Sunday Toughie 125 (Review)

Sunday Toughie No 125 by

Robyn

Review by Sloop John Bee

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This puzzle was published on the 16th of June 2024

Robyn has brought a fine collection of themed clues, each of the across clues starts with a 27a LEADING MAN

I don’t claim this as a definitive list, Robyn is the man to ask for that. I have attached pictures of those that came to mind and I am sure there are other contenders. I have cheated a bit with Benicio Del Toro and the Theos and Barts are probably less well-known than others
I have also included a pic or three of George Clooney for Jane and for those that carried on looking for actors in the downs I have found a couple there!

Across

8a                   Heavy reading material, as far as I’m concerned (4)
TOME: A double definition, split (2,2) a phrase for as far as I’m concerned TO ME as (4) becomes a heavy book or TOME
Curiously all my Toms have surnames beginning with an H
Tom Hanks
Tom Hardy
Tom Hiddleston
Tom Holland

9a                   Divine hotel in Goa needing refurbishment (10)
THEOLOGIAN: An anagram (needing refurbishment) of HOTEL IN GOA. A THEOLOGIAN may claim to divine the thoughts of God
Theo James
Theo Nate

10a                One may have dates and honey during breaks in match (8)
TIMELINE: An obscure (as far as I’m concerned)™ term for honey MEL, and IN from the clue breaks into a sporting match TIE. They record dates of significant events a TI(MEL)(IN)E
Tim Robbins

11a                Treat isn’t guzzled by empty dignitary (6)
DAINTY: What remains of dignitary when empty DY, contains an informal contraction of isn’t AIN’T a DAINTY treat
David “Dai” Bradley He was the young star of the 1969 film Kes and chose to be known as Dai to differentiate him from another David Bradley who played Albus Finch the Caretaker in the Harry Potter films

12a                Near houses I’m going to attack kids’ parent (5,4)
BILLY GOAT: This “Gruff” parent from near or next to BY, houses a contraction of what I intend to do I’LL,  and two little words that mean to attack GO AT
Bill Murray
Billy Crystal
Billy Bob Thornton

13a                What criminal did half-heartedly, clad like a judge? (5)
ROBED: To have wrongfully stolen ROBBED, loses one of its central letters, to be clad in the formal attire of judges or priests ROBED
Rob Lowe

15a                Catty figure going after some stars (7)
LEONINE: A constellation that supposedly looks like a cat LEO, followed by a figure between eight and ten NINE, LEONINE or catlike
Leo McKern
Leonardo DiCaprio

17a                Held up banks in desolate place, ready to ignore the odds (7)
DELAYED: The banks of desolate DE, a synonym of place LAY, and what is left of ready when the odd letters are ignored ED, DELAYED or held up
Benicio Del Toro

20a                Roughly leaving item used for colouring fabric (5)
RAYON: A child’s colouring implement CRAYON, leaves out an abbreviation of roughly C
Ray Winstone

22a                British like to install quartz, say, in churches (9)
BASILICAS: The mineral that quartz is made from SILICA, is installed in an abbreviation of British B, and a synonym of like AS
Basil Rathbone

25a                Trade obstacle ending in agreement? I’m not sure (6)
BARTER: An obstacle BAR, the end of agreement T, and an interjection when I’m not sure ER, To trade or BARTER
Bart Johnson
Bart Braverman

26a                Return a bit of one’s make-up with speed (8)
GENERATE: A part of one’s make-up or DNA GENE, and a speed RATE, To GENERATE or make a return on an investment
Gene Kelly
Gene Hackman
Gene Wilder

27a                Evidence Fed’s been shot for top actor (that all other across answers have here) (7,3)
LEADING MAN: A forensic scientist may find the metal that bullets are usually made from LEAD, they may be found IN, a federal agent or G MAN, when he is shot and used in evidence to find the shooter

28a                Vera may follow this bit of neo-Latin from the east (4)
ALOE: A reverse (from the east) lurker (bit of) ALOE (hidden backwards in neo-Latin) with VERA is a medicinal plant
Al Pacino

 

Down

1d                  One’s phone rings in rally (8)
MOBILISE: To rally the troops perhaps, from the letter that looks like one (and its ‘s) I’S, in your cellular or MOBILE phone

2d                  Put off boxing American in scrap (6)
REPEAL: A synonym of put off REPEL, contains A for American

3d                  Demanding dispatched packages somewhere in Herts (9)
STRINGENT: To have despatched SENT, around (packages) a market town in Hertfordshire TRING, Demanding or STRINGENT

4d                  Modernisation of rule brought up with 27 from France (7)
RENEWAL: A legally binding rule LAW,is reversed WAL, after a typically French male name RENE
Rene Auberjonois

5d                  Leave out wings taken off jet and glider (5)
ELIDE: To suppress or abridge a syllable when the winging letters are removed from the j)E(t and the g)LIDE(r
Eli Wallach

6d                  General, one meeting officer in Indian city (8)
AGRICOLA: A Roman general from the letter that looks like one I, and an abbreviated army officer COL, in an Indian city AGRA. AGR(I)(COL)A

7d                  Arrest criminal mastermind from Paris (6)
SARTRE: An anagram (criminal) of ARREST – A philosopher or master of the mind who was born in Paris  21^st June 1905

14d                Republican planning to oust Democrat, walking out (9)
RESIGNING: A synonym of planning to DESIGNING, ousts D for Democrat and replaces it with R for Republican. RESIGNING or walking out of a job

16d                Twelve bagels eaten by disheartened nun failing diet (8)
NOONTIDE: Bagels are the score you may get if you are particularly bad at tennis 6-0 6-0 OO, they go in a heartless nun NN, and are followed by an anagram (failing) of diet, N(OO)NTIDE the time around Twelve

18d                Demand from one visiting old part of London (8)
EXACTION: Old or former EX, and a suburb of London ACTON, containing the letter that looks like one I

19d                Inexperienced revolutionary eager for army training (3,4)
WAR GAME: A synonym of inexperienced RAW, is reversed WAR, and followed by someone who is keen or eager GAME

21d                Found boring publicity is made cheaper (6)
ABASED: To found or underpin a construction perhaps BASE, bores into a short piece of publicity AD

23d                Offensive answer received by trendy staff (6)
INROAD: A military offensive that makes progress, A for answer received by synonyms of trendy IN, and staff ROD An offensive that makes IN(RO(A)D)’s

24d                Make billion on African currency (5)
BRAND: An abbreviation of billion B, on a (South) African currency unit RAND, the make that a company may attach to its products a BRAND