Toughie 3545 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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Toughie 3545

by Whybird  

Toughie No 3545 by Weatherman
Hints and tips by Whybird

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BD Rating – Difficulty ***/****  – Enjoyment ****

Hello and welcome to Toughie Tuesday! I am still coping diligently with the views over the loch towards Bengairn and the ever-changing moods of Dumfries and Galloway’s scenery, with supporting cast of buzzards, red kites, kestrels, peregrines, ravens and a very impressive hirundine roost.  

Weatherman, to whom, many thanks, has given us a pretty stiff challenge today, but a very enjoyable one.  For me. this was very much the proverbial “Crossword of two halves, Brian”.  The West Coast breezed in at one-star pace, and I was delighted with the number of bird-related clues, but then the East Coast severely impeded progress.  Even after completing the grid, parsing 11a added on an extra half-star for the difficulty, and some of the other parsings weren’t straightforward.  There were a lot of very good clues today, I thought, and I’ve given my podium places to 14d and 27a, but with 12a the clear winner.

Please leave a comment telling us how you fared and what you liked about the puzzle.

Across Clues

1 Daft racist lost at sea (4,6)

CAST ADRIFT An anagram (lost) of “Daft racist”

6 Collar Trump (4)

RUFF A double definition, the second being a Bridge term

10 Revolutionary fashion designer with make-up for robot (7)

ANDROID Reverse a four-letter fashion designer preceded by (make-up) the usual conjunction meaning “with”.  I’m not entirely satisfied with this parsing, and I’ve tried to formulate “make-up” as the synonym for the conjunction, but that feels even less sound, and doesn’t deal with the location and non-reversal. Once again, I’m open to alternatives! ***And per Nautilus at Comment #1, the “make up” is a three-letter genetic abbreviation (Think Watson & Crick – and Franklin), also reversed***  Very, very clever.

11 Less clear line removed from nasty film or films (7)

OPAQUER A nasty (dental) film from which is removed the usual letter indicating “line” is surrounded by (films) “or” from the clue. My last one in, and comfortably the hardest piece of parsing, notwithstanding my doubts about 10a.  This particular use of the verb “to film” is not exactly mainstream, but hey, Toughie Tolerances and all that…

12 Gregarious singer‘s dramatic when disheartened (8)

STARLING A 9-letter synonym for “dramatic” (or alarming) loses its middle letter (disheartened) to get a type of bird renowned for forming large flocks

13 Cheer bishop, among others, excommunicating priest (5)

ELATE Remove (excommunicating) the two-letter abbreviation for “priest” from a word meaning ecclesiastical dignitary (bishop, among others) to get a verb meaning “cheer”  

15 Notice vice-president’s progress (7)

ADVANCE A charade of a two-letter notice and the surname of the current US Vice-president

17 She’s not likely to dream about a desire of yore (7)

REALIST A person (of either sex) disinclined to dream is a charade of the usual to letter “about” (or on), “a” from the clue and an archaic (of yore) synonym of “desire” (or lean)

19 Believe guilty party has covered up distinctive feature (7)

SUSPECT A four-letter “party” (or religious cult) surrounds (has covered up) a three letter abbreviation meaning “distinctive feature” often used in commerce.

21 Political group finish off dry liqueur (7)

CAMPARI A type of liqueur is a charade of a four-letter political group (or collection of temporary structures) and a four-letter synonym of “dry” lacking its last letter (finish off)

22 A new setter’s financial backer (5)

ANGEL A charade of “a” from the clue, the usual letter for “new” and crosswordland’s other “setter” that isn’t the compiler, or a canine.

24 Speaker describes power base for one making connections (8)

OPERATOR A synonym of “speaker” surrounds the usual “power” and the “base” of natural logarithms to get someone who formerly connected callers in a telephone exchange, but I guess these days would be anyone who built of a wide-range of useful contacts 

27 Birds eating small mammals (7)

LORISES Insert the usual letter for “small” into birds in the parrot family to get a group of small primates

28 Comeback made by city-state’s governors (7)

SATRAPS Reverse (comeback) the possessive form of a famously militaristic ancient Greek city-state to get governors in the ancient Persian empire.

29 Artist cuddling that bloke’s bird (4)

RHEA The usual two-letter “artist” surrounds the male pronoun to get a flightless South American bird

30 In yard, family performing musical (2,4,4)

MY FAIR LADY An anagram (In… …performing) of “yard family” gives a famous musical


Down Clues
1 Which apartment contains crack? (4)

CHAP A “crack” in the sense of sore, rough skin is lurking (contains) in “Which apartment”

2 Assets regularly locking case, calming agents (9)

SEDATIVES A grammatical case (indicating eg the recipient of an action) is inserted into the even letters (regularly) of “Assets”

3 In the morning, The Telegraph‘s revealing affair (5)

AMOUR A love-affair is formed from the two-letter abbreviation for “in the morning” followed by the possessive noun that might be used by someone writing in the Telegraph (as Weatherman is doing!)

4 Dire new fizzy drink (3,4)

RED WINE An anagram (fizzy) of “Dire new”

5 Someone selling lumberjack fine caps (7)

FLOGGER The usual letter meaning “fine” precede (caps in a down clue) a synonym of lumberjack

7 Tuvalu changes after leader quits in a flap (5)

UVULA An anagram (changes) of “Tuvalu” lacking its initial letter (after leader quits) forms a flap found at the back of the mouth

8 Head of school’s to step down under pressure, definitely (3,7)

FOR CERTAIN Take a five letter word meaning “school” (or teach), move the initial letter along one place (to step down) and precede that with a five-letter synonym of “pressure”

9 First Minister defending very good friend’s dismayed gesture (8)

FACEPALM The abbreviation for “First Minister” surrounds (defending) a three-letter “very good” (or a playing card) and a three-letter “friend” to get a gesture indicating despair.  I’d not come across the term before, and can’t say I like it much, but the wordplay is clear.

14 Jazz legend put a new spin on Waterfalls (4,6)

FATS WALLER An anagram (put a new spin on) of “Waterfalls”

16 Unnecessary pointer solver skips at first (8)

NEEDLESS A pointer (eg on a dial) is followed by the initial letters (at first) of “solver” and “skips”

18 Lover of a sailor from a Gulf state heading north (9)

INAMORATA Take “a” from the clue, the three-letter sailor (or, per 25d “flammable liquid”) and the resident of a Gulf state, to get a lover (memorably rhymed with “garter” by Flanders and Swann in the Hippo song)

20 Communist wrong to turn on broadcaster (7)

TROTSKY A notable deceased communist is formed from an inversion (to turn) of a legal wrong and a satellite broadcaster.

21 Team‘s budget almost cut by university (7)

CHELSEA A London football team is formed by inserting the three-letter abbreviation for one of that city’s universities into a synonym for “budget” (in the sense of low-cost) lacking its final letter (almost)

23 Soldiers dunked in egg served up – eat loads (5)

GORGE Insert the two-letter abbreviation for non-commissioned soldiers into an inversion (“served up” in a down clue) of “egg”

25 Oil, a primarily thick, flammable liquid (5)

ATTAR A fragrant essential oil (new to me) is formed by “A” from the clue, the first letter (primarily) of “thick” and a viscous, hydrocarbon-derived liquid used in eg road-making. Flammability is not the prime feature I would ascribe to this liquid

26 Pale grey and thin after losing weight (4)

ASHY A word meaning “thin” (as in over-dilute or lacking in vigour) from which is removed the letter indicating “weight” gives an alternative name for pale grey  

26 comments on “Toughie 3545”

  1. I think that the parsing of 10a is the fashion designer plus the initials of a molecule that can be described as “makeup” all reversed.

  2. I thought this was ‘just right for a Tuesday’ and I enjoyed the solve

    Thanks to Weatherman and Whybird

  3. Good afternoon. Like the back pager I found this very gentle with the only problems being 27a and 28a. So, two new words for me. Thank zoo for the review and to the setter

  4. For me, this was 5* enjoyment!

    On the whole reasonably straightforward, but there were a few hold-ups. My first thought for 4a was cuff which I changed later, 7d is not a word I have heard since biology lessons at school, and the abbreviation inside 19a is something I had not heard for a while either.
    Plenty of ticks, double ticks, and a triple(treble??) tick going to 21d (Terrence would agree!).
    Double ticks went to 13a (excommunicating priest), 29a, 30a, and 8d.
    Ear worm all morning as a result of 14d (ain’t misbehavin’). Funnily enough I heard that played in a repeat of a Morse episode a couple of days ago – “Who killed Harry Field?”.

    Many thanks to Weatherman and to Whybird.

  5. I had much the same experience as you, Whybird, finding the RHS a great deal tougher than the L. Lack of familiarity with the term at 9d just added to the difficulty. But an enjoyable solve nonetheless.
    Thanks for the blog and thanks to Weatherman for the challenge.

  6. Cracking puzzle, a good and welcome Tuesday Toughie and very accessible. Big smile at 6a – it’s about B time someone did – with other podium places to 28a and 8d.

    A Hirundine roost, eh? If this works, I’m hoping it shows how this new-to-me “collective noun” (no, I know it’s not really!) might best be pictured:

    https://www.whiskishop.com/cdn/shop/files/Photo19-11-2024_101815am.jpg?v=1732207195

    No, it’s not showing the desire picture, just a link to it. Ah well. How would one insert a picture from a site, please?

    1. I think you have to download and save as jpg to your device and then choose file from where you downloaded to.

      1. I think you have to download and save as jpg to your device and then choose file from where you downloaded to.

        2. Thank you Sloop – I think it’s a wonderfully clever name for a whisky. According to the BRB hirundine means “of or relating to the swallow”. Well, there are plenty of “swallows” in each bottle!

  8. I found this pretty tough particularly in the NE corner, but it proved to be a very enjoyable challenge albeit with a couple of hmms.

    Like Whybird, I can’t unravel the parsing for 10a, which seems to be an “Eric Morecambe” clue (all the right components but not in the right order). I couldn’t parse 11a, and although I am sure Whybird’s interpretation is correct I really don’t like “film” used like that as a verb.

    9d is a ghastly word, which I have never heard of. To compound the felony, it is not in the BRB, which I am led to believe is mandatory for Telegraph crosswords.

    With a lot of inventive clueing on show, I had plenty of ticks with 14d my favourite.

    Many thanks to the 2Ws.

  9. Crackerjack. 19a 18d and 21d are all extremely sharp. 10a made me laugh and 22a tickled me. Best thanks to Weatherman and Whybird.

  10. Very enjoyable puzzle. West completed without too much trouble but the East a lot trickier. Technically a dnf as needed hints for 25 and 28 – both only vaguely remembered terms. Thanks Nautilus for explaining 10a. Now I understand it, it goes on my podium along with the World Club Cup holders (I’m with Terence!) and 8d. Many thanks Weatherman for the entertainment. Hope to see you here more often

  11. Very enjoyable – thanks to Weatherman and Whybird.
    Like RD I’m not keen on ‘films’ as a containment indicator (11a) even in a Toughie.
    My podium boasts 19a, 8d and 21d.

  12. A very decent Tuesday Toughie with some clever clues and fine surfaces.
    Plenty of ticks for me and hard to narrow down to just a few, but I’ll go with 10a as my COTD, with 5d and 8d also commended.
    My thanks to Weatherman and Whybird, well done for blogging whilst you’re away.

    1. It was hard enough coping with the expedition up Bengairn, which mainly consisted of one boggy, bracken field with the path seemingly created by drunken sheep! Worth the effort, though. I’m concentrating my efforts on ensuring overtime working for the Five Kingdoms bottling plant, courtesy of the wonderful Community Shop in Auchencairn. Like I’ve said before, it’s a tough job….

  14. I needed the hints for a couple but on the whole I loved this. Like others the parsing of 10a took a bit of understanding. I solved the clue from the designer alone. I’ve never heard of 28a so that was one I had to use the hints for. My favourite is the person selling caps to lumberjacks at 5d.

    Thank you, Weatherman for the fun. Thank you, Whybird for the hints and for giving up part of your leisure time to do it. Much appreciated.

  15. A very accessible Toughie and a most enjoyable challenge.
    I had convinced myself that 1a had to be an anagram of RACIST LOST until the F in 5d put me back on track.
    We were honoured (or should that be honored?!) to be visited by both the President (6a) and the Vice President (15a) from over the pond.
    I can’t help thinking that Weatherman might have considered turning 6a into a triple definition using the elegant wader as the third clue. Given Trump’s penchant for the fairer sex (even those he has never met) there might have been scope to include this lovely bird? Probably not PC these days, I suppose.
    Anyway, great puzzle. Thank you Weatherman and our roving ornithologist, Whybird.

    1. I see from Whybird’s choice of image that he too was thinking along the lines of the wader for 6a. Good man!
      Which starling is it in your image for 12a? We saw a few similar birds in Kenya, so I am guessing it is one from Africa?

  16. A day late to this one but glad I remembered to do it. A pronounced east west difficulty divide here too & used 2 letter reveals (9d/11a + 25d/28a checkers) to complete. Like RD never heard of 🤦‍♂️ & I’d prefer to say something was more opaque rather than use the R though didn’t mind films as a containment indicator. Not for the first time I took an embarrassingly long time to twig the university I graduated from at 21d. Didn’t twig DNA either so not the best of solves but thoroughly enjoyed the puzzle.
    Thanks to the two Ws

  17. I was waylaid by the tube strike yesterday, but popping in belatedly to say thanks to Whybird for the blog, and to commenters & other solvers :-)

    1. Thanks for dropping in, Weatherman. And thanks for a wonderful puzzle, which I’ve appreciated more and more each time I’ve revisited it. Still kicking myself around the room over “DNA”!

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