Sunday Toughie No 54 by Zandio
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 5th of February 2023
Across
1a Men-of-war charged with men-of-war (10)
TROOPSHIPS: The military vessels that carry soldiers to battle, Men not Man so don’t forget the plural s
6a As announced, I shall land in water (4)
ISLE: A homophone (as announced) of some land surrounded by water
9a Sponsors going by plane — maybe time for alternative route? (10)
BACKSTREET: Sponsors financially BACKS, a large arboreal plane TREE, and T for time give us this alternative route.
I couldn’t bring myself to listen to Nick Carter’s band so here is some Bruce instead…
10a Boozer anticipates first sip of beer — it’s spiked (4)
BARB: The spike on a fish hook perhaps is a boozer or BAR and the first letter of Beer
12a Anger about team getting turned over — remedy needed (6)
ELIXIR: This remedy for ills is a synonym of Anger RILE, reversed (getting turned over) EL-IR around the team of a certain size shown in Roman numerals eleven becomes XI EL-XI-IR. See the preamble for my choice but Senf’s Glenlivet is equally palatable.
13a Great produces a foul — sub sent off (8)
FABULOUS: anagram (sent off) of A FOUL SUB
15a Being self-sufficient, dine out with little money, which limits ambition (12)
INDEPENDENCE: An anagram (out) of DINE and a small amount of money PENCE surrounds (which limits) ones ambition or END
18a Equipment to make rap electronic disc with Queen (4,8)
TAPE RECORDER: An &lit here, to rap on a drum perhaps TAP, E for electronic, a disc of music RECORD and the cipher of our former Queen ER
21a Redirects physical gesture when cycling (8)
REALIGNS: Something physical that is REAL and take a physical gesture or SIGN and cycle the first to last REAL IGNS
22a Little point in demand the Spanish rejected (6)
NEEDLE: To demand or NEED and a reversal of EL the Spanish for the
24a Article one got together retrospectively (4)
ITEM: The letter that looks like 1 and a reversal (retrospectively) of got together or MET
25a One’s nurses run back and forth, it’s all the same (10)
PALINDROME: A double definition, Nurses run is a definition by example and Madam, in Eden, I’m Adam is another, they are spelled the same backwards or forwards
26a Bolt’s run through these fans (4)
NUTS: Another double definition. The fastenings that bolts run through and fanatical almost crazy fans NUTS
27a Showing what often follows ‘news’ — ‘reel’? (10)
ATTENDANCE: The time that evening news broadcasts are often shown AT TEN, followed by a reel or other rhythmic movement DANCE
Down
1d One’s taken hostage over in east Elba, Tuscany (6)
TABLET: A reverse lurker (hostage over in) taken after an overindulgence of Bunnahabhain perhaps!
2d Choir rearranged opening of ‘Dominum’ — it’s a grower (6)
ORCHID: An anagram (rearranged) of CHOIR and the opening letter of Dominum
3d Obsession with rugby, getting into healthy food (7,5)
PASSION FRUIT: A synonym of obsession PASSION and to be healthy or FIT containing the “code” of Rugby Union RU
4d Reporter’s caught in crowd (4)
HERD: A homophone (reporter’s) of caught or heard HERD
5d Meeting held by Peter in French second home (4-1-5)
PIED-A-TERRE: The given name of a Frenchman called Peter PIE RRE, contains a romantic meeting or DATE.
PIE D-A-TE RRE
7d Suitable to sail ebb-tide? (3-5)
SEA-GOING: Another double definition, what the sea does on an ebb-tide and the suitability or seaworthiness of a sailing ship
8d Decorated captain crossing eastern sea off Israel (8)
EMBOSSED: A BOSS in the E for Eastern MEDiterranean sea off Israel
11d Dead, he could conceivably appear thus confused! (6-6)
MUDDLE HEADED: The second word of the answer is an anagram of the first two words of the clue, the first word of the answer is the anagram indicator that we need to apply to HEADED to get DEAD HE
14d Daughter maybe finding insect under sink (10)
DESCENDANT: Maybe here indicates that Daughter is a definition by example, it could equally be Son, grandson granddaughter etc. A synonym of sink DESCEND has a small insect ANT under it
16d Chunk of bituminous tar’s ignited one’s house (4,4)
STAR SIGN: A lurker for astrologists who believe that twelve divisions of the stars are sufficient to predict all human futures
17d Dad’s put up with mum — perhaps it’s obvious (8)
APPARENT: A reversal of a dad, PA becomes AP and a mother perhaps PARENT, APPARENT or obvious
19d Neighbour appears as little woman in following commercial (6)
ADJOIN; A short commercial AD, one of the March sisters from Louisa M Alcott’s Little Women JO March and IN from the clue. A neighbour so close that they touch.
20d Drastic energy cut — you should switch (6)
SEVERE: E for energy and a synonym of cut SEVER, but you should switch the order to SEVER E before putting it in the grid
23d Instrument — piano, that is — which Papa’s broken (4)
PIPE: A musical notation P for piano, a Latin that is Id Est or I.E,, broken by the Nato code letter that Papa represents P . All crammed into a four-letter clue phew
Here is the instrument in question