Sunday Toughie No 142 by proXimal
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 13th of October 2024
Across
1a Spooner’s kept carp somewhere in Kent (9)
MAIDSTONE: Synonyms of kept STAYED, and carp MOAN, transpose sounds to be MAIDSTONE in Kent
6a Nerd bewitched taking out long novel (5)
DWEEB: A synonym of to long or desire is removed from BEW(ITCH)ED than anagrammed (novel) to be a nerd or DWEEB
9a Firmly grasp piece of cake (5)
CINCH: A double definition (both informal) of a secure hold and something easy
10a Officer gaining lead from evidential material (9)
CORPOREAL: A low-ranking officer CORPORAL, takes the leading letter of evidential E, for something material as opposed to spiritual
11a Rat and other rats sharing small insects (12)
GRASSHOPPERS: Two synonyms of to rat, as in act as an informer GRASS and SHOPPER, but they share an S for small where they meet
14a Account with little money causing stresses (7)
ACCENTS: An abbreviation of account AC, and some small change CENTS
16a Senior citizen remains in East London terrace (7)
OLDSTER: How someone from East London (who drops his aitches) may say remains HOLDS becomes ‘OLDS and an abbreviation of terrace TER.
17a Coastal town‘s broadcast picked up (3)
AYR: A homophone (picked up) of a synonym of broadcast AIR becomes AYR
18a Extremely powerful hit by two females surged in popularity (4,3)
TOOK OFF: A synonym of extremely TOO, a powerful hit KO, and two abbreviated females FF, TOOK OFF or surged in popularity
20a Sort wine for relatives (7)
KINDRED: A sort or type KIND, and a colour of wine RED, KINDRED Relatives by blood, or (less properly) by marriage
22a Engineer that made poor toy (2,6,4)
MR POTATO HEAD: An anagram (engineer) of THAT MADE POOR
26a Principal ways mothers used to keep under control (4,5)
MAIN LINES: A means of keeping crowds or queues under control IN LINES, into abbreviated mothers MAS
27a Meal canteen regularly supplied is delight (5)
ELATE: To delight is hidden in regular letters of the first two words mEaL cAnTeEn, gives us ELATE or delight
28a Run-down employee’s third to quit quickly (5)
SEEDY: A synonym of quickly SPEEDY, that has lost the third letter of employee P leaving run-diwn or SEEDY
29a Conduct of deviant state minister is twice ignored (9)
TREATMENT: Conduct or management from an anagram (deviant) of sTATE MiNisTER, but first ignore is (twice)
Down
1d Constant piercing buzz arising frequently (4)
MUCH: A constant (that Einstein used to represent the speed of light) C, is inserted (piercing) into a reversal (arising in a down clue) of a buzz HUM becomes MU(C)H
2d Island state having change of direction (4)
IONA: One of the United States IOWA, changes from West to North to be IONA a small island close to my ancestral home of Mull
3d Adult bears turned and fled from hot area (7)
SAHARAN: An abbreviated adult A, and bears or owns HAS is turned SAH A, and adds fled on foot RAN, for an adjective for the characteristic of the Sahara desert in N Africa
4d Swimmers see coral at sea in which eel disappears (5)
ORCAS: An anagram (at sea) of See CORAl but remove the eel first
5d Maybe painting outside of hotel below eastern embankment (9)
EARTHWORK: Maybe painting as an example of something decorative rather than practical ARTWORK, around (outside) H for hotel, all of which goes below E for eastern
6d Doctor caught ignoring leader is dismissed (7)
DROPPED: An abbreviated doctor DR, and a synonym of caught (by the police perhaps)COPPED, without its leading letter
7d Simple trio following Kay attempt to grab article (10)
ELEMENTARY: Deceptive capitalisation of Kay, but Kay is in the BRB It is how you would say the eleventh letter of the alphabet, how you would say the following three letters EL, EM, EN, adds an attempt TRY around an indefinite article A. Simple my Dear Watson
8d Support workplace to set up American deal (10)
BALUSTRADE: A scientists workplace LAB, is reversed BAL, followed by one of our usual Americans US, and a commercial deal or TRADE
12d Shows face by accepting award (10)
PANTOMIMES: A slang term for the face PAN,accepts a mathematical by TIMES, around the letters that someone awarded the Order of Merit is entitled to use OM Christmas shows or PANTOMIMES
13d Mate‘s do after leaving quiet church (10)
ACCOMPLICE: I haven’t underlined the plural part of the definition as I think this mate is singular, to do or achieve ACCOMPLISH, leaves an interjection for quiet -SH and adds an abbreviation of the Church of England +CE
15d Starfleet vying occasionally with alien security measure (6,3)
SAFETY NET: Occasional letters of the StArFlEeT vYiNg add our usual film alien SAFETY N + ET
19d Top cycling finish (7)
OUTPLAY: A two-word synonym of finish PLAY OUT, cycles the second word to the beginning for a synonym of top or defeat OUTPLAY
21d Guns behind fortification screens are most similar (7)
NEAREST: A group of machine guns fortified by sandbags or similar NEST, contains (screens) ARE from the clue
23d Last of bunch refuse to leave with urgency (5)
HASTE: The last of bunch H, and a synonym of refuse (W)ASTE, but omit (leave) an abbreviation of with W
24d Cat traverses this plain in entertainment show (4)
BARE: A synonym of plain or unadorned would be hidden in an entertainment show that cat traverses CA BARE T
25d Maybe Burgundy’s covering cored vegetable (4)
BEET: The colour associated with Burgundy wine was deceptive. You want the covering that a typical Burgundian may wear on his head A BE(R)ET and core it for a vegetable that is a deep-red in colour
That’s all Folks…