Sunday Toughie 138 (Review)

Sunday Toughie No 138 by Zandio

Review by

Sloop John Bee

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This puzzle was published on the 15th of September 2024

 

Across

 

1a          Device giving cash back (4)
TOOL: A synonym of (usually stolen) cash LOOT is reversed to become a device or TOOL

3a          Place to go to catch long boat, simply made for magic (10)
WITCHCRAFT: A place to go potty W.C. around to long or pine for ITCH, and a simply made boat RAFT. W(ITCH)C(RAFT) or magic

9a          Additional note about commercial apartments (4)
PADS: A Latin abbreviation for an additional note added after the main text P.S.  goes around a shortened commercial AD. Informal apartments or PADS

10a       Cricketer quick between the wickets caught predecessor (10)
FORERUNNER: A homophone (caught) of a cricketer who is so quick he can amass as many runs as he would score if the ball got to the boundary a four-runner becomes FORERUNNER

11a       One getting burned in autumn – Mr Fawkes? (4,3)
FALL GUY: Another word for autumn FALL,and Mr Fawkes’ real first name GUY. Burned here is falsely blamed for a mistake or a crime they did not commit

13a       £1,000 to replace lead in sinks and boilers (7)
KETTLES: An abbreviation of £1,000 K replaces the leading letter of a synonym of sinks, SETTLES becomes KETTLES or boilers

14a       Recording that, in short, often follows Abba’s first couple (7,4)
COMPACT DISC: Un-abbreviate the recording medium that alphabetically follows the first two letters of ABBA AB…CD becomes a recording or COMPACT DISC

18a       Vegetable stew, pate too, with a fudge (5,6)
SWEET POTATO: An anagram (with a fudge) of STEW PATE TOO

21a       Smart of French to link with US tourist attraction (1,2,4)
A LA MODE: An American tourist attraction in San Antonio Texas  The ALAMO followed by the French for of DE ALAMODE when split (1,2,4) becomes smart or A LA MODE

22a       Explicit drawing? (7)
GRAPHIC: A double definition

23a       Tango legend from Brazil twirls and grinds, making rings (10)
TELEPHONES: The letter that Tango suggests  T, and a reversal (twirls) of a Brazilian football legend PELE becomes ELEP, and a synonym of grinds HONES, rings you later or TELEPHONES

24a       Union staff clobber, part of suit (4)
CLUB: A rather neat quadruple definition

25a       Like Ringo maybe I had sung in a dream (6-4)
STARRY-EYED: An adjective of someone who is like Ringo Starr STARRY, and a homophone (sung) of I had or I’d becomes EYED, would be someone so overly optimistic they seem to be in a dream

26a       One takes wing as if husband had become Romeo (4)
WREN: A conjunction that goes with if WHEN, replaces H for husband with R for Romeo

Down

 

1d          Bunch of characters with singular style, could be Gothic? (8)
TYPEFACE: An all-in-one or &lit of the style of characters that Gothic is an example of

2d          Date that got blown out? (3,5)
OLD FLAME: A former romantic date has been extinguished like a candle in the wind

4d          It may be illegal to sell or put in invasive plant (5)
IVORY: An invasive plant that clads many walls IVY contains OR from the clue – There are very few instances when the sale of IVORY is still legal

5d          Programme broadcast from Prague, say, with Hungarian composer (9)
CHECKLIST: A homophone of someone from Prague say a Czech, and a Hungarian composer Liszt, CzachLiszt becomes CHECKLIST A programme to be ticked off on completion

6d          Sarcastic mixer that’s used to free openings (7,4)
CAUSTIC SODA: A synonym of sarcastic CAUSTIC and a mixer SODA could  be used to unblock the opening in a sink or drain

7d          Registers articles, one from the alternative point also missing vowels (6)
ANNALS: Two indefinite articles (one reversed (from the alternative point))  AN and NA, and what remains of aLSo when the vowels are removed ANNALS or registers

8d          Little singer with temperature avoiding hospital jab (6)
THRUST: A small song-bird THRUSH, replaces H for Hospital with T for Temperature

12d       Small-sized jumper available in Mardi-Gras shop perhaps (11)
GRASSHOPPER: A lurker (available in) the last three words of the clue

15d       Some of those attending loathe ref, or express so (9)
THEREFORE: Another lurker (some of those attending) in the four words preceding the definition

16d       German composer with part to be written up for single (8)
BACHELOR: A German composer BACH, and a reversal of a dramatic part ROLE becomes ELOR/would be a single male BACHELOR

17d       This is a rough house – book taxi home! (3,5)
LOG CABIN: To record in a book LOG, a taxi CAB, and where we are when home IN, would be a rough timber construction or LOG CABIN

19d       One seen in sierra occasionally must scratch all over (6)
CACTUS: Another &lit. The letter that sierra suggests S, and alternate letters of must scratch UTCAC, are all reversed (over) for a plant often seen in the Sierra or similar dry lands S UTCAC becomes CACTUS

20d       Spanish food and pop depressing the male and female from Madrid? (6)
PAELLA: A pop or father PA, and masculine EL, and feminine LA, Spanish articles are a popular Spanish food PAELLA

22d       They honk my car swerving scare (5)
GEESE: An interjection that can replace my! GEE, And what remains of S(car)E when car has been swerved. GEESE honk