Sunday Toughie 162 (Hints)

Sunday Toughie No 162

by proXimal

 

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

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I am still none the wiser as to who Light is from last week, but as usual the trademark™ proXimalisms “signed” this crossword better than any byline. We start with a nice Spoonerism in the acrosses and an equally fine compound anagram in the downs.

I have curtailed my hints at half of 14a and 14d clues, but as always, some tricky clues remain unhinted. I will try and give a bonus nudge or two if you ask.

Here we go, Folks…

As it is a Prize puzzle I can only hint at a few and hope that will give you the checkers and inspiration to go further. I’ll return with the full review blog just after the closing date. Don’t forget to follow BD’s instructions in RED at the bottom of the hints!

I hope I don’t have to redact any comments but I am new at this and don’t want to rock the boat. If in doubt, I’ll rub it out! I think that sentence is a bit redundant. You have all been so helpful in sorting out prior parsing failures, and I am sure I will need similar help again.

Most of the terms used in these hints are explained in the Glossary and examples are available by clicking on the entry under “See also” Where the hint describes a construct as “usual” this means that more help can be found in The Usual Suspects, which gives a number of the elements commonly used in the wordplay. Another useful page is Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing, which features words with meanings that are not always immediately obvious. Don’t forget the Mine of Useful information that Big Dave and his son Richard so meticulously prepared for us.

A full review of this puzzle will be published after the closing date for submissions. Some hints follow: Remember the site rules and play nicely.

Across

1a          Spooner’s sweet telegram that’s supportive to mugs (6,5)
A place to support your mug, whilst you eat sweets (that Dada has used in 3d in the other place) or read telegrams perhaps

8a          Second-rate run that’s part of football (7)
A letter that indicates second-rate and a “run” in a pair of stockings perhaps. I don’t think footballs have these anymore

16a       Detective with source catching criminal gang at liberty (10)
A Detective Inspector and the source from which plants grow contain an anagram (criminal) of GANG

21a       Skilful as one drives in Paris losing tail (6)
How a Parisian would describe the side of the road driven on without its last letter

24a       A university notice about year for examination (7)
A from the clue, the abbreviation of university, a reversal (about) of to notice and an abbreviation of year

25a       Noble‘s effrontery with underclothing stripped (7)
Effrontery (as secreted by the liver perhaps) and three letters from some underclothing stripped of its outer letters

26a       End of course in term (4,7)
Where you are when in and a term (in prison perhaps) is coming to an end like a runner rounding the final bend in a race

Down

1d         If this craft pint was drunk, one might get narcoleptic (7)
The proXimal™ compound anagram – The craft can be found in an anagram of narcoleptic without pint

3d         Recall knowing dreary work of French artist (5,5)
A reversal (recall) of knowing or wise, dreary work, and the French for of. The artist happens to be French but doesn’t have to be as French of supplies the last two letters of the reversal

5d         Blissful win against Hearts in Fife – nice! (8)
To win convincingly and the heart letters of the last two words would be blissful

7d         Historical work showing supernatural being, strange incarnation of deity (6,5)
The supernatural being is an alternative name for a fairy, add a synonym of strange and an incarnation of the Hindu God Vishnu

12d       Performing flea acrobatically leaving palm wound up elsewhere on hand (10)
Another compound anagram, performing flea without palm leaves the fodder for something elsewhere on the hand. Two anagram indicators (acrobatically and wound up) as palm leaves performing flea in anagram form

20d       Everything beginning to trouble serf (3,3)
A starting letter and an historical term for a serf. (one of a class of serfs among the ancient Spartans, deliberately humiliated and liable to massacre)

23d       Passes through centre of Tewkesbury (4)
The state of players or teams that have not drawn an opponent, they get passes without contest to the next round, from a preposition for through and the centre letters of Tewkesbury

Compiler

proXimal

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