Sunday Toughie No 45 by Zandio
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 4th of December 2022
Across
1a Rejected heavy Greek product for lightweight stuff (7)
TAFFETA: Start with a reversal (rejected) of being heavy FAT becomes TAF (as a consequence of eating too much of the Greek foodstuff FETA that follows perhaps) to create a light fabric TAFFETA.
5a Faces surgery needed by models (7)
OPPOSES: An abbreviated surgical OPeration and a synonym of model, POSES, Opposes or faces.
9a Two rams possibly eating fruitcake and other food (9,6)
BUTTERNUT SQUASH: Two synonyms of ram BUTTER as in what rams may do, and SQUASH as in to RAM tightly in a confined space, surround a synonym of a slightly mad fruitcake or NUT.
10a Plain above head of Tiber (5)
OVERT: Above or OVER and the head letter of Tiber, OVERT something plain or obvious.
11a Watches son getting fish suppers? (5-4)
STAKE OUT: S for son and the sort of fish supper (or other food served to be eaten off the premises, hence the question mark?) a TAKE OUT. STAKE OUT a vigil or watch to catch a miscreant perhaps.
12a Bird table that sits on a path? (4-5)
DUCK BOARD: A water bird DUCK, and a synonym of table BOARD, sit on a path to prevent feet getting wet or muddy.
14a Drill filling gaps in emergency notices (5)
SPOTS: A Physical Training drill or PT, goes in the gaps between characters of the emergency radio call S.O.S. … – – – …
15a Hack perhaps reported with a sore throat (5)
HORSE: A homophone of a sore or hoarse throat. A hack or ordinary riding horse.
16a Last of 22 maybe joining offensive in navy? Much the same (5,4)
ROYAL BLUE: When you have cracked 22a the last name is a prince HARRY who maybe wishes to renounce the regal state we need for this clue ROYAL, add an offensive or BLUE joke, we get a colour much the same as navy.
18a Wrongly advise girl to skip ending on song (9)
MISINFORM: A girl or MISS loses its ending and adds IN-FORM as a synonym of on-song
21a Where a fighter may ease the pain when they make low blows (5)
TUBAS: A soak in the tub is any athletes way of easing aches and pains, add a synonym of when AS, we have TUBAS the instrument known for it’s low blown notes. I agree with the blog that fighter was the specific athlete here because they also make low blows.
22a Detective with hound following male nobody (3,4,3,5)
TOM DICK AND HARRY: A male cat TOM, a private detective DICK, a synonym of with AND, and a synonym of hound as in to dog or chase HARRY, combine to be a placeholder for unspecified nobodies.
23a Characteristic courtesy (7)
RESPECT: A double definition.
24a Looking very blue, paradoxically (3-4)
RED EYED: The colour of one’s ocular organs after prolonged bouts of being blue or sad may be another shade on the colour wheel.
Down
1d One probes bad lot misbehaving (7)
TABLOID: An anagram (misbehaving) of BAD LOT and the letter that looks like one I. An all in one or &lit.
2d He brings gifts round that woman’s — its charm’s in refinement (6,9)
FATHER CHRISTMAS: Round or FAT, a female possessive HER and an anagram (in refinement) of ITS CHARM’S
3d Coming up from Marvel, Bat celestially destined to rule? (9)
ELECTABLE: A reverse lurker (Coming up from) the next three words to satisfy the definition of the last three words of the clue. I have forgotten what it is like to have an elected government!
4d Some women stumped up to go after articles from London and Paris (5)
AUNTS: English and French articles A and UN, and the cricket scorers abbreviation for stumped ST. (reversed – up in a down clue)
5d Public road learner’s used in practice, apparently (9)
OUTWARDLY: This adverbal synonym apparently is formed from something that is known to the public OUT, an abbreviation for road RD, L for learner in a synonym of common practice WAY. OUT(WA[RD]{L}Y)
6d Peer announced or articulated crown’s annoyance (5)
PIQUE: A homophone of to peer or peek, or a homophone of the crown or peak give us a fit of annoyance or PIQUE. All three homophones sound ok to me.
7d One embodied in US wielding universal fiery bolt, unchained (6,2,7)
STATUE OF LIBERTY: One of the concepts of the US constitution is to embody the division of federal and regional government, that regional division of the US (one of fifty) contains the film category U for universal for all viewers and is followed by an anagram (unchained) of FIERY BOLT. Another all in one
8d Second this fellow’s manuscript about Conservative rifts (7)
SCHISMS: S for second, C for Conservative, the male possessive HIS, and the abbreviation for Manuscript MS.
The schisms or rifts in the Conservative party make this both topical and old news as they have been divided over many things for ages.
13d Look! Little jumbo may fall in it (3-6)
AIR POCKET: An interjection Look! to voice ones opinions perhaps AIR, and a synonym of little, related to the small part of clothing that it may fit in POCKET, combine to be a disturbance in the smooth passage of a Jumbo jet.
14d Ran banking group Switzerland smeared (9)
SPLOTCHED: Ran or SPED, around (banking) a group or LOT, and the IVR code for Switzerland CH.
15d Section of Tottenham’s terracing that’s dozy most afternoons (7)
HAMSTER: Another lurker (section of) give us the pet that sleeps most of the day but runs on its squeeky wheel all night. It never ceases to amaze me that my little sister could sleep through the damn things nocturnal noises from her bed 4ft away while the rest of the household were kept awake by the noisy rat. A quick squirt of WD40 when she was at school fettled things.
17d Tried retiring, aDdEd YeArS — I SeEm to drop off regularly (7)
ESSAYED: A reversal (retiring) of alternating letters (to drop off regularly) of the rest of the clue.
19d No one’s bottom shown in Savile Row (5)
NOISE: Number one’s No 1’S give us the first 4 letters and the bottom or last of SavilE gives us a NOISE or row.
20d Sad-sounding creature that flies and talks, it’s said (5)
MINOR: A homophone of the flying creature that mimics talking. The Mynah bird gives us the musical chord that sounds sad. MINOR