Sunday Toughie No 60 by Zandio
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 18th of March 2023
Across
1a Just short of a maximum break, say something unrepeatable (3-3)
ONE-OFF: To miss a maximum snooker score or break by the smallest possible margin or something never to be repeated
4a Beginning to buckle, woozily sedated — this should hold you up (8)
BEDSTEAD: The initial letter of Buckle and an anagram (woozily) of sedated holds you up at night
9a Approach little troublemaker, getting wind up (6)
IMPEND: A little troublemaker IMP, and to wind up or terminate END
10a Choose to eat before ‘Cheers’ that’s staged in theatre (8)
OPERETTA: A synonym of choose OP-T around a poetic before ERE, followed by a small thank you ‘Cheers’ or TA
12a Penny is so treacherous (3-5)
TWO-FACED: More than one side to every coin, The very old pennies I used to see in my youth had the monarch on one side and Brittania with shield and occasionally a lighthouse so they could be said to have representations of visages on both sides
13a Something sticking out next to seaside church causes puncture (6)
PIERCE: Something that stick out to sea, PIER and an abbreviation for the Chorch of England CE. To PIERCE or cause a puncture
15a Obnoxious friend interrupting over you once (6,3,4)
BEYOND THE PALE: Something over there “at the rear of” BEYOND, and an archaic form of you THE-E, interrupted by a friend or PAL
Originally the district in Ireland within which the English held power, protected by a fence and ditch, to travel over the fence was unacceptable or obnoxious.
18a Some MPs had to be in broadcast, with nice tab for travelling (6,7)
SHADOW CABINET: HAD goes in to broadcast seeds or S-OW, followed by an anagram (for travelling) of NICE TAB
20a Swears when not given right money? (6)
ASSETS: Swears or ASSERTS loses R for right to be ASSETS of monetary value
22a Storms following pound hitting lower amounts (8)
FLOUNCES: Storms out in a camp or affected manner, abbreviations for following F, and the pound L, before decimalisation are followed by smaller divisions of the pound weight OUNCES
24a Flipping parrot, a timid scoffing copycat (8)
IMITATOR: A lurker (scoffing) reversed (flipping) cleverly hidden amongst the rest
25a In safe? (2,4)
AT HOME: A double definition. IN as in at home and safe as in at home base
26a Fan of Charles I might represent so artily (8)
ROYALIST: An anagram of SO ARTILY for supporters of King Charles the First, His regnal number 1 reads as I a clever bit of setter misdirection
27a Solved my clue? It’s old but could be enlightening (6)
LYCEUM: An anagram (solved) of MY CLUE. Once in days of old, a gymnasium and grove beside the temple of Apollo at Athens, in whose walks Aristotle enlightened others, now used for schools and colleges where enlightenment or learning can be found
Down
1d Soporific work in theatre I took in (6)
OPIATE: The work that happens in a surgical theatre OP and I took in sustenance or I ATE, as I did Mothering Sunday with Mama Bee
2d Growth of intoxication with British coming aboard (9)
EUPHORBIA: A synonym of intoxication ( from taking an opiate perhaps) EUPHORIA, around B for British gives a plant of the spurge genus
3d Game with lover — stay drunk and party around pad (7,8)
FANTASY FOOTBALL: First word was parsed and the answer came from checkers but the pad confused me it may be related to the pad on Georgian table legs a lover or FAN followed by an anagram (drunk) of STAY the PAD or FOOT of a table leg and a party or BALL
5d Yankee parking Sierra — European knocked over notice (4)
ESPY: Letters suggested by the first four words are reversed (knocked over)
6d Advertising, say, ‘Fashionable woolly, sturdy with navy top’? (7,8)
SERVICE INDUSTRY: Say tells us that Advertising is a definition by example. a usual fashionable synonym IN, an anagram of STURDY and put the navy or senior SERVICE on top
7d Join board (5)
ENTER: Another double definition, to Join or Board a ship perhaps
8d Mathematician’s ring spanner (8)
DIAMETER: A mathematical term for the span across a ring, an all-in-one or &lit – the measurement across the circle
11d To keep new, ‘create anew’ or ‘create again‘? (2-5)
RE-ENACT: An anagram (anew) of CREATE around N for new, Reminded me of my Sealed Knot days Re-enacting the English Civil War. I wasn’t a 26a I fought for Parliament
14d Street remains cut off at the crest — it looks a little hairy (7)
STUBBLE: our usual abbreviation for Street ST, and some rocky remains or RUBBLE with the R removed, the little hairs that remain when you don’t stand close enough to the razor
16d Plant Italy sited north of dam needs painting over? (9)
ARTICHOKE: Spring has sprung in the Zandio garden as we have another plant. Some creative work that painting is an example of ART, over the IVR code for Italy I, and a synonym of dam in the sense of to block, clog or obstruct CHOKE
17d Climbing frame used by playmate’s pal I erected (8)
ESPALIER: More gardening I thought this may a rekrul (erected in a down clue) but erected is just part of the concealing phrase of a normal lurker.
A fine espalier of apples at my local NT property Beningborough Hall, Beautiful gardens, House currently closed
19d ‘Respect‘ group that could lead Teesside announced twice (6)
ESTEEM: A couple of homophones (announced twice) here, EAST for the coast where Teeside is and TEAM or side
become respect or ESTEEM
21d Mole I caught burrowing in, having capers? (5)
SPICY: A mole or SPY, around I from the clue and an abbreviation of Caught
23d Four coming from Motown, 5 turned up (4)
TOPS: Numerals in crossword clues usually refer to other clues but numbers when written don’t. A synonym of ESPY or SPOT, is reversed to give a group of four singers from Motown The FOUR TOPS whose fine tunes make Robert giddy and doting in his 3rd childhood