Sunday Toughie No 62 by proXimal
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 2nd of April 2023
Across
1a Harbour location strike ended, according to Spooner (8)
DOCKSIDE: Oh dear, we start with my bête noire, a Spoonerism. If “according to Spooner” is the indicator, the rest must be the phrase to be spoonerised and the definition. Take synonyms of strike SOCK, and ended DIED, and swap the first sounds to fit the definition
5a Drake, perhaps, removing whiskey from jacket (6)
RAPPER: Not the first Drake that comes to mind, neither the Elizabethan explorer or the male duck. We remove the letter that whiskey suggests from a jacket or WRAPPER, to get the musical genre that the Canadian Aubrey “Drake” Graham is known for
9a One keeping documents secure beginning to concern council after insolence (9)
CLIPBOARD: The first letter of concern C, then a council or BOARD goes after some insolence or LIP
11a American’s covering competitive event (5)
DERBY: A double definition, an American term for the Bowler hat is the same as a British competitive event between local rivals a DERBY (although pronunciations may vary)
12a Beginning to embrace divorced Royal Institute scientist (6)
DARWIN: The beginning of the day or DAWN, embraces separately (divorced) the abbreviation of the Royal Institute R.I. divorced allows us to lift and separate the R and I
13a Pleased bear pinching cheese runs back (8)
GRATEFUL: To bear or LUG around some FETA cheese and R for runs then all reversed (back)
15a Assuredness backing general, manipulated soft figure to protect king (6,2,5)
NERVES OF STEEL: Best solved from the back. Take the reversal of an American Civil War General Robert E. LEE, an anagram of SOFT, a figure between six and eight SEVEN, around (to protect) the Latin letter that defines the regal nature of a king R. Someone with the assuredness of an iron (alloy) constitution
18a This writer involved in a revolutionary fuel shares advances (13)
AMELIORATIONS: A from the clue, how proXimal refers to himself ME, a fuel oil, reversed LIO, and some shares or RATIONS, give us a word that makes better, improves or advances
22a Whizz around circulating mail for herald (8)
PROCLAIM: A whizz, expert or PRO, one of our usual around’s circa or C, and a reversal (circulating) of mail LIAM.
23a Groom losing heart ended marital arrangement (3-3)
PRE-NUP: To groom or PR(E)EN loses the e at its heart and ended or UP gives us a marital PRE-NUPtial arrangement
26a Crease from edges of clasp holding skirt (5)
CRIMP: A skirt or RIM is held by the outer edges of C(las)P
27a Make standard Scandinavian ferries land in Africa (9)
NORMALISE: An ancient Scandinavian NORSE, around a landlocked African country MALI
28a Rank inside green bottles (6)
DEGREE: A lurker (bottles) in the other two words
29a Recalled times eating mediocre starter in eatery? Me too! (4,4)
SAME HERE: A reversal of geological time periods ERAS, goes around a slang interjection expressing mediocrity MEH and the starting letter of eatery E. An expression that like Me too! indicates that I would like what your having
Down
1d Books after some time degenerate (8)
DECADENT: A period of time DECADE, followed by the New Testament part of the bible NT
2d Announcer withholding nothing from Corrie broadcast (5)
CRIER: an anagram (broadcast) of C(o)RRIE when the letter that looks like nothing has been witheld
3d Magnificent craft going over tree (7)
SUBLIME: An abbreviated SUBmarine goes over a LIME tree
4d One’s pulled out of water holding article (4)
DRAY: If you are out of water you may be DRY, if it holds the indefinite article A it would be a DRAY a horse-drawn cart used for moving beer. If I am quicker with the shovel than the local allotment holders, the horses of my local brewery here supply copious amounts of fertiliser for my tomatoes
6d One checked car in place hit by driver? (7)
AUDITEE: A brand of German car AUDI, and the place a golf ball is hit by a driver TEE, one who is subject to the financial checks of an audit
7d Case of wine, fine mixture (9)
PORTFOLIO: A fortified wine PORT, a fine pencil F, and a mixture or medley OLIO, a case to contain loose papers
8d High-ranking people dispatch soldiers to the north (6)
ROYALS: To dispatch or kill SLAY, and members of the armed services without commissions Other Ranks or OR,are reversed (to the north in a down clue)
10d Scoffing fish sandwiches father served up (8)
DERISORY: A species of fish DORY, around a reversal (served up) of a father or SIRE
14d Control playing piece, pinning one knight (8)
DOMINION: Not a chess or draught piece here but one of a group of (usually) 28 playing pieces DOMINO pins the letter that looks like one followed by the chess notation for a knight. Is proXimal a Star Trek fan?
16d Cook ignores an argument (9)
REASONING: An anagram (cook) of IGNORES AN
17d Compound is reopen after renovation (8)
ISOPRENE: An anagram (after renovation) of IS REOPEN gives us ISOPRENE A hydrocarbon of the terpene group which may be polymerized into a synthetic rubber compound
19d Top network operator impacted by strikes (7)
ECLIPSE: A network operator formerly known as Everything Everywhere EE, around glancing strikes or CLIPS (round t’lug oyl perhaps)
20d Biting food female’s left uncooked (7)
TARTARE: Something biting or TART and some food or (f)ARE when F for female has left, Steak Tartare an uncooked dish of raw chopped fillet steak usually served with a similarly raw egg
21d Large letters turning up journalist separated (6)
SPACED: T h e l a r g e l e t t e r s o f t h e a l p h a b e t CAPS, a r e r e v e r s e d a b o v e o u r u s u a l j o u r n a l i s t ED
24d Green parrot’s tail missing in indigenous species (5)
NAIVE: Something indigenous or NATIVE without the tail letter of parrot is NAIVE or green
25d Listener’s comparatively well-ventilated place (4)
AREA: A place that is a homophone of the comparative of well ventilated, AIRIER becomes AREA