and elegant. And such generosity suited me down to the ground as I’m itching to take the wife’s new, envy-inducing Brompton out for a cheeky spin. You (and she) may never see me again – if and when I hit Dover, I might just keep going. Bonne route à tous!
Across
1a Held accountable after strike’s delayed in chaotic situation (6)
BEDLAM: held accountable/accused, with its internal three-letter strike/beat “delayed”, i.e., pushed to the end.
4a Strong support for book? (8)
HARDBACK: strong/tough + support/endorse.
9a Appropriate after soldiers shoot again (6)
RETAKE: appropriate/steal, after the usual-ish “soldiers”.
10a Occasionally admit enthusiasm for damp (8)
DISPIRIT: [a]D[m]I[t] + enthusiasm/zeal.
12a American spreading glue on a type of watch (8)
ANALOGUE: abbreviated “American” + GLUE+ON+A, spread.
13a Cursed crazy boxer potentially making comeback (6)
GODDAM: crazy/bonkers + “boxer” (potentially, by example), all reversed.
15a Company car starts quicker – fine to go for ride (13)
ROLLERCOASTER: abbreviated “company”, preceded by (posh type of) “car”, plus “quicker” minus abbreviated “fine”.
18a This might suggest glibness – it has pros and cons (5,8)
MIXED BLESSING: reversed anagram, i.e, a five-letter indicator plus an anagram of GLIBNESS.
20a Flier from very big quarry (6)
OSPREY: “very big” (clothes, etc) + quarry/victim.
22a Previously wearing crown to work (8)
CONCERTO: previously/formerly, inside abbreviated “crown”, plus TO.
24a Her fan, contorted with envy – ignoring news – leads to complaint (3,5)
HAY FEVER: HER+FA[N]+E[N]VY, contorted.
25a Quizmaster eviscerated convention, one read on a mobile phone? (1,1,4)
QR CODE: Q[uizmaste]R + code/etiquette.
26a Resulting in change to net value (8)
EVENTUAL: NET+VALUE, changed.
27a School term’s focus on English artist (6)
ESCHER: abbreviated “school” + [t]ER[m], after abbreviated “English”.
Down
1d Boyfriend heard you are inside office (6)
BUREAU: boyfriend/lover, with homophone of “you are” inside.
2d Miss Whiplash maybe in shed gripping client’s backside – it involves pins (3,6)
DOT MATRIX: “Miss Whiplash maybe” (as in S & M), shedding/minus the internal IN, gripping/containing [clien]T.
3d Praise revolutionary chocolatier assuming Charlie met legend at work (15)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: (fictional) “chocolatier”, reversed, assuming/containing NATO’s “Charlie”, plus MET+LEGEND, worked.
5d Like Jack, giant skipped oddly (4)
AKIN: even letters from the second and third words.
6d Discreet police detaining right embassy staff (10,5)
DIPLOMATIC CORPS: discreet/tactful + “police”, detaining/containing abbreviated “right”.
7d Unwrapped pack with free bitter (5)
ACRID: [p]AC[k] + free/deliver.
8d Running mate visits Church of Scotland seeking stamp of approval (8)
KITEMARK: MATE, running, inside Scottish church.
11d Who, in French film, regularly plays piano? (7)
QUIETLY: French “who” + setters’ favourite “film” + [p]L[a]Y[s].
14d Essentially nice men use the town for entertainment (3,4)
ICE SHOW: essential/central letters from the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth words.
16d Plane from LAX more tense – on board mostly drunk (5,4)
TIGER MOTH: MORE, lax, and abbreviated “tense”, on board/inside drunk/inebriated, minus its last letter.
17d Drink – even that is … (8)
SMOOTHIE: even/level + abbreviated “that is”.
19d … definitely not made from local stocks (2,4)
NO FEAR: two-letter “made from”, stocked by/inside local/close.
21d Beneficiary‘s vote to fill empty place (5)
PAYEE: (affirmative) “vote” inside P[lac]E.
23d Cycling business is huge (4)
MEGA: business/activity, with its letters cycled, i.e. move the first two to the end.
We’ve got six anagrams (including one reversed), a homophone and a cycling clue, etc. I especially liked 15a, 2d, 3d and 16d. How did you get on?
A speedy solve, 2d made me smile. Thanks to ALP amd Django.
I enjoyed this but found it rather chewy. I needed ALP’s help to parse 19d.
Top picks for me were 2d, 22a, 15a, 8d and 18a.
Thanks to ALP and Django.
I’d have rated this more than a 1* as I got held up a bit in the SE corner.
I eventually worked out the artist in 27a, though his name was unfamiliar and this enabled me to polish off the last couple. The parsing of 16d and 19d caused a bit of brain-ache, but I got ’em eventually.
Plenty of ticks, including the ride in 15a and the revolutionary choclatier in 3d, but my fave by far was Miss Whiplash and her antics at 2d.
Great fun, my thanks to Django and ALP.
The master of misleading syntax strikes again. This was not too difficult to solve but a few clues took as long again to parse – I’m looking at you 16d in particular. with 19d not far behind. Overall a great puzzle; other hon menshes are 1a, 15a and the lol 2d.
Many thanks to Django and to ALP for the sheer joy of Buster and Walter.
Really entertaining – many thanks to Django and ALP.
I have lots of ticks on my printout including 1a, 18a, 2d (Miss Whiplash is brilliant), 3d and 16d (LAX is very clever).
Snap — exactly the same 5 highlights that I’d picked out, Gazza.
Thank you to Django for the top-quality crossword, and ALP for blogging.
A nice 1* Toughie – lots to enjoy, especially 2d
Thanks to Django and ALP
While printing today’s various crosswords this morning I was much cheered to see this one credited to Django, and completing it over lunch satisfied every hope and expectation. What a cracking puzzle! On my own Toughie scale it was certainly a mark or so higher in difficulty terms, simply because I couldn’t see a quick in the NW or NE and so went down to the SE instead, but from there progress was pretty swift.
2d my COTD as for others, with many other highlights, but 16d in particular for the clever red herring, 18a and 11d.
Many thanks to Django and ALP
I tried this puzzle on Gazza’s recommendation and enjoyed completing much of it including 2d. But, I hope I’m not being too naïve, even with ALP’s hint, I can’t figure it out. I don’t need explicit details.
Think of a term for a female who likes to dominate in the boudoir then remove the in and add a t.
Thanks. Got it.
Thank you MF, most helpful.
I’m in the ‘couple of notches higher in difficulty than the blogger’ camp. I needed the hint to parse 2d, I didn’t know the artist, who did? An enjoyable challenge with 8d as favourite. Thanks to Django and ALP.
I didn’t find this the walk in the park that ALP did but nevertheless an enjoyable solve. I’m with Clicker on 2D and even with ALP’S help I’m still at a loss.
Needed 22A,s parsing to confirm my answer.
Picks were 25A, 3,5,8,19 and 21D.
Joint favourites 18A and 16D.
Many thanks to ALP and Django.
Miss Whiplash is a ‘dominatrix’, shed the IN and insert the back of clienT.
I do find the toughies on Thursday and Friday challenging and this was no exception, plenty of it was solvable by me and I had fun unravelling the answers but there were some that I needed a “big” hint to help me find.
I needed the explanations above to parse 1a and 19d for example. and very cross that I didn’t see the reverse anagram in 18a as they are favourites of mine. so even though I didn’t see it my COTD goes to 18a
Thanks all and fingers crossed tomorrows doesn’t bend my brain too much
I found this way wore than a one star for difficulty but agree with the high enjoyment rating. Needed help to parse 19d and I missed the LAX misdirection, thanks to the hints I can now appreciate how bloomin’ clever it is. I love the humour in a Django puzzle – which is hardly surprising given his day job!! Great stuff – thanks to him and to ALP
Meant to say an extra special thanks to ALP for the brilliant music today
Thanks ALP and thanks all!
Ta lots for dropping in – and for yet another belter.
Terrific puzzle – huge fun as always.
Another vote for Miss Whiplash as fav but there was strong competition from the reverse anagram, the clever airport indicator & the 2 long ‘uns in the downs along with plenty of other likes.
Tougher than just a single * difficulty rating for me but the full 5* complement on enjoyment.
Thanks to Django & for popping in as per & to ALP
Initially I found this to be a bit of a slog, mainly because I have led a sheltered life and didn’t know about Miss Whiplash until I read Mayflower’s comment, what a brilliant clue, must be my COTT. After that it pieced together nicely. The artist has appeared recently so was no problem.
Many thanks to Django and ALP
3*/4*
I agree with those who would give more than * for difficulty, but certainly agree with the four for enjoyment. Favourite was the artist, whose name emerged from my subconscious after I had spent too long thinking that s/he was English.