Sunday Toughie No 5 by Zandio
Review by Sloop John Bee
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
This puzzle was published on 27th February 2022
Across
1 This cyclist may be in bottom position (6,4)
SADDLE SORE: A problem a cyclist may suffer from and where he may suffer it.
6 Two-thirds of three, say, it often goes with 1 (4)
NUMBER; Three is an example, (as was eighteen yesterday). Take two-thirds of the six-letter noun that three is an example of (NUMB ER), to produce a sensation that someone with 1 across may feel.
10 ‘Origins of Hell’: anarchic visions of chaos (5)
HAVOC; Initial letters (Origins of) of the remaining 5 words.
11 Ginger Rogers taking the lead, directed by Sheeran? (3-6)
RED HEADED: Take the lead letter of Rogers, add Mr Sheeran’s forename and follow with a synonym of directed.
I chose a black and white picture of Ed Sheeran as we just need his forename for the clue and the colour of his hair is a clever bit of misdirection by the setter.
12 Unpopular drama is best (7)
OUTPLAY; A synonym of unpopular as in OUT of fashion is followed by a dramatic performance or play to match the definition BEST verb (bested, besting) colloq to beat or defeat someone.
13 Singular bravery needed to repel a menace (7)
SCOURGE; The letter that is added to a singular possession (sometimes – isn’t English delightfully complicated) and a synonym of bravery (COURAGE) without the letter a.
14 Four tugs toil at sea — one’s task is to look ahead (12)
FUTUROLOGIST; An anagram (at sea) of the first three words in the clue.
18 DJ’s cleaner? (7,5)
CLOTHES BRUSH; a cleaner to remove lint from a dinner jacket.
Not Sir Terry’s Cleaning woman but something he may need to get fluff off his evening wear.
I have chosen some rather UK centric images but for those from overseas, the image is of the Disc Jockey Sir Terry Wogan, wearing a Dinner Jacket or DJ sometimes known as a tuxedo. I will endeavour to pick universally known images but I suspect the DT crossword will still feature UK centric clues.
21 Coming from behind, some team’s drawn or ahead (7)
ONWARDS; a reverse lurker (coming from behind, some) in team’S DRAWN Or – towards or at a place or time which is advanced or in front; ahead.
23 Evidence of maturing shellfish being broken up by river (7)
WRINKLE; The shellfish is a shortened form of the PeriWINKLE broken up with the R for river.
These shellfish used to be served in the shell with a pin to extract them. Break them up with the abbreviation for river and you get the evidence of maturing that W. H Auden had in spades.
24 Space traveller takes over? (5-4)
GUEST ROOM; The space you may have available for travellers to stay with you, I think the traveller specifically is rom or Rom noun (roma or romas) a male Gypsy; a Romany, into which the abbreviation for an over at cricket is inserted
25 Call in pub to get two halves (5)
PHONE; The Ordnance Survey letters for a Public House are added to what two halves make (ONE) to call someone.
26 Colluded about taking the middle flat (4)
DULL; The middle four letters of CoLLUDed are reversed (about) to fit the definition Flat.
27 Screen times for ‘Encounters with the Unknown‘ (5,5)
BLIND DATES; A screen you may put up at a window and times you may mark on a calendar combine to give romantic meetings with unknown partners.
Pic is of Cilla Black and Paul O’Grady – both presenters of the UK version of the TV programme BLIND DATE
Down
1 Train with taps installed in rest rooms upside down (6)
SCHOOL: rest rooms is a rather formal (and possibly American) phrase for the smallest room, Take a plural informal British phrase for the same room turn it upside down and insert the letters found on most taps therein.
Minor problem with that hint as it was, I think the letters on taps are more commonly referred to as Hot and Cold rather than cold and hot, as in hot and cold running water; therefore the taps are put into the LOO(HC)S before they are reversed (upside down) in a down clue
2 Bedclothes Casanova’s thrown over, very European at heart (6)
DUVETS; Casanova saw himself as having, great sexual energy and prowess, a colloquial phrase for such a chap is thrown over and has abbreviations for Very and European inserted. I need a new one as most of the fluff has emigrated from mine.
Casanova was regarded as a STUD Thrown over (ooh err missus)with V and E inserted you get some rather rumpled bedclothes.
3 Council sending boozer to consultant? (5,9)
LOCAL AUTHORITY; your nearest or favourite boozer would be LOCAL send that to consult someone who knows about such matters you get an AUTHORITY (Miffypops perhaps) Together they become your Council.
4 They apply paint, shower and cosy up (5,4)
SPRAY GUNS; A synonym of shower, (SPRAY) and the reversal (up in a down clue) of cosy or SNUG GUNS becomes the definition.
5 Cycles and walks, smartly avoiding street (5)
RIDES; Walks smartly or STRIDES loses the abbreviation for STreet.
7 Support offered by PR in nude wrestling (8)
UNDERPIN; Anagram of (wrestling) PR IN NUDE
8 Spooner’s father predicts they won’t get paid (3,5)
BAD DEBTS: If your father predicts sporting events he would be a gambler. Treat a simple phrase that that suggests, in the manner suggested by the Rev. Spooner and you get another term for the inability to settle one’s losing wagers. DAD BETS when Spoonerised becomes BAD DEBTS.
9 Admired that guy on line before soldiers posted? (4-10)
HERO WORSHIPPED;
a bit of a lego clue, A male pronoun, that guy or HE, a horizontal arrangement or line, ROW, Other Ranks of soldiers, OR and a synonym of posted, SHIPPED are put together in order (on…before) to satisfy the definition
For those who wondered who that is, It is Big Dave himself. He deserves Hero Worshipping for the help he has given to all 61 million-plus visitors here.
15 They’re eight in number, or figure, stereotypically (9)
OARSWOMEN; There are eight OARSWOMEN in a rowing crew, in Bingo calling the number 8 is called as “One Fat Lady” and by extension 88 is Two Fat Ladies. My illustration is of the UK Celebrity Chefs known as the Two Fat Ladies. Once again that may be a bit UK centric but at least Jean-Luc has heard of them and even has their book!
This sporting eight cropped up yesterday but here they are gender-specific and somewhat unflatteringly we get a stereotypical description of their figure. Everybody forgets about the coxswain, but the coxswain although they bring the crew up to nine, they don’t have an oar, and they don’t have to be the same gender as the other 8.
16 Bit of play from setter perhaps getting twisted — disaster! (3,2,3)
ACT OF GOD; One of the parts of a play, and the setter here is one of the canine species and reversed (getting twisted)
17 ‘Good to tuck into beef’ — swine that goes round showing sharp teeth (8)
COGWHEEL; I did think that COWHEEL might be the beef here (Cowheel is the fatty cartilage from around a beast’s heel. Chunks are boiled, and form a sweet, mucilaginous gravy.) but in this case the beef is just COWinsert the G for Good and append the swine (slang for a contemptible person) HEEL to get the sharp teeth of a COGWHEEL We have saddle sore, numb, and cycle rides now another bike part. Has Zandio been overdoing things on his bike?
19 Husband is perkier, oddly going absent (3,3)
EKE OUT;
The odd letters of a word pErKiEr are absent, add the three that are left to a synonym of going absent (OUT) for a phrase that means to husband one’s resources perhaps.
20 Time Out‘s latest books rejected for empty slogans (6)
RECESS;
A synonym of latest (RECENT)has the New Testament removed and replaced with (rejected for) the outer letters of (empty) SloganS for time spent on the naughty step. No Lemon drizzle cake for offenders today.
22 Blemish in facial features lifted, with nothing to cut (5)
SPOIL; the facial features that stop your mouth from fraying are reversed (lifted) with the letter that looks like nothing or zero inserted in (to cut)