Toughie 3454 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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Toughie 3454

by crypticsue  

Toughie  No 3454 by Weatherman

Hints and Tips by crypticsue

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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***

Thank you to Weatherman for a ‘just right for a Wednesday’ Toughie

Please let us know what you thought

Across

1a           Supply disreputable bar patron’s first strong drink (8,3)
BUILDERS TEA An anagram (supply) of DISREpUTABLE without (bar) the first letter of Patron

7a           Battery packs hold power, in general (7)
AGRIPPA  A size of battery ‘packs’ a verb meaning to hold and the symbol for Power gives us the name of a Roman general

8a           Setter’s returned prize in error (7)
MISTAKE Reverse (returned) how a setter might say they were, add an S (‘s) and a prize

10a         Close to old border guards (5)
ABOUT The abbreviation for Old guarded by a verb meaning to border

11a         NHS worker and assistant knocked back drink, taking a minute (9)
PARAMEDIC An abbreviated assistant and a reversed (knocked back) drink into which is inserted (taking) A (from the clue) and the abbreviation for Minute

12a         Swimmer‘s husband, on record, admitted to murder (7)
DOLPHIN The abbreviation for Husband goes after a type of record and the result is then inserted into (admitted to) an informal verb meaning to murder

14a         Parisian is on island, close to Mafia country (7)
ESTONIA The French (as used in Paris) word meaning is, ON (from the clue), an abbreviated Island and the ‘close’ to mafiA

15a         Condescension or mansplaining is rather too much for some French folk (7)
NORMANS Hidden in the first three words of the clue

18a         Cross after graphic artist fails to start animated piece (7)
SCHERZO A cross between a male yak and a cow goes after the surname of a famous Dutch graphic artist without the first letter (fails to start)

20a         Announces Labour Party success, ousting independent (5,4)
HANDS DOWN Some workers (labour), a party and a success, the latter without the I (ousting independent)

21a         Animal in river (5)
HIPPO In meaning fashionable and an Italian river

22a         Guardiola accepts a little bit of money for food (3,4)
PEA SOUP Manchester City’s manager ‘accepts’ A (from the clue) and a tiny amount of money

23a         Somewhat drunkenly upset heartless fool (7)
TIPSILY A verb meaning to upset and a fool

24a         Dinosaur outrages us, rudely grabbing waitress’s rear (11)
STEGOSAURUS An anagram (rudely) of OUTRAGES US ‘grabbing’ the letter at the rear of waitresS

Down

1d           Bird unexpectedly blown around Arkansas (4,3)
BARN OWL An anagram (unexpectedly) of BLOWN goes around the abbreviation for the State of Arkansas

2d           Enter, wearing throw (5)
INPUT A simple way of saying wearing and cast or throw

3d           Very plain, oddly impassive (7)
DEADPAN An adverb meaning very and the odd letters of PlAiN

4d           Note inspector’s feeling of guilt (7)
REMORSE A musical note and a fictional detective

5d           International accord bears examination (4,5)
TEST MATCH Equal or accord holds up (bears in a Down solution) an examination

6d           Little Scottish boy endlessly absorbed by an Arabic folk tale (7)
ALADDIN A Scottish word for a little boy without its final letter inserted into (absorbed by) AN (from the clue)

7d           Hurriedly leave after a new fellow enters sailor’s joint (7,4)
ABANDON SHIP A (from the clue), the abbreviation for New and university fellow ‘enters’ an abbreviated sailor, S (‘s) and a joint of the body

9d           Yoga clothes livened up part of Bible study (11)
ESCHATOLOGY An anagram (livened up) of YOGA CLOTHES produces the only word that fits the checking letters!  The branch of theology that is concerned with such final things as death and Last Judgment; Heaven and Hell; the ultimate destiny of humankind

13d         Each detective on time to visit Polish memorial (9)
HEADSTONE The abbreviation for each, an abbreviated detective sergeant and the abbreviation for Time ‘visit’ a verb meaning to polish

16d         Spooner’s achieved more money for landing sites (7)
RUNWAYS The Reverend Spooner might have achieved an increase in pay (more money)

17d         Sign my Private Eye covers for this reason? Quite the opposite (7)
SCORPIO  Do the opposite of what the wordplay suggests. An adverb meaning for this reason ‘covers’ or goes round an interjection of surprise (my) and an abbreviated Private Investigator

18d         Chairman of the Board of Trustees in a tracksuit (7)
SINATRA Hidden in the last four words of the clue is the singer given the nickname ‘Chairman of the Board’ for his work with record producing companies and NBC

19a         Agent fabricates things in answers (7)
REPLIES An abbreviated agent and fabricates things in the sense of making up untruths

21a         Very excited shrill noise cat makes when escaping from trap (5)
HYPER A homophone (when escaping from trap) of a synonym for shrill and the noise made by a cat

 

 

26 comments on “Toughie 3454”

  1. Loved this puzzle – as Sue said, ‘just right for a Wednesday’. Reasonably straightforward, with some super and clever clueing and great surfaces. I try not to write out anagrams and spent a little too long trying to think of a strong drink ending in ‘Ale’, got the animated piece & cross but could not think of the graphic artist, and was delighted to see that my answer for 9d was indeed a word!

    COTD for me was 9d (for the surface and the ingenuity of the anagram), 7d & 7a.

    Many thanks indeed, Weatherman, and also to CS of course.

  2. Just the job for a Wednesday, with the smooth-as-you-like 1a really setting the tone. 7a and 12a were both v smartly done and 17d was great fun to piece together. Etc. Many thanks to Weatherman and Sue.

  3. 7a was my final entry and eventual favourite from this very accessible and hugely enjoyable midweek Toughie. I thought the clue mix was spot on, and some of the definitions were nicely fiendish and inventive.

    Many thanks to Weatherman for the fun, and to Sue.

  4. I managed most of this without too much difficulty. There were a couple I failed on…
    9d – as soon as I read bible studies, I put the fodder into an anagram solver (never would have got it).
    18a – I knew the musical term, but the parsing still eludes me (the artist and the yak – no idea??).

    Thanks to Weatherman and to CS.

      2. If you study that graphic artist long enough, wonder if you could you get a degree in “Eschertology” …. ;)

    2. Brilliant!
      Don’t ask me how long it took, but I finished it and thought it was quite outstanding. Smooth surfaces and clever wordplay made it a joy to solve with many PDMs along the way.
      DNK 9d, but it was fairly clued. I also did not know the first letter of the Dutch artist’s name, but it didn’t matter. Far too many ticks to list here, but CoD has to be the very clever and beautifully written 1a.
      Take a bow Weatherman.
      Thanks to CS for the review.

  5. I agree completely with YS @3 even down to 7a being my last one in.

    Initially I put “otter” as my answer for 21a, which seems to be valid although not as good as the right answer.

    Is of sufficient as a lurker indicator?

  6. An excellent puzzle from Weatherman, just right for a midweek puzzle as CS says – thanks to him and her.
    There were some very neat touches here, e.g. the innovative way of clueing the outer letters of 7a as opposed to the traditional ‘drivers’ or ‘alkies’.
    My ticks went to 7a, 12a, 20a and 18d.

  7. Very enjoyable puzzle with skillfully compiled clues.
    The theological answer to 9d was new to me, as was the hybrid suggested in 18a, though I imagine it is commonly known and used by serious Scrabble players. One to remember.
    13d and 18d my pick for today.
    Thanks Weatherman and of course CS.

  8. A most enjoyable, bang on the money for a Wednesday, Toughie. Some very clever and fair cluing.
    Favourites were 1A, 13 and 17D with 20A taking the podium.
    Thanks to CS for the blog and Weatherman for the enjoyment.

  9. A very enjoyable puzzle from a setter with a highly polished style. Are they newish or is Weatherman just the DT gig? Superb surfaces and excellent wordplay throughout. Favourites, whittled down from many are 7a [battery packs!] 15a [lovely] 20a [took me ages to suss the definition] and 21d [LOL].
    Thanks to Weatherman and CS.

    1. He is a graduate of Rookie Corner and also sets crosswords for the Independent, using the pseudonym Amoeba

  10. A crossword of two halves for me, the east was relatively straightforward, the west not so. Needed Sue’s help with some of the parsing. It was an enjoyable tussle though. Like others, 7a was my last one in and I thought 1a was good fun.
    Thanks to Weatherman and Cryptic Sue.

  11. No one will be surprised to hear that Guardiola in 22a meant nothing to us but we did manage to get the answer anyway. The rest we thoroughly enjoyed. The sneaky 7a was also our last in and deserving of a podium spot.
    Thanks Weatherman and CS.

  12. More straightforward than today’s BP I thought.
    21 across was a little lacking imho, notwithstanding its greek roots. I don’t see anything cryptic about otter being the solution, it would be just a GK clue. I’ve probably missed something though!
    Many thanks to Weatherman, and to CS

      1. See RD at comment 5 above re otter!
        Ah yes, hip po, I said I was.missing something!

  13. Very classy puzzle I thought. Some excellent surfaces and clever misdirection. I did need help from CS to parse 21d (gave myself a mental kicking for not remembering that if all else fails…) and did not know the yak cross, so had bunged in the musical piece. Lots of ticks from me 7, 12, 22, and 23a plus 7, 13 and 17d stood out but top of the pile, by some distance, is the beautifully crafted 1a.

  15. Cracking puzzle. Found it a little easier than Dharma yesterday & pleased with a brisk solve. 18a remained unparsed – had forgotten the cross & never heard of the artist. 9d was an educated & fortunately correct punt at the likely letter formation. Ticks all over the shop – 1,7&20a plus 7,8&13d particular likes.
    Thanks to Weatherman & to Sue

  17. A medium difficulty puzzle with a high fun factor. Liked many clues. Particular faves: 7a (great surface), 21a (simple but elegant construction), 16d (nice Spooner) and 21d(good pun—‘noise coming out of one mouth…then ‘that’ coming out of another mouth’ is clever).

    Great blog Crypticsue.

    Thanks Weatherman and CS.

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