Sunday Toughie No 150 by Beam
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 8th of December 2024
Across
1a Sad record playing, accordingly slow (12)
DISCONSOLATE: A record on a turntable perhaps DISC, a synonym of playing ON, and a phrase for being accordingly slow SO LATE. DISCONSOLATE or Sad
9a China got richer, occasionally in open (9)
PORCELAIN: Occasional letters of two words after the definition gOt RiChEr – ORCE,”in”serted into a synonym of open PLAIN. China or P ORCE LAIN
10a Initially irked, rather annoyed, then enraged (5)
IRATE: Initial letters of the next five words, I don’t think the last word can do double duty as definition and source of the final initial so I will call this an all-in-one &lit
11a Old bag of bones (6)
OSTEAL: An adjective of or relating to bones, from an abbreviation of old O, and an informal bagging or theft STEAL
12a Influence of rejected party facing decline (8)
LEVERAGE: A five-letter party REVEL, is reversed LEVER, and the decline we face as we all grow older AGE
13a Female consumed by a fine romance (6)
AFFAIR: A from the clue and a synonym of fine FAIR, consume the abbreviation of female F, for an illicit romance AFFAIR
15a Cop leading tough precinct (8)
DISTRICT: A policeman of a particular rank D.I., goes before a synonym of tough STRICT
18a Still name insect after beetle family (8)
STAGNANT: The abbreviation of name N, and an insect ANT, go after a family of about 1200 species of beetles STAG, named for their large and distinctive mandibles
19a Gutted Conservative negates useless count (6)
CENSUS: Gut the following three words C-E, N-S, U-S, to see the count that Joseph and Mary travelled to Bethlehem for
21a Flash vehicle saves energy as well (8)
MOREOVER: A short flash of time MO, and a vehicle (A formerly British brand but also a generic term for a remotely controlled vehicle on other planets) ROVER, around E for energy
23a Dish providing full stomach? (6)
HAGGIS: A cryptic definition of a dish popular on Burns Night that is typically a sheep’s stomach stuffed with offal and oatmeal. I believe that a vegetarian version is available too but that is rather missing the point of making the best use of ovine resources
26a Scored five hundred following boundary (5)
LINED: A Roman five hundred D, follows a boundary or LINE
27a Stern is stable circling round island (9)
SATURNINE: Is stable or of sound mind SANE, circles a round or go TURN, and the abbreviation of island I, for an adjective for grave, gloomy, phlegmatic (or poisoned by lead!)
28a Brilliant ancestry of ancient people? (12)
INCANDESCENT: An ancient people of South America INCAN, and a noun for our derivation from ancestors DESCENT
Down
1d Look cursorily, look over degree certificate (7)
DIPLOMA: To look cursorily in a book perhaps DIP, and an archaic interjection to behold LO, goes before the letters you are entitled to use if you have a higher arts degree MA A DIPLOMA or certificate
2d Row around river to find fish (5)
SPRAT: A petty quarrel SPAT, around the abbreviation of river R
3d Speech holding up record for campaign (9)
OPERATION: A formal speech ORATION, contains a reversal (holding up) a record larger than a single but smaller than an album an EP
4d Queen with waves, on brand (4)
SEAR: Where the waves are SEA, it goes on a Latin Regina R
5d Underwear that is put underneath last (8)
LINGERIE: To last or loiter LINGER, and a Latin that is IE
6d Temperature suitable, say, for stock (5)
TRITE: A homophone (say) of a suitable synonym RIGHT becomes RITE, it follows T for temperature
7d Unpredictable changes of silver in metamorphoses (8)
VAGARIES: The chemical symbol for silver AG, in a synonym of metamorphoses VARIES
8d Infinite divinity restrains Church hypocrisy (6)
DECEIT: I had a bit of a pause here to understand why the divine being was shortened. If you split the first word in-finite it can mean that which is not finite or full allowing us to drop the last letter of the divine DEIT(Y) and restrain the abbreviation of the Church of England CE, within for hypocrisy or DECEIT
14d Notorious criminal executed in abandoned fort (8)
FLAGRANT: An informal criminal LAG, and a synonym of executed (a computer program perhaps) RAN, inserted it to what remains of fort when abandoned F_T
16d Sign is outside the man’s storehouse (9)
THESAURUS: An astrological sign TAURUS, around a contraction of the man’s HE’S, gives us a storehouse of knowledge especially of words and their synonyms and antonyms
17d Flounder’s easily keeping submerged (8)
UNDERSEA: A lurker (keeping) in the first two words
18d Just beginning to seem intimate (6)
SIMPLY: The beginning of seem S, and to intimate or suggest IMPLY
20d Doubt party accepts American poll’s leader (7)
SUSPECT: A party (especially of an extreme political movement) SECT, contains one of our usual Americans US, and the leading letter of poll P
22d Spurned lover upset about past (5)
OLDEN: A reverse lurker (upset about) in the first two words
24d Embrace sweetheart then moan (5)
GRIPE: A synonym of embrace (tightly) GRIP, and RayT/Beam’s ™ swEetheart E
25d Work is endless for boss (4)
STUD: A synonym of work STUD(Y) loses its last letter
That’s all Folks…