Toughie No 3720 by Elgar
Hints and Tips by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty ***** – Enjoyment *****
A proper Friday Toughie, but then we would expect nothing less from Elgar
I usually start solving with the Across clues and then the Downs, but today, having spotted the two friendly clues at the end of the Downs, I wrote the solutions in the grid and then worked my way back up the clues. I have searched and searched to no avail but I am sure someone will be quick to point out that I have missed a Nina
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought
Across
7a Blighty-bound medic concerned with controls in hypothalamus? (9,5)
ENDOCRINE GLAND An abbreviated doctor (medic) and the usual two-letter on the subject of (concerned with) ‘controls’ or goes round IN (from the clue), the result then inserted (bound) into the country soldiers in the First and Second World Wars would have called ‘Blighty’
9a The Solid Earth Partnership reduced to dust? (4,6)
FIRM GROUND A business partnership and a verb meaning reduced to dust
11a Disturbance that needs sorting (2-2)
TO-DO A disturbance or commotion; a list of tasks to be done (that needs sorting)
12a Note left, and I get it (3)
LAH The abbreviation for Left and an interjection expressing surprise or understanding
13a Buy in Whitechapel Road: a man developing houses (4,3,3)
ADAM AND EVE Hidden in roAD A MAN DEVEloping is the Cockney rhyming slang (as used in Whitechapel) for believe (one of the definitions of buy being a slang verb meaning believe)
16a Leave partner that was just what one wanted (4)
EXIT A former partner (that was) and an informal name for the very thing one was looking for (just what one wanted)
17a Perhaps so, rejecting the counter price of £3.50? (7)
THRIFTY Write out the sum of money in words and then remove the reversed (rejecting the counter) price
18a Exhaustively supply a Great Lake’s input (2,5)
AT LARGE An anagram (supply) of A GREAT into which is inserted (input) the abbreviation for Lake
20a Very precious time, time that’s curtailed (4)
TWEE The abbreviation for Time and a period of time without its final letter (curtailed)
21a Annual period welcomed by one involved with law (10)
WATERMELON A period of time ‘welcomed’ by an anagram (involved) of ONE with LAW
23a United in celebration, this couple (3)
DUO The abbreviation for United inserted into a party
24a Person who’s busy following complaint (4)
BEEF A person or insect known for being busy and the abbreviation for Following
25a Starmer’s term threatened when embracing postponements (10)
RAINCHECKS The letter at the ‘term’ or end of starmeR, and a chess term for the king being threatened, the latter inserted into (embracing) a conjunction meaning when
28a So the pessimist helps my flat with gas after a refit? (5-4-5)
GLASS HALF EMPTY An anagram (after a refit) of HELPS MY FLAT with GAS
Down
1d Driving through place deer cut part of foot (6,3,5)
BEHIND THE WHEEL Gamble (place) into which is inserted a female red deer, followed by a verb meaning to cut with sharp blows and part of the foot
2d Order of ale and mild, but not 6 Down (4)
IDEM An anagram (order) of alE and MIlD without the first part of the solution to 6d, leaves you with a Latin pronoun meaning the second and third words of the solution to 6d
3d Plant one runs (4)
ACER One in cards, dominoes etc and the cricket abbreviation for Runs
4d Busy loading M&S signs (7)
MINUSES A two-word phrase meaning busy or working inserted into (loading) M and S (from the clue)
5d Receiving notice on rent, check outdated law (4-6)
DEAD-LETTER A verb meaning to check or prevent into which is inserted (receiving) an abbreviated notice and a verb meaning to rent – a law made but not enforced
6d Clones are still (3,3,4)
ALL THE SAME What clones are or a phrase meaning nevertheless (still)
8d Short fight over lockers after having contrarily put on pumps (7,7)
NODDING DONKEYS An informal argument or fight without its final letter (short) goes over some things that lock, the result going after a reversal (contrarily) of a verb meaning to put on
10d State: “Ready Player One”? (3)
GOA This Indian state might if split 2,1 sound like an instruction to player one in a contest
14d Spooner’s repeatedly omitted force (6,4)
MAILED FIST How the Reverend would mangle two words (repeatedly) meaning omitted – strong military or physical force
15d Who to upset with entry signal (10)
NOTEWORTHY Signal in the sense of remarkable or notable – an anagram (upset) of WHO TO with ENTRY
19d In disarray, somewhat (1,6)
A TRIFLE A preposition denoting a precise position (in) and a verb meaning to ransack (disarray)
22d The compiler Hudson’s debut no great shakes (3)
MEH How Elgar would refer to himself and the ‘debut’ of Hudson gives us a colloquial expression relating to insignificance (no great shakes)
26d All hands sounded triumphant (4)
CREW Double definition
27d Spot particularly close to Fowey (4)
ESPY An abbreviation meaning particularly and the ‘close’ to foweY
The heatwave must be taking its toll on our setter, I think he’s been uncharacteristically gentle with us today.
Not a bad thing, there’s still plenty to admire in his unique style and sharp wordplay: I don’t feel as if I’ve missed out by the lack of obscurities.
The two extraction clues at 17a and 2d stood out, the former being my LOI, while 1d’s driving and the pumps at 8d were great lego clues.
Best of all though is 4d with its M&S signs, a beautifully flowing surface, simple but very clever.
Keep ’em like that, Elgar!
My thanks to him and CS.
I think that Elgar took pity on us today especially with the 3 and 4-letter answers and a shortage of obscurities (although I didn’t know that 5d could mean ‘outdated law’).
I particularly liked the topical 25a, the very cunning 2d, 4d, 6d and the excellent Spoonerism at 14d.
Thanks to Elgar and CS.
Great puzzle, towards the gentler end of the spectrum for Elgar. I particularly liked 17a. Thanks to Elgar and CS.
I thought at first that this was going to be one of his stinkers but guessing 7a [the parsing came later] provided a start and it turned into a bit of a pussycat [for Elgar].
Top clues were the aforementioned 7a, 13a [the best read through in a long time] 1d [a tour-de-force] and the stupendously cunning 2d.
Thanks to Elgar and CSue [btw in 8d I think it’s “put on” that’s contrary – rather than “on” that’s contrarily put].
Hint corrected
This was my best shot at a Friday Elgar so it must be gentle. In the end I needed CS’s hints for 2d and 5d, the former I would never have got and the latter was starring me in the face, although I didn’t know of it’s relevance to an outdated law. 7a held up the NW because I was convinced that ‘pituitary’ had to be the required organ, but as soon as 1d was solved that was kicked into touch. I must confess that my parsing was not totally correct, but the answers were. For example for 17a I took a stunted homophone of 3-50?
My favourites were 8d, 14d and 6d
Many thanks to Elgar and CS