Sunday Toughie No 153 by
Robyn
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 29th of December 2024
Across
1a Impressive holiday dwelling stops letting water in (10)
PORTENTOUS: An adjective for the property of letting water or other fluids through POROUS, goes around a temporary holiday dwelling TENT.
6a Change which makes dream Cream record (4)
DISC: The change you have to do to make Cream from Dream. The D is C
9a Arch spanning across ruin (10)
IMPOVERISH: Arch as in being a bit of a wag or mischievous IMPISH, it spans a synonym of across OVER.
10a Actor, partner for Buck Rogers at first (4)
DOER: The female partner of a buck DOE, and the first letter of Rogers R.
12a Up to now, deprived of right furniture (4)
SOFA: A synonym of up to now SO FAR, without R for right.
13a Student, one with skill – this is outstanding (9)
LIABILITY: Letters associated with student drivers L, that Romans use for one I, and a synonym of skill ABILITY. To have an outstanding debt.
15a Rich and famous person espousing helplessness (8)
FATALIST: Rich and creamy perhaps FAT, and the roster that the most famous aspire to being on A-LIST,. They bemoan their helplessness.
16a Humble senior academic admitting vacuous mistake (6)
DEMEAN: A senior academic DEAN, admitting what remains of mistake when vacuous M-E.
18a In France, you call for wartime hero (6)
TURING: An informal or singular you in French TU, and to call on a phone RING. Alan TURING was the wartime hero involved in cracking the German Enigma codes.
20a Mean bores I won’t console (8)
NINTENDO: A synonym of mean INTEND, bores into a final I won’t NO, leaving console as the definition.
23a Stops entertaining old composition in church, examining instrument (9)
ENDOSCOPE: Lego™ Time – a synonym of stops ENDS, around an abbreviation of old O, then an abbreviation of a church CE, around an abbreviated musical Opus OP. A somewhat “invasive” examining instrument.
24a I claim airline goes in extreme places (4)
BAGS: Our national airline British Airways or BA, and the extreme letters of GoeS, claim the best for themselves in an informal childish slang phrase. I BAGS first go at the crossword perhaps
26a In retreat, saving a horse (4)
ARAB: A reversal of a phrase for saving a. Bar A becomes ARAB
27a Debauchee, coming in stoned, whirled around (10)
PIROUETTED: Fruit that has been relieved of its stones PITTED, contains a profligate, rake, debauched man ROUE.
28a Philosopher‘s hypocritical talk heard (4)
KANT: A homophone of to talk in a hypocritical way. CANT becomes KANT
29a Drink ale? The rum’s in a poor state (4-2-4)
DOWN-AT-HEEL: To drink ale perhaps? In one gulp DOWN, then an anagram (rum) of ALE THE.
Down
1d Case of alibi put in place – it holds water (4)
PAIL: An abbreviation of place PL, contains case letters of alibi AI.
2d Music genre left showing harmony (7)
RAPPORT: The harmony between a musical genre RAP, and a nautical left PORT.
3d Leaders in ecology need possible head, giving reason to go green? (12)
ENVIABLENESS: The leaders of ecology need E N, a synonym of possible VIABLE, and an Old English headland NESS, give us the reason for one of the deadly sins ENVIABLENESS.
4d Strong, like an incomplete sedan? (8)
TIRELESS: A sedan or similar vehicle without the vital parts that keep the wheels off the ground. Sedan is an American (and New Zealand!) term for what we refer to as a saloon. Robyn has chosen this US term as they spell the vital parts missing as we spell the strong adjective.
5d Throw article from Spain on car there (6)
UNSEAT: A Spanish article UN, on a Spanish car manufacturer SEAT An acronym of the Spanish Sociedad Española de Automóviles de Turismo.
7d Use rhetorical strategy created by noisier characters (7)
IRONISE: An anagram (created by – characters) of NOISIER.
8d Fuss is not stopping (8-2)
CARRYING-ON: A double definition.
11d One undergoing action in court following awful protest (6,6)
DIRECT OBJECT: A synonym of awful DIRE, followed by an abbreviation of court CT, and to protest OBJECT.
14d Not on legendary boat boarded by millions? Wrong (3,3,4)
OFF THE MARK: The opposite of on OFF, and the legendary boat that Noah built THE ARK, contains the abbreviation of millions M Wrong or OFF THE MARK.
17d 29 Across bird succeeded grabbing rook (4-4)
TIME-WORN: Bird as the slang term for the duration of a prison sentence TIME, a synonym of succeeded WON, grabs the chess notation for a rook R. A TIME-WORN phrase that is synonymous with DOWN-AT-HEEL.
19d Colour new clothing green that’s designed anew (7)
REDRAWN: A primary colour RED, and the abbreviation of new N, clothes a synonym of green RAW.
21d Item worn in close match (7)
NIGHTIE: A near obsolete adjective for close NIGH, and a match TIE, may be worn at bedtime.
22d Charm of Americans drinking vermouth cocktail (6)
MOJITO: An indicated Americanism of charm MOJO, and an informal noun for vermouth that relates to its country of origin IT, lead us to a Cuban rum cocktail A MOJITO.
25d One revered compiler, occasionally droll (4)
IDOL: The word that Robyn uses in mentioning himself I,and occasional letters of droll D O L.
Compiler
Robyn
That’s All Folks…