Sunday Toughie No 145 by
Robyn
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 3rd of November 2024
Across
1a Accessory for jumper committee members put on well (11)
SPRINGBOARD: The water source that fills a well SPRING, and the committee members who manage an organisation BOARD, becomes a useful accessory for someone who wants to jump into the water
10a Critical of item in a 9 maybe bearing tons (5)
VITAL: Critically important, a storage container used in a Medicine Chest VIAL, containing the abbreviation for tons T
11a Resent tangling with a vacuous knave and dangerous climber (4,5)
TREE SNAKE: An anagram (tangling) of RESENT, A from the clue and what remains of K(nav)E when vacuous
12a Around lake, opening bar European makes far from light! (9)
CALORIFIC: One of our usual abouts CA, and the abbreviation of lake L, and an opening or ORIFIC(e) bar E for European. Far from light in terms of food CALORIFIC
13a Aristo wanting adult swimming trunks (5)
TORSI: An anagram (swimming) of aRISTO without A for adult
14a At one’s residence? The opposite, to an extent (2,1,3)
IN A WAY: Words meaning at home IN and the opposite AWAY, when split (2,1,3) means to an extent
16a Little skirts working fine for holiday gear (8)
MONOKINI: A word for little MINI, “skirts” around one for working ON, and one for fine OK
18a Altered state of croissant, badly short of time (8)
NARCOSIS: Another anagram (badly) of CROISSAN(t) without the T for time
20a Struggle for inspiration in clever plan (6)
WHEEZE: A double definition, how an asthmatic may struggle for inspiration or breath, is also a clever plan often employed by Rodger the Dodger or Jennings and Darbyshire
23a Deny yam perhaps comes from the East (5)
REBUT: A reversal (comes from the East in an across clue) of what a yam is an example of (perhaps) A TUBER becomes to REBUT
24a Dismiss comic ultimately reluctant to provide coarse material (9)
SACKCLOTH: To dismiss from employment SACK, the ultimate letter of comic C, and a synonym of reluctant LOTH, provides us with a coarse material SACKCLOTH
26a Maybe retired proofreader picked up funds (9)
EXCHEQUER: A prefix for retired or former EX, and a homophone (picked up) of what a proofreader does CHECKER, becomes the budget topical management of funds EXCHEQUER
27a Range of paintings Monet initially knocked out (5)
URALS: Large wall paintings MURALS lose Monet’s initial to be a mountain range in Eastern Europe
28a Starting post in Aintree’s displaced with it (11)
TRAINEESHIP: A cool with it HIP, follows an anagram (displaced) of AINTREE’S for the starting post where you first learn a lot about employment
Down
2d Thus problem begins, with others making a bit of a bloomer (5)
PETAL: The starting letter of Problem P, and a Latin abbreviation for with others ET AL
3d I’m going to breezy, northerly Balkan region (7)
ILLYRIA: A contraction of I’m going to I’LL, and a reversal (northerly in a down clue) of a word meaning breezy IRY becomes YRIA The historical region of The Balkans ILLYRIA
4d Avoid conviction, say, after upsetting privileged person (3,3)
GET OFF: Say as an example is reversed EG (after upsetting) becomes GE, on an informal privileged person TOFF
5d No more batter to burn? (8)
OVERCOOK: A synonym of no more or former OVER, and a former “batter” England Cricket Captain Alistair COOK, are somewhat charred to OVERCOOK
6d Teacher turning up loves to eat dry rice dish (7)
RISOTTO: A reversal (turning up) of how you may address a teacher SIR becomes RIS, two letters that loves represent O-O around an abbreviation for one who is abstaining from alcohol TT the rice dish RIS(O(TT)O)
7d Direction over needing to move? (8,5)
EVICTION ORDER: I suppose needing to move is an anagram indicator but it is also what you need to do if served with these papers so I am calling this as an &lit or all-in-one
8d Hotel company for travellers in the edge of Barnet (8)
HAIRLINE: The abbreviation for hotel H, and the business responsible for travellers’ flights AIRLINE, would be the edge of the BARNET FAIR the Cockney rhyming slang for HAIR
9d Florentine family home broken into by left-winger, one full of drugs? (8,5)
MEDICINE CHEST: A Florentine family of the Renaissance MEDICI, and a home for baby birds NEST, which contains a left-winger known to Eva Peron CHE Guevara MEDICI(NE (CHE) ST
15d A flipping tiresome activity is overwhelming Charlie, or a tiring activity (8)
AEROBICS: Lots of Lego™ A from the clue, a reversal (flipping) of a tiresome activity BORE becomes EROB, IS from the clue that contains an abbreviation of Charlie C A(EROB)I(C)S – a tiring activity where oxygen is burned quicker than it can be replaced
17d Fail to notice The Telegraph‘s current state (8)
MISSOURI: To fail to notice MISS, a possessive for readers, journalists and owners of The Telegraph OUR, and the Physics abbreviation for current I. An important “Swing State” MISSOURI, much visited by Harris and Trump
19d Last longer than topless yob on some corn whiskey at first (7)
OUTWEAR: A yob goes topless LOUT becomes OUT, and adds the letter that whiskey suggests W, and part of some corn an EAR
21d Possible sign one’s drunk from lidless, stylish vessels (7)
HICCUPS: A synonym of stylish goes without its lid CHIC becomes HIC, and adds the vessels you are supposed to drink out of the reverse of CUPS, to cure this ailment caused by drinking too much
22d Build up a group that rows loudly (6)
ACCRUE: A from the clue and a homophone of a group that rows a CREW becomes ACCRUE to build up interest
25d Arab twirling around very soon (5)
OMANI: A three-word phrase for very soon is reversed (twirling around) IN A MO becomes OMANI
That’s All Folks…