Sunday Toughie No 99 by Zandio
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 17th of December 2023
Across
1a Measure energy in home designed at either end without an arch (4-6)
FLAT-FOOTED: An Imperial measure FOOT, and an abbreviation of energy E, goes in between a home FLAT, and either end of designed D, FLAT-FOOTED, A condition where the foot has little or no arch
6a Cut elephants’ favourite rolls (4)
SNUB: A reversal (rolls) of the alleged favourite snack food of elephants BUNS becomes SNUB, it means to cut or rebuke
9a When will house masters assemble? (5)
AMASS: A two-letter synonym of when AS, houses the letters that those who have a higher-level arts degree have M.A. and don’t forget the plural ‘S
10a US are open to integrate people from here (9)
EUROPEANS: An anagram (to integrate) of the first three words of the clue, or maybe an &lit when considered with the sonnet on the Statue of Liberty
Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to break free
12a Adventurers seeing 1,000 things, conceivably (7,6)
KNIGHTS ERRANT: One of the abbreviations of 1,000 K, and an anagram of things NIGHTS, I think conceivably allows us to take the second part of our medieval chivalric adventurer as the reverse anagram indicator to change things by being ERRANT
14a ‘Badge’ — flash number, good stuff (8)
MONOGRAM: Synonyms or abbreviations of flash MO, number NO, good G, stuff RAM, define the `Badge` made by overlapping two or more letters to form one symbol
15a One may be extremely testy and shout (6)
TYRANT: A nice & lit, the extreme letters of testy TY, and to shout in an aggressive manner RANT, define a ruler who uses power arbitrarily and oppressively a TYRANT
17a That girl with degree, one learning from sage? (6)
HERBAL: The ? indicates that sage is a definition by example. The properties of sage or other edible/medicinal plants from the genitive possessive of a girl HER, the letters that an arts graduate may have B.A. and the letter that one learning to drive should display L
19a State name to be used in protocol or a document (8)
COLORADO: A lurker, hidden in the last four words of the clue, ‘Name to be used’ seems somewhat redundant to me, in would be a sufficient indicator
21a Pinot? That could be the last straw! (8,5)
BREAKING POINT: Another reverse anagram, the anagram indicator to change Pinot to POINT is the first word of our solution
24a Painful place to be punched just to win (2,3,4)
ON THE NOSE: A double-definition, to win a horse race by a very short margin being slightly less obvious
25a Being followed by dog, wearing experience (5)
INCUR: Being a member of IN, and a low bred dog CUR, combine to suffer a wearing experience INCUR
26a Mole crossing river should get lively (4)
SPRY: An agent who successfully infiltrates a rival organisation SPY, crosses an abbreviation of river R to be lively or SPRY
27a Steady! Nurse on a cycle tucked in hem in time (10)
PERSISTENT: To hem or contain livestock PEN, and T for time tuck in a senior nurse in charge of a ward when she has cycled one letter SISTER becomes RSISTE PE(RSISTE)N T
Down
1d Exploit members discussed, even in the other 1 (4)
FEAT: An exploit or achievement from a homophone (discussed) of the member in 1a when even in number therefore FOOT becomes FEET a homophone of of an exploit or FEAT
2d It’s partly glacial — ask any native (7)
ALASKAN: A native of a very particular place, is hidden (it’s partly) in the other three words
3d Itinerant chief stalking dinner to be taken with this? (7,6)
FISHING TACKLE: An anagram (itinerant) of CHIEF STALKING, A pescatarian may take his dinner from the river with this
4d Aerial picked up king getting put out (8)
OVERHEAD: Something aerial or above, a synonym of picked up OVERHEARD, loses its second kingly abbreviation R
5d Nets, feature held up by poles (5)
EARNS: Both poles N+S, hold up the feature that stops glasses from falling off EAR, to be the plural of what you net from gainful employment
7d Falls during war against uprising (7)
NIAGARA: A lurker (during) is reversed (uprising) between those indicators
8d Diving boat overturned — one in fact about to make final stop? (3,7)
BUS STATION: A boat that dives underwater is reversed SUB becomes BUS, than an abbreviated numerical fact STAT, and one of our usual abouts ON, contain the letter that looks like one I, to be the final stop of many public transport journeys A BUS STATION
11d In which comrades attack each other as much as the opposition? (5,8)
PARTY POLITICS: The topical yet never-ending struggles between different opinions from the same “governmental organisations” define this topical but barely cryptic definition
13d Semi-aquatic boa with 11 humps, writhing (10)
AMPHIBIOUS: Nothing to do with the clue above, 11 provides us with two of the letters that look like 1 I and I, along with the BOA and HUMPS we have the 10 letters we need for an anagram (writhing) of something Semi-aquatic or AMPHIBIOUS
16d Exploit rented short-term homes? Betjeman would put them in his poems (8)
COUPLETS: A (usually military) exploit COUP, and rented homes LETS, provide two successive lines of rhyming verse that Betjeman would use in many of his poems
“I say, you’re awfully decent, Ted / Let’s find a place and go to bed.”
18d Get new admission from tenant taking Ecstasy (2-5)
RE-ENTER: Someone who is a tenant of a short-term home RENTER, takes the letter that abbreviates the drug Ecstasy E to get new admission or RE-ENTER
20d Perhaps an atom quietly splits? (7)
ARTICLE: A definition by example of an. AN elemental “piece” of something such as an atom (P)ARTICLE, loses the musical notation to play quietly P
22d What smells in No 24? If oxygen penetrates, it could be fatal (5)
NOOSE: The organ that smells in 24a NOSE, penetrated by the chemical symbol of oxygen O, the fatal means of inflicting the death penalty
23d Order must be right, within reason (4)
WRIT: Reason or understanding WIT, right R, goes within, to give a document by which one is required or summoned to obey the law a WRIT
That’s All Folks!