Sunday Toughie No 112 by proXimal
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 17th of March 2024
Across
1a Major defeat embarrassed winger, according to Spooner (8,4)
CRUSHING BLOW: A red-faced corvid A BLUSHING CROW, according to Spooner suffers a major defeat A CRUSHING BLOW
9a Disturb bats in allegedly empty folly (9)
ABSURDITY: An anagram (bats) of DISTURB and what is left of AllegedlY when empty
10a Cycling photograph showing hilarious people (5)
HOOTS: To take a photograph in a repetitive gun-like manner SHOOT, cycles one letter to be hilarious people or HOOTS
11a Real power after changing sides (6)
PROPER: To move under power PROPEL, changes its last letter from L for left to R for right PROPER
12a Account about heartless mediator being untroubled (8)
CAREFREE: An abbreviation for Account AC, is reversed (about) CA, followed by the mediator in many sports REF(e)REE without its central letter (heartless) to be untroubled or CAREFREE
13a Row hard in extremely grimy boat (6)
DINGHY: An unpleasant row or noise DIN, a hard pencil grade H, in the extreme letters of GrimY GY, a boat or DIN[G(H)Y]
14a Maybe Poirot’s man set tasks (8)
HERCULES: The Belgian detectives’ forename and the plural ‘s HERCULE’S, give us a man set several tasks as the Roman name of a Greek divine hero HERCULES
17a Game beginning in meadow or in the ballpark by college (8)
MONOPOLY: The initial letter of meadow M, and abbreviations for a price requested “in the ballpark” or nearest offer abbreviated to ONO, and a former name of the type of college that taught up to degree level before they were upgraded to university status a POLY(technic) the board game MONOPOLY
19a Narrow lead of doobrey stopped operating (6)
CLOSED: A synonym of narrow CLOSE, and the leading letter of Doobrey D, that has stopped operating or is CLOSED
22a Poem’s protracted and bad on reflection; see no good (8)
LIVELONG: A poetic synonym of protracted the LIVELONG day, from a reversal (on reflection) of a synonym of bad EVIL becomes LIVE, an archaic word for see LO and an abbreviation of no good NG
24a Reluctantly admitting father dipped into a monetary donation (6)
AFRAID: I am reluctantly admitting that this is an abbreviation of a religious Father FR, dipped into A from the clue and some monetary assistance or AID – A(FR)AID
26a Donatello’s carved captivating statuette (5)
OSCAR: A lurker (captivating) hidden in the first two words of the clue The statuette given to winners of Academy Awards
27a Mad Hatter this writer might give cigarette holder (9)
COLERIDGE: We are looking for a writer, but not the one who wrote about the Mad Hatter, rather we should take the hatter from cig(ARETT)e (H)older and seek a romantic poet in the fodder that remains CIGEOLDER becomes COLERIDGE
28a Waver when ridiculous excursion involves two hours separated (6-6)
SHILLY-SHALLY: Synonyms of ridiculous SILLY, and a (military?) excursion SALLY, both separately contain an H for hour. To Waver or SHILLY-SHALLY
Down
1d Bit hot in erected shelter (7)
CHAMPED: Having erected a temporary shelter CAMPED contains H for hot, CHAMPED at the bit
2d Suspect wrong’uns after Golf gets trashed? It’s not confirmed (7)
UNSWORN: An anagram (suspect) of WRON(G)’UNS after G for Golf gets trashed
3d Rider uses one husky, picked up wife with it (9)
HORSEWHIP: A homophone (picked up) of a voice that is husky HOARSE becomes HORSE, followed by the abbreviation for Wife W, and a cool with it HIP
4d Recalled right name of chap (4)
NEIL: A legal right of posession LIEN is reversed (recalled) to give us a chaps name NEIL
5d On vehicle, lout heading north is speedy type (3,5)
BOY RACER: One of our usual on’s RE, a vehicle CAR, and a lout YOB, head north in a down clue to be a BOY RACER
6d Dismissing exteriors, mock the grey paint (5)
OCHRE: A colour of paint hidden in m(OC)k t(H)e g(RE)y, that have had their exteriors dismissed
7d Romeo’s written in orange-pink pen (6)
CORRAL: An orange-pink colour CORAL and R for Romeo provide a pen for livestock a CORRAL
8d Plants to the rear — south rather than north (6)
ASTERS: A nautical to the rear ASTERN, swaps its North to South
15d Summon everyone and keep inside church (4,5)
CALL FORTH: A synonym of everyone ALL, and a keep FORT, are contained in a church CH – C(ALL) (FORT)H
16d Simple enough to withdraw from hallucinogenic after being wasted (8)
CLINICAL: Another proXimal trademark extraction anagram (after being wasted) remove enough from (h)all(u)cin(ogen)ic for a surgically simple anagram of ALLCINIC becomes CLINICAL
17d Married man with fine shed relaxed (6)
MELLOW: The genealogical abbreviation for married M and a fine (F)ELLOW of a man shedding F for fine along the way MELLOW or relaxed
18d Amateur kind penning love verse (6)
NOVICE: A synonym of kind NICE, pens the letters that love and verse suggest O and V
20d Short pair that Georgia separates causing outrage (7)
SCANDAL: A conjunction AND, between abbreviations of the two States that are separated by Georgia South Carolina or SC and Alabama or AL. As a resident of one of the states in question, the much-missed Robert C would have loved this SC(AND)AL
21d Unsteady stranger in yard toppled over (7)
DODDERY: A synonym of the comparative stranger ODDER, goes in an abbreviated yard YD, that has been toppled over DY Unsteady or D(ODDER)Y
23d Bend below large tree (5)
LARCH: A bend in a doorway, window or bridge ARCH, goes below L for large for a type of tree LARCH
25d Fold covering over device (4)
PLOY: A fold of multi-layered paper PLY, covers a crickety over O A PLOY or device
That’s all Folks…