Sunday Toughie No 114 by
Robyn
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 31st of March 2024
Across
1a Old coat of rags concealing ample bust for models (9)
EXEMPLARS: A prefix for old EX, the coating letters of rags RS, go around an anagram (bust) of AMPLE give us ideal models
6a Lavish person boozing after opening of Pinot (5)
PLUSH: A person who is boozing to excess LUSH: follows the opening of Pinot P
9a Fries cold joints (5)
CHIPS: Joints that stop your legs falling off HIPS, follow a cold tap marking C
10a It’s used when pressing matter is resolved, saving time working (5,4)
STEAM IRON: A partial anagram (resolved) of MAT(t)TER IS, save for one of the t’s for time, followed by a synonym of working ON
11a Like comic actor‘s crack in sequel that’s shot (12)
CHAPLINESQUE: This is an anagram of IN SEQUEL preceded by the crack in one’s lips when exposed to bitter weather CHAP
14a Cover staff back after a lot of resentment (7)
ENVELOP: The staff used to vault over high bars is reversed POLE becomes ELOP, after most of a synonym of resentment ENV(y) to cover or ENVELOP
16a Letter from India, one put in language from the east (7)
INITIAL: The cruciverbalist’s most useful archaic language LATIN with the letter that looks like one put in it LA(I)TIN, and the letter that India suggests LA(I)TIN(I). This is then reversed (from the east in an across clue) INITIAL. I think India belongs in the definition as well as the wordplay and as such appears to be doing double duty
17a Drink from well in East London (3)
ALE: How someone from East London may say a synonym of well or hearty, drop the aitch from (h)ALE
18a More corpulent setter breaks into food store (7)
LARDIER: The personal pronoun that Robyn uses when referring to himself I, breaks into the place where you store your food LARDER. Fatter or LARD(I)ER
20a Duff intel going around over offence (7)
DUDGEON: A place where you go when highly offended, synonyms of duff DUD, and intel GEN, around a crickety over O, giving us high DUD(GE{O}N)
22a Conformist feeling that lady’s sharp to hold back in sermon (4,8)
HERD INSTINCT:The accusative pronoun of that lady HER, and a synonym of sharp DISTINCT, holds the back letter of sermon N. HER(D I(N)STINCT. The conformist feeling of following the herd
26a Players love runs by Gunners around box (9)
ORCHESTRA: The letters that love and runs suggest OR and the Royal Artillery Gunners RA, go around a box CHEST. A group of musical players OR(CHEST)RA
27a Swift brute, rolling over, loves animal feed (5)
YAHOO: An animal feed of cut and dried grass HAY, roll over to give us YAH and add a couple of loves OO – YAHOO a class of animal that is human in form, but which has the understanding and passion of a brute. Jonathan Swift here would keep his capital even if he wasn’t the first word in the clue
28a Looks for water, concealing whiskey measures (5)
DOSES: A mysterious means of looking for water DOWSES, when the letter that whiskey suggests is removed DO(W)SES would be measures of something medicinal DOSES. Whisky was my choice last night as Robyn hasn’t gone easy on us
29a Cadge soft drug, at first, for sleeping policeman (5,4)
SPEED BUMP: Start with a slang term for an amphetamine-based drug SPEED, and add to cadge or beg for BUM, and a musical soft P – SPEED BUM(P) or sleeping policeman
Down
1d Fetching dresses make an impression (4)
ETCH: Dresses here is a containment indicator, in that the first word of the clue contains a synonym of the last three. F(ETCH)ing to etch or make an impression
2d As it happens, revolutionary is wrong (4)
EVIL: A synonym of as it happens LIVE, is reversed (revolutionary) to be wrong or EVIL
3d Mug knocked over with hot drink left for Easter (7)
PASCHAL: Ooh a seasonal clue – we didn’t get many at Christmas but a nice little Easter clue for Easter Sunday. Easier for those of a Jewish or Hebrew faith perhaps. A mug who is immature and full of the vital juice of a young tree SAP, is reversed PAS, over a synonym of a hot beverage CHA, and the letter that left suggests L. We had the PASCHAL Lamb rubbed in garlic and rosemary for Easter Sunday
4d Model answer about writer (5)
AESOP: A for answer and to model or sit for an artist POSE is reversed (turned about) for a writer of fables A(ESOP)
5d Identified coins banks provided with old penny (9)
SPECIFIED: A somewhat unusual term (to me) for coined money SPECIE, contains (banks) a conjunction for provided IF, followed by a pre-decimal penny D. Identified or SPEC(IF)IE(D)
6d Old city‘s ceremony — bet it is occasionally ignored (7)
POMPEII: Occasional letters of bEt It Is follow a ceremony or rite POMP(EII)
7d Love may be so fully embraced by a French revolutionary (10)
UNREQUITED: A synonym of fully QUITE, is embraced by one of our usual French a’s UN, and the colour associated with revolutionary RED, UN(RE(QUITE)D) like my love for Donna (TMI!)
8d Clue antelope crosses river in remote area (10)
HINTERLAND: A synonym of clue, that I providied here HINT, followed by a type of African antelope ELAND, crossing an abbreviated river R the remote area or HINT(E{R}LAND)
12d Oats for one head of hotel, wanting European supply (6,4)
HEALTH FOOD: Some more animal feed here. In his dictionary Samuel Johnson was quite dismissive of oats;
“A grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people”
Nowadays it is considered a heart-friendly way to start the day and in terms of the crossword it is an anagram of “HEAD OF HOT(E)L” without E for European, Oats for one is a definition by example
13d Makes very dear papa paella, say, during parts of match (10)
OVERPRICES: The letter that Papa suggests P, and the staple ingredient of paella RICE, goes in short parts of a cricket match OVERS Makes dear or OVER(P)RICE(S)
15d Standard places to eat last of Victoria sponges (9)
PARASITES: The standard score on a golf course PAR and a synonym of places SITES, contains the last of Victoria A. Sponges or PAR(A)SITES
19d Somewhat antipathetic, in essence displaying this? (7)
ICINESS: An all-in-one lurker (somewhat) (displaying this) hidden in antipathetIC IN ESSence
21d Green coloured clothes drawn deceptively (7)
DECOYED: A synonym of green in an environmentally aware way ECO, clothed by a synonym of coloured DYED D(ECO)YED a means of drawing to deceive the eye
23d Say foreign ally, when retreating, gets shot? (5)
IMAGE: A usual say EG, and a foreign (French) ally or friend AMI, are reversed to get a photographic shot or IMAGE
24d Form of address once for large figure (4)
THOU; A double-definition. A historical form of address for you or an abbreviated four-figure sum
25d Old French bread accompanying power lunch? (4)
SOUP: French bread is a term for a historical French five-centime piece SOU, it accompanies an abbreviation of power P to give a lunch dish often made with French Onions and a crouton of Gruyere cheese toasted on a slice of French Bread