Sunday Toughie 179 (Hints)

Sunday Toughie No 179

by proXimal

 

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

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I met proXimal at The George last Tuesday (among many others, Karla, Donnybrook, Weatherman, Eccles, Elgar, Kitty, Cephas, Shabbo being a few I can remember before the Small Beer and Sun on thinning brow addled my faculties!) and he promised me a quite tricky Spoonerism to start today. He was right! – It was quite late in the solve before the correct apostle revealed himself.

I also learned that his blogging name is from the Latin for in favour of pro and Ximal – Of or pertaining to the cryptic crossword style used and defined by “Ximenes” (Derrick Somerset Macnutt), whereby an acceptable cryptic clue must have a precise definition, a fair and strictly grammatical subsidiary indication, and no redundant elements beyond these. You can take it that all his clues follow these guidelines and are fair to the solver.

14a and 14d today, and I have hinted half, a few tricky clues hit the cutting room floor, so I will try to provide a nudge or two if the Brass Band competition on Wetherby Ings permits

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          According to Spooner, Apostolic Palace is somewhere to visit (4,2,4)
A tricky Spoonerism to start, a palace where the Apostle, also known as Saul of Tarsus, reigns, becomes somewhere to visit on a cruise.

9a          Traveller on street is one walking (7)
An abbreviated street, followed by one travelling on a horse or bicycle, becomes one walking in a purposeful manner.

12a       Reveal person’s confidential details doctor pens down along with insurance information (4,4,5)
An informal term for a doctor, familiar to Star Trek fans, contains a synonym of down, then details of exactly what losses your insurance may protect you from.

14a       Concealed camping location near the Hollywood Sign? (6)
The abbreviated city where the Hollywood sign is located, and the temporary structure exactly where you camp.

22a       Deposit coppers and assert what’s required (3,4,3,3)
Deposit that copper on the ground, otherwise you will be arrested.

24a       One exceptionally good solver (7)
Someone exceptionally good at solving puzzles.

27a       Uniting troubled council estates, leaving it with us worked (10)
The trademark™ proXimal compound anagram, two anagram indicators (troubled and worked), as it and us leave council estates in anagram form. What remains is the fodder for a synonym of uniting.

 

Down

2d         Lightly cooked and ate cheesy dish (7)
Cheese, beer and with a side of bacon, what more could you want from Bettys?

3d         Collection of backscratchers? (3,3,7)
A group of former schoolmates who may say, “You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours”.

7d         Receive tax bringing in European container of alcohol (4,3)
A slightly elastic synonym of receive and a tax on purchases contain our usual European abbreviation. I say slightly elastic as the synonym we need is not listed under receive in Chambers or Collins, but receive is listed as a synonym under the answer.

13d       Companies stocking material for dressing arms (10)
Companies or a large gathering of birds or sheep perhaps, contain (stocking) a soft material used in dressing wounds.

16d       Stars rolled up before party for polymath (8)
A constellation of stars, a reversal (up) of rolled or turned, and an informal party.

20d       Clubs abandoning team ceremony for new version (7)
The abbreviation of a suit of playing cards abandons a team of shipmates and adds a ceremony.

21d       Leaders in concert hall said to be concerning singers (6)
Leading letters of two words and an adjective relating to said, gives us another adjective, related to or written for or performed by singers.

Compiler

proXimal

 

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