Sunday Toughie 48 (Review)

Sunday Toughie No 48 by Zandio

Review by Sloop John Bee

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This puzzle was published online only on the 25th of December 2022

 

 

Across

1a Moving text from model with no more energy (4-3-5)
COPY AND PASTE: Synonyms of model as in imitate COPY, with as in including AND, a historical no more PAST, and E for energy (Ctrl-C Ctrl-V)

8a One disbelieves quote about Hearts making a comeback (7)
HERETIC: To quote or CITE. about or RE and H for Hearts are reversed (making a comeback) a disbeliever or HERETIC.

9a This person needs a belt or more strapping (7)
MEATIER: This person or ME, A from the clue a belt or TIER follows to be MEATIER or more strapping.

11a A fling, then Frenchman’s word is retracted in game of chance (7)
TOMBOLA: An ideal opportunity to re-gift those unwanted presents, A from the clue, to fling or LOB  add the Frenchman’s word for word  MOT and reverse ( is retracted) the lot. A LOB MOT becomes a TOMBOLA

12a Electronic bug located after street clean (7)
STERILE: E for the prefix of all things electronic (e-mail, e ciggies etc.)and to bug or RILE, follows the abbreviation for Street ST, to be clean and STERILE.

13a Festivities end in brawling, I regret to say (5)
GALAS: These festivities are the end letter of brawling G and another word for I regret to say or ALAS.

14a Warrior takes 31 days over suppressing sin and evil (9)
GUERRILLA: Synonyms of sin ERR, and evil ILL, go in a reversal (over) of an abbreviation of one of the months that contain 31 days AUGust.

16a Company with hotel invested in local I used as boozer (9)
ALCOHOLIC: I from the clue, an abbreviation of company CO, and the letter that hotel indicates H, are invested in an anagram of LOCAL.

19a What jazz singers can do to keep new is limited (5)
SCANT: When jazz singers forget the words or want to mumble they may SCAT around N for new gives us something limited or SCANT.

21a One simply can’t resist house stuffing (7)
HOARDER: A nice little &lit or all-in-one of someone who stuffs their house to the gills with rubbish that more sensible people recycle or re-gift perhaps.

23a Deception linked with manufactured pop (7)
LIMEADE: A deception or LIE links with manufactured or MADE for the “pop” LIMEADE.

24a Stagger away, say, quickly (4,3)
REEL OFF: A double or triple definition or an all-in-one. To stagger or REEL, to stagger away REEL OFF, to say or REEL to say quickly REEL OFF.

25a Sleeping supporter seen in border station (7)
BEDPOST: The border where flowers grow BED, and a supporter or POST being the place where a custom/border guard may be stationed.

26a Dr Foster maybe, carer, repeatedly tracks cases of medicine round hospital (7,5)
NURSERY RHYME: A medical carer NURSE,and two (repeatedly) of the abbreviations for railway RY and RY around the letter that Hospital represents, followed by the case letters of medicine ME. Dr Foster is a definition by example (maybe) of the childish ditty we seek.

Down

1d Salad cream could be reimagined in ads this sweet (7)
CARAMEL: This sweet is a compound anagram (reimagined) of Salad cream after ads has been removed.

2d Bit of butter on bun, ending with different size rounds (7)
PATROLS: A small PAT of butter on a ROLL but the last L for large is changed to S for small (different size) to be the PATROLS or rounds that a guard may make.

3d Spirit character in Tempest that is out to embrace transformation (9)
ARCHANGEL: A character in Shakespeare’s The Tempest ARIEL loses the Latin Id Est and embraces a transformation CHANGE.  AR(CHANGE)(IE)L Gabriel being an example of the spirit we seek.

4d Germany will crush any revolutionary protests (5)
DEMOS: D the IVR code for Germany and a reversal (revolutionary) of any or SOME becomes the protests or DEMOS.

5d Lay a covering on France’s Route du Sud (7)
AMATEUR: A from the clue a small covering carpet or MAT and a French route road or RUE (reversed du Sud) Lay an adjective for Non-professional or AMATEUR

6d Experiment involving four or six without gravity (7)
TRIVIAL: An experiment or TRIAL involves either the Roman numeral IV for four or VI for six depending on where the I in trial is placed to be TR IVI AL or without gravity.

7d Shooter that usually puts a smiley face on their target? (12)
PHOTOGRAPHER: another all-in-one or &lit. This shooter will try and get a smile from targets by asking them to say Cheese!

10d Met drunk in wrong entrance – start of sad events, getting done over (2-10)
RE-ENACTMENTS: An anagram of MET (drunk) goes in an anagram (wrong) of ENTRANCE, followed by the start of sad S. I used to play at English Civil War Soldiers in the Sealed Knot but it was more about the beer than re-enacting the Battle of Marston Moor.

15d Sharp metal ruler to be pulled out? (9)
EXCALIBUR: another all-in-one or &lit. The Legend of King Arthur suggests that he pulled this sharp metal implement from a stone or anvil to prove he was to be the rightful heir to the throne.

17d Somewhere upper-class French ate aubergine parcels (7)
CHATEAU: A lurker (parcels) in the preceding three words

18d Revolting, in retreat, time to go south (7)
HIDEOUS: A Retreat or HIDEOUT, replace the T for time with S for south (time to go south), to  be something revolting or HIDEOUS,

19d Eventually 4 will go north a year (7)
SOMEDAY: A from the clue and Y for Year follow a reversal (will go north in a down clue) of the answer to 4d DEMOS becomes SOMED A Y eventually.

20d Integrated in Singapore, do Malaysians put up with it? (1,2,4)
A LA MODE: An apple pie served with Ice Cream perhaps also a reverse lurker (integrated in – put up)  – in a down clue)

22d Point both ways (5)
REFER: A palindrome to finish (both ways), “I Refer the hon. gentleman to the answer I gave earlier”? to point or refer to something that happened before.