Sunday Toughie 131 (Hints)

Sunday Toughie No 131

by Robyn

 

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

 

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Not too tricky today, two of the trickiest letters in 1a made me think of a pangram but it wasn’t to be. I think my choice of music may raise a few 6d’s today but so many 15d-ing tunes came to mind I was spoiled for choice

We have 14a and 14d clues and as ever I have run out of hints before all the tricky ones are covered so I will provide a bonus nudge if required

Here we go…

As it is a Prize puzzle I can only hint at a few and hope that will give you the checkers and inspiration to go further. I’ll be back just after the closing date with the full blog. Don’t forget to follow BD’s instructions in RED at the bottom of the hints!

I hope I don’t have to redact any comments but I am new at this and don’t want to rock the boat. If in doubt, I’ll rub it out! I think that sentence is a bit redundant. You have all been so helpful in sorting out prior parsing failures, and I am sure I will need similar help again.

Most of the terms used in these hints are explained in the Glossary and examples are available by clicking on the entry under “See also” Where the hint describes a construct as “usual” this means that more help can be found in The Usual Suspects, which gives a number of the elements commonly used in the wordplay. Another useful page is Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing, which features words with meanings that are not always immediately obvious. Don’t forget the Mine of useful information that Big Dave and his son Richard so meticulously prepared for us.

A full review of this puzzle will be published after the closing date for submissions. Some hints follow: Remember the site rules and play nicely

Across

1a           Sign to speak aloud with top waiter lacking manners (5-6)
A homophone (to speak aloud) of a sign to act and top as an item of clothing, someone who is too impatient to wait in line 

11a        More affected by anaesthetic, taking drug hit (6,3)
More diminished sensation caused by an anaesthetic, and a preposition for taking and a usual party drug
This charted worldwide but only reached 11a in their home country of The Netherlands

12a        Pack up case of enamel, drilling earth for fuel (6,3)
To pack up or cease to be then a synonym for earth, into which the case letters of enamel have been drilled

16a        Pompous types back in work – what’s seen in open-plan offices? (4-4)
The back letter of work (1) and what’s seen in open-plan offices (2,5) split (4-4)

24a        Maybe saw supplier of paper packing kilos, getting cash back (9)
Some illegally obtained cash and a quantity of paper into which has been packed an abbreviation of kilos are then reversed (back)

26a        Providing soldiers, accepting close call (9)
A group of soldiers accepts a synonym of close and give your mother a call so you are “providing” unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s

28a        Set of ever smaller figures in US dollars revised (7,4)
An anagram (revised) of the other three words in the clue that are not in the definition

Down

7d          Clutching book, husband and cad go for a spin in the vehicle (9,4)
An abbreviation of husband, and from the clue, and synonyms of cad and go clutch an abbreviation of book

8d          My troubled, upset role in Bard’s tragedy (8)
A synonym of troubled is reversed (upset) and follows an interjection expressing surprise “my!” – The youngest daughter in the Shakespearean tragedy King Lear

9d          Invigorating runs stopping Scottish team losing energy (5-8)
A synonym of losing energy accepts an abbreviation of runs in cricket and follows a Scottish football team. I thought we had too many runs but Chambers accepts the abbreviation as either singular or plural

15d        English bores owned land, keeping new rock out (8)
An abbreviation of English in a synonym of owned and a transitive verb to land (esp game birds) into which an abbreviation of new has been kept within

17d        Holders of black bags, say, and Spooner’s broken rackets (8)
Synonyms of broken and rackets or unnecessary noises transpose starting sounds. I guess Robyn hasn’t been forced into using countless multi-coloured wheeled receptacles yet, as they have made black bags almost obsolete here

19d        US writer otherwise engaged by articles suitable for all (7)
A synonym of otherwise is inserted into definite and indefinite articles and the classification of films suitable for all

                   “Read the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them all.” 

25d        Brief was informed over fifty pound toll (5)
A Roman fifty and an abbreviation of pound follow most of was informed – to toll a bell Like AC/DC did when I was there

 

 

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 A rather heavy selection of music today so we will wind down with something a little easier on the ear…

That’s All Folks…