Toughie No 3790 by Kcit
Hints and Tips by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty **/*** – Enjoyment ***
Kcit set us a crossword which I thought was about right for a Wednesday Toughie – the poor old repetition radar does, however, need a new battery after bleeping several times during the solving process
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought
Across
1a Waste vehicle finally had American expanse turned over (8)
DUSTCART The final letter of haD, an abbreviation for American and a reversed (turned over) an expanse
5a Fine arrangement for 9 Across, emotional (6)
FERVID The abbreviation for Fine and an anagram (arrangement for) of the solution to 9a
9a Falstaff’s creator – something of a clever dick (5)
VERDI Hidden in the last two words of the clue
10a Inert clay needing animating for sure (9)
CERTAINLY An anagram (needing something) of INERT CLAY
12a Bob plugging trickle that is limiting pressure in waste disposal unit (6,4)
SEWAGE PIPE Bob in the sense of move or shake inserted into (plugging) a verb meaning to trickle, the result followed by the abbreviation meaning that is ‘limiting’ the symbol for Pressure
13a Horse not getting over quantity of water? (4)
PINT A type of piebald horse without the cricket abbreviation for Over
15a This device police initially put in spot – car made to behave differently? (5,6)
SPEED CAMERA The initial letter of Police inserted into a verb meaning to spot, with an anagram (to behave differently of CAR MADE
16a Clubs ahead in tournament (3)
CUP The abbreviation for the card suit of Clubs and a preposition meaning ahead
17a International appearing in first half of test match (3)
TIE The abbreviation for International ‘appearing’ in the first half of TEst
18a Cleric’s office ceased working with choir (11)
ARCHDIOCESE An anagram (working) of CEASED and CHOIR
20a Risk losing initial receipts (4)
TAKE Risk or wager without (losing) its initial letter
21a Heard woman in white’s annoyed comment about closing of current riding trail (10)
BRIDLEPATH A homophone (heard) of belonging to a particular woman wearing white followed by an exclamation of disgust (annoyed comment) into which is inserted (about) the ‘closing’ of currenT
24a Earlier figure repeats nothing in publicity work (9)
PRECURSOR Repeats or comes round again and the letter representing nothing inserted into some abbreviated publicity work
26a Urge merely to get naked around Spain (5)
IMPEL The inside letters (to get naked) of a synonym for merely go around the IVR Code for Spain
27a Variable source of salve found in revolutionary fancy herb (6)
HYSSOP A mathematical variable (there’s another one later!) and the first letter (source) of Salve inserted into a reversed (revolutionary) synonym for fancy or top-class
28a Allied states supplied crude, securing energy (8)
FEDERACY Supplied (food) and a synonym for crude or risqué into which is inserted (securing) the symbol for Energy
Down
1d Locations of strip shows? Time to strip (6)
DIVEST A slang term for a bar where strip shows might be located and the abbreviation for Time
2d Leader of Strangeways team? (5)
SCREW The ‘leader’ of Strangeways and a team
3d E.g. C Chaplin cavorting? It’s sweet stuff (5,5)
CLING PEACH An anagram (cavorting) of EG C CHAPLIN
4d Youngster trimming new shirt (3)
TEE A young person without (trimming) the abbreviation for New
6d Test energy climbing peak (4)
EXAM A bleep from the repetition radar as we have the second appearance of the symbol for Energy followed by a reversal (climbing) of an abbreviation for the highest point (peak)
7d Justify possibly rude sign on show (9)
VINDICATE A sign made by two fingers which can possibly be rude depending on which way round you show them followed by a verb meaning to show
8d Teetotaller’s attitude regarding certain constructions? (3-5)
DRY STONE A description of a teetotaller plus the S and an attitude
10d Points of attraction I’d found in trophies and violin that’s turned up (6,5)
CUPIDS DARTS ID (from the clue) inserted into trophies (probably awarded in the tournament at 16a!) and a reversed (that’s turned up) of an informal short form of one of the best types of violin
11d Extra custom from another lot of monks? (6,5)
REPEAT ORDER This sounds like another lot of a body of monks
14d Most of team engaged in banal filming of everyday life (10)
TELEVÉRITÉ I looked at the checking letters and thought about a synonym for banal and then saw most of a team (of football players perhaps) which could then be inserted (engaged). It helps to understand the definition (the televising of scenes from everyday life in order to convey a heightened realism) if you think long and hard and eventually realise it would help to pronounce and understand the solution if you add an acute accent to the Es in sixth and tenth place
15d Fight with hitmen – not one left – for gems (9)
SPARKLERS Fight or box and some hitmen without one of the abbreviations for Left
16d Face chap upset about shed? An unknown quantity (8)
CHUTZPAH Effrontery or impudence (face) An anagram (upset) of CHAP goes about a shed and a mathematical unknown quantity
19d Not warm, cold, though short of Everest levels? (6)
CHILLY The abbreviation for Cold and full of high masses of land, which are not as tall as Mount Everest!
22d A recording leads to havoc around major star (5)
ALPHA A (from the clue) and a type of vinyl record followed by the ‘leads’ of Havoc and Around
23d Game, flashy, but offering nothing at the end (4)
LUDO Move the letter representing nothing (you know the one, we had it earlier!) to the end of a synonym for flashy or showy in a vulgar way
25d Nobleman removing hat? That’s uncalled-for (3)
OFF A slang term for a nobleman without its first letter (removing hat)
Bit of a mixed bag for me. Some of these I needed a bit of help to finish, the teetotaller in 8d, and the allied states in 28a.
Never heard of the words in 14d or 3d but once the checkers were in was possible to solve then check with MrG what on earth they were!
I did like the justification in 7d and the woman in white at 21a.
Quite a lot of anagrams which really helped as they gave checkers for the trickier clues.
Thanks to Kcit and to CS
Chalk and cheese compared with yesterday’s Shabbo offering, this was more like a proper toughie.
I hadn’t heard of the herb at 27a before, or the filming term in 14d, which were my last ones in, though both were clued fairly enough. I gather the latter is an unindicated French term, so no wonder I struggled with it.
I had ticked several clues, but on rereading them, the surfaces were a bit clunky. That leaves me with the waste disposal unit in 12a and the rude sign on show in 7d as my top two.
My thanks to Kcit and CS.
I enjoyed the pairs of 3 letter words: 4d with 25d and 16a with 17a
A bit tricky in places, especially 14d which is a pretty obscure word with all the checking letters being vowels. Thanks to Kcit and CS.
I liked 24a, 7d and 15d.
A game of two halves with the top going in fairly quickly, but I needed a second wind before cracking the S. To my mind 14d certainly needs a foreign indicator as I had the correct building blocks but it didn’t ring any bells until I checked the BRB. I had heard of the herb but initially spelt it with an ‘I’ until I realised that isn’t usually a variable, back to the BRB for confirmation. The SW fell last but I had to check crypticsue’s parsing for 23d and 24a which I’m still not totally clear about; abbreviated publicity work? Other than those 2 I found this to be a very satisfying solve with 16d being favourite.
Many thanks to KCIT and CS.
Public Relations
Got it now, thanks. I was trying to use pre- as the earlier component.
It was a case of solve a few clues, put the crossword down, come back later, solve a few more etc., etc., etc.
I couldn’t figure out 14d, however.
I like the herb at 27a, the word that is, as I’ve never tasted it.
Thanks to setter and hinter.
I hadn’t heard of 14d so a DNF for me. I had heard of 3d though so that helped.
Top picks for me were 21a, 27a, 15d, 7d and 13a.
Thanks to CrypticSue and Kcit.
Much more demanding than yesterday so back to the usual Toughie solving time. I really enjoyed the puzzle, didn’t notice any repetition & only on reading Frankie’s comment looked back through & agree some of the surfaces were a tad clunky. Completely missed the paired 3 letter words & of all things failed to parse 23d, though didn’t give it much thought. Never heard of 3d but familiar with both 14d&27a.
Podium picks were 9,24&28a with near misses for 7,11&15d.
Thanks to Kcit & to CS
14d not in my dictionary but after initially dismissing it I thought it couldn’t be anything else – needed Google to confirm. However was beaten by the 16d 27a combo.
Thanks to setter and hinter