Toughie No 3270 by Robyn
Hints and Tips by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
It is a shame that we no longer get the list of Toughie setters for the week ahead, particularly as a blogger as it is always good to prepare yourself mentally for what might be ahead. It was a lovely surprise to find that today’s Toughie had been set by one of my favourites. As usual from Robyn, an enjoyable crossword with several bits of parsing requiring a bit of teasing out. There are lots of opportunities for illustrations too although I won’t be including 1d in my Google Images search!
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought
Across
8a Italian side scoffs about out-of-date tickets in Europe (9,6)
INTERRAIL PASSES Crosswordland’s favourite Italian football side, scoffs in the sense of mocks or jeers, the latter going ‘about’ an adjective meaning out of date or no longer fashionable
9a Priest not considering Catholic Shroud item worth revering (3)
ELI Crosswordland’s favourite Old Testament priest is obtained by removing (not considering) the abbreviation for Roman Catholic from the outside (shroud) of an item held in reverence
10a Small parts on track inspiring Memories (11)
REMINISCENT A combining form meaning small parts of goes between the usual two-letter on [the subject of] and a track
11a Following answer, Labour leader is going on (5)
AFOOT A Labour party leader in the early 1980s goes after (following) the abbreviation for Answer
12a What preachers do goes wrong without fixed spiel (9)
GOSPELISE The BRB includes the word ‘rare’ when defining this – an anagram (wrong) of GOES put outside (without) another (fixed) of SPIEL
15a Cut of a thousand pounds pocketed by partner (7)
ABRIDGE A (from the clue) and a female partner, the latter pocketing the abbreviation for a thousand pounds
17a Service Italian vehicles, as some say (7)
VESPERS A homophone (some say) of some Italian motor scooters
19a My bosses and I developed close relationships (9)
SYMBIOSES – An anagram (developed) of MY BOSSES and I
20a Frequent search to secure backing from America (5)
HAUNT A search ‘secures’ the backing from AmericA
21a Lightning fast left back (5-6)
SPLIT-SECOND A slang synonym for left and a verb meaning to back or support
24a Rishi’s antagonist putting away energy drink (3)
KIR The forename of Rishi’s antagonist without (putting away) the abbreviation for Energy
25a At one time, retain working woman who lost her head (5,10)
MARIE ANTOINETTE An anagram (working) of AT ONE TIME RETAIN
Down
1d Is such a message barely conveyed? (10)
STRIPOGRAM A message delivered by someone who removes their clothes while doing so (barely conveyed)
2d Bible location, a desert almost next to another (6)
ARARAT A (from the clue) and almost all of a verb meaning to desert followed by all (whole) of the same word
3d They attract hereditary title-holders getting periodical for nothing (3,7)
BAR MAGNETS An abbreviated periodical replaces the letter representing nothing in some hereditary title holders
4d Topless dish left to get mobbed by admirer (4)
FLAN The abbreviation for Left ‘mobbed’ by an admirer
5d Barmen‘s way to stop spills (8)
TAPSTERS An abbreviated way inserted into (to stop) some thin strips of wood or paper used to light, for example, a candle
6d Court victor in case of assaults, with pardon overturned (4)
ASHE The outside letters (case) of AssaultS followed by a reversal (overturned) of an interjection expressing enquiry (pardon?)
7d Fly east, twice ignoring areas to the north (6)
TSETSE Take two lots of the word EAST, ignore the abbreviations for Area and then reverse (to the north)
8d Decorative art block seen in furniture store (7)
IKEBANA A verb meaning to block in the sense of prohibit seen in a Swedish furniture store
13d Revolutionary keeps means to seize power in Crimean city (10)
SEVASTOPOL Reverse (revolutionary) a synonym for keeps then add a means to do something, the latter ‘seizing’ the symbol for Power
14d More than one cooler male wearing jewellery … 18! (3,7)
ICE BUCKETS A male animal inserted between (wearing) a slang name for diamonds (jewellery) and the result of treating the solution to 18d as a cryptic clue
16d One catches school members opening part of dark web after break (5,3)
DRIFT NET These school members aren’t children! The opening part of Dark and the web, the latter going after a break
18d E.g. radio engineers plugging heavy metal shortly being released (3,4)
SET FREE A radio and the abbreviation for the Royal Engineers ‘plugging’ the chemical symbol (shortly) for a heavy metal
19d American in senate emptily repeated opening word? (6)
SESAME Empty SenatE twice (repeated) and then insert a two-letter abbreviation for American
20d Words greeting chess champ’s thrashing (6)
HIDING An informal word of greeting and the 2023 World Chess Champion
22d In recital, storyteller’s instrument (4)
LYRE A homophone (in recital) of a storyteller
23d Golfer nearly bags an eagle (4)
ERNE Hidden in (bagged by) the first two words of the clue
I was delighted to find out this morning that today’s setter is Robyn and he’s given us a cracker – thanks to him and CS.
I did spend some time trying to justify the old spelling of the 13d city before getting 17a put me right.
Highlights for me were 21a, 1d, 5d, 16d and 19d.
Now I have to start to wonder who we’ll get tomorrow.
Another cracker from the man who never misses. Loved 8a – not summat I’ve had in my hands for nearly 40 years! I didn’t even know they still existed. Marvellous. 15a took me way longer than it should have to parse. And 10a’s “parts” almost got me again. 3d’s typically clever. 14d too. Zingers all over the shop. Huge thanks to Robyn and CS.
Good midweek fare. Entering the enumeration in the grid caused me to start in the SE, and the S went in quite swiftly; the N was more troublesome and took a little while longer to tease apart. I always thought 8a was a ticket, but have now learned the error of my ways. 12a, what a ghastly word … makes me glad it’s now rare, and hopefully extinction beckons.
Couldn’t see what was going on in 11a for toffee, leading to a DNF. Michael F was a great Argyle fan and he would have joined the celebrations in Plymouth a few days ago when they retained their place in the Championship. Times change and 17a is more familiar to me as a cocktail (courtesy of Mr Fleming) than either a prayer (long-lapsed RC that I am) or soundalike motorbike, though I knew both.
COTD 3d for me. Many thanks to Robyn and CS
I thought our setter had rather upped his game today with the result that I struggled more than I’d been expecting would be necessary.
Frightful word at 12a but I guess the more acceptable ‘sermonise’ would have played havoc with the gridfill!
Rosettes here awarded to 11,20&24a plus 20d.
Thanks to Robyn and to CS for the review.
See that we are not the only ones to have started off with the wrong spelling of 13d. That will teach us to check all the parsing before writing in an answer.
Always a real pleasure to solve puzzles from this setter.
Thanks Robyn and CS.
On hols in the Lakes, so managed to attempt my first toughie for many months, Delighted to have completed it as I look out on Causey Pike, which may (or may not) be tomorrow’s challenge
Thanks to CS whose help I needed to unravel a couple of bung-ins (10a and 21a). Heartfelt gratitude to Robyn for setting an excellent and challenging puzzle that I could eventually finish. My joint favourites, from a long list, are 6d and 7d
Completed at 3 o’clock this morning & what a super puzzle it was. Both Robyn & Silvanus maintain such a high standard & their output never disappoints. Wasn’t familiar with a V instead of a B at 13d but Gregory & Audrey put me right. Couldn’t pick a fav – as ALP says zingers all over the shop.
Thanks to Robyn & Sue.
2*/3* ….
liked 7D ” Fly east, twice ignoring areas to the north (6)”