Sunday Toughie 144 (Review)

Sunday Toughie No 144 by Zandio

Review by

Sloop John Bee

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

This puzzle was published on the 27th October 

 

Across

1a           Sweetheart cycling and old man reeling come together (7)
OVERLAP: A sweetheart with whom you are romantically linked cycles one letter LOVER becomes OVERL, then an informal old man PA, is reversed AP to come together or OVERL-AP

5a           Confusion from yours truly – darling left to go west (7)
MELANGE: Another darling ANGEL moves its initial letter to the west L-ANGE and follows a pronoun for yours truly ME BRB has MELANGE as a mixture or medley but that is a sort of confusion

9a           Two pieces of fabric fencing in the step down (5,2,3,5)
THROW IN THE TOWEL: Two pieces of fabric, one used to toss over a sofa THROW, and the other used for drying TOWEL go around two little words IN THE clue

10a        River dweller becoming hard-hearted and separate (5)
OTHER: A river-dwelling mammal OTTER, changes its central letter to H for hard

11a        Wishes to entertain seamen with special number for dances (9)
HORNPIPES: A synonym of wishes HOPES, entertains military seamen RN, and a special number that is the ratio of circumference and diameter PI dances or HO(RN)(PI)PES

12a        Judges, penned by prophet, on reflection keeps repeating (9)
REHEARSES: A visionary prophet SEER, is reversed RE-ES and pens a synonym of judges HEARS

14a        For example Samuel squeaks when talking (5)
PEPYS: A homophone of squeaks like a chicken PEEPS, gives us the surname of the famous Samuel PEPYS

15a        Right time to cut through part of roof? (5)
TITLE: Right of ownership from T for time in a part of a roof TILE

16a        One produces oil to relieve shakes (5,4)
OLIVE TREE: An anagram (shakes) of TO RELIEVE

18a        Cool coverage pitched Soho event as oddly overlooked (3,6)
ICE SHEETS: Overlook odd letters of four words in the clue pItChEd SoHo EvEnT aS

21a        Orchestra Musicians love the sound of violin players! (5)
OBOES: The letter that love represents O, and a homophone of the sound of violin players BOWS becomes BOES

22a        Crunch time for Wimbledon ace? (5,2,2,6)
POINT OF NO RETURN: An ace at Wimbledon is a point that the opposition can’t return and is also a crunch time

23a        German pistol used as revolver, a resistance standard (7)
REGULAR: A brand of German pistol LUGER, is reversed (used as revolver) REGUL, and adds A from the clue and the abbreviation of resistance R

24a        Rookie golfer’s start interrupted by bad weather (7)
TRAINEE: The peg where golfers start TEE, around some bad weather RAIN

 

Down

1d          Unconscious, ducks squashed by drive in the park? (7)
OUTDOOR: Unconscious  OUT, and an abbreviation of drive DR, contains some plural letters that would represent a score of a duck O and O

2d          Heart possibly found in grave (15)
EARTHSHATTERING: A reverse anagram where the anagram indicator forms the second part of the solution SHATTERING, and the first word of the clue HEART is the fodder for the anagram EARTH

3d          Partly finances a crew Olympians set up with no capital (5-4)
LOWER-CASE: When in doubt look for a lurker… One of the best examples of a reverse (set up) lurker (partly) is hidden here

4d          Collar and cuff should get one to replace uniform (5)
PINCH: A synonym of to cuff with a fist perhaps PUNCH, replaces U for uniform with the letter that looks like one

5d          Guru RFK Jr’s message goes over head of ex-PM (9)
MAHARISHI: I have been trying to avoid American politics as it is all a bit depressing at the moment, I bunged this in from the definition and our most recent ex-PM’s forename RISHI Sunak, but didn’t know how RFK Jr gave me the first 4 letters MAHA. Friends old and new at the S&B in York helped. There is an acronym associated with Donald Trump’s ambition to restore American greatness Make America Great Again, RFK Jr has endorsed this and added his own ambition to improve the well-being of Americans by reducing chemical additives in food
BD didn’t want politics to be a feature of the blog, so I won’t add my opinions here. The acronym of RFK Jr’s campaign to restore American “well-being” provides the first 4 letters of the solution Make America Healthy Again gives us MAHA to add to RISHI Sunak to be the Beatles favourite Guru the MAHARISHI

6d          Had a smoke – pitiful, but not if smashed (3,2)
LIT UP: A partial anagram (smashed) of PIT(if)UL without IF

7d          Organ on pier where Ed airs his compositions? (9,6)
NEWSPAPER COLUMN: A synonym of organ NEWSPAPER, goes on a synonym of pier COLUMN,  for the place where an Editor may air his compositions

8d          Volunteers went without clothes on more than one programme (7)
ENLISTS: To volunteer for military service, Went without its clothing letters EN, and a “chart of upcoming TV programmes LISTS

13d        With Barbie’s boy engaged, proof’s going about she’s this (6,3)
SPOKEN FOR: An anagram of PROOF’S about Barbie’s boyfriend KEN, a synonym of to be engaged in marriage

14d        Catastrophe! No men allowed to box in spectacles (9)
PHENOMENA: Another lurker (to box in)

15d        Out-of-town visitor, type who goes on and on about double parking (7)
TRIPPER: One who goes on and on making numerous attempts TRIER, goes around letters that indicates parking doubled TRI(PP)ER.

17d        Spirit seen in German city church (7)
ESSENCE: A German city ESSEN and an abbreviation for the Church of England CE

19d        Popular overhead railway in Philly, maybe board here? (5)
HOTEL: A synonym of popular HOT, and a type of raised railway EL, that is in Philadelphia and other US cities

20d        This could be beach volleyball wear (5)
SPORT: A double definition to finish