Sunday Toughie No 102 by proXimal
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 7th of January 2024
Across
1a Constant guest at iconic shows (6)
STATIC: A lurker (shows) in the preceding three words
4a Improved film ratings with excellent edition (8)
UPGRADED: Two film ratings from the more suitable end of the scale U & PG, an informal term for excellent RAD, and an abbreviation for edition ED, you are UPGRADED to First Class when they let you turn left at the aeroplane door
9a Gang infiltrated by copper remaining undisturbed (6)
RIDING: The abbreviation of a copper or policeman of the rank of Detective Inspector DI, infiltrates a gang or cabal RING, RIDING, undisturbed like letting your winnings roll over on a roulette table
10a Three articles by graduate source of scorn (8)
ANATHEMA: Two indefinite articles AN & A, and a definite article THE, combine with a higher arts graduate MA, to become an object of abhorrence or scorn ANATHEMA
11a Course of instruction for golf almost completely full (9)
PROGRAMME: A prefix for for PRO, the letter that golf suggests G, and almost all of a synonym of completely full RAMME(D)
13a Ancient Cockney’s BGT judge (5)
OLDEN: How a Cockney may pronounce the surname of Amanda HOLDEN, one of the judges of Britain’s Got Talent
14a Argentine leader hosting relation, regular drinkers directly communicating (6-2-6)
PERSON-TO-PERSON: Take the most famous Argentine leader PERON, and insert (hosting) a young male relation SON and some regular drinkers TOPERS, PER(SON)(TOPERS)ON
17a According to Spooner, source of eggs for Roald, novelist (7,7)
CHARLES DICKENS: The least troublesome Spoonerism for some time, The surname of one novelist Roald DAHL’S and the source of eggs CHICKENS, become another novelist when treated by the Reverend Doctor Spooner to be CHARLES DICKENS
21a Simple tree extraordinary in auditorium (5)
BASIC: Homophones (in auditorium) of a tree known for its fragrant leaves BAY, and a slang term for extraordinary SICK, BAY-SICK becomes BASIC
23a Cheese pieces with temperature maintained in space by onboard computer (9)
EMMENTHAL: A printers space EM, the pieces on a chess board MEN, and the abbreviation for temperature T, go before (by) the onboard computer that proved troublesome in 2001: A Space Odyssey HAL, EMMENTHAL an archetypal Swiss cheese known for its holes
24a Regularly ignored bad talk against South Island (8)
ATLANTIS: The capitalisation of South Island misleads us towards New Zealand. Ignore alternate letters of bad talk ATL, a term for one who is against something ANTI, and the abbreviation for south S, leads us to the imaginary island of ATLANTIS
25a Bowl right beside case (6)
CRATER: An abbreviation of right R, beside a large packing case or CRATE(R)
26a Cursed the Spanish embargo with bananas getting turned back (8)
DAMNABLE: A Spanish the EL, an embargo BAN, and a synonym of bananas MAD, are reversed (getting turned back) to be deserving of being cursed or DAMNABLE
27a Rogue heartlessly dictates orders (6)
EDICTS: An anagram (rogue) of DIC(ta)TES when the letters at the heart have been removed EDICTS or orders
Down
1d Difficulties avoiding eastern junks (6)
SCRAPS: The difficulties that childhood knees suffer SCRAP(E)S, avoid the abbreviation of East to be junked or thrown away
2d Alien finally invading this galaxy could be Armageddon (9)
ANDROMEDA: Is this a rare central definition? An anagram (alien) of ARMA(G)EDDON when you have removed the final letter of invadinG – More likely an extraction anagram &lit
3d Lady’s last to leave exterior pub areas for interior (7)
INNARDS: One’s interior parts when the last letter of Lady has been removed from the exterior parts of a pub INN (Y)ARDS, (where they probably keep the bins)
5d Chaos over in slate mine plastered with mud (11)
PANDEMONIUM: A crickety over O, to slate or criticise PAN, MINE and MUD from the clue is anagrammed (plastered) to give PANDEMONIUM or Chaos
6d Cost to secure house with large entrance to living area (7)
RATHOLE: The cost or going “price” RATE, secures abbreviations of house HO, and L for large to be a rather untidy living area suitable for rodents RATHOLE
7d Awe Romeo out of play receives (5)
DREAD: An adjective (of a ball perhaps) that is out of play DEAD, receives the NATO phonetic code letter that Romeo suggests DREAD
8d Extracting shelled crab parts having dinner (8)
DRAINING: Those parts of a crab that remain when it has been shelled c)RA(b, go into (parts) a verb to be having dinner DINING Extracting or D(RA)INING
12d Car appropriate to carry Republican, one of government office (11)
MINISTERIAL: A small car MINI, and to appropriate illegally STEAL, carries an abbreviation of Republican R and the letter that looks like one I an adjective of government office MINISTERIAL
15d Casual pyrotechnist no pro and not natural (9)
SYNTHETIC: An anagram (casual) of pYroTECHNIST after pro has been removed
16d Burns, perhaps, under crusted skin’s protective covering (8)
SCABBARD: The term for a national poet, Rabbie Burns of Scotland in this case BARD, goes under the crusted skin of those SCABby knees again, SCABBARD the protective covering if a sword or knife
18d ALl sUCh fINDs completely uncovered by A girl (7)
LUCINDA: The first three words lose their covering letters (completely uncovered) and go by A from the clue
19d Like agreeable wine (7)
KINDRED: A synonym of agreeable KIND, and a type of wine RED, form a similarity or affinity you may like, a KINDRED spirit perhaps
20d Picked up knacks to make legwear (6)
FLARES: A homophone (picked up) of knacks or abilities FLAIRS becomes FLARES
22d Men swapping tips somewhere in America (5)
SALEM: Members of the masculine sex MALES, swap their first and last letters to be an American place SALEM, most well known for the Witch Trials in Massachusetts, but Google Maps finds a place with this name in at least eight other States
That’s all Folks…