Sunday Toughie No 75 by proXimal
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 2nd of July 2023
Across
1a Seafood pieces roughly cut on counter (5,7)
QUEEN SCALLOP; Start with some powerful chess pieces QUEENS, a two letter synonym of roughly or about CA for Circa, and to cut trees or horns POLL, reversed to be LLOP. Put that lot together and split according to the enumeration for some rather tasty Whitby Scallops below
9a Help penning article on mean discriminatory system (9)
APARTHEID; A synonym of help AID, “pens” a mean score at golf perhaps PAR and THE definite article
10a Put out sharing invitation? (5)
DOUSE; Split 2,3 it is an invitation to do use, joined it is to put out a fire with an extinguishant
11a Full hospital ward, big area needing two cases discharged (6)
ENTIRE; Our usual Ear, Nose and Throat ward ENT, and what remains of bIg aREa when the casing letters are removed gives us something full or ENTIRE
12a Church block heartless film intending to scare (8)
ALARMIST; An ALtAR without its heart, and the film of low-lying vapour MIST, ALARMIST intending to scare
The Altar stone of Stonehenge covered in mist
13a Dog overturned across a plant (6)
YARROW; An obscure (to me) plant from a synonym of dog, hound or fret WORRY, reversed about A from the clue
14a Witness base depravity around seedy joint (8)
EVIDENCE; The base of natural logarithms E. and depravity or VICE around a seedy joint DEN
17a Wrapped up limb with one cast (8)
FINISHED; A specialised limb of a water-borne creature FIN, the letter that looks like 1 I, and to cast one’s hide or horns SHED, FINISHED all wrapped up
19a Reptile back occupying smallest stunted tree (6)
BAOBAB; A constricting reptile BOA is reversed in a shortened (stunted) smallest child BAB(y)
A Bonsai Baobab – the ultimate stunted tree
22a Successfully do circuit around coastal formation (4,4)
ROCK POOL; To do something so successfully you may ROCK the audience and a circuit or LOOP that has been reversed (around) gives us a coastal formation ROCK POOL
24a Lots in company budget (6)
CHEAPO; A budget combination of lots or a HEAP in an abbreviated company CO
26a Winning answer by individual in group (5)
AHEAD; How an individual may be counted Per Capita or as a HEAD after A for answer
27a A space hollowed by clever badger (9)
PERSECUTE; A preposition for each or a PER, what remains of space when hollowed SE, and clever or astute CUTE. to badger or PERSECUTE
28a Rat is secure somewhere remote (6,6)
DESERT ISLAND; The 7th Armoured Mobile Division (Egypt) is our DESERT rat, IS from the clue and to secure at Terra Firma LAND
Down
1d Shaking doubt about Bible (7)
QUAVERY; An abbreviated Authorised Version of the Bible goes in doubt or QUERY
2d Performer mounted container in repetitive exercise (7)
ENACTOR; A container or CAN goes in a repetitive exercise or ROTE and then all reversed (mounted in a down clue) I was once a Civil War re-ENACTOR in The Sealed Knot
3d Refusal to American to consume port of bad repute (9)
NOTORIOUS; A refusal NO, TO from the clue, and an abbreviation of American US, surround a South American port RIO
4d Champ suffering with loss of a wicket (4)
CHEW; To suffer or aCHE loses the a and adds a W for wicket. To champ or CHEW
5d Devotionally inept, not into spoiling sweetheart (4-4)
LADY-LOVE; An anagram (inept) of DEVO(tion)ALLY, in the clue after into is removed, spoiling is another anagrind as INTO is not removed in order
6d Class gathered round erected shelters (5)
ORDER; A class or ORDER is a reverse (erected) lurker (shelters) in the other two words in the clue
7d Broadcast journalist avoiding mad sort of dictator (6)
JULIAN; Another extraction anagram an adjective relating to a Roman dictator, broadcast is the first anagrind and mad is the second, Remove SORT from JoUrNALIst and anagram what remains for the Roman dictator JULIAN Caesar
8d In hearing, fellow is going to moderate (6)
GENTLE; A Homophone (in hearing) of a contraction of a fellow who is going to or will GENT’LL becomes moderate or Gentle
15d Back to salad, hard to be involved in diet that’s never-ending (9)
DEATHLESS; Start with the back letter of salaD, and an abbreviation of hard H go in what you have to do with your diet to lose weight EAT LESS, DEATHLESS or never-ending
16d End connection with insurrection with line written in fourth letter (8)
DECOUPLE; An insurrection or COUP, and the letter that looks like a line L, go in how you may say the fourth letter of the alphabet DEE, to end the connection between carriages on a train DECOUPLE
17d Favouring where you might see gymnast’s style (6)
FORMAT; To be favouring something or FOR and where you might see floor gymnast’s MAT is to style or FORMAT a blog post for instance
18d Georgian piece appropriate with enamel, apart from handle (6)
NICKEL; To appropriate or NICK and what remains of ENAMEL, when the handle or NAME has been removed is a coin or piece worth 5 cents in the US state of Georgia
20d Fret about VAR upsetting a brilliant display (7)
BRAVURA; To fret or chafe RUB, goes around VAR all reversed (upsetting) followed by A from the clue
21d Spy in film carrying fine electronic prop (7)
BOOKEND; Our usual cinematic spy BOND, James Bond, carries a synonym of fine OK, and an abbreviation of electronic E.
23d Father shaved with day for promotion (5)
PADRE; Shaved or PARED promotes D for day up the order to be a PADRE
25d Enter run to measure pace (4)
TROT; Enter R for run into a measure of spirits TOT perhaps, TROT
verb
1.
(with reference to a horse or other four-legged animal) proceed or cause to proceed at a pace faster than a walk, lifting each diagonal pair of legs alternately.
“the horses trotted slowly through the night”