Sunday Toughie No 129 by Zandio Review by
Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 14th of July 2024
Across
1a Ali’s opener, meeting date with diamonds, a bit of taste (6,4)
SESAME SEED: The spell that Ali Baba used to access the den of the forty thieves open SESAME, then a romantic date “SEE” and D for Diamonds – SESAME SEED A small bit of food that gives taste to many dishes such as hummus
6a Body of water abutting Lima, and what may live in it? (4)
SEAL: A body of water SEA and the phonetic code letter that Lima suggests L, A SEAL may live in the sea
9a Company, one accepting deficit, making great figures … (7)
COLOSSI: An abbreviated company CO, and the deficit one may make LOSS, and the letter that looks like one I make plural figures such as that which stood over Rhodes COLOSSI
10a … bound to get turnover in good business (7)
TRADING: To bound or zoom around is turned over with in from the clue and the abbreviation of good. Business where hopefully you make profit
12a ‘Cum on!’ – teenager’s misspelt ‘come-on’ (13)
ENCOURAGEMENT: An anagram (misspelt) of CUM ON TEENAGER
14a Beast that could make social worker run off (8)
ANTELOPE: One of our usual social workers ANT, appears to have run off to get married ELOPE
15a Out of sorts, I bought rolls soup etc here? (6)
BISTRO: Out of is the indicator – rolls is the reversal indicator and you are looking for a place that may serve soup A BISTRO hidden in reverse in “s-ORTS I B-ought”
17a Tautology made by parrot again? (2-4)
RE-ECHO: A tautology is an error of style that repeats something already implied in the same statement. To parrot (4) or ECHO already implies that you are saying this again and to include the prefix for doing it again (2) RE, would be a tautology please do it again-agai-aga-ag…
19a Retro Christmassy ad, a Wonka that’s wrapped for the present time (8)
NOWADAYS: Retro is a reversal indicator and that’s wrapped a containment indicator, the present time can be found within
21a Surf, maybe hoping I will become a smash (7,6)
WASHING POWDER: Most of my parsing of this involved anagrams of hoping but eventually I realised it is a synonym of hoping we need WISHING, but swap the I for an A WASHING, and add a synonym of smash or pulverize POWDER. I am not sure if this brand is international but it is Mama Bee’s preferred choice
24a Watch Romeo and Juliet perhaps, avoiding first week that’s out of costume (7)
OVERSEE: Avoid the first letter of Romeo and Juliet’s “Star-Crossed” relationship (L)OVERS, and add what remains of week when that’s out of costume (w)EE(k) To watch or OVERSEE
25a Pat and Ella’s union providing joint protection (7)
KNEECAP: A nod to Roger “Rufus” Squires classic clue https://bigdave44.com/2013/11/09/two-girls-one-knee/
When PAT and ELLA are united they are a PATELLA that protects the KNEECAP
26a Back street housing working for many (4)
TONS: An abbreviation of street is reversed (back)ST becomes TS it houses a synonym of working ON
27a Spur-of-the-moment broadcast, Trump open to link with Democrat (10)
UNPROMPTED: An anagram (broadcast) of TRUMP OPEN linked with D for Democrat.
Down
1d Notice: ‘Strip bed’ (4)
SACK: A nice triple definition to start the downs
2d Sound coming from that large hole (7)
SOLVENT: Synonyms of that SO and hole or VENT contain L for large, SOLVENT is to put us in a sound financial position
3d Rivalry in which you’re guaranteed to lose standing (7,6)
MUSICAL CHAIRS: A party game where the last person to remain standing is eliminated
4d What happens in US, OK – aId to create winter sport challenges (3,5)
SKI JUMPS: This winter sport occurs when you “leap” from one letter to another, these “leaps” JUMPS go with the sport to create the challenge
5d Times invested in revolutionary facility and English supplement (5)
EXTRA: The mathematical symbol that Times suggests X, and E for English and a reversal (revolutionary) of a facility or skill ART becomes TRA
7d Famous rapper with final mike-drop, not putting out love (7)
EMINENT: A rapper drops his final M for Mike EMINE(M) for not NoT but put out the letter that love represents O
8d Spooner would give ultimate cad a shiner (10)
LIGHTHOUSE: A synonym of ultimate or utmost degree HEIGHT, and a cad worthy of contempt LOUSE, treated by the Reverend Spooner to by a shiner that guides those at sea LIGHTHOUSE
11d Bottom and Titania Hollywood-style offers chance for all to shine (8,5)
AMERICAN DREAM: Those Shakespearean characters whose unlikely relationship occurred on a midsummer nights DREAM follow the style of Hollywood (in California not Northern Ireland as the one in NI is spelled with one ell)
13d Buoyant home town bar, or a shambles (10)
NARROWBOAT: An anagram (shambles) of TOWN BAR OR A
16d Partner, resident on farm, with another casually going topless (2-6)
CO-WORKER: One of the animals found on a farm COW, and another whose informal name (P)ORKER, is without its initial P
18d Japanese, say, with that compressed behind (7)
EASTERN: The abbreviated point of the compass where Japan lies E, and that which is behind a vessel ASTERN
20d Food, tropical, chopped and blended (7)
APRICOT: Chop off the last letter of TROPICA(L) and blend it for this tropical fruit APRICOT
22d Common knowledge to seize on (5)
GREEN: An informal synonym of knowledge GEN seizes on or RE, from the clue
23d Did Zoom exercise with old currency collecting (4)
SPED: Two of the abbreviations for pre-decimal currency S for shillings and D for Pence (from the Roman Denarius) collect some physical exercise or PE. SPED the past tense (did) of Zoom