Sunday Toughie 219 (Hints)

Sunday Toughie No 219

by Silvanus

 

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

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A Happy Easter to you all, I am celebrating with this;

In this crossword, from my Four C’s (Coffee, Cycling, Crosswords and Cheese) I am only missing the last one. Although I suppose 14a is on the way there.

A bit of a surprise to see Silvanus here, when I opened this last night, but a pleasant one. Despite not fully understanding 3d I really enjoyed it and I hope you do too. 14a and 16d clues, and I have hinted a very subjective half. If you are still struggling, I will try to give an extra nudge or so if asked.

A reminder to let me know if you are interested in the forthcoming Mid-Year Bash All are welcome, and it should be a good time.

Does anyone else remember 23d and Booster? I have been on a nostalgia fest

 

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!

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 or the Big Dave’s Little Guide to Cryptic Crosswords 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          American subject receives award for Shakespearean role (7)

An award for services to the British Empire is inserted into how an American would refer to a school subject

10a        Checking trendy clubs, Alan’s excited Manchester has one (4,5)

A synonym of trendy and the abbreviation for the suit of playing cards are contained in an anagram (excited) of Alan’s

11a        Film franchise ranges between frenzied and barely terrifying (10)

Plural ranges or posh ovens, go between frenzied and what remains of a synonym of terrified when its outer letters are removed

 

21a        Reject intended dismissing church as simplistic (4)

A man who is engaged to be married dismisses an abbreviation for the Church of England, and is then reversed (reject)

25a        Where due legal process should be followed, whatever happens (2,3,4)

I am going to call this a double definition, but it may be an all-in-one, whatever…

26a        Locks personal belongings (5)

Another double definition, the second being the personal belongings that usually accompany something or some activity

28a        Cyclists en masse open to waving crossing line (7)

An anagram (waving) of open to that has crossed a line abbreviation

Down

1d          Nice lady, perhaps first person to plug this writer (6)

How someone from the French city of Nice may refer to a lady, from the first person ever in a pronoun for this writer

3d          Mark perhaps we’ve discovered initially touring London area (10)

I am having difficulty parsing this. Mark perhaps is the definition of one who wrote one of The Gospels. What remains of we’ve when discovered gives us the first two letters and the initial letter of touring the last. Initially should lead to first and an abbreviation of first is the last three letters.The London area should be familiar to collectors of the light blue properties on the Monopoly board, but I don’t understand why it is abbreviated in this manner. If the clue went  …discovered is initially… that would have allowed me to lift the missing letters from the clue, but maybe I am wrong? Over to you    Thanks Nanabot and Sue

 

6d          Points of origin of people indeed announced (4)

A homophone (announced) of an adjective relating to of the people and their musical style. On reflection, and a nudge from Snowman (thanks for that), it is probably two homophones. Of the people being the first syllable and a synonym of indeed the second. It gives me an excuse to play some Traditional “Of the People” music indeed!

7d          Islands, those Iran acknowledges claims over (8)

Very topical as Donald considers invading Kharg, Qeshm or Hormuz (that gives its name to the strait) If they still exist after Donald rains hell on Iran is yet to be seen. The Islands we seek are actually Spanish, off the coast of Western Sahara/Morocco, they are lurking in reverse (claims over) in the previous three words of the clue

13d       Western not intended to have different opening (10)

A synonym of not intended opens with a different vowel

15d       Strength maybe shown by that oddly corrupt character (5,4)

Odd letters of that, some corruption or decay, and a characterful, witty or amusing chap

16d       Banknotes left India amongst batch heading north (8)

Left or departed and the letter that India represents, is amongst a batch that is reversed (heading north in a down clue)

24d       Story of loss delivered by Mike Tyson? (4)

How someone who has a lisp like Mike Tyson would talk about a loss or failure to connect his fist with his opponent’s body. Mike Tyson has a well-known, distinct frontal lisp that he has had since childhood. It occurs when his tongue protrudes between his front teeth while pronouncing “s” and “z” sounds.

Compiler

Silvanus  

 

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