Sunday Toughie No 140 by
Robyn
Review by Sloop John Bee
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
This puzzle was published on the 29th of September 2024
Across
1a Wrong tip for what criminals do (6)
OFFEND: Synonyms of wrong OFF, and tip END, are what criminals do
4a Surface Pro’s case returned after iPad, say (5,3)
TABLE TOP: iPad say is an example of a type of hand-held device TABLET, the reversal of the case letters of Pro follows it OP – A surface or TABLE TOP
9a No clerics admitting sign of error or carelessness (6)
LAXITY: Those people distinguished from other clerics LAITY, admit the sign of error that a teacher may put on your homework perhaps X. Carelessness or LA(X)ITY
10a They reveal plot of gutless reprobate, rolling in loot (8)
SPOILERS: What remains of reprobate when gutted RE, is reversed (rolling) ER, into some loot or SPOILS. SPOIL(ER)S reveal the plot of a favourite show
11a Socialist Worker journalist in a compromising position (3-6)
RED-HANDED: The colour associated with socialism RED, followed by a usual worker HAND, and journalist ED, is caught in a compromising position or RED-HANDED
13a Ancient Greek employing rhetorical device runs off (5)
IONIC: An adjective relating to one of the main divisions of Ancient Greeks, from a rhetorical device IRONIC, without (R) for runs. IONIC an Ancient Greek from Ionia
14a Windows user’s chucked out secure screens a tester corrected (13)
DEFENESTRATED: A synonym of secure DEFEND contains (screens) an anagram (corrected) of A TESTER – You will be chucked out of that window if you don’t leave soon!
17a Following French drink, I make wraps? At first, chew the fat meat cut (13)
CHATEAUBRIAND: Lots of Lego™ here start with a French term for a drink of water EAU, add a trademark make or BRAND, wrapped around I from the clue. Before you bung that in, put a term for chew the fat CHAT, first and you should have a rather expensive cut of meat
21a Getting through university, celebrate! (5)
USING: An abbreviation of university U, and celebrate vocally by airing your favourite tune SING Getting through or USING up an allowance
23a Sweet food mass eaten by rival of Bezos, Jeff on the rich list (4,5)
MUSK MELON: A rival of Bezos, Jeff on the rich list (styled in the same way (surname first) MUSK, ELON, contains the abbreviation of mass M. The name for this sweet food was new to me but I have certainly eaten many of the varieties which are called musk because of their scent
24a Helping Dave out of coat, not very well (8)
AVAILING: We have had case letters, gutless words and now out of their coat words D(AV)e becomes AV, followed by not very well AILING, and you should be helping yourself to the answer
25a You shouldn’t have brought back tat for Sally (6)
ATTACK: An alternative to “You shouldn’t have” would be thanks or somewhat shortly TA, this is reversed (brought back) AT, and followed by some tat or TACK
26a Sin of very old-fashioned Parisian dropping ecstasy (8)
TRESPASS: How someone from Paris may say something is very old fashioned TRES PASSE, loses its second E for ecstasy, leaving the sin of TRESPASS
27a Heartless person capturing rook, leading to mate (6)
FRIEND: A heartless person FIEND, captures the chess notation for a rook R, this leads to the heartless person becoming a mate or FRIEND
Down
1d Blunder snubbing leader, back from busy place parliament meets? (6)
OWLERY: A blunder without its leading letter H(OWLER) and the back of busy Y, would be a place where a Parliament of Owls would meet
2d What might suggest aide’s obsession (5,4)
FIXED IDEA: A reverse anagram where the indicator becomes the first word of the answer, what you have to do to AIDE to turn it into an obsession or FIXED IDEA
3d Very old skin of tuna-fish filling pastry up (3,4)
NOT HALF: An abbreviation of old O, and another (case/gutless/out of coat/skin of) pair of letters from tuna-fish ( the hyphenation is necessary to get the right letters TH, when you have the right three letters they go in (filling) a reversal (up) of a pastry FLAN becomes NALF. N(OT H)ALF complicated
5d Members of Lily’s family assist rapid reforms (11)
ASPIDISTRAS: An anagram (reforms) of ASSIST RAPID
6d Louder melody that is going in opposing directions (7)
LAIRIER: Opposite directions L and R, contain a melody AIR, and a Latin that is IE – LAIRIER or louder
7d Oversentimental name for a Year Seven kid? (5)
TWEEN: It wasn’t called Year Seven when I was at school, the first 5 years of my education were infant and junior years, and I started at senior school as a first year again! Those awkward years when one is no longer a child but not yet adult, from a word for oversentimental TWEE and N for name,
8d Part of address from upright Conservative with lyrical lines (8)
POSTCODE: The upright that holds your fence up POST, an abbreviation of Conservative C, and some lyrical lines of poetry ODE, are part of your address POSTCODE
12d Resolutions upset country club workers coming in flipping intoxicated (11)
DENOUEMENTS: More Lego™ A reversal (upset) of the country club that we recently left EU, becomes UE, goes into another reversal (flipping) of a slang synonym of intoxicated STONED, and into that some of our usual workers MEN, are coming in DENO(UE)(MEN)TS or the theatrical resolution of a drama
15d Time I had a flutter, clutching pound? It’s a potential disaster (5,4)
TIDAL WAVE: T for time, a contraction of I had I’D, A from the clue, and an old money abbreviation of pound L, clutch a synonym of flutter WAVE
16d After king leaves, happen upon long letter? (8)
OCCUPANT: A synonym of happen OCCU(R) loses a Latin King, followed by to long or desire PANT, OCCUPANT a letter or tenant
18d Drink for one gala’s opening? Lose it (3-4)
EGG-FLIP: An abbreviation of for one as an example of EG, the opening letter of gala G, and to lose ones mind FLIP
19d Reader of current novel comes up with theory, oddly (7)
AMMETER: An electrician that reads Jane Austen would know this, A reversal (comes up) of her comedy of manners EMMA becomes AMME, and odd letters of theory T E R, would be used by the electrician to read the current An AMMETER
20d Son uncovered wound (6)
SNAKED: An abbreviation of son S, and completely uncovered NAKED, is wound around the body like an asp SNAKED, I write this review as Cleopatra Clasps an Asp to her Bosom!
22d Wild tapir at ecosanctuary’s cages (5)
IRATE: A synonym of wild IRATE, is caged in tapIR AT Ecosanctuary’s
That’s All Folks…