Toughie No 3774 by Weatherman
Hints and Tips by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***
Weatherman set us a nice ‘start of the week’ Toughie with the possibility of learning some new words along the way
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought
Across
1a Picket about change to salaried work (8,4)
PARADISE LOST A stake driven into the ground (picket) into which is inserted an anagram (change to) of SALARIED
9a Calculate the total number of diamonds held by American political party (3,2)
ADD UP The abbreviation for the card suit of Diamonds inserted between (held by) the abbreviation for American and a Northern Irish political party
10a Disgusting dog tucking into part left over, lacking decorum in the end (9)
REPUGNANT A type of dog inserted into (tucking into) a piece of something left over without (lacking) the end letter of decoruM
11a It’s the same kid cutting river plant (10)
SNAPDRAGON Sunday’s “spiky” plant is back – this time clued as an interjection used when discovering two matching items and a verb meaning to tease (kid) inserted into a Yorkshire river
12a Worry English king’s left charity event (4)
FETE A verb meaning to worry without (left) the Latin abbreviation for king, but with the abbreviation for English added at the end
13a Criticise group of doctors over previous cases (7)
LAMBAST An abbreviated group of doctors reversed (over) and ‘cased by’ or inserted into an adjective meaning latest (previous)
15a Makes certain nurses irritated after heading for endocrinology (7)
ENSURES An anagram (irritated) of NURSES goes after the ‘heading’ for Endocrinology
17a That man cheers European artist’s ancient Greek courtesan (7)
HETAERA The masculine form of the third person pronoun (that man), an informal word of thanks (cheers), the abbreviation for European and the usual abbreviated artist – a word I knew but very fairly clued if you didn’t
19a Surfacing material brought in initially by trade union blokes (7)
BITUMEN The initial letters of Bought In, the abbreviation for Trade Union and some blokes
21a Managed to grab iodine drops (4)
RAIN A synonym for managed ‘grabs’ the chemical symbol for Iodine
22a Concerning downfall heartlessly causing amazement (10)
ASTOUNDING A two-word phrase meaning concerning and ruin or downfall without the middle letter (heartlessly)
25a Lover accepting command statement (9)
BORDEREAU A lover ‘accepting’ a command gives us a statement or note, especially one containing an enumeration of documents I didn’t know this one, but again it was very fairly clued
26a Land surrounded by water has been rented out (5)
ISLET A simple way of saying has been and another for rented out
27a Suspect heretics fled town (12)
CHESTERFIELD An anagram (suspect) of HERETICS FLED
Down
1d News agency covering cricket match in stages (5)
PODIA An abbreviated news agency ‘covering’ an abbreviated one-day international cricket match
2d Refuse to accept I had started with unlimited free dessert (9)
REPUDIATE The solution starts with the inside (unlimited) letters of fREe, an informal dessert and then another way of saying I had consumed (the dessert perhaps?)
3d Sleeping with marine after party – and soldier? (7)
DORMANT An abbreviated Royal Marine goes after a party, one of crosswordland’s soldiers being added at the end
4d Believe model overcome by drink (7)
SUPPOSE A verb meaning to model goes after (is overcome by) a verb meaning to drink
5d Record old symbol (4)
LOGO A verb meaning to record and the abbreviation for Old
6d You might hit this crime area with partners from the South (5,4)
SNARE DRUM A reversal (from the south) of a terrible crime, the abbreviation for Area and two abbreviated partners in a game of bridge
7d Old-fashioned young lady blocks suggestive proposal, ultimately (6)
DAMSEL Blocks or restrains and the ultimate letters of suggestivE and proposaL
8d Perhaps what’s in the centre of vast capital? (6)
ATHENS A change from the usual ways of cluing this European capital – this time a phrase describing how you might write out the letters in the centre of vASt
14d Powerful woman‘s protest stopped by brief court proceedings (9)
MATRIARCH A type of protest ‘stopped’ by some court proceedings without the final letter (brief)
16d Light dinner if not especially upset? Only a bit (3,2,4)
SET FIRE TO Hidden in reverse (upset) in a bit of dinnER IF NOT ESpecially
17d Reformed beery husband kicks off because of this (6)
HEREBY The abbreviation for Husband goes before (kicks off) an anagram (reformed) of BEERY
18d Serious American author on ecstasy (7)
AUSTERE The solution was fairly obvious from the definition and checking letters, but I did have to check that there was an American author with this surname before adding the abbreviation for the drug Ecstasy
19d Epic mistake of New Yorker to reserve Misery, on reflection (7)
BEOWULF A reversal (on reflection) of a North American informal mistake into which is inserted (to reserve) misery or misfortune
20d Deny wife has absconded from prison in the past (6)
NEGATE The abbreviation for Wife has ‘absconded’ from the name of an old London prison
23d Did little riddles endlessly on moving day (5)
IDLED Remove the ‘ends’ from rIDDLEs and move the second use of the abbreviation for Day to the end of the word
24d This might help you see French city (4)
LENS A double definition which was solved on first reading which is always handy when a clue goes onto a second piece of paper as you don’t have to write it out on the first before solving
A manageable midweek Toughie but I needed to confirm 17a, the Greek courtesan which was evident from the wordplay, the statement at 25a which was a new word for me and the New York word for mistake in 19d. All in all a very enjoyable Toughie which would not be out of place in a late week back-pager.
Many thanks to Weatherman and crypticsue.
2*/3.5*
I thought this was excellent. Just right for a midweek Toughie in terms of difficulty and a lot of fun to solve.
There were two unknown answers for me in 17a & 25a, but both were very fairly clued. I’ve never heard of the American author in 18d and I couldn’t parse the devious “then” part of 8d. It was good to see the necessary American indicator in 19d.
Many thanks to Weatherman and to CS.
FWIW, I found this quite tricky. None of the clues were ‘read and write’ . Many seemed obscure until i had the answer, when they, mainly, became obvious and i wondered what all the fuss had been about! 😱
I was pleased to finish with some e help (17a 25a). I did like 6 down.
Thanks to Weatherman and Sue.
Like yesterday, a very enjoyable puzzle which was not difficult. I was held up slightly by the same three clues as Croye Dave. All three were generously clued, but nonetheless obscurities, so I would have given an extra star for difficulty. 1a was my favourite; I was not even sure what the definition was, but with the first letter of the second word and the two previous crossers, the work almost flew off the page. Thanks Weatherman and C Sue.
The same unknowns as others added to a few complicated parsings mean I’d have rated this higher than a 1* difficulty.
Odd that we see once again an answer repeated within a short space of time: I’m referring to the plant at 11a. Well clued though.
Not too much in the way of fun, I sought solace in the company of the posh Greek tart at 17a and the scandalous nocturnal shannanigans occurring in 3d.
My thanks to Weatherman and CS.
I had the same obscurities as others above but as others have also said they were all fairly clued. Thanks to Weatherman for the puzzle and CS for the review.
My ticks went to the amusing 3d, 8d and 20d.
What a great toughie yet again!
17a was a new word to me however easily solved from the clue then just a check that I had the spelling correct. I have come across 25a when I worked for a company that had its own captive insurance company.
I hadn’t managed to solve 1d or 7d cannot see why as they were not obscure words and the clues gave them up.
The only other one to cause initial problems was 19d, I filled it in and then immediately took it out as I thought my spelling was wrong.
11a is my COTD or maybe 13a
Thanks all
8d my favourite and clever clue alt6I needed the hint to parse it fully.A very enjoyable solve just right for a mid weeker .. One or two words I didn’t know but all get able from the clues.Thanks to all .
Harder than a single * difficulty for me despite a fair few gimmes. Mr G called upon to confirm the same fairly clued ‘never heard ofs’ & one or two of the whys had to wait on a later bus. Enjoyed the solve even if it maybe lacked the fun element of yesterday’s canter. Think I’d give the clueing here for 6d&11a the edge over recent appearances.
Ticks for 1,10&11a + 2,3,8&14d.
Thanks to Weatherman & to CS
Super puzzle, and for me too rather more than just 1* – Serendipity puts it perfectly in (3) above: Many seemed obscure until I had the answer, when they, mainly, became obvious and I wondered what all the fuss had been about.
The courtesan and statement were both new to me, too, but very fairly clued; I took too long to spot the anagram at 1a but on doing so it unlocked the top of the puzzle; likewise I stared at 16d for ages before a different sort of light dawned. Both the New York mistake and US author were unknowns and the answers went in based on definitions and checkers.
Honours to 19a, 22a, 3d & 8d but there could have been many more.
Many thanks to Weatherman and Sue
Not too tough and fun to work through. Ideal for a confidence boost in the evening after a day at what passes for the grindstone. And it is always satisfying to make up a word or two and find they exist and mean what they’re supposed to: a sign of a well-set clue. I liked the surfaces of 3d, 17d, 18d and 20d in particular.
Thanks to Weatherman and CS