Sunday Toughie No 57 by Zandio
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 26th of February 2023
Across
1a Hopin’ for something to bring relief (7)
ASPIRIN: Start with a lovely &lit, a synonym of Hoping ASPIRIN(G) drops the same letter as Zandio dropped in Hopin’ A pill to bring relief from a headache
5a One’s crusty political representative that is seen taking lunch? (4,3)
MEAT PIE: Abbreviations for a political representative MP and the Latin that is Id Est becomes I.E. surrounds (taking) lunch or EAT to be a crusty meat pie
9a Stand with head down in shame (5)
ODIUM: A stand or PODIUM loses its head to be shame or ODIUM
10a Victor’s shout, ‘Wicket out!’ — upon which, it’s best to walk (5,4)
INNER SOLE: Some plural victors (W)INNERS lose the letter a cricket scorer uses to indicate a wicket W and add a Spanish shout or exclamation OLE. INNERS OLE split 5,4 becomes the surface inside our shoes upon which, it’s best to walk
11a Fed up, have piercing created in France (7,3)
BROWNED OFF: A synonym of created BRED, pierced by a synonym of have OWN, followed by a synonym of in OF, and the letter that is the IVR code for France F. BR-OWN-ED OF-F – Fed up like when you burn toast perhaps
12a Stable opening for Malan after break from cricket (4)
TEAM: The afternoon break at a cricket match TEA, followed by the initial letter of Malan would be a stable or squad of sporting colleagues
14a Particular person in retinue’s confronted by Harry? (12)
TRAINSPOTTER: These particular people known for being sticklers for fine details of the engines they record are a synonym of retinues TRAINS, followed by a literary Harry POTTER
18a Gesture rudely standing by bar — what might create harmony? (12)
COUNTERPOINT: A bar or COUNTER, and did anyone ever tell you it’s rude to POINT becomes COUNTERPOINT the art of combining melodies in a harmonious way
21a When connected, odd bits may drop off (4)
ONCE: Remove the odd letters of cOnNeCtEd and what remains is a synonym of when
22a Character you may find in a myth — Oates disoriented (4-2-4)
STAY-AT-HOME: An anagram (disorientated) of A MYTH OATES. IN is the keyword in the definition
25a Frozen French lake — one eroded in hollow ground … (9)
GLACIATED: The French for a lake LAC, the letter that looks like 1, and a synonym of eroded ATE, go in what remains of G(roun)D after it has been hollowed out
26a … in France where, following article, Jack finds ancient duchy (5)
ANJOU: A two-lettered English article AN, and the French for where OU, around a playing card the knave or Jack.
The Duchy of Anjou was a french province straddling the lower Loire
27a Having popped off outside, everyone hung around (7)
DALLIED: Popped off or DIED around (outside) everyone or ALL, I dillied, I DALLIED my old man said follow the van
28a Fancy daughter — mum intervenes furiously (4,3)
LIKE MAD: To fancy or LIKE, MA and an abbreviated Daughter go at something furiously or LIKE MAD
Down
1d Miniature individual dynamo e-banker’s installed (6)
AMOEBA: This miniature single celled organism is lurking (installed) in the previous three words
2d City breaks leading to rise for detective (6)
POIROT: A South American city RIO, breaks into a synonym of leading TOP, TO-RIO-P, and then is all reversed (to rise in a down clue) should lead us to a fictional detective Hercule POIROT
3d Pay packet — are numerous cuts extremely upsetting? (10)
REMUNERATE: A lurker (cuts extremely) then reversed (upsetting in a down clue) To pay or REMUNERATE
4d Diana appears unexpectedly strange being in water (5)
NAIAD: An anagram of Diana A Greek mythological female deity or the aquatic larva of a dragonfly or damselfly
5d Mass following in Estonia for engineering publication (9)
MANIFESTO: This political publication is an anagram of ESTONIA and abbreviations of mass M and following F
6d Careful — push the top down slightly, it’s crooked (4)
AWRY: Careful or WARY pushes the top letter down a place to be crooked or AWRY
7d Character house (8)
PROPERTY: A double definition, the house you own and the character or mannerisms you may have
8d Nothing stops Vermeer being represented for all time (8)
EVERMORE: An anagram of the letter that looks like zero or nothing O, and VERMEER, to be the eternal EVERMORE
13d Time frame attached to firm’s notes heightening tension? (10)
SOUNDTRACK: T for time and a frame or RACK, follow a synonym of firm SOUND
15d Cross shown in scripture both ways round — shoddy editor! (9)
IRRITATED: A two-letter abbreviation for scripture lessons Religious Instruction both backwards IR, and forwards RI, a synonym of shoddy TAT, and an abbreviation of editor ED become IR-RI-TAT-ED or cross
16d Cat, then dog, stirred up pockets of disaster (3,2,3)
ACT OF GOD: This disaster is anagrams of CAT then DOG pocketing OF from the clue
17d Pressure to join club foolishly consuming bitter in this? (3-5)
PUB-CRAWL: A synonym of bitter weather perhaps RAW, in P for pressure and an anagram of CLUB, one may consume bitter in this but other alcoholic beverages are available
19d Learner goalkeeper’s error, maybe — spread to make block! (3,3)
LOG JAM: The letter that a learner driver must display L, a footballing error that a goalkeeper may make Own Goal, and the spread you may have on toast JAM, create a foresters river blockage now synonymous with other impedances
20d Support sees United’s replacement of European in second half cut resources (6)
DEFUND: To support or protect from harm DEFEND replaces the second E for European with U for United, to cut resources or DEFUND
23d Sing and shout, not quite accepting party being over (5)
YODEL: most of a synonym of shout YEL(L) around a reversal (being over) of a party or DO
24d Audio guide on little bird (4)
KIWI: Homophones (audio) of the guide we have on a map KEY, and a synonym of small WEE give us the elusive national bird of New Zealanders such as our own 2Kiwis