Sunday Toughie No 107 by
Robyn
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 11th of February 2024
Across
1a Spooner’s pal greeting postman’s unwanted delivery (4,4)
HATE MAIL: An informal pal MATE, greeted like a Roman Caesar HAIL, as treated by the Reverend Spooner MATE HAIL become HATE MAIL
5a Chat with person in party? Cool! (6)
CONFAB: An abbreviation for a member of the Conservative Party CON, and a groovy synonym of cool! FAB. CONFAB a clipping of CONFABULATION a Latin-derived word for conversation
10a Person on a mission ran a bazaar in Moroccan city (6,1’8)
CHARGE D’AFFAIRES: Diplomatic rather than religious. Ran like a bull CHARGED, A from the clue and a Moroccan city that can be spelt several ways FES, containing a synonym of a bazaar or FAIR. Nice to see the enumeration allowing for the apostrophe CHARGE D’[A](F(FAIR)ES)
11a Blue robe stripped off ahead of public disturbance (7)
OBSCENE: Strip off the outer letters of rOBe and add a disturbance or SCENE, for something rude or blue that you would rather not see
12a More possibly awful pain after moving out (7)
UTOPIAN: More possibly would have to be capitalised even if he didn’t start the sentence, The next five words are two anagram indicators, one for positional wordplay and two for the fodder. An anagram of PAIN goes after an anagram of OUT to be the UTOPIAN island from the imagination of Thomas More
13a Not a single family stops me, when abroad, revealing attire (8)
MONOKINI: How I refer to myself when abroad (in Francophone countries) MOI, around the condition of having not a single family member NO KIN. Something revealing a MO(NOKIN)I
15a More than one SEAT is really quick, mostly (5)
SOFAS: Here the capitalisation is deceptive to deceive one into thinking of the Spanish Motor Manufacturer, a two-word phrase for really quick SO FAST, loses its last letter to be easy chairs with space for more that one person SOFAS
18a Doctor, say, has coat of twill, wearing accessory (5)
TITLE: Say tells us we have a definition by example, a formal accessory TIE, contains the coating letters of twill TL. TI(TL)E the form of address that Doctor is the example of
20a Otiose director finally replaces singular, irritating people (8)
NEEDLERS: A synonym of otiose (I had to get the e-BRB out too!) NEEDLESS, swaps the first of its abbreviations of singular S, for the final letter of director R, NEEDLESS becomes those irritating people NEEDLERS
23a One throws out no. 1 from Eurovision winner (7)
EVICTOR: The no. 1 from Eurovision E, and a winner VICTOR, becomes one who throws out an EVICTOR
25a Emblem inspires character after a Yes record (7)
LOGBOOK: An emblem or LOGO, inspires the character that follows a B, and a synonym of yes OK – LOG(B)O(OK)
26a Something Joanna has, displeasing Aunt Dotty (10,5)
SUSTAINING PEDAL: An anagram (dotty) of DISPLEASING AUNT – SUSTAINING PEDAL on of the pedals on a piano-forte or Joanna
27a Indicate school education regresses (6)
DENOTE: A school popular amongst the elite ETON, and an abbreviation of education ED, are reversed (regresses) to DENOTE or indicate
28a Region for hikers from north, during some change (8)
PENNINES: An abbreviation for north drops into the smallest bits of change in your pocket PENNI (N) ES
Down
1d Bully‘s hard on men receiving shocking treatment (6)
HECTOR: A hard-grade of pencil H, some shocking treatment ECT or ELECTRO-CONVUSIVE THERAPY, and members of the armed services not holding commissions Other Ranks or OR. H(ECT)OR to bully
2&16d Underground bosses in rapture, right to abandon hopeless crime lord (9,3,6)
TRANSPORT FOR LONDON: Synonyms of rapture TRANSPORT, and hopeless (that abandons R for right) FORLO(R)N, and a Mafia crime lord DON, manage the Underground and associated Capital Infrastructure TRANSPORT FOR LONDON
3d Issue not resolved about energy for energy supplier (7)
MAGNETO: An issue of your favourite publication MAG, an anagram (resolved) of NOT and an abbreviation of energy E, for a small generator of energy MAG(N(E)TO
4d Voguish, long kind of film (5)
INDIE: Synonyms of voguish IN, and to long or DIE for, give us a genre of film not tied to the major film studios INDIE
6d Nothing working for star wanting loud speakers (7)
ORATORS: The letter that looks like nothing O, and an anagram (working) of (f)OR STAR that wants the musical notation for loud F
7d GolFER MIsses, covering tiny distance (5)
FERMI: A lurker (covering) a tiny distance, one quadrillionth of a meter, named after an Italian physicist
8d 2 tours function with small concern (8)
BUSINESS: One of the modes of 2d (TRANSPORT) BUS, around a mathematical function of angles SINE, and S for small A concern or BU(SINE)(S)S
9d Partner of blind American, this person’s gushing (8)
EFFUSIVE: A partner of blind (when swearing or cussing) EFF and Blind, one of the usual Americans US, and a contraction of something this person has I have becomes I’VE. EFFUSIVE or gushing
14d Brushing aside one good obstacle to wedding? (8)
IGNORING: The letter that looks like one I, an abbreviation of good G, and an obstacle to a wedding ceremony if the Best Man forgets some important symbols of marriage NO RING – Brushing aside or IGNORING
17d E.g. ice cream’s on the turn, far from chilled! (8)
STRESSED: An oldie but goodie, a reversal (on the turn) of a sweet course of which ice cream is an example (e.g.) DESSERTS become STRESSED
19d Participant books to get into drug rave (7)
ENTRANT: Some of the books of the Bible NT, between an abbreviated drug E, and a synonym of rave RANT an ENTRANT or participant
21d Awkward delivery of line for one getting PR work (3,4)
LEG SPIN: An abbreviation of line L, an example (for one) E.G. and the type of PR work that Alistair Campbell was known for SPIN. LEG-SPIN a Cricket delivery that can be awkward to hit because it spins off the line of leg stump
22d Introduction of streaming destroys arts (6)
SKILLS: An introductory letter S, and a synonym of destroys KILLS. SKILLS or arts
24d Writer of paper in Spanish keeping busy regularly (5)
IBSEN: A British newspaper The i, regular letters of busy BS, and a Spanish in EN, give us a Norwegian writer and playwright IBSEN
25d Pierce Brosnan’s rear clad in frilly material (5)
LANCE: Some frilly material LACE, contains the rear of Mr BrosnaN. To pierce or LANCE