Sunday Toughie No 165 by Light
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 23rd of March 2025
Across
1a Error in play that’s an allegory for an alligator? (11)
MALAPROPISM: Named for the character in a Sheridan play (The Rivals) Mrs Malaprop misspeaks (to comic effect) by using words which do not have the meaning that she intends but which sound similar to words that do. The noun for misspeaking words like allegory for alligator is MALAPROPISM
7a Medic leaving xylophone for Callas? (5)
MARIA: An instrument similar to a xylophone but with resonator tubes below MARI(MB)A, loses the letters that a medical degree bestows MB, to leave the forename of the opera singer MARIA Callas
8a Backsliding hack is gone after hour’s shift (6,3)
POLISH OFF: To hack a branch from a tree LOP reversed (backsliding)POL, IS from the clue and a synonym of gone OFF, after the abbreviation of hour H. To shift or POL(IS)(H) OFF
10a Wrap up finale for Chris Rock (7)
SWADDLE: The final letter of Chris S, followed by a style of walking that rocks from side to side like a duck WADDLE, To wrap up like a baby SWADDLE
11a Does perhaps drink with twisted straw (3,4)
RED DEER: A drink of a particular hue of wine RED, and a reversal (twisted) of a type of straw or grass REED becomes DEER, Does here are nouns rather than a verb
12a Examine article, the leader in Sunday Express (5)
ASSAY: An indefinite article A, the leading letter of Sunday S, and a synonym of express SAY. An examination of something that is undergoing an analysis of its components ASSAY
13a Eagle-eyed Robin runs away, not at home with Batman, say (9)
OBSERVANT: Robin loses a cricket scorers runs and a synonym of at home leaving OB, what remains is added to another word for an orderly assigned to serve a British military officer, a Batman or SERVANT
16a Line cut in hem, fancy one? (9)
LUNCHTIME: The abbreviation of line L, and an anagram (fancy) of CUT IN HEM, for a meal that usually happens about one o’clock
18a Heading off for Beatles single and extremely expensive album (5)
ELPEE: A Beatles single HELP! loses its heading ELP, and adds the extreme letters of ExpensivE EE, for a longform way of saying the abbreviation of the Long Playing album of the same name as the single
19a Roller the German reversed and moved to and fro (7)
WAVERED: A roller (at sea perhaps) WAVE, and a reversal of one of the German definite articles DER becomes RED
22a Supporters of helpless maid, Cinders (7)
MEMBERS: A maid without help M(aid), and the cinders of a recently extinguished fire EMBERS, are supporters of an organisation by joining with other MEMBERS
23a Cry over dream, somewhat cowardly (9)
YELLOWISH: A sudden loud cry YELL, a cricket scorers over O, and a dream or desire WISH, give us a somewhat cowardly YELLOWISH
24a Good to avoid singer at sea – this one? (5)
SIREN: Good to avoid is an instruction to remove G from SINgER, and at sea is an anagram indicator. SINER becomes SIREN. A sea nymph (part woman and part bird) supposed to lure sailors to destruction on the rocks where the nymphs lived “Odysseus ordered his crew to plug their ears so they would not hear the fatal song of the Siren”
25a Shelf Wolf Hall? (11)
MANTELPIECE: Who wrote Wolf Hall? Hilary MANTEL add a synonym of the work of writing PIECE, and you have the author and the work A shelf or MANTEL PIECE
Down
1d Very drunk son on island beginning to notice a grave mistake (6,3)
MORTAL SIN: A slang (North-Eastern) term for very drunk MORTAL, and abbreviations of son S, and island I, and the beginning of notice N. A grave mistake or MORTAL SIN
2d March is delayed by this complicated pay deal (4,3)
LEAP DAY: The month of March is delayed for twenty-four hours every four years by this anagram (complicated) of PAY DEAL becomes LEAP DAY
3d Sausage spatter every second from corn oil (9)
PEPPERONI: Spatter as a verb PEPPER, and every second letter from cOrN oIl PEPPER-ONI
4d One eyeing river and lake that I must get around, going north (5)
OGLER: I or one’s self is reversed (going north in a down clue) EGO becomes OGE, around the abbreviation of lake L, followed by a river abbreviation R
5d One of us reported hotel drink (7)
INSIDER: Homophones (reported) of a hotel INN, and an alcoholic apple based drink CIDER, that may be served there. INN CIDER becomes one of us or an INSIDER
6d Satellite leaking nitrogen concerning BBC astronomer (5)
MOORE: Our satellite MOON, leaks the chemical symbol of Nitrogen N, and adds a usual concerning RE, for a much-loved BBC astronomer Sir Patrick MOO RE
7d Novel‘s drama slowly unfolding (3,8)
MRS DALLOWAY: An anagram (unfolding) of DRAMA SLOWLY leads us to a Virginia Woolf novel MRS DALLOWAY
9d Gold medallist could be me or Adam (5,6)
FIRST PERSON: I am going to call this a triple definition, The prize for being the First Person in an Olympic event, Me a name I call myself when speaking in the First Person or the Biblical First Person Adam
14d Second mate’s relaxed in vessel (9)
STEAMSHIP: An anagram (relaxed) of MATE’S and S for second goes before a synonym of in HIP
15d Jazz producer? (5,4)
APPLE TREE: Where the cross between Royal Gala and Braeburn apples grow. The original cross was produced in 1985 on trees at Goddard Lane, Havelock North, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.
17d Persist in talking about Lazarenko’s last dart (7)
HARPOON: To persist in talking in an annoying way HARP ON, around the last letter of the dart player Cliff Lazarenko O – Light must be a big fan of arrows to remember this chap. I think it is time to call a halt to the quest for Light, he obviously wishes to remain incognito
18d Graduates wearing frameless lenses in a group (2,5)
EN MASSE: Plural arts graduates MA’S surrounded by lenses without the framing letters ENSE
20d Soft membrane defensive lumpfish protects (5)
VELUM: Protects is a lurker indicator and soft membrane is the definition – Hidden in defensive LUMpfish we find VELUM A membranous covering attached to the immature fruiting body of certain mushrooms
21d Approach chauffeur (5)
DRIVE: A double definition to finish, the first a slightly golfy approach shot, the second a verb to chauffeur
Compiler
Light
That’s all Folks…