Sunday Toughie No 100 by
Robyn
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 24th of December 2023
Across
1a Pitiful, drained performers suppressing flowing tears? It helps if one has a break (7,4)
PLASTER CAST: What remains of pitiful when drained PL, an anagram (flowing) of tears ASTER, followed by the group of performers in a theatrical production CAST, may help when one has fractured a limb
10a Blues’ former number one finally match fit (5)
HAGUE: The final letter of match H, and a shivering fit AGUE, provide the former leader of the political party that sports blue rosettes William HAGUE
11a Artist may drink nothing, keeping off the sauce (9)
CANALETTO: A synonym of may CAN, a drink made without hops ALE, the letter that looks like nothing O, and the abbreviation for one who doesn’t drink alcohol TT, combine to give us an 18th-century Venetian painter
12a Around Trojan, running horse may wear this (9)
CAPARISON: We have had this horse garment before, one of our usual abouts CA, and a synonym of running or working ON, go around the Trojan son of King Priam who fatally wounded Achilles PARIS
13a Time to abandon lease of a filtration mechanism (5)
RENAL: To lease or hire RENTAL, abandons T for time for an adjective (of a) the biological filtration mechanism that are your kidneys
14a Flipping inane, dull advertiser screens advert (6)
ALLUDE: A lurker (screens) reversed (flipping) in the other three words, leaving advert as the definition We need the second definition from the BRB as an intransitive verb to refer to in this case
16a Gents maybe given a punch, getting a shiner (4,4)
LAVA LAMP: Gents as a synonym for the toilet LAV, A from the clue and an informal punch LAMP, come together to give us something that shines
18a Asian oil producer’s child welcoming a site for selling to the west (4,4)
SOYA BEAN: A from the clue and website that helps people sell their unwanted stuff EBAY, is reversed YABE A, and is welcomed into a male child or SON, SO(YA BEA)N
20a Good-humoured Jack dumped for a looker (6)
OCULAR: Someone Good-humoured or JOCULAR loses the letter used to represent a playing card Jack to give us an adjective (for a) related to the organs that help us look at the world OCULAR
23a Wine’s bouquet? (5)
ROSES: A double definition, plural wine of a pink hue, or a bunch of a type of flower
24a East End school boss gives tip for hitting target (9)
ARROWHEAD: How someone from the East End of London may refer to the boss of the school that counts 7 former Prime Ministers amongst its alumni The HARROW school HEAD master
26a Stop Annie, say, ignoring article about one natural number (9)
ENDORPHIN: A synonym for stop END, and the fact that Annie was an ORPHAN but swap the indefinite article A for the letter that looks like 1 I, give us ENDORPHIN a natural pain killer produced in the brain and pituitary gland
27a Runner‘s day cutting across the Atlantic (5)
INDUS: An abbreviation of day D, cuts into the location of someone across the Atlantic IN the US. The River INDUS runs along the valleys of the Himalayas, India and Pakistan
28a What could show party’s successful, right after e.g. most wine gets drunk (11)
SWINGOMETER: A device to show the success (or failure) of political parties in elections, An anagram (gets drunk) of EG MOST WINE and R for Right
Down
2d Boost for one you heard breaking record (3-2)
LEG-UP: A record or album LP, contains an example (for one) EG, and a homophone of you U
3d Husband has made black clothing and took coat off (7)
SHEARED: To make black by sealing meat over an open flame SEARED, contains H for husband
4d Manager dismisses English female ending profligacy (6)
EXCESS: An informal senior manager EXEC, loses its second E for English and adds a suffix (ending) for female -ESS giving us profligacy or EXCESS
5d Church rules soon broken by nipper? Quite the reverse (5,3)
CANON LAW: The wordplay suggests that the synonym of soon ANON, contains the synonym of nipper CLAW, Quite the reverse allows us to change that so the CLAW contains ANON to fit the Church rules or CANON LAW
6d Note piece of classical music in conservatories, say (7)
SOLARIA: A note on the Tonic Sol-fa scale SOL, and an operatic piece of music ARIA, defined by conservatories as places that allow exposure to sunlight SOLARIA
7d This prevents jars of wine entering curiously sober bars (5,8)
SHOCK ABSORBER: A German wine HOCK, enters an anagram (curiously) of SOBER BARS
SHOCK ABSORBER a device to prevent the jars of numerous potholes reaching the driver and passengers
8d Vessel’s equipment in vessel carrying barrel over Great Lake (8)
STUNSAIL: An obscure part of a wind-powered ship, from an abbreviated steam ship S.S. containing a large barrel TUN, an adjective for Great as in the formal designation for the Great North Road A1, and a map abbreviation of Lake L. – A STUNSAIL or studding-sail is a narrow additional sail set at the outer edges of a square sail when wind is light and abaft the beam
9d Dream of Felicity’s desserts one’s swallowed in March (5,8)
FOOLS PARADISE: Desserts of stewed fruit mixed with cream or custard FOOL-S, swallows a March or PARADE which has swallowed the letter that looks like 1 I
15d Save traditional song and hoped-for hit song (3,5)
LAY ASIDE: Scroll a long way down the BRB for this traditional lyric song LAY, then apply the side of a single record that you hope will be the hit A SIDE, save the results for later LAY ASIDE
17d Running event in hotel, working to support revolutionary leader (8)
MARATHON: A French revolutionary leader (who was murdered in his bath) MARAT, followed by H for hotel and a synonym of working ON
19d Ancient curse from Hebrew’s translated (7)
BESHREW: An anagram (translated) of Hebrew’s is an ancient curse to wish evil upon someone
21d Dress down, touring round western exterior of Jersey? (7)
COWHIDE: To dress down or scold/rebuke CHIDE, around the round letter O and the abbreviation of West W, the exterior surface of a Jersey Cow after it has been processed in a tannery COWHIDE
22d Make over actor (6)
BRANDO: A trademark of a known type BRAND, and a crickety over O, give us a well-known actor Marlon BRANDO
25d Gift sent unwrapped requiring payment now (5)
ENDUE: What remains of sENt when unwrapped EN and a word that means payment is required now DUE, ENDUE to gift or provide with