Toughie No 3773 by Shabbo
Hints and tips by Whybird
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ****
Welcome to another Toughie Week. Thanks to Gazza for filling in last week whilst I was toiling away in the Santa Clara area: Anna’s Hummingbird, Least and Elegant terns, Greater Yellowlegs, Long-billed Dowitcher, White Pelican and Northern Harrier were amongst the incidental avian highlights.
We have an excellent puzzle from Shabbo today (and a rare example of being right with my morning “guess the setter” game). There’s nothing too difficult, but the puzzle is very well crafted with generally concise but smooth-surfaced clues. 17a, 20d, 24a and 27a (lovely word) all stood out for me, but my absolute favourite today was the wonderful 1d – perfect on all fronts. Thanks to Shabbo for another cracker!
Please let us know how you fared and what you thought of the puzzle.
Across Clues
1a Immigrant wanting right remuneration (6)
INCOME Remove (wanting) the abbreviation for “right” from a synonym of “Immigrant”
4a Most importantly, a lovable rogue (5,3)
ABOVE ALL An anagram (rogue) of “a loveable”
10a Hamilton could be champion in expensive car? (5)
RACER Insert a three-letter synonym of “champion” (or expert) into an abbreviation for a make of luxury car to get a term of which motorsport’s Lewis Hamilton is an example (hence the “could be” and the “?”
11a Interesting? Sailor’s dreadfully boring! (9)
ABSORBING A two-letter abbreviation for “sailor” plus the possessive followed by an anagram (dreadfully) of “boring”
12a Ends spell in Italy (7)
TERMINI A synonym of “spell” followed by “in” from the clue and the letter indicating “Italy”
13a Time to get Harry in shape (7)
NONAGON Insert a synonym of “Harry” (ignoring the capitalisation) into the another name for midday
14a Selling cars in business parks (7,7)
TRADING ESTATES The solution is also a description of what you may be doing if selling a particular style of car, so this is very nearly a double-definition
17a Local diversion that involves pushing change at board level? (5-9)
SHOVE-HALFPENNY Nothing to do with the corporate world, this is a cryptic, all-in-one description of a game associated with pubs, coins and tables
21a Socialist’s standard warning (3,4)
RED FLAG A double definition
23a Male singer embraces vibrato (7)
TREMBLE Take the name of singer with a high-pitched voice and insert (embraces) the abbreviation for “Male”
24a Different pairs date differently (9)
DISPARATE An anagram (differently) of “pairs date”
25a Former partner fronts French island bar (5)
EXILE The two-letter term meaning “Former partner” precedes (fronts) the French word for “island”
26a Started again with Reed in major championship? On the contrary (8)
REOPENED Insert the name of a major golf tournament (the only one of the majors not hosted in the US) into “Reed” from the clue. “On the contrary” tells you to do the opposite of the preceding sentence.
27a Lowers oneself, picking up people in Copenhagen (6)
DEIGNS A homophone (picking up) of the nationality of natives of Copenhagen
Down Clues
1d Water/G&T getting switched in wind up (8)
IRRITATE Take a synonym of “Water” as a verb and swap (getting switched) the “G” for a “T”
2d Spooner’s music adviser is a pest (9)
COCKROACH This “pest” is how the Rev Spooner could describe a music advisor who, for example, teaches people about music at the “heavier” end of the popular music spectrum
3d One’s drunk painting in short skirt (7)
MARTINI A three letter synonym of “painting” (and other creative expressions) is inserted into (in) the name for a type of “short skirt”
5d Corporate communication involved Tube line stress (8,6)
BUSINESS LETTER An anagram (involved) of “Tube line stress”
6d Former queen visiting museum gallery (7)
VERANDA The two letters used in the regnal signature of the previous British queen is inserted (visiting) into a casual term for a majo London museum, written (1,3,1)
7d Getting old and coping without servant (5)
AGING Remove (without) a three-letter term for a (male) “servant” from a synonym of “coping”
8d Explanation on purpose (6)
LEGEND Another name for the cricketing side known as “on” followed by a synonym of “purpose”
9d What an anagram of “gathered” could be doing in passing (6,3,5)
MAKING THE GRADE This synonym of “passing” (in the sense of tests) is also a way of describing the process and result of generating an anagram of “gathered”. This was easier to solve than to describe! As with 14a, it is very nearly a double-definition
15d Honouring Lennon with big building (9)
ENNOBLING An anagram (building) of “Lennon” and “big”
16d Cremation site witnessed up in the mountains (8)
PYRENEES A charade of a name for a “Cremation site” and a reversal (“up” in a Down clue) of a four-letter synonym of “witnessed”
18d Settlement with grand English country house at the forefront (7)
VILLAGE The letters indicating both “grand” and “English” or preceded (at the forefront) by a synonym for “country house”
19d Lead quietly with change of decree (7)
PRECEDE The musical abbreviation for “quietly” is followed by (with) an anagram (change) of “decree”
20d Rougher vintage claret served up (6)
CRUDER A three-letter term meaning “vintage” in the word of wine, followed by a reversal (“served up” in a Down clue) of the type of wine of which “claret” is an example
22d Party conflict? No way! (5)
DISCO Remove a two letter abbreviation for a type of thoroughfare (No way) from a synonym of “conflict” (or lack of harmony)
A very accomplished if not particularly difficult first cab off the rank this Toughie week. The most trouble I had was trying to pick out a duff surface: I had to give up on that front.
Some amusement to be had too, with the local diversion at 17a, the drinks getting switched in 1d and the vintage claret served up in 20d among the best of ’em.
My thanks to Shabbo and Whybird.
A big smile when I saw the setter’s name following the clues on my laptop screen. A perfect example of Shabbo’s work. Only marginally more challenging than Mr Plumb’s back pager but that doesn’t really matter for the first Toughie of the week. 1.5*/4.5*
Candidates for favourite – 12a, 14a, 17a, 1d, 7d, 9d, and 16d – and the winner is 17a.
Thanks to Shabbo and Whybird.
A very enjoyable puzzle while it lasted, one which I think would have been more suited to – and achieved a much wider audience in – the Wednesday back page slot. Not a Toughie – after all, Toughies are teased by the DT with “can you crack our hardest crossword?” – but a cracking puzzle nonetheless, with plenty of humour and many great surfaces.
Honours to 13a, 17a, 1d, 8d & 22d.
Many thanks indeed to Shabbo and to Whybird
I always enjoy Shabbo’s puzzles and this one was no exception, even though it can’t really be described as a Toughie. Nevertheless, the important thing is the number of ticks all over my page and the smile on my face whilst I was solving!
If you twist my arm to pick a favourite, I’ll settle on 17a – a brilliant clue.
Many thanks to Shabbo and to Whybird.
Have just finished another unaided solve so happy with that. I did need 1d explaining so thank you for that.
It’s a toss up between 2d, 9d and 17a for me and I think 9d wins I do love a punagram.
Thanks all
A nice Monday backpager which was most enjoyable while it lasted
Many thanks to Shabbo and Whybird
I like Tuesday toughies because , they are never too tough but you still have to think a little and they’re often quite jolly , unlike the grim Friday puzzles.(IMHO) . Today’s offering exceptionally mild but cleverly clued. 8, 17 and 20 my favourites . Thanks to all .
An excellent and very accessible puzzle from Shabbo – many thanks to him and Whybird.
I have lots of ticks on my printout including 21a, 1d, 8d and 22d. My favourite is 17a.
My first visit to the toughie blog having been signposted from the back pager – great fun with the local diversion as a brilliant clue! Thank you Shabbo and Whybird
Ticks all over the pitch with not a dud in sight. I’m sure I’ve seen the answer to 17a clued before but can’t believe it could have been done better than here – my fav by a distance & a strong contender for COTM (month). 1,14&26a + 1,2,9,16&20d other particular likes. 5*+ entertainment for the short time it lasted.
Thanks to Shabbo & to Whybird – welcome back & great selection of tunes.
Ps there is a great puzzle by Fed (our Django) over in the Graun which is also pretty gentle but great fun.
What a great puzzle, agree with the earlier comment about the fact it should have been a back pager as it really deserved the bigger audience. As have already been rightly praised, the surfaces are absolutely top notch. Loved it.
Thanks to Shabbo and to Whybird for the music
A most enjoyable and entertaining, if not too difficult, puzzle. Add me to the list of choosing 17a as cotd. Thanks to Shabbo and Whybird.