Sunday Toughie 180 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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Sunday Toughie 180 (Hints)

by Sloop John Bee  

Sunday Toughie No 180

by Beam

 

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

Beam here with quite a friendly Sunday Toughie, all his trademarks are present, and apart from the sailors at 1d, I don’t think this will trouble THE LIST™committee or solvers too much. All the Beam trademarks are present with a fair bit of “ooh er missus” 17a double entendre.

We have a generous 16a and 16d clues, and I have hinted less than half, allowing me to provide a nudge or two if required. 

Here we go, Folks…

As it is a Prize puzzle I can only hint at a few and hope that will give you the checkers and inspiration to go further. I’ll return with the full review blog just after the closing date. Don’t forget to follow BD’s instructions in RED at the bottom of the hints!

I hope I don’t have to redact any comments but I am not so new at this any more, but I don’t want to rock the boat. If in doubt, I’ll rub it out! I think that sentence is a bit redundant. You have all been so helpful in sorting out prior parsing failures, and I am sure I will need similar help again.

Most of the terms used in these hints are explained in the Glossary and examples are available by clicking on the entry under “See also” Where the hint describes a construct as “usual” this means that more help can be found in The Usual Suspects, which gives a number of the elements commonly used in the wordplay. Another useful page is Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing, which features words with meanings that are not always immediately obvious. Don’t forget the Mine of Useful information that Big Dave and his son Richard so meticulously prepared for us.

A full review of this puzzle will be published after the closing date for submissions. Some hints follow: Remember the site rules and play nicely.   

Across

1a          Glow is occasionally brief after passion (6)
A synonym of passion followed by occasional letters.

9a          Made water flow on small flower (9)
To have passed water satisfactorily follows s for small.
Veronica chamaedrys, Germander Speedwell

12a       Digs outside void oddly making latrines (7)
To dig into in a meddlesome way around odd letters of void.

13a       Almost dismiss anger accepting, say, blasphemy (9)
Almost all of a synonym of dismiss and all of one to anger accept say as an example.

22a       Beef up strong person in audition (7)
A homophone (in audition) of the Greek Gods that were overthrown by Zeus.

26a       Possibly one leading church, say (9)
Possibly one is an example of a function word as used in the phrase “the one on top” it goes before an abbreviation of the Anglican Church.

28a       Start to seriously rubbish American prestige (6)
An initial letter, some rubbish synonym and one of our usual Americans give prestige.

 

Down

1d         Girl circles saloon, perhaps for sailors (7)
A saloon as an example of a particular vehicle, encircled by a girl, is easy to deduce from the wordplay. The Indian sailors so named much less so (note to self cc Terence™- please consult the committee to rubber stamp this obvious addition to THE LIST™)

5d         Open University? (9)
A double definition. To set up or open and an association organised to promote art, science or education, such as a University?

8d         Sound of cycle in traffic? (6)
A homophone of the means of propulsion of a bicycle.
Compulsive viewing for this cycling fan, especially as the free-to-air coverage on ITV4 ends this year

14d       Enclosure bolted holding Queen band together (9)
An enclosure for chickens that bolted their food around another Beam™

17d       Great volume opening for group (7)
The opening book of a great volume (according to Christians)
An appropriate song for a puzzle with 32 clues

20d       Notes from singers being voiced (7)
A homophone of the adult male singing voice above baritone would be found in your wallet.

23d       Best encapsulates football’s final glory (5)
An acronym for someone who is the best in his field, encapsulates the final letter of football.

George Best was a high achiever at Man Utd, not a wasted talent | Football News | Sky Sports

Compiler

Beam

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Blogging music for the next three weeks (for me™)
That’s All Folks!

27 comments on “Sunday Toughie 180 (Hints)”

  1. As you said elsewhere, this was not too tricky and most enjoyable with lots of ticks. Top of the Pops for me were 9a and 19d.

    Thanks to Beam and SJB. Enjoy the Tour – I’m tempted to record it so that I can fast forward the adverts

  2. I FF the ads too, but being at work during the week means I have to settle for the highlights most days. Ned Boulting’s Never Strays Far podcast is bedtime listening too.

  3. Yet again, I’ve raced through the top half and got held up in the south, where I found the clues to be more convoluted. Once I cracked 14d and 26a though, it all came together nicely.
    I was relieved to get 9a and have also ticked 15, 18 and 23 down.
    I’d have wagered a few of your English pounds that John would latch on to 17d for a musical illustration and lost them as he hasn’t chosen the  Peter Gabriel / Phil Collins band.
    A decent level toughie and all the more enjoyable for the tussle down under.
    Thanks to Beam and SJB.

    1. It is a track off The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, but a less oblique reference would have had the answer in the title, and I don’t know how Mr K blurs his videos out.

  4. I’m pretty sure that I’ve tackled all 180 Sunday Toughies and this was the easiest to date. It does have some of Beam’s clever double entendres – thanks to him and SJB.
    Top clues for me were 9a (very amusing), 16a, 5d, 14d and 15d.

  6. Always a pleasure to get a Beam Toughie on a Sunday and no problem with the sailors – one of those words that’s stuck in my head from schooldays – goodness knows why! Today’s medals are going to 16&27a plus 4&19d.

    Devotions, of course, to Mr T/Beam and thanks to SJB for the hints.

    1. I must have been bunking off that day, the wordplay was clear, but the answer needed googling.

    2. We must have been working on the same syllabus ‘cos those sailors are in my vocabulary too! (Though probably 50 years apart 🤔)

  7. Some welcome rain outside (indeed, torrential thunderstorms) so my usual Sunday evening entertainment has been brought forward to earlier in the day. As others have suggested, the puzzle didn’t require the keenest attention, so I have also managed to watch some Wimbledon being played under the roof. A light but very pleasant puzzle from Beam, with a touch of ribald humour thrown in for good measure. There are plenty of ticks on my printout: 16, 26 & 27 across and 8, 15, 17, 19 & 23 down. Beam also appears to have customised the puzzle to SJB’s hinting style with opportunities galore for illustrations and music clips.
    My thanks to Beam and to SJB. PS on the 13a hint, unless I have overlooked something I think it uses all of the synonym for ‘anger’.

    1. oops I didnt mean to curtail both synonyms for 13a, I blame me trying to be as concise as Beam. I will amend in about 9.2kms time 🚲🚲🚲🚲

      1. Apologies for interrupting your TdF viewing! I just watched the finish myself. Most of the usual suspects were in evidence at the finish. TP will have to wait a while longer to claim the Maillot Jaune, which I expect he will be wearing in the Champs Elysees…

        1. it is going to be an interesting three weeks for sure but I expect it will go that way too. I am glad that I got a new laptop as I have Windows all over the place for Cricket/Wimbledon/F1 and the TDF.
          (13a hint amended)

  8. I do not watch the TdF though did make a detour to follow the course once when returning from the Dordogne with the grandsons, but did do this clever guzzle whilst watching the Alcaraz match. He’s a lovely young man but I shall have to shout against him when he plays our boy next week! I did like the naughty 9a and the great volume opening was favourite. Many thanks to Beam and SJB for the hints which I needed for the footbally one.

    1. I first got interested in cycling when the TDF came through our gite in the Champagne region. Probably 1972/3 as my younger sister was still a toddler.
      I am not fond of the acronym that was 4/5ths of the footbally one but George Best is certainly a contender.

  9. Gentle stuff & very enjoyable too. Like Frankie I skated through the upper reaches then slowed down in the SW with 14d last in & a bit of a head scratch due to initially thinking another enclosure (d’oh).
    Thanks to Beam & to John.

  10. Only just gotten around to this and found it a tad harder than most of the commenters. As ever, always good to see a Ray T/Beam crossword. A very enjoyable solve and a few chuckles along the way, so thanks Mr T. And thanks to SJB.
    We are enjoying the T de F highlights on ITV4, such a shame it’s the last year.

    1. I will miss the gentle banter between Ned Boulting and David Millar. Even if I stump up a subscription to whoever broadcasts it next year, I will listen to the Never Strays Far podcast to keep up with the repartee

      1. I’ve switched to watching it on TNT this year primarily because I can get it on HD. I still miss Phil Liggett’s commentary – he continues to cover the tour (for NBC now) 52 years after his first commentary in 1973.

        1. I guess I will have to subscribe to TNT too, but the ITV4 (originally C4) was what got me hooked in the first place. Gary Imlach, Phil Liggett and the much missed Paul Sherwen were highlights of my summer. The new(er) boys, Ned and David, keep up the good work with some fine guests. Chris Boardman and Pippa York come to mind but Pete Kenneaugh and next year Lizzie Deignan podcasting from the roadside will be fine.
          (I think my bloggers profile mentions Coffee, Crosswords and Cheese, I really ought to add Cycling as a 4th C)

      2. Thanks John, I’ll give the Never Strays Far podcast a listen. I think the ITV4 presenters are all pretty good.

  11. I printed this off and saved it for later. Very good move! I always enjoy RayT / Beam puzzles.
    I liked all the clues, but 9a, 26a, 4d and 14d top my selection.
    With appreciative thanks to Beam for this entertaining Toughie.
    And appreciative thanks, too, to Sloop John Bee. Although I didn’t refer to the hints and tips, my answer to 23d puzzled me somewhat as I didn’t know the football acronym. I’m grateful to have had it clarified now.

    1. The acronym has been applied to many different sports, George Best and Pele in football, but Muhammed Ali, Usain Bolt and Tiger Woods amongst many others

      1. And just debated on the TDF highlights as to wether Tadej Pogacar has passed Eddy Mercx for the title in the world of cycling.

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