Toughie No 3710 by Donnybrook
Hints and Tips by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
An enjoyable themed Donnybrook proper Wednesday Toughie where it probably helped if, like me, you knew the required ‘stuff’
Please let us know what you thought
Across
9a Piping insulated by copper covering in India (5)
DHOTI An adjective meaning very hot inserted into (insulated by) an abbreviated Detective Inspector (copper)
10a 16 Across writer is with bestial crowd outside court (9)
ISHERWOOD IS (from the clue) and a crowd of beasts, the latter going outside a verb meaning to try to win the affection of (court)
11a Pain as the German misses problem with train (7)
AILMENT The German definite article ‘misses’ or is removed from a train that has gone off the rails
12a As we may deduce, capital keeps leading man in order (1,6)
A PRIORI The majority of my Latin knowledge comes from crosswords and this is a term that appears quite regularly. Capital or first-class ‘keeps’ the head of a religious order
13a Dance record slows in the middle (5)
DISCO A gramophone record and the middle letter of slOws
14a Doctor Stone stores a Cremona for Brecht say (9)
DRAMATIST The abbreviations for doctor and stone between which (stores) the name of a superior violin or stringed instrument made in the Italian city of Cremona
16a Novel of virtue corrected lie by Brontë (7,2,6)
GOODBYE TO BERLIN An adjective meaning virtuous and an anagram (corrected) of LIE BY BRONTE
19a Boozer in Britain fuddled with ecstasy twice … (9)
INEBRIATE An anagram (fuddled) of BRITAIN with two lots of the abbreviation for Ecstasy
21a … died a dissolute man: Mr Gadwall? (5)
DRAKE I did know what a gadwall is and even if you don’t the wordplay is very clear. The abbreviation for Died and a dissolute man
23a Whip caresses nude in film 16 Across inspired (7)
CABARET A type of whip ‘caresses’ or goes round a synonym for nude
25a Villain being one for hero, friend to Caesar, J? (7)
ANTONYM The name of a friend of Julius Caesar written in the same way as “Caesar. J” in the clue
27a Clubs with high quality white earthenware (9)
IRONSTONE Types of golf clubs with a generally high quality or style
28a/2d Belly was so developed around large 16 Across character (5,6)
SALLY BOWLES An anagram (developed) of BELLY WAS SO into which is inserted the abbreviation for Large
Down
1d Contributed short retrospective for literary collection (4)
EDDA A Scandinavian collection of ancient mythological and heroic songs, stories and poems, well known to regular solvers of the Quick Crossword. Truncate a synonym for contributed and then reverse it (retrospective)
2d See 28 Across
3d Setter has dessert with dram brought round plane (4-6)
DIVE-BOMBER How our setter would say he has a type of dessert inserted into (brought round) the abbreviation for dram
4d Short time after ditching university, daughter gets rich (6)
MINTED A short period of time without (after ditching) the abbreviation for University and the abbreviation for Daughter
5d Where Bowie died, before noon, in a hotel that rocks (3,5)
THE ALAMO The abbreviation for the part of the day before noon inserted into an anagram (that rocks) of A HOTEL
6d Southern brother seen in Burberry occasionally (4)
BRER The odd letters (occasionally) of BuRbErRy
7d Settler – one swimming in German city, did you say? (8)
COLONIAL Homophones (did you say) of a German city and a type of fish (one swimming)
8d Permission to enter a social event: need hand to gain access? (10)
ADMITTANCE A (from the clue) and a social event into which is inserted (to gain access) a slang word for the hand
13d Big cod is out, no starter, cooked a treat (3,7)
DOG BISCUIT An anagram (cooked) of BIG COD IS oUT – no starter telling you to omit the O in out
15d Raconteur terribly constipated with pressure lacking (10)
ANECDOTIST An anagram (terribly) of CONSTIpATED without (lacking) the symbol for Pressure
17d What some airlines do with surplus volume? (8)
OVERBOOK Surplus or excess and a synonym for a volume
18d Lover dropped lawsuit for blackmail perhaps (8)
EXACTION A former lover (dropped) and a lawsuit
20d Title accepted by the Spanish Crown Protector? (6)
ENAMEL A title ‘accepted’ by the Spanish definite article
22d Poet‘s Italian flower lady occasionally plucked (6)
ARNOLD An Italian river (flower) and the odd (occasionally) letters of LaDy (sadly the repetition radar bleeped at the second use of ‘occasionally’ to indicate odd letters)
24d Queen Cleopatra’s executioner to bow and scrape (4)
RASP The Latin abbreviation for Queen and the reptile that killed Cleopatra. The ‘bow’ is a reference to the fact that this word can be used in connection with playing a fiddle
26d Yucatán native is permitted to answer (4)
MAYA As all mothers have been known to say “yes you can but xxx you?” and the abbreviation for Answer
The second top-drawer puzzle today, another page packed with ticks and double-ticks. Just like the backpager, full of fun and quirky definitions.
The boozer in 19a and 4d’s word for rich are fine terms, while the train coming off the tracks in 11a and the fiddling about going on in 14a take the minor positions on my podium.
On the top step is Caesar’s mate at 25a, one of the best clues in a long while.
I could have mentioned several more, but that’s enough waffle from me today, my thanks to Donnybrook and CS.
Very entertaining with a nice theme – thanks to Donnybrook and CS.
I got the 10a author early on which revealed the theme.
I particularly liked 11a, 18d (lover dropped – excellent) and 20d.
Really liked this, lots of good stuff but there were a couple of clunkers – first the appalling homophone at 7d [the swimmer has one syllable, not two] and the rather superfluous ‘need…to gain admittance’ at 8d. Now the stonkers – 14a [Cremona] 25a [I’m with FrankieM] 5d [the Bowie mislead] and 18d [I’m with Gazza].
Thanks to Donnybrook and CSue.
I read the book (I think) about 50 years ago. I was pleased that I also remembered the name of the author.
Top clue for me … the British Boozer @ 19a.
Thanks to CS & Donnybrook.
It certainly helped if you were familiar with the theme. I’ve not actually read the book but knew both the title & writer from the film credits – to this day still can’t figure how the Academy voters gave Bob Fosse Best Director over Coppola for The Godfather.
As ever with a Donny Toughie top notch, loads to like & a couple of new things learnt (& likely soon forgotten) – the 2 letter abbrev for dram & the dabbling duck species. The clues I liked best were 10,11,14,19&25a along with 4,7&18d. 25a was my clear fav.
Thanks to Donny & to CS – congrats on your voucher
After struggling to get going with the backpager, for a while I thought this was going to be of the same ilk. However, I decided to unravel the 28a/2d anagram as my first point of call which immediately gave me a lead into the 16a themed clues. I needed CS to explain the parsing of 11a and 21a, I wondered about the significance of the ‘J’, but it didn’t register. I also missed 22d for some reason until after consulting the blog so technically a DNF.
My thanks to Donnybrook and CS.
One of my favourite films so I was happy. Some great clues in there the poet I think was my favourite and I enjoyed the anagram in 13d.
Much to enjoy although I did start to struggle in the NE corner. I have heard of 1d but it eluded me, similarly 11a and 9a. So I needed a few hints to fill this corner.
Didn’t know 15d was a word – I suppose I do now!
Thanks all
I needed some of CeeSoo’s excellent hints to help me over the line but it was an enjoyable tussle. I would have had to hang my head in shame if I did not solve 20d. I’ve not heard of the book at 16a but it was gettable from the checkers. Not knowing the book, however, meant I needed the hint for the 28a/2d combination. My COTT is the pain at 11a although not all 11 acrosses cause pain.
Thank you, Donnybrook for the challenge. I’m gradually solving more Toughies (not often unaided, I might add) and this was a confidence booster. Thank you, CeeSoo for the hints, which were most helpful when needed.