Toughie No 3715 by Dharma
Hints and tips by ALP
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Toughie difficulty **/*** – Enjoyment ****/*****
A rumbustious return from Dharma, full of his typical humour and honed surfaces, prompting a slow start but a quick finish. I found many of the downs marginally easier than the acrosses but that’s possibly because I had all the checkers by then – being pathetically English, I do like to doggedly work from top to bottom. Other methods are, of course, available. Hopefully, my 2.5 will find safer harbour than usual … the floor is yours to trumpet your agreement!
Across
1a Visiting from abroad, tons jamming pub that’s full (2-5)
IN-DEPTH: visiting/among + “from” (abroad, i.e. French) + abbreviated “tons” jamming/inside abbreviated “pub”.
5a Hit uniform speed on short journey (7)
TRIUMPH: NATO’s “uniform” + speed (car, etc) on/after journey/outing, minus its last letter.
9a Withdraws hint for tops? (4,3)
OPTS OUT: reverse anagram, i.e. how one might hint/clue “tops”.
10a Customer‘s tip ahead of cycling trick (3-4)
END-USER: tip/extremity + “trick”, with its letters cycled (first to last in this case).
11a Motor sport stops idle men moving around hazardous area (9)
MINEFIELD: the usual “motor sport” stops/goes inside IDLEMEN, moving around.
12a Row of ten heading west amongst other directions (5)
NOISE: ten/10 reversed (“heading west”) inside the other three, abbreviated directions, i.e. not W[est].
13a One in family dropping drug into cordial (5)
NIECE: the usual drug inside cordial/pleasant.
15a Stride carelessly around highly trained men coming to blows (9)
DISASTERS: STRIDE, carelessly, around highly-trained men/special forces.
17a Exposed Musk lying about profligate support (9)
SUSPENDER: [m]US[k], reversed (“lying about”) + “profligate” (as noun).
19a Courts having answer before hearing finishes prematurely (5)
ATRIA: abbreviated “answer” + (court) “hearing”, minus its last letter.
22a Charlie‘s turn of phrase making Mike tense (5)
IDIOT: turn of phrase/distinctive expression, with NATO’s “Mike” becoming abbreviated “tense”.
23a Operating without preparation, guilt evens out after victory drink (7,2)
WINGING IT: “victory”+ “drink”+ G[u]I[l]T.
25a Spice Girls finally accompanying retiring singer in 1970s glam-rock band (7)
MUSTARD: [girl]S and singer/informer, reversed, inside “1970s glam-rock band”.
26a Sets out award after advancement of English vessels (7)
EMBARKS: three-letter award/honour with its E[nglish] “advanced” (from third to first) + vessels/(life?)boats.
27a Spend penny, wipe surrounds (7)
DEPLETE: abbreviated “penny” surrounded by wipe/erase.
28a Closure of cricket grounds a serious offence (7)
TREASON: [cricke]T + grounds/motive.
Down
1d Crew covered by press in gruelling race (7)
IRONMAN: “crew” (as verb) after (“covered by” in a down) “press” (also as verb).
2d Easing of tensions as Harvey, jumping around, leaves three-day event freely (7)
DÉTENTE: subtractive anagram – THREEDAYEVENT, freely, minus HARVEY, jumping around.
3d Evidence in favour of Ofcom written up, oddly vanishing (5)
PROOF: in favour of/for, plus reversed, even letters of Ofcom. Somewhat of a double bluff this clue, as the required last two letters are staring at you right in the face – twice. ‘Twas admirably restrained of Dharma not to put up summat like “Repellent Don sometimes pinches journo’s bottom”. But he is clearly, as we all know, a much better man than me!
4d Rash was at the front of hip to begin with (9)
HOTHEADED: was at the front of/led, after hip/all the rage.
5d Leaning right, nurse admits (5)
TREND: abbreviated “right” admitted by nurse/care for.
6d Reform is inane with party splitting country (9)
INDONESIA: ISINANE, reformed, with the usual two-letter “party” inside/splitting. Hard to disagree.
7d Mighty America yielding to international report (7)
MISSIVE: mighty/huge, with abbreviated “America” becoming abbreviated “international”.
8d Makes solid career collecting diamonds with turnover of tin (7)
HARDENS: career/race, collecting/containing abbreviated “diamonds”, plus tin’s symbol, reversed/turned over.
14d Function you reportedly had come about (9)
EVENTUATE: function/organised activity + homophone of “you” + “had” (food).
16d Tough call to insert medical splint? Quite the opposite (9)
STRINGENT: after switching the instructions (“quite the opposite”), “medical splint” (in artery, say) contains/inserts “call” (on phone).
17d Did some sport, taking two minutes and took top off (7)
SKIMMED: two abbreviated “minutes” inside “did some sport” (on the slopes, etc). Sounds reasonable!
18d Triggers purists when swinging (5,2)
STIRS UP: PURISTS, swinging. Comical!
20d Looking embarrassed carrying tabloid around, with Sun’s initial best wishes (7)
REGARDS: “looking embarrassed”, containing/carrying (generic) “tabloid” (reversed/around), plus S[un].
21d Drawer left incomplete, held up by a new carpenter? (7)
ARTISAN: (human) “drawer”, minus the last letter, before (“held up” in a down) ‘A’ and abbreviated “new”. Lovely surface.
23d Club with upper hand (5)
WEDGE: abbreviated “with” + “upper hand”.
24d Inspire Kemi’s possible statement of political allegiance, ignoring Liberal (5)
IMBUE: what Kemi Badenoch might indeed say re her allegiance (1’1, 4) minus abbreviated “Liberal”.
We have six anagrams (including one reversed and a subtractive), a cycling clue and a homophone, etc. I especially enjoyed 2d, 6d and 21d. 12a and 24d tickled me too. How did you get on?
Our setter has turned down the difficulty dial but as usual kept the enjoyment level set to maximum.
Some great surfaces to disguise clever wordplay, I particularly liked the Spice Girls at 25a, the hygienic advice proffered at 27a (though don’t forget to wash your hands) and Kemi’s statement at 24d.
With one of my favourite sporting events of the year, the Tour de France, starting at the weekend, I also appreciated the trick cycling in 10a.
More of a pleasant ride through gently undulating countryside, I dare say the high mountains will hove in to view tomorrow…
My thanks to Dharma and ALP.
Very balanced and less trying to overcomplicate. */****. Excellent Stephen, your skill continues to blossom. Thanks.
Great fun as usual from this setter – thanks to Dharma and ALP.
As is often the case when avoiding having to print a whole second page for just one or two clues I tackled the rogue clue at the bottom first then solved the puzzle in a northerly direction.
I really liked 9a, 17a, 26a, 27a (very amusing) and 4d.
I thought I would have a stab at this and it took a while. I needed ALP for 17a and 2&14d and also the hint to understand the answer to 16d. Very clever. I really enjoyed the challenge and it was extremely satisfying. Thanks to Dharma and ALP.
Found this an absolute delight, took two goes but no subsequent headache all, tvm Stephen, and to ALP for reminding me of the band in 25a, and posting a track I loved back in the day. Never heard anyone ever saying 14d, my fave though was 27a 🤭.
Like others who have already posted, 27a was also my favourite, in a most enjoyable puzzle that I found quite tricky in places.
Many thanks to Dharma and to ALP.
Difficulty definitely down a notch or two from some of Dharma’s past offerings but at least as enjoyable for all that. SW corner last to succumb with loi 22 which I felt described me for not seeing it sooner. Too many clues getting a tick to list them all but special mentions for 9a tops, the Spice Girls and the glam-rock band, with podium places for 24d Kemi’s allegiance, the 22a idiot and the cheeky 27a costing a penny. Many thanks to Dharma for the fun and ALP for the blog.
Slow to start and then a rapid fill until the SW held me up. Took a peek at ALPs hint for 14d, which I didn’t know, but should have sussed from the wordplay. That opened the door to the remainder, but again needed the parsing for 25a; glam rock passed me by. Several likes and it was a toss up between 2d and 22a for my COTT.
VMT to Dharma and ALP