Sunday Toughie No 147 by Zandio
Review by
Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 17th November
Across
1a Rush through diet suited to hospital room (4-7)
FAST-FORWARD: Split 4,3,4 this might be a Nil-by-Mouth diet FAST, suited to a hospital room FOR WARD, on a music/video player it looks like this 8
7a Flowing west in France, the channel abuts a northern plain (7)
NATURAL: Flowing west is a reversal indicator, Take a French the LA, a channel or groove RUT, A from the clue and the abbreviation for north N, and reverse them LA RUT A N becomes NATURAL
8a King repeatedly takes briefing by left people (7)
KINFOLK: Repeated chess notations K-K, contain a briefing INFO, and the abbreviation for left L. People you are related to
10a Many bits maybe get rewritten (8)
MEGABYTE: An anagram (rewritten) of MAYBE GET Depending on how you calculate it it is either 1000 or 1024 bits
11a Polish and Emirates each backing agency (6)
BUREAU: To polish or shine RUB, and the country that is The United Arab Emirates U.A.E. are each reversed to be an agency or BUREAU
13a Intellectual went to the left (4)
DEEP: “Went” for “number ones” to the left. A reversal (to the left in an across clue) of went or PEED becomes DEEP an Intellectual DEEP thinker
14a Writer’s friend: “Does it begin with ‘Cz’ or end with ‘que’?” (10)
SPELLCHECK: What a writer may use for assistance with how to write the country abbreviated as Cz CZECH, or the financial instrument that ends “que” CHEQUE
16a Outrageous in public, that man getting to Papa (4-3-3)
OVER-THE-TOP: A synonym of in public OVERT, a male pronoun HE, TO from the clue and the international radio code letter that Papa suggests P, is outrageous or OVER THE TOP
18a Clever tortoise races hare in one, taking the lead (4)
ABLE: Aesop wrote many “short allegorical stories” of which The Tortoise and the Hare was one such (F)ABLE, remove the leading letter of such a story for a synonym of clever ABLE
21a Fix unreliable piano, not forte! (6)
PICKLE: A synonym of unreliable FICKLE,swaps the musical notation for forte F, for that of piano P, for a bit of a fix or a PICKLE
22a Flush very much on the jobs list (4-2-2)
WELL-TO-DO: A jobs-list TO-DO, follows a synonym of very much WELL to be rich or flush WELL-TO-DO
24a Celebrate Italy coming third in table (7)
ROISTER: A table or ROSTER contains the IVR code for Italy in third place to celebrate or ROISTER
25a Rev linked with writing dangerous article (7)
HANDGUN: Not a religious Rev, more what one may do to an engine to annoy neighbours on a Sunday morning He GUNned the engine, it follows a style of writing or HAND to give as a dangerous HANDGUN
26a One spirits up another’s words (5-6)
GHOST-WRITER: A cryptic definition of someone who helps compose an autobiography for a less accomplished author
Down
1d Result of hard work some scoff at, I guess (7)
FATIGUE: A lurker (some) hidden in the last four words
2d One presents essentially entertaining copy … (6)
SCRIBE: The essential or central letters of presents SE, contain to copy or plagiarise someone else’s work CRIB. I can’t separate copy from the definition so will call it an all-in-one or &lit
3d … that makes one a more colourful correspondent (4-3,3)
FELT-TIP PEN: Another &lit of something that may be used in colourful correspondences
4d One may get things together or degenerate (4)
RAKE: A double-definition, an implement used to get leaves etc. together or a degenerate, debauched or dissolute person, esp a man of fashion
5d Article, part of speech on church and state (8)
ANNOUNCE: The indefinite article that precedes words which start with a vowel sound AN, a word used to name something NOUN, and the abbreviation of the Anglican church CE. To state or ANNOUNCE
6d See five hundred and ten quit, disheartened (7)
DIOCESE: A Roman five hundred D, the letters that look like ten IO, and a synonym of quit CE(A)SE that has been disheartened of its central A
7d Who could create El from enamel for his mate Elvis? (4-7)
NAME-DROPPER: A cryptic definition of what you have to omit from e(NAME)l to show an over-familiarity to Elvis, be it Presley or Costello
9d Get stuck in digital fluff? (7,4)
KNUCKLE DOWN: Part of your digits where they bend KNUCKLE, and the fluff of an eider duck DOWN To get stuck in or KNUCKLE DOWN
12d Nude, full-frontal, to get herself hugs (10)
ALTOGETHER: A lurker (hugs) hidden between definition and indicator
15d Dangerous point with steps up and down, 16 to climb (8)
STILETTO: The steps used to get over a wall STILE, and a reversal (to climb in a down clue) of the abbreviation of 16a OTT becomes TTO A dangerous pointed knife a STILETTO
17d Artwork that’s attractive but not feminine (7)
ETCHING: A synonym of attractive (F)ETCHING, loses f for feminine for an engraved artwork
19d Forest striker that makes the cut with Belgium – he’ll be hitting the net? (7)
BLOGGER: He who strikes with an axe in a forest LOGGER, follows the IVR code for Belgium B. This is a nod to all the good folks here who provide hints and tips in Big Dave’s corner of the internet.
20d Revolver, heavenly disc? (6)
PLANET: That which revolves in the heavens and is close enough to us to show as a disc rather than a point of light
23d Overturning or interrupting dry run (4)
TROT: An abbreviation for dry or abstaining from alcohol TT, contains a reversal (overturning) of OR from the clue To run or TROT