Sunday Toughie No 161 by Light
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 23rd of February 2025
I still haven’t worked out who Light is but never mind I enjoyed this puzzle…
Across
1a Daft as a booby? (11)
BIRDBRAINED: An all-in-one or &lit, an informal adjective for a flighty silly person with the intelligence of a seabird
7a Affectionate crush (7)
CORDIAL: A double definition
8a More likely to see red earring that’s lost (7)
ANGRIER: An anagram (that’s lost) of EARRING
10a Perhaps Martin Short’s opener is inappropriate (5)
AMISS: Not the actor but a writer named Martin adds an opening letter, Martin AMIS + Short’s opener S, inappropriate or AMISS
11a Bloomer? Using finger, a student is … (9)
DIGITALIS: Four bits of Lego™, in order starting with a finger (from Latin) DIGIT, A from the clue and the letter associated with student drivers L and IS from the clue. DIGIT-A-L-IS, a member of the Foxglove family
12a … rubbing out lines on the board! (7)
IRONING: Another &lit, a board on which creases and other lines can be rubbed out with a hot iron
14a What’s needed to make temperature gauge turn (7)
MEANDER: Start with a gauge METER, and swap the T for temperature with a conjunction for what’s needed AND. To turn in a circuitous course ME AND ER
15a Badminton, for example, backing test to check horse (7)
TOPONYM: A definition by example, a reversal of a test for cars MOT becomes TOM, around a small horse PONY. Badminton the sport is named for Badminton the place, and is therefore a TOPONYM a name derived from a topological feature
18a Fruit and nut salad mostly horrible (7)
SULTANA: An anagram (horrible) of not quite all (mostly) of NUT SALAd
20a Ship in bottle? (9)
ENDURANCE: A double definition, bottle as in fortitude. Endurance was the ship of Ernest Shackleton the Antarctic explorer who showed great fortitude in rescuing his compatriots after his ship sank
21a Top character, upright character (5)
CARDI: A characterful eccentric person CARD, and the letter that is upright I, form a buttoned “jacket” named for Lord Cardigan
22a One who scoffs final bit of scran in nick with little resistance (7)
SCORNER: The final bit of scran N, goes in a nick or scratch SCORE, and adds the abbreviation of resistance R
23a Second place, no good (5-2)
STAND-IN: Ones place in society STANDING, loses g for good. A second or STAND-IN
24a Like trumpeter, nimble-fingered? Hardly (11)
ELEPHANTINE: Of or relating to a creature that trumpets and is hardly like to be nimble-fingered
Down
1d Trio with grub, heading off – working lunch? (7)
BURRITO: Take the head off grub and rub it into the trio for a lunchtime dish named for a small Spanish equine known for carrying a wide load. RUB + TRIO is the fodder for a BURRITO
2d Mars starts to rise up in night sky (5)
RUINS: Starts to the last five words in the clue, RUINS or Mars
3d Clip of US pal touring lakes, mind-boggling in the middle (7)
BULLDOG: An indicated American pal BUD, around plural abbreviations of lakes LL, and the central letters of the hyphenated mind-b(OG)gling
4d Clooney possibly not entirely prepared to get mingling (7)
AMALGAM: Most of a synonym of prepared to get GAM(e), follows a well-known member (by marriage) of the Clooney family (George’s wife AMAL Clooney. AMALGAM a mingling of metals
5d Drink up hard spirit’s last drop – time for bed? (9)
NIGHTFALL: A reversal (up) of a spiritous drink GIN becomes NIG, H for hard, the last letter of spirit T, and a synonym of drop FALL, indicate the time for bed NIGHTFALL
6d Flipping line in food shop extremely resigned and bored (7)
DRILLED: A food shop DELI, that contains an abbreviation for line L, and the extreme letters of resigned RD,are reversed (flipping) (DEL(L)I)RD reversed becomes bored or DRILLED
7d Rates heroic Flying Circus performers of old (11)
CHARIOTEERS: An anagram (Flying) of RATES HEROIC
9d Booking accommodation for The Algonquin? (11)
RESERVATION: A booking at the eponymous hotel or the place the North American Tribe that gave their name to the Hotel were resettled to
13d Nice organ playing. Is it Bliss? (9)
IGNORANCE: An anagram (playing) of NICE ORGAN
16d Innkeeper face down fixing plug (7)
PADRONE: Lying face down PRONE, around an abbreviated “plug” AD. PADRONE a fatherly Italian innkeeper
17d Candelabrum in pieces – gold, I see (7)
MENORAH: Pieces on a chess board MEN, heraldic gold OR, and an interjection for I see AH
18d Lid for Buckaroo! (7)
STETSON: A “lid” or hat that is one of the pieces of Buckaroo!
19d Trim graduate climbing hilltop (7)
ABRIDGE: The reversal of an arts graduate BA becomes AB, and the summit of a sharp hilltop RIDGE
21d In Mexico, a timid creature (5)
COATI: A lurker (in) hidden in words two to four
Compiler
Light
That’s all Folks…