Sunday Toughie 83 (Hints)

Sunday Toughie No 83

by Zandio

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

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A pleasant Sunday Toughie that went smoothly until I got to the SW corner. I am going to have to be brief as I am going to the Malton Food Festival with Mama Bee this afternoon. I may be missing something in 3d and would welcome any input on parsing. (see todays PDM in the hint)

I think this is an ideal crossword to introduce the Toughie to newbies and I hope you enjoy it.
14a and 14d clues today and I have hinted half – no time for lots of pics and tunes but I will pop back when Mama Bee permits

Here we go…

As it is a Prize puzzle I can only hint at a few and hope that will give you the checkers and inspiration to go further. I’ll be back just after the closing date with the full blog. Don’t forget to follow BD’s instructions in RED at the bottom of the hints!

I hope I don’t have to redact any comments but I am new at this and don’t want to rock the boat. If in doubt, I’ll rub it out! – I think that sentence is a bit redundant. You have all been so helpful in sorting out prior parsing failures, and I am sure I will need similar help again.

Most of the terms used in these hints are explained in the Glossary and examples are available by clicking on the entry under “See also” Where the hint describes a construct as “usual” this means that more help can be found in The Usual Suspects, which gives a number of the elements commonly used in the wordplay. Another useful page is Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing, which features words with meanings that are not always immediately obvious. Dont forget the Mine of useful information that Big Dave and his son Richard so meticulously prepared for us.

A full review of this puzzle will be published after the closing date for submissions. Some hints follow: Remember the site rules and play nicely.

Across

1a Bear on show gobbling very loudly with energy (6)
The musical notation for very loudly and an abbreviation for energy go in a show or performance

10a Where we may see spinning globe — space (8)
A place for spinning or similar entertaining gyrations from the shape of a globe and a space for living in

15a Way to get a Merc? It’s naughty but nice (8,5)
A reverse anagram, therefore the anagram indicator becomes the first part of your answer. What you have to do to A MERC to make it the subject of a very old advertising campaign

22a In turning over mussel, cat nets some octopus (8)
In turning over is the indicator that you require. When in doubt… approximately 1/8th of an octopus

24a Paper ‘at is required in Poplar? (8)
Poplar and the dropped aitch suggest the suburb of London but Poplar? is an example of of the large perennial woody plant we need. ‘at is is inserted within for the written composition we require

26a They sit glued to the road — ignoring them could spell doom! … (4-4)
An all in one for the useful reflectors that help with lane control

27a … this makes drivers go and sulk over getting stuck in both directions (6)
The sulks and the letter that a cricket scorer uses for an over, goes between (in) both right and left directions 

Down

1d Contestant taking a bow? (6)
A contestant in an Olympic sport that uses a bow

3d Where locals are invited in uniform? (9,6)
I got this from checkers as a place where locals can meet, but the rest of the wordplay eludes me
Stop Press – massive penny drop, the letter that uniform represents is precisely in the “middle” of the first word of the answer

6d This official’s brief usually just as politically correct (6,9)
This official when brief shares that abbreviation with politically correct

11d Marx, say, about to make lethal point (7)
Not Karl  but one of the comedy Brothers that share the name, with a preposition for about

16d Schmaltzy tune from Dr Spooner? This shouldn’t be hard (4,5)
The schmaltzy tune you need to Spoonerise has an aroma of milk curds coagulated by rennet, The result should be a comfortable place to sit

17d Mary Jane cycling with a jerk, being positive (8)
Mary Jane is a noun for Marijuana, the plant from which it is extracted cycles one letter followed by a from the clue and a convulsive muscle contraction

23d Bit of land one will’s delivered in hearing (4)
A homophone (delivered in hearing) of how one would say one will is a bit of land surrounded by water

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8d…

That’s All Folks!