Sunday Toughie No 91 by proXimal
Review by Sloop John Bee
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
This puzzle was published on the 22nd of October 2023
Across
1a Spooner’s limited sleep for romance (9)
COURTSHIP; Synonyms of limited SHORT, and informal sleep KIP, are treated by The Reverend Spooner to become a romantic wooing or COURTSHIP
6a They illuminate subterranean bases (5)
BULBS; A double definition, the subterranean base of a daffodil perhaps being the trickier one to see, the bulbs that go in light fittings the other
9a Form of fuel comprising hard block (5)
CHOKE; Coal heated in the absence of air COKE, and a hard pencil perhaps H, to block the airway CHOKE
10a Cross taken off when bishop comes in for mass (9)
IRRITATED; A synonym of taken off or copied IMITATED replaces M for mass with a Right Reverend Bishop RR
11a Sportsperson began with wrongly securing headwear (12)
BANTAMWEIGHT; An anagram (wrongly) of BEGAN WITH around (securing) a particularly Scottish item of headwear a TAM (O’Shanter) made famous by Rabbie Burns
14a One tests aluminium buried in some stone (7)
ANALYST; The chemical symbol of aluminium AL, is interred in a synonym of some ANY, and followed by an abbreviation of stone in weight ST An ANALYST who tests something
16a Satellite boxes close to telly push the boundaries (3,2,2)
TRY IT ON; The largest natural satellite of Neptune TITON contains the closing Y of telly, split according to the enumeration to push the boundaries or TRY IT ON
17a Beast having part of coat stripped (3)
APE; The folded-back parts of a coat below the collar L(APE)L, are stripped of the outer letters
18a Springs add power with little weight (7)
POUNCES; An abbreviation of power P and a small Imperial weight OUNCES, springs out at you like a cat
20a Turned more elitist rejecting European bands (7)
RIBBONS; A synonym of more elitist SNOBBI(E)R, is reversed (turned) without the E for European
22a Agent at home with Word and electronic log (12)
INTERMEDIARY; A short synonym of at home IN, a word in a defined sense TERM, the letter for all things electronic E, and a log of events you may fill in daily DIARY, when assembled becomes an agent or Go-Between
26a One always ordered fare taken out to lunch (4-5)
NEAT-FREAK; An anagram (out to lunch) of FARE TAKEN
27a Too respectable for street filled with stench (5)
ABOVE; The stench of body odour B.O.fills an abbreviated street or AVEnue
28a Drums very absent in festivities (5)
REELS; The drums on which cables may be stored from a synonym of festivities REvELS without the V for very
29a Inactive marine tracks gathering depression (9)
SEDENTARY; The place where all things marine take place SEA, contains (gathering) a depression DENT, followed by an abbreviated railway tracks RY
Down
1d Bird hit leaving lake (4)
COCK; An informal hit to the face C(L)OCK, leaves behind the map abbreviation of lake
2d Across river entering one local (4)
UPON; A cruciverbalists favourite river The Italian river PO, entering how someone local to that river would say one UN
3d Finally issue blame in your former treatment (7)
THERAPY; The final letter of issue E, and the blame usually administered across the knuckles RAP, go into a word for your used formerly THY
4d Blag from good person after that man is half-cut (5)
HEIST; A good or religious person a Saint or St. follows a male nominative pronoun HE, and half of is I
5d Soldier gathered with troops over boundary (9)
PARAMETER; I bunged in the wrong boundary at first (PERIMETER), but when you sort out some airborne troops PARA, a synonym of gathered MET, and a reversal (over) of some Royal Engineers ER, you have a boundary or limit to the scope of something PARAMETER
6d Group of cells round the bend I’m uncertain to enter (7)
BATTERY; An informal round-the-bend BATTY, contains an interjection expressing uncertainty ER, a group of voltaic cells that power mobile electric devices
7d Dispute is the very thing concealed by crude oil giant (10)
LITIGATION; An anagram (crude) of OIL GIANT conceals a short synonym of is the very thing IT, a legal dispute
8d See Prohibition man supporting case for some sobriety (10)
SEDATENESS; I needed a “short kip”(1a) to see this one, to see in a romantic sense DATE, the Prohibition man known as untouchable for his incorruptibility Eliot NESS, supports the case letters of some SE. The connection between the definition (sobriety) and what the Prohibition man was trying to achieve may make this an all-in-one or &lit or at least an excellent surface
12d Activist group in rage being disruptive (10)
CAMPAIGNER; A group that support a certain set of beliefs or doctrine CAMP, and an anagram (being disruptive) of IN RAGE
13d Support workplace to set up American deal (10)
BALUSTRADE; One of the usual Americans US,and a business deal TRADE, follows the reversal (to set up) of a scientist’s workplace LAB becomes BAL, BALUSTRADE the support for a stair rail
15d Bland mousse? Let’s attack sandwiches on the counter (9)
TASTELESS; A lurker (sandwiches) reversed (on the counter), defined by the first word, hidden in the next three
19d Vessels advanced on France in midst of troubles (7)
CARAFES; An advanced level exam A level, and the IVR code for France F, go in the midst of the troubles CARES, that concern us
21d Rod and net that might be special (7)
BARGAIN; Synonyms of rod BAR,and net in the profit sense GAIN, give us a special price or BARGAIN
23d One starkers removing article that’s stained (5)
INKED; The letter that looks like 1 I, and a synonym of starkers NaKED without the indefinite article A, INKED or stained
24d Drink when upset, guzzling excessive amount (4)
SODA; A synonym of when is upset AS becomes SA and it contains (guzzling) an amount so excessive it may prove fatal an overdose or OD
25d Reject hollow ruby lacking polish (4)
DENY; I first thought of the depression we have in 29a DENT, but couldn’t explain away the terminal T, eventually, I realised the hollow we require is the lair of an animal DEN, they we require what remains of rubY when it is lacking polish or rub.
That’s all Folks…