Sunday Toughie 108 (Hints)

Sunday Toughie No 108

by proXimal

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

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A proper Toughie from proXimal today that took me a fair bit longer than normal last night, some quite tricky anagrams, extractions and wordplay have hit t’ cutting room floor
I have hinted at half of an even 14a and 14d clues but if you want a nudge on any just ask and I will try to help if I can. CrypticSue’s red pencil seems to be a bit sharper than mine – beware t’ naughty step!

Here we go, Folks…

As it is a Prize puzzle I can only hint at a few and hope that will give you the checkers and inspiration to go further. I’ll return with the full review blog just after the closing date. Don’t forget to follow BD’s instructions in RED at the bottom of the hints!

I hope I don’t have to redact any comments but I am new at this and don’t want to rock the boat. If in doubt, I’ll rub it out! I think that sentence is a bit redundant. You have all been so helpful in sorting out prior parsing failures, and I am sure I will need similar help again.

Most of the terms used in these hints are explained in the Glossary and examples are available by clicking on the entry under “See also” Where the hint describes a construct as “usual” this means that more help can be found in The Usual Suspects, which gives a number of the elements commonly used in the wordplay. Another useful page is Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing, which features words with meanings that are not always immediately obvious. Don’t forget the Mine of Useful information that Big Dave and his son Richard so meticulously prepared for us.

A full review of this puzzle will be published after the closing date for submissions. Some hints follow: Remember the site rules and play nicely.

                  Across

1a                           Unbelievable! Spooner’s cutting the grass without looking (4-7)
The act of cutting the grass whilst being unable to see is treated by the Reverend Doctor to be an unbelievable phrase!

8a                           Such plates bistro ordered might show abnormalities (7)
proXimal’s trademark reverse anagram, Thin plates of rock or bone when anagrammed with bistro might be abnormalities

10a        Aircraft bringing individual back with delay? Indeed (5,3)
A very specific aircraft, an individual is reversed then a delay and finishing with an interjection for indeed
The obvious musical link would have been too much, here is a piece by the only other band I know of that shares initials with Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

14a        Take control of company browser to follow 1,000 staff (10)
Take control of abbreviations of company, thousand and to staff followed by a browsing even-toed animal

16a        Heard shaggy-haired beast and Solo act half-heartedly without weapons (10)
A homophone of a shaggy-haired beast, the forename of a Star Wars character and a four-letter act after one of its central characters has been removed

21a        That’s woeful overlapping music style somewhere in America (6)
A synonym of woeful shares its last letter with the first of a style of music similar to reggae

26a        Concerning to Parisian, small debts unchanging (11)
One of our usual concerning’s or about’s, how a Parisian may say small and promissory notes that acknowledge debts. Unchanging or a bit boring

Down

1d          Market’s opening early before eggs land (7)
An opening letter, a synonym of early go before some biological eggs for a land in Eastern Europe

3d          Discusses sportspeople on a circuit (4,6)
Sportspeople, without a gender suffix, who wield the willow, a from the clue and a synonym of circuit. To informally discuss in a back and forth way

5d          Approaching one mile in underground tunnel, not hollowed out (8)
The letter that looks like one, an abbreviation of mile, an underground tunnel for the extraction of valuable commodities and what remains of not when it has been hollowed out

9d          Tribal adviser and fine subordinate blossom (11)
A tribal advisor who is the most senior in wisdom and experience, an abbreviation of fine and to be subordinate is the blossom that is a refreshing additive to many drinks
You can certainly taste t’blossom in my local gin

15d        Shocked when fish tail from bin’s found in drink (6,2)
To take a drink goes around a type of fish and the tail letter of bin

20d        Revolutionary sent gold to the north (6)
To send or throw and a reversal of heraldic gold

23d        Modify belief that disregards the King (4)
To believe or trust disregards the King’s regnal cipher

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