Toughie No 3110 by Silvanus
Hints and Tips by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty * – Enjoyment ****
Silvanus set us a perfect “start of the week” Toughie, with his usual smooth surface readings
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought
Across
1a Content to resign if Russia’s back in Olympic sport (7)
SURFING Found in reverse (back) in the content to resiGN IF RUSsia
5a Lacking confidence in Belgium’s premier, a busted flush (7)
BASHFUL The ‘premier’ letter of Belgium, A (from the clue) and an anagram (busted) of FLUSH
9a Argument echoed outside area offering savoury snacks (5)
TAPAS A reversal (echoed) of a petty argument into which is inserted (goes outside) the abbreviation for Area
10a Cocktail, some briefly that awful chap guzzles (9)
MANHATTAN A chap takes inside (guzzles) an adjective meaning some without its last letter (briefly) and an anagram (awful) of THAT
11a Linked outlet that sells tea, not online? (5,5)
CHAIN STORE Another word for tea and where you could buy it (2, 5) if not online
12a Record of award for gallantry one wears (4)
DISC I (one) ‘wears’ an abbreviated award for gallantry
14a Pop legend Gary, not entirely drunk, seeing apparition (12)
DOPPELGANGER An anagram (drunk) of POP LEGEND GARy (‘not entirely’ telling you to omit the last letter of Gary
18a Joint statement succeeded previously to establish rapport (12)
RELATIONSHIP A statement and the abbreviation for Succeeded go before (previously) a joint of the body
21a Loud greeting uttered (4)
HIGH A homophone (uttered) of a greeting
22a Lowest temperature one’s no frills vacuum flask approaches (10)
NETHERMOST The inside (no frills) letters of oNEs, a vacuum flask and the abbreviation for Temperature
25a Pure upper-class lady Noel confused (9)
UNALLOYED The letter representing things upper-class and an anagram (confused) of LADY NOEL
26a Behold Shakespearean heroine with current love changing places (5)
VOILA Change the places of the symbol for electrical current and the letter representing love in the name of the heroine of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night
27a Portion of document, it legitimises warrant (7)
ENTITLE Hidden in a portion of documENT IT LEgitimises
28a Help to ring bird, coot? (7)
AIRHEAD A synonym for help goes round (to ring) a small flightless South American bird
Down
1d Routine criticism husband’s accepted (6)
SHTICK An informal term for criticism into which is inserted (accepted) the abbreviation for Husband
2d Indonesian bread that’s risen, hampered by revolting hard appearance (6)
RUPIAH Indonesian currency (bread) – if something is risen it could be said to be xx, insert this (hampered by) a reversal (revolting) of the abbreviation for Hard and a synonym for appearance
3d Details those entering/leaving regularly (3,3,4)
INS AND OUTS One of the definitions of this phrase is ‘the complete details’ and another ‘those who repeatedly enter and leave’
4d Turnover of corporation, American, on grand scale (5)
GAMUT A reversal (turnover) of an informal name for that part of the body known as a ‘corporation’ and the abbreviation for American go after (on) the abbreviation for Grand
5d Row reduced by half car manufacturer’s finances (9)
BANKROLLS A row or edge and half the name of a car manufacturer
6d Irishman is fleeced by the sound of it (4)
SEAN A homophone (by the sound of it) of a synonym for fleeced
7d Appropriate to attend Stoke’s opening fixtures? (8)
FITTINGS An adjective meaning appropriate and the opening of Stoke
8d Postponed gardener finally dividing exposed tall climbing honeysuckle (8)
LONICERA A two-word way of saying postponed and the final letter of gardeneR ‘dividing’ or going between the inside (exposed) letters of tALl
13d Time roughly I arrived (about ten) for De Niro movie (4,6)
TAXI DRIVER The abbreviation for Time and an anagram (roughly) of I ARRIVED goes about the Latin numeral for ten
15d See in F1 champion essentially new, changed person (9)
PROSELYTE The see or diocese in Cambridgeshire so useful for crossword setters inserted into a F1 champion, the result followed by the essential letter of nEw
16d Rude hack disturbed European nobleman (8)
ARCHDUKE An anagram (disturbed) of RUDE HACK
17d Draw attention to tirade that’s outrageous (8)
FLAGRANT To draw attention to an angry tirade
19d Control insects found underneath flower (6)
POLICE Some insects found underneath (in a Down solution) an Italian river (flower)
20d London street name between arrows pointing northwards (6)
STRAND The abbreviation for Name inserted into a reversal (pointing northwards) of some pointed ‘weapons’ informally known as ‘arrows’
23d Newsworthy drama involving Greek island (5)
HYDRA Hidden in (involving) the first two words of the clue
24d Hole created by tailless arboreal creature (4)
SLOT An arboreal creature without its final letter (tailless)
Very enjoyable indeed with cleverly constructed wordplay throughout and not overly tough.
I have a page full of ticks but I’ll mention 1,4&22a plus 1&15d.
Many thanks to Silvanus and Cryptic Sue.
A very enjoyable puzzle – thanks to Silvanus and CS.
My horticultural knowledge is sketchy at best and I didn’t know the 8d honeysuckle so I needed all the checkers to get it.
I liked 1d, 19d and 20d with my favourite being 11a.
Just 8d that held me up which required a few electrons to source the plant and a few grey cells to see the parsing.
My favourites were 11a, 26a and 17d.
Thanks to Silvanus and CS.
8d was my first one in without parsing as I worked in a garden centre for several years. It shows how one’s experiences in this journey through life bring different levels of knowledge in different areas.
Two new words at 2d and 15d which needed electronic assistance once I had the checkers. Doubt that I will remember either of them again.
Favourite 14a as I avoided the intended misdirection.
Thanks to Silvanus and crypticsue.
Beaten by 1d,& 2d which made the NE corner impossible
14a was a clever anagram and my COTD
I still have to sign in daily. It was OK before the changeover. Anything I can do about it?
A cracking puzzle as always from Silvanus that was beautifully constructed and much appreciated by this solver. Thanks to him and CS.
I got stuck in the ‘glitter’ hole in 14a for quite a while and was very unsure about the Indonesian bread which required confirmation from Mr G. Thank goodness I knew the honeysuckle which restored my confidence a little!
So much choice for podium places and I finally settled on the same ones as Jonners – 11&26a plus 17d – with the addition of 3d which made me laugh.
Many thanks to Silvanus for the great puzzle – several of our other setters could learn a great deal from you about surface reads – and thanks also to CS for the illustrated review. It often amazes me how you find some of the pictures, the one for 28a was absolutely perfect!
I occasionally use one of my own photographs, but usually, like today, I just search on Google Images
New words for me, as others, were 2d and 15d but I’ve heard of them now. High enjoyment factor with some superb clues my favourite being 22a. Thanks to Silvanus and CS.
Many thanks to CS for her Hints and Tips and excellent choice of pics and to all those who took the trouble to comment.
I hope that Huntsman will like 13d, I have a feeling it is a film he admires.
Such an enjoyable puzzle deserves comment from the solvers!
I reckon Huntsman is possibly out on the golf course today but hopefully he’ll be in later.
As Jane correctly figured it was an all day out golfing so only just got round to this as a pre lights out solve. Goodfellas remains my favourite of the De Niro/Scorsese collaborations but love 13d & watched it many times. Yet to get to see their 10th outing together, Killers of the Flower Moon, as hate watching films for the first time on TV.
Super guzzle as per. Not an unaided finish sadly having looked up the honeysuckle & only then seeing the postponed synonym in the wordplay. Ticks all over the shop but if pressed for just one 26a would get the nod.
Thanks & to CS for the review which will have to wait until morning.
Sorry, not a one star for me CS! A dnf for me I’m afraid. Maybe cos I’m a bit poorly but, amazing, seeing a doc tomorrow at 9.30, usually a 2 week wait.
A Silvanus toughie never disappoints and this was no exception. Typically clever parsing + very fair definitions = a lot of fun. 2D is a case in point – I got it from the definition straightaway but the chewy parsing took much longer to decipher. Thanks to all.
Another relatively easy toughie for me today.
2*/4*
New words in 2d &15d.
Favourites include 11a, 22a, 26a, 3d, 17d & 20d — with winner 17d
Thanks to Silvanus and CS
I’ve only recently added the Toughie to my daily solving regime (thanks to a good offer on a subscription to the app) and I don’t do it every day (too many puzzles, not enough time), but I thought I’d make an effort for Silvanus (as I’ve benefited from his wisdom on my RC efforts) and I’m glad I did – this was good fun all round. I particularly liked 14a (great anagram, made me laugh), 28a, and 8d (for ‘postponed’). Thanks, Silvanus and crypticsue.
A really enjoyable solve for us that all went together smoothly with lots of smiles along the way.
Thanks Silvanus and CS.
1*/4* …
liked 28A “Help to ring bird, coot? (7)”