Sunday Toughie No 69 by proXimal
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 21st of May 2023
Across
1a Saw chief turning round corporation (6)
DICTUM: A popular maxim or authoritative saying is a Spanish chief (el) CID reversed DIC, and appended to your corporation, belly or TUM
4a Act cut short depression, getting past it (8)
DECREPIT: A legal act or DECREE is cut short, followed by a depression in the ground PIT
9a Figure backing smaller one in yard (6)
NINETY:A reversal (backing) of the figure TEN and IN from the clue are followed by the abbreviation for YARD to give us another figure NINETY
10a Check around tin vessel for liquid (8)
DECANTER: To check or DETER goes around a tin or CAN, DECANTER a vessel for serving alcoholic liquids
11a Happen to possess a pound to get loose-fitting garment (8)
BATHROBE: To happen or BE around A from the clue and to pound or THROB
13a Grouse circling home of old islanders (6)
MINOAN: To grouse or MOAN around IN for home. Any member of a non-Indo-European people who flourished (c. 3000–c. 1100 bc) on the island of Crete during the Bronze Age
15a Bird coming from outhouse area I should feed nearby (8,5)
BARNACLE GOOSE: An agricultural outhouse BARN, A for area, and a synonym for nearby CLOSE, around the ‘I’ or self that which is conscious and thinks EGO
18a Majority of homework none cared about (13)
PREPONDERANCE: The homework done at a boarding school PREP, followed by an anagram (about) of NONE CARED, being the other two words in the clue
22a Young cat goes in this (6)
LITTER: A double definition of a group of young animals and the place that cats are encouraged to “go” to the toilet
24a Rush mixing endless demo tapes (8)
STAMPEDE: An anagram of DEMO without the O (endless) and TAPES
26a Shut up rascal returning denial to teacher (8)
IMPRISON: Our usual rascal IMP, and a reversal (returning) of how you would make a denial to a (male) teacher NO SIR
27a Sons evenly cut long grass (6)
SNITCH: To long or ITCH follows SN (Sons with the even letters cut out) SNITCH a slang informer or grass
28a Lovely old English beer in Oz knocked back by us (8)
GORGEOUS: An informal Australian term for beer GROG, is reversed, followed by abbreviations for English, Old and US from the clue
29a Quit recording outside facility (6)
CEASED: A digital recording format CD, around a synonym of facility EASE
Down
1d Scandinavian bridges for all to see over top of Bergen river (6)
DANUBE: A southern Scandinavian or DANE, goes around a film suitable for all to see U and the top letter of Bergen B
2d Artist does chart (9)
CONSTABLE: Does or CONS followed by a chart or TABLE
3d Breaking ear trumpet, a politician missed one speaking (7)
UTTERER: Remove a politician – A MP from eAr truMPet and anagram what remains
5d Almost ran over livestock (4)
EWES: Most of SEWED or SEWER depending on whether you ran over with a needle or ran over an oozing drain
6d Riotous row dividing group (7)
ROARING: the means to drive a rowing boat OAR, divides a group or RING
7d One bug climbing over hard surface (5)
PATIO: The letter that looks like 1 and to bug or TAP are reversed (climbing) followed by a cricket scorers O for over
8d Used straighteners across hair, just the ends pressed (8)
THRONGED: Used an appliance to straighten (or curl?) hair TONGED, and insert just the ends of HaiR, THRONGED pressed into a great multitude
12d Bee above fruity drink (6)
BRANDY: The letter that Bee suggests above someone sexually lascivious or RANDY
14d Learning in newspaper name for section of brassica (6)
FLORET: Some archaic learning or LORE in the pink rag or Financial Times
16d Dramas poet rates badly (9)
OPERETTAS: An anagram (badly) of poet rates
17d Letting out squeal consuming tablet (8)
SPILLING: To squeal, confess or turn informer SING, consumes a tablet for a headache PILL. SPILLING the beans or letting out a secret
19d Former concerning issue European brought up (3-4)
ONE-TIME: ON or concerning, followed by to issue or EMIT, E for European are reversed (brought up)
20d One running store in revolutionary age (7)
NOMINEE: A reversal of a geological time period EON around a store of useful information that BD keeps under the features tab MINE, NOMINEE one running for election
21d Approach was suitable for house north of Germany (6)
METHOD: How one may approach a task, A synonym of was suitable for MET, followed by Ho for house and D being the IVR code for Germany
23d Somewhat blotto person? (5)
TOPER: An all-in-one definition and lurker combined, Somewhat being the lurker indicator, the whole clue being the definition
25d Asian foodstuff that’s sweet? Not half, you said (4)
TOFU: Half of a sweet that is good at removing fillings TOFfee, and the letter heard when you say you U