Sunday Toughie 160 (Review)

Sunday Toughie No 160 by Zandio

Review by

Sloop John Bee

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This puzzle was published on the 16th February

 

Across

1a          Ready also to join bear market? (4-3-5)
CASH-AND-CARRY: Synonyms of also AND, bear CARRY, join the readies CASH, we may spend in said market

9a          Being retired, no way to visit gym or bar (7)
PREVENT: A synonym of no way NEVER, is reversed (being retired) REVEN, and it is inserted (to visit) the abbreviation of gym or similar exercise Physical Training or PT around REVEN. To bar or PREVENT

10a       Track flop’s tucked into Italian food (7)
LASAGNE: To flop SAG, is tucked into a track or minor road LANE

11a       Front company with five hundred per cent backing (5-2)
COVER-UP: A front as a disguise for secret or disreputable activities, from an abbreviation for company CO, a Roman five V,  and a reversal (backing) of something that is a hundred per cent unadulterated PURE becomes ER UP

12a       To secure wins, a tango must be touching (7)
AGAINST: A from the clue and the letter that tango suggests T, contain (secure) some wins or GAINS

13a       Potter perhaps in the East End wrapping up a display (5)
ARRAY: How the boy wizard Harry Potter may be referred to in the East End  ‘ARRY, contains A from the clue

14a       Small faction about to acquire energy corporation (5,4)
SPARE TYRE: A small abbreviation S,and a faction or group PARTY, that has acquired an extra E for energy PAR E TY, followed by one of our usual abouts RE. Corporation is an informal term for part of the body enlarged by over-indulgence

16a       Bosses stay secure in recession (9)
BOARDROOM: To stay in lodgings BOARD,and a reversal (in recession) of to secure a boat perhaps MOOR becomes ROOM

19a       Member linked with Conservative getting rise (5)
CLIMB: A Conservative abbreviation C, is linked with a member or LIMB

21a       Which strip shows rule among footballers? (7)
ARMBAND: &lit. A strip of fabric that indicates the “ruler” amongst a football team

23a       Ancient Greek capital church, featured in work by Euripides? (7)
DRACHMA: The theatrical works of Euripides DRAMA, contain an abbreviation of church CH

24a       Bang on about cleric having transferred or left (7)
CORRECT: Another of our usual abouts C, and a type of cleric RECTOR, such that OR can be transferred to the left. C OR RECT or Bang on

25a       Clue nit’s queried – oddly abandoned rest (7)
LEISURE: A hidden that can be seen when odd letters are abandoned from the rest of the clue. I hope you got that the right way round, if you abandon the even letters a very unfortunate NSFW word appears. ( a good spot from a friend)

26a       One’s collared elite connections (3,6,3)
OLD SCHOOL TIE: I can’t decide whether this is a double definition or an &lit. Worn on the collar to indicate an allegiance to an elite. My choice of music for this clue was Eton Rifles by The Jam, somewhat prescient considering the early death of their drummer Rick Buckler

 

 

Down

1d         One’s keen and quick to have parting answer (7)
CLEAVER: A keen or sharp implement, from quick of mind CLEVER, that contains A for answer

2d         Trust in Southern breakaway, aka seceding, is crumbling (5,2)
SWEAR BY: An anagram (is crumbling) of S for south and what remains of BRE(aka)WAY after aka has seceded

3d         Somewhat mean tip as token offering in trattoria? (9)
ANTIPASTO: A lurker (Somewhat) hidden before the definition

4d         Foreign character‘s outlet for liquid stocks? (5)
DELTA: A double definition, a Greek character or the river outlet shaped like the character DELTA. I am not sure what stocks adds to the clue unless it refers to the alluvial deposits that slow down and “stock” the liquid, or maybe the fish that can be replenished there

5d         Silly sausage showing temper (7)
ASSUAGE: An anagram (silly) of SAUSAGE.  I couldn’t find this as a direct synonym in the Thesaurus, but soften, mitigate and allay seem to fit in secondary searches of the BRB

6d         When Austen wrote of love and war, e.g. – encyclopedias should cover it (7)
REGENCY: A lurker (should cover it) in the three words before the indicator

7d         Revolutionary records spies, pounds estate agents (7,6)
SPECIAL BRANCH: You have to get the right record here. A reversal of records between a single and an album EP’S becomes SPE, American spies CIA, the Latin abbreviation of pound weight LB, and an estate or place for rearing commercially important animals RANCH. SPE CIA LB RANCH Agents of a British police department which deals with political security

8d         Wet hare could be punished by the elements? (7-6)
WEATHER-BEATEN: A reverse anagram where the indicator forms the second part of the answer. Wet hare when (BEATEN) could become WEATHER. WEATHER BEATEN or punished by the elements

15d       One’s scaly wing flap grips poorly (9)
ARMADILLO: A wing ARM, and a Shakespearean flap “much ADO about nothing” grip a synonym of poorly ILL. A scaly ARM AD(ILL)O

17d       Officer‘s bitter holding up prize every European dismissed (7)
ADMIRAL: To hold up or prize un-hopped beer ADMIRe ALe, but every E for European abbreviation is dismissed

18d       They picture what granny wore? (7)
DRAWERS: A double definition

19d       Military vehicle blueprint restricted by X? On the contrary (7)
CHARIOT: Restricted by X would indicate that the letters that resemble the Arabic numbers equal to the Roman X 10 becomes IO, contain the blueprint CHART. On the contrary allows CHART to contain letters that look like the number 10-IO

20d       Heinous manoeuvres by the company? (2-5)
IN-HOUSE: An anagram (manoeuvres) of HEINOUS, produced by the company itself, rather than bought in

22d       4 die in desert (5)
DITCH: To yearn or “die” for ITCH, follows the letter that 4d DELTA indicates

Compiler

Zandio

 

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