Sunday Toughie No 21 by Robyn
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 19th of June 2022
Across
1a Commotion, having drink knocked back after drink (6)
RUMPUS: This commotion comes from a verb to drink or SUP, it is reversed (knocked back) and follows a sailor’s favourite drink RUM.
5a Return of problem forces beginner to make wine (8)
MUSCADET: Another reversal, this time we reverse an arithmetic problem or SUM and add a military forces beginner or CADET. MUSCADET a typically light dry white wine especially grown in the Loire valley.
9a Blathered on, unnerved by pressure (8)
PRATTLED: To be unnerved or RATTLED put after P for pressure. BLATHER and PRATTLE are synonyms for to talk garrulous nonsense.
10a Where order’s kept, the main concern is lacking it (6)
PRIORY: This place where an order of monks is kept comes from the main concern or PRIORitY when it is lacking IT.
11a Call to engage team working in undesirable post (4,4)
HATE MAIL: This undesirable post is made from a synonym of call to engage a taxicab perhaps HAIL, it contains an anagram of TEAM (working in)
12a Nothing left by husband eating a sweet (6)
NOUGAT; Nothing or NOUGhT leaves the H for husband and adds (eating) the a from the clue.
13a Gathering English rap covers showing culture (3,5)
TEA PARTY: E for English is covered by a rap or TAP and followed by an ARTY culture lover.
15a It’s essential to defend soft goals (4)
ENDS: These goals or ENDS are lurking, hidden in defEND Soft.
17a Without paying, get pounds in pocket (4)
BLAG: To get something without paying this slang transitive verb means To rob, steal scrounge or wheedle, we make it from L for ponds (as in Lsd) in a pocket or BAG.
19a Person who sells record is a sorry individual (8)
REPENTER: A person who sells – a REP and to make a record in a log ENTER, make a repenter, an individual who is sorry for his sins.
20a Row ahead — row on river (6)
UPROAR: Someone who is ahead in a race may be UP on the others, to row or OAR follows R for river, This makes UPROAR, a row (different pronunciation) or commotion.
21a Papers penned by mostly puffed up ex-president (8)
POMPIDOU: Most of puffed up or POMPOUs loses the last letter and inserts some identification papers or ID, to make POMPIDOU an ex-president of France.
22a Some bread sandwiches dry before I interfere (4,2)
BUTT IN: A small bread roll or BUN contains TT for teetotal (dry as in abstinent of alcohol) before the I from the clue. BUTT IN to interfere.
23a What may be felt jacket in egregious clothing suggestion (8)
EMOTIONS: The jacket in EgregiouS would be E and S, they clothe a suggestion in a debate MOTION, EMOTIONS; a moving of the feelings.
24a Prosperous start of week after 33% cut in capital (8)
RICHMOND: The start of the week MONDay loses the last 33% and attaches itself to a synonym of prosperous RICH. RICHMOND the state capital of Virginia.
25a Bread-maker‘s apprentice not opening (6)
EARNER: This bread-maker or bread-winner is an apprentice or LEARNER without the opening L.
Down
2d Mostly mock child showing a lack of sense (8)
UNREASON: Most of a synonym of mock or ersatz UNREAL and a male child, or SON, shows a lack of sense or UNREASON.
3d Cases of aide heading for Egypt wearing shades (8)
PATIENTS: These medical cases come from an aide, personal assistant or PA, that takes some shades or TINTS that contain the initial (heading) of Egypt,
4d Knowing how one comes across dotty false pottery (4-5)
SELF AWARE: To know how you come across you would be SELF AWARE, start with an anagram (dotty) of FALSE and add a type of pottery (stoneWARE, earthenWARE or jasperWARE perhaps.
5d Extra fat butter? It’s beneath e.g. lid made fancy (6-3,6)
MIDDLE-AGE SPREAD: The extra fat that accumulates around the waistline is made from the butter or SPREAD that goes beneath an anagram (fancy) of e.g. lid made
6d Half-hearted on-screen presence back in comedy (7)
CURSORY: This presence on computer screens CURSOR and the back letter of comedY make CURSORY or half-hearted.
7d One’s kicked lapdog for barking, but not loudly (4,4)
DROP GOAL: An anagram of LAPDOG fOR after the abbreviation f for fortissimo or loudly is omitted (but not loudly). DROP GOAL is scored when a (Rugby) player kicks for goal in open play.
8d Hear pop star having romantic encounters (8)
TRYSTING: To hear in court or TRY and the pop star born Gordon Sumner or STING. TRYSTING an appointment to encounter or meet (usually romanticly)
14d Means to retain worker with energy in important post (5,4)
TOTEM POLE: This important post is revered by several North American tribes, The means to an end would be a TOOL it retains a TEMPorary worker and adds an E for energy.
15d Keeping cold, something added to food hamper (8)
ENCUMBER: Somethin added to food would be an E NUMBER it keeps C for COLD. To ENCUMBER or hamper.
16d Drug that makes you go wild I tried outside upper-class clubs (8)
DIURETIC: One who Nancy Mitford may have considered upper-class, U The letter that the club suit of cards suggests, C go in an anagram of I TRIED. DIURETIC A medicine or other substance that increases the flow of urine and makes you “go” more often.
17d Smarter clothing item voguish? That is right (8)
BRAINIER: This comparative adjective for smarter is composed of several parts, start with an item of clothing or BRA add something IN vogue. The Latin abbreviation I.E. for Id Est or that is and R for Right.
18d Broadcast news in America and Oz (8)
ANNOUNCE: To broadcast or ANNOUNCE. we start with N as an abbreviation of new, as we have news we can pluralise it to NN, precede it with A for America and follow it with an OUNCE or Oz.
19d Soldiers welcoming European fighter’s practicality (7)
REALISM: This synonym of practicality has E for European the greatest boxer ALI ( not forgetting fighter’s plural S contained in some abbreviated sea-borne soldiers Royal Marines. Thanks to CS for pointing out my misparsing of some Regimental Sergeant Majors E for European and a singular ALI.