Sunday Toughie No 128 by
Robyn
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 7th of July 2024
Across
1a Briefly check case for police about vice in America (4)
VEEP: The first two letters of a synonym of check VE(t), and a reversal (about) of the case letters of police PE becomes EP, VEEP an informal American term for Vice President of a company
3a Accomplished rook move in chess without problem (10)
CONSUMMATE: Rook here is not the chess piece but a transitive verb to fleece or deceive CON, the move in chess is the ultimate one MATE, and they go around (without) the problem is a mathematical one SUM. Accomplished or skilful CONSUMMATE
9a Undesirable task, extracting hydrogen nucleus (4)
CORE: A necessary household task CHORE, lose the chemical symbol for hydrogen H. Leaving the CORE or nucleus
10a Intoxicated by essential drugs? With time, one reacts to acid (6,4)
LITMUS TEST: Synonyms of intoxicated LIT, and essential MUST, and the plural abbreviation of a recreational drug E’S, and T for time
11a Spooner’s taken off cheap paper symbol for the left (3,4)
RED FLAG: Topical post-election, to have taken off or departed in a hurry FLED, and a derogatory term for a cheap newspaper RAG, swap their initial sounds
13a Hard, firm rolls around filling cheese for breakfast? (7)
BRIOCHE: A hard grade of pencil H, and an abbreviation of a firm or business CO, are reversed (around) and go into a cheese BRIE. The question mark tells us this is a definition by example so this product may be consumed for breakfast BRIOCHE
14a Fixture with Danes moved, hosting Queen’s Park Rangers (4,7)
GAME WARDENS: Start with a sporting fixture GAME, then an abbreviation of with W, an anagram of DANES around the Latin abbreviation for Queens – Regina becomes R. GAME W(A(R)DENS)
18a Where Reg is feeling less pressure, missing deadlines (6,5)
NUMBER PLATE: A comparative lack of feeling NUMBER, an abbreviation of pressure P and to miss a deadline LATE, indicate the mark that a vehicle must display to travel
21a Using hypotheses before probing ChatGPT etc (1,6)
A PRIORI: A synonym of before PRIOR, goes in an abbreviation of the form of reasoning that ChatGPT is an example of Artificial Intelligence or AI. An obscure (to me) term applied to reasoning from hypotheses from what came before A PRIORI
22a Instinctive sense lacking in education (7)
TUITION: Instinctive sense INTUITION, lacking IN leaves the education TUITION
23a One may be seen on the wing playing Real Madrid (3,7)
RED ADMIRAL: This creature that may be seen on the wing or flying, is an anagram (playing) of REAL MADRID
24a Chuck Berry using new guitar, wanting only number ones (4)
BUNG: Initial letters of four words in the clue. To throw chuck or BUNG
25a Collect a lot of ice cream, say, in jar (10)
CONGREGATE: Most of the wafer that holds your ice cream CON(e) then to utter or emit jarringly GRATE, around say as an example EG to collect or CON(GR(EG)ATE
26a Large blocks heavier than desirable in plane (4)
FLAT: The abbreviation for large L, goes into the state of being heavier than desirable FAT, A FLAT geometric plane
Down
1d Where father’s put up with cold, cutting through storm (8)
VICARAGE: A way through VIA, with the abbreviation of cold cutting in C, and a storm or tempest RAGE, where the Reverend Father is put up or resides
2d Same rickety fences in ground lord lands for nobles (8)
EARLDOMS: An anagram (rickety) of SAME goes around another anagram (ground) of LORD
4d Approving of old man sometimes undergoing checks (5)
OKING: O for old and a “man” on a chessboard KING. To mark or pass as right, surely some missing apostrophes here? The BRB indicates one or even two apostrophes and three syllables
5d Cantonese verb I messed up, penning note (9)
SEMIBREVE: Note is the definition, penning is the indicator and up is the direction in which to look for the reverse lurker
6d Yearn for drink during one’s irrational state (11)
MISSISSIPPI: To yearn for MISS, and a small drink SIP, in the letter’s that looks like one’s I’S, and end with an irrational number that is the ratio of the circumference to the diameter of a circle PI
7d Company accountant turned up unknown investing info (6)
AGENCY: Some informal info GEN, in a reversal (turned up) of a Chartered Accountant ca becomes AC, and a mathematical unknown Y
8d Gent not covered on e.g. plane fare’s first instalment (6)
ENTREE: Plane is an example (e,g,) of the large arboreal plant TREE, that follows the uncovered gent EN
12d Food store stocks pasty, gathering this prevents anarchy (3,3,5)
LAW AND ORDER: The place that you may store food LARDER, contains a synonym of pasty or pale WAN, and an informal gathering or DO. This prevents anarchy LA(W AN)(D O)RDER
15d Left in control, defending major general’s van (9)
REMAINING: The controls of a horse REIN, contain a synonym of major MAIN. then the van or leading letter of general G. What’s left or REMAINING
16d When dancing, hula skirts somewhat common (8)
HABITUAL: An anagram (dancing) of HULA around a somewhat small part A BIT. That which is common or customary HABITUAL
17d After hour, crew gathering news do without men (3,5)
HEN NIGHT: Abbreviations of hour H, and news plural NN and the crew of a rowing boat EIGHT, define this informal party without men HEN NIGHT
19d E.g. Plaid Cymru’s leader behind top Tories, at heart (6)
FABRIC: Top, excellent, or marvellous FAB, the letters at the heart of Tories RI, and the leading letter of Cymru C. Plaid bveing another word for Tartan FABRIC
20d Restoration writer of French lines boring Newton (6)
DRYDEN: A synonym of boring DRY, the French “of” DE, and the abbreviation of the physical force Newton becomes N. DRYDEN The Restoration writer who was appointed England’s first Poet Laureate
22d Son perfectly protects your health, say (5)
TOAST: A (2,1,1) synonym of suiting perfectly TO-A-T, contains S for son