Sunday Toughie 142 (Hints)

Sunday Toughie No 142

by proXimal

 

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

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The top half went in fairly fast for me but I slowed down considerably as I approached the end, the little ones gave the most parsing grief and I had to ask for help with the Burgundian’s covering

Plenty of signature proXimalisms today and a generous 15a and 16d clues today I have hinted just under half so have a bit of leeway with a bonus nudge if required – but beware the 9a piece of cake that Sue may provide for those that get sent to The Naughty Step – Sue said yesterday that the rather nice Victoria Sponge with Home-Made Plum Jam was reserved for the recuperating Mr CS – Get Well Soon

Here we go, Folks…

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 return with the full review blog just after the closing date. 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           Spooner’s kept carp somewhere in Kent (9)
Synonyms of kept and carp transpose initial sounds to be somewhere in Kent

6a           Nerd bewitched taking out long novel (5)
A synonym of to long or desire is removed from bewitched than anagrammed (novel)

11a        Rat and other rats sharing small insects (12)
Two synonyms of to rat, as in act as an informer, but they share an S for small where they meet

16a        Senior citizen remains in East London terrace (7)
How someone from East London (who drops his aitches) may say remains and an abbreviation of terrace

20a        Sort wine for relatives (7)
A sort or type and a colour of wine (that is typically Burgundian unless specified otherwise) Relatives by blood, or (less properly) by marriage

26a        Principal ways mothers used to keep under control (4,5)
A means of keeping crowds or queues under control into abbreviated mothers
A celebration of steam on the East Coast 26a

29a        Conduct of deviant state minister is twice ignored (9)
Conduct or management from an anagram (deviant) of state minister but first ignore is (twice)

 

Down

1d          Constant piercing buzz arising frequently (4)
A constant (that Einstein used to represent the speed of light) is inserted (piercing ) into a reversal (arising in a down clue) of a buzz

2d          Island state having change of direction (4)
One of the United States changes from West to North to be a small island close to my ancestral home of Mull
These two are from a similar Scottish Island

7d          Simple trio following Kay attempt to grab article (10)
Kay is how you would say the eleventh letter of the alphabet, how you would say the following three letters adds an attempt around an indefinite article. Simple my Dear Watson

12d        Shows face by accepting award (10)
A slang term for the face accepts a mathematical by around the letters that someone awarded the  Order of Merit is entitled to use

13d        Mate‘s do after leaving quiet church (10)
I haven’t underlined the plural part of the definition as I think this mate is singular, to do or achieve leaves an interjection for quiet and adds an abbreviation of the Church of England

24d        Cat traverses this plain in entertainment show (4)
A synonym of plain or unadorned would be hidden in an entertainment show that cat traverses

25d        Maybe Burgundy’s covering cored vegetable (4)
I sweated blood over the parsing of this last night and had to resort to help (thanks Lie-in King). The colour associated with Burgundy wine was deceptive. You want the covering that a typical Burgundian may wear on his head and core it for a vegetable that is a deep-red in colour

 

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