Toughie No 3761 by Hudson
Hints and tips by Whybird
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment *****
A perfectly-pitched and excellent puzzle to start the Toughie Week, very much in harmony with the Wirral’s clear blue skies and just a hint of early-morning crispness this morning. One new word for me, and a few where it took me a little bit of thinking to separate the crossword clue from the ultra-smooth surfaces, so I’ve upgraded the difficulty rating half a notch. No issues with the enjoyment, though; a delight from start to finish. Too many top-notch clues to list, and even choosing a favourite is impossible, so I’m giving out four prizes to the perimeter clues.
Thanks, Hudson, for a cracker of a puzzle!
Please let us know how you fared and what you thought of the puzzle.
Across Clues
1a Trendy little brother screens vacuous chick flick (8,4)
BRIGHTON ROCK Insert a (5,2) expression meaning “Trendy” into an abbreviation/truncation of (little) “brother” then add the outer letters (vacuous) of “chick”
9a American wife entertained by funny retired old judge (3,4)
LAW LORD Single letters indicating “American” and “wife” are inserted into (entertained by) a reversal (retired) of a synonym of “funny”
10a In Kansas, a van navigates flatland (7)
SAVANNA The solution is lurking amongst (In) the letters of “Kansas a van navigates”
11a Foo Fighters’ fourth backing beat made by this? (4)
HOOF Take “Foo” from the clue and the fourth letter of “Fighters” and reverse them (backing)
12a Drained jumbo drink in large bowl (5)
JORUM Remove the inner letters (Drained) of “Jumbo” then add an alcoholic drink associated with pirates and other seafarers.
13a Garden party price includes refreshments, we’re told? (4)
FETE Take a synonym of “price” and insert (includes) a letter that sounds like (we’re told) a drink that could form a part of “refreshments”
16a Indian city reduced basic rations (7)
CUTTACK A charade of a synonym for “reduced” and a four-letter word meaning “basic rations”
17a IT gazillionaire with no time for layer of command (7)
ECHELON A charade of a four-letter casual term for “IT” and the forename of an extremely rich individual (think space, social media, cars…) then remove (with no) the abbreviation for “time”
18a Channel broadcast contrary arguments (7)
NARROWS A three-letter synonym of “broadcast” in the past tense is reversed (contrary) and followed with a synonym of “arguments”
21a Vessel with periodically lumpy sauce (7)
KETCHUP A charade of a two-masted sailing “Vessel” and the even-numbered letters (periodically) of “lumpy”
23a Rounds in the morning, doctor? (4)
AMMO A charade of abbreviations meaning “in the morning” and “doctor”
24a Struggles to get to grips with British atmosphere (5)
VIBES Take a synonym of “Struggles” as a verb and insert (gets to grips with) the usual letter indicating “British”. The solution is slang-derived and the plural form as here is apparently correct even for a singular definition.
25a Finish recording western hip-hop (4)
WRAP The letter indicating “western” is filled by another term for “hip-hop”
28a Corrupt offer to trouser a thousand in dodgy cash (4-3)
RAKE-OFF An anagram (Corrupt) of “offer” has inserted (to trouser) “a” from the clue and a letter meaning “thousand”
29a Large cheer from crowd going round that’s horrible in the ear (7)
LUGHOLE The letter indicating “Large” and a three-letter “cheer from (a) crowd” associated with the Spanish sit either side (going round) and expression meaning “that’s horrible”
30a Fuse behind neon light failed eventually (2,3,4,3)
IN THE LONG RUN A three-letter synonym of “Fuse” follows (behind) and anagram (failed) of “neon light”
Down Clues
1d York yobbo carrying weapon launcher (4,3)
BOWL OUT One requiring a bit of cricket knowledge, “York” here referring to a form of dismissal from a very full delivery resulting in the ball hitting the stumps. Take a four-letter synonym of “yobbo” preceded by (“carrying” in a Down clue) a type of weapon launcher used by eg an archer then split (4,3) as indicated.
2d Much-loved engine, creamy white, leaving yard (4)
IVOR The letter meaning “yard” is removed from (leaving) a type of “creamy white” colour
3d Journalist eating flipping strange fish (7)
HADDOCK Another name for a “journalist” has inserted (eating) a reversal (flipping) of a three-letter synonym of “strange”
4d Lowly degree accepted by Oxford University “concerning” (7)
OBSCURE Start with the two-letter abbreviation of “Oxford University” then insert (accepted) an abbreviation for a (science) degree and add the two letters meaning “concerning”
5d Stones casting off clothing in wild party (4)
RAVE Remove the outer letters (casting off clothing) from a name for (small) “Stones”
6d 4 Down caught on one occasion AWOL on vacation (7)
CONCEAL A charade of the single-letter abbreviation for “caught”, a synonym of “on one occasion” and the outer letters (on vacation) of “AWOL” I’m not a big fan of clues that depend on solving another clue, but in this case, 6d probably helps solving 4d rather than the other way around
7d Actor’s debut playing Chaplin, a true star (5,8)
ALPHA CENTAURI The initial letter (debut) of “Actor” is followed by an anagram (playing) of “Chaplin a true”
8d Penne tossed with caper? Yep, it’s spicy! (7,6)
CAYENNE PEPPER An anagram (tossed) of “Pepper” and “caper Yep”
14d Explorer books taxi first thing (5)
CABOT A synonym of “taxi” precedes (first thing) the two-letter term referring to the more ancient part of the Christian Bible
15d Daughter put on fashionable island cotton fabric (5)
DHOTI The abbreviation for “Daughter” precedes (“put on” in a Down clue) a synonym of “fashionable” followed by the letter indicating “island”
19d Runs rising megastore stocking Meissen’s first new dish (7)
RAMEKIN The abbreviation for “Runs” (in cricket) followed by an inversion (rising)of a worldwide, Swedish-based retail outlet “megastore” into which is inserted the initial letter (first) of “Meissen”, then capped off with the abbreviation for “new”
20d Second family of Hull regularly downed too much booze (7)
SKINFUL A charade of the letter indicating “Second”, a synonym of “family” and the even-numbered letters (regularly) from “of Hull”
21d Mr Klein’s pants seat well protected? (7)
KREMLIN An anagram (pants) of “Mr Klein” gives the name of a “seat” (of power, or parliament) in a foreign country and which is known to be well-protected given an on-going conflict
22d Chat show host upset, addressing threat to whales (7)
HARPOON The forename of an (American) “Chat show host” is reversed (upset) and followed by a two-letter term meaning “addressing” (or “relating to a subject”)
26d Connery’s gaffer’s nonsense (4)
BOSH How Sean Connery might have pronounced a synonym of “gaffer”
27d Jelly Roll musical piece? (4)
AGAR Reverse (Roll) a type of Indian music
Yes Huntsman, Hudson running true to form with a very accessible puzzle – 2.5*/4.5*
One new word for me, which I imagine is the same one that Whybird found, in 12a. But, so clearly clued that I didn’t need to verify it.
Candidates for favourite – 24a, 2d, 19d, and 20d – and the winner is the much-loved 2d engine.
Thanks to Hudson and Whybird.
12a and 16a were new to me. I found this very chewy but I still consider myself very much the novice when it comes to the Toughie. I managed to complete it though once I’d checked the new words meant what I hoped they did. Couldn’t get Thomas out of my head for ages for 2d.
Top picks for me were 21d, 22d and 9a.
Thanks to Whybird and Hudson.
I spent longer than I should trying to turn Thomas into a four-letter word until I got on the right track (badum-tish!)
It’s always a joy to print off the Toughie and find Hudson’s name. This is an excellent example of his work with plenty of smiles – thanks to him and Whybird.
I didn’t know the Indian city though the wordplay was clear. I also didn’t know the large bowl and Josup didn’t look very promising so there was only one word it could be.
My ticks included 1a, 17a, 1d and 22d.
12a & 16a were new to me too but both were very fairly clued, and I’ve never heard of the musical piece on 27d.
I’m not sure that “downed” in 20d is part of the definition. Isn’t it just surface padding?
I had ticks aplenty and 23a was my favourite.
Many thanks to Hudson and to Whybird.
Hi @Rabbit Dave
My intention was to have “regularly downed” (as in “put down”, or “shot down”) to refer to the instruction re the “of Hull” component.
Best wishes, Rob/Hudson
Thanks for dropping in and for the clarification. I just went straight for the direct link to (having had a) xxxxxxx which works for me. “Regularly” and “regularly downed” end up in the same place.
Excellent puzzle!