Sunday Toughie No 131 by
Robyn
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 28th of July 2024
Across
1a Sign to speak aloud with top waiter lacking manners (5-6)
QUEUE-JUMPER: A homophone (to speak aloud) of a sign to act CUE becomes QUEUE, and top as an item of clothing JUMPER, someone who is too impatient to wait in line A QUEUE-JUMPER
10a Quick alcoholic drink, after drinking four (5)
ALIVE: Quick as in being the Quick or the Dead, the alcoholic beverage is unhopped beer ALE, and the four is Roman IV, AL(IV)E
11a More affected by anaesthetic, taking drug hit (6,3)
NUMBER ONE: More diminished sensation caused by an anaesthetic NUMBER, and a preposition for taking ON, and a usual party drug E, A NUMBER ONE hit in the pop charts
12a Pack up case of enamel, drilling earth for fuel (6,3)
DIESEL OIL: To pack up or cease to be DIE, then a synonym for earth SOIL, into which the case letters of enamel have been drilled DIE(S(EL)OIL)
13a This can locate an object moving in either direction? (5)
RADAR: A cryptic definition of a means of locating an object in any direction, that it moves in either direction indicates the answer is a palindrome
14a What gets penned in hasty, unoriginal work (6)
REHASH: An interjection expressing enquiry what!? EH, Is penned in a synonym of hasty RASH or R(EH)ASH
16a Pompous types back in work – what’s seen in open-plan offices? (4-4)
KNOW-ALLS: The back letter of work (K) and what’s seen in open-plan offices (NO WALLS) split (4-4)
18a Hokum broadcast when investing skill makes capital (8)
KHARTOUM: A synonym of skill ART, invested in an anagram (broadcast) of HOKUM KH(ART)OUM the capital of Sudan
20a Ignoring the odds, warlike fighter’s in base (6)
ALKALI: A chemical base, even letters of warlike ALK, and a well-known heavyweight fighter Muhammed ALI
23a Prohibited balls cricketer spun around (5)
TABOO: Two of the letters that look like balls OO and a genderless cricketer defined by his willow wand BAT, are reversed to be prohibited or TABOO
24a Maybe saw supplier of paper packing kilos, getting cash back (9)
TOOLMAKER: Some illegally obtained cash LOOT becomes TOOL, and a quantity of paper REAM becomes MAER into which has been packed an abbreviation of kilos K, are then reversed (back) TOOLMA(K)ER
26a Providing soldiers, accepting close call (9)
RENDERING: A group of Royal Engineers RE, accepts a synonym of close END, and give your mother a call RING, so you can “provide” unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s R(END)ERING
27a Spin-off product that is metal-plated (3-2)
TIE-IN: A Latin “that is” IE, plated with a metal (used for plating canned goods) TIN A TIE-IN being a product “spun off” from an entertainment such as Star Wars films
28a Set of ever smaller figures in US dollars revised (7,4)
RUSSIAN DOLL: An anagram (revised) of IN US DOLLARS, ever smaller dolls nested inside each other
Down
2d Join the fifth group of soldiers (5)
UNITE: If groups of soldiers or UNIT, were named alphabetically UNIT E would be fifth?
3d Incompetent husband (7)
USELESS: A double definition, the second being an instruction to husband resources or USE LESS
4d Lower boundaries in October, after start of month (6)
JUNIOR: The short form of the first of a particular month June the first or JUN 1 and the boundaries of October OR someone lower or JUNIOR
5d Accessories for a parent possibly speaking unclearly (8)
MUMBLING: Flashy accessories BLING, follow a parent MUM
6d Feature preview, or be yearning about screening it (7)
EYBROW: A lurker (screening it) that is reversed (about)
7d Clutching book, husband and cad go for a spin in the vehicle (9,4)
HANDBRAKE TURN: An abbreviation of husband H, AND from the clue, and synonyms of cad RAKE, and go TURN, clutch an abbreviation of book B H(AND)(B)RAKE TURN A means to spin a vehicle
8d My troubled, upset role in Bard’s tragedy (8)
CORDELIA: A synonym of troubled AILED, is reversed (upset) DELIA, and follows an interjection expressing surprise “my!” COR – COR(DELIA)The youngest daughter in the Shakespearean tragedy King Lear
9d Invigorating runs stopping Scottish team losing energy (5-8)
HEART-STIRRING: A synonym of losing energy TIRING, accepts an abbreviation of runs in cricket TI(R)RINGand follows a Scottish football team HEARTS. I thought we had too many runs but Chambers accepts the abbreviation as either singular or plural HEARTS-TIRRING or invigorating
15d English bores owned land, keeping new rock out (8)
HEADBANG: An abbreviation of English E, in a synonym of owned HAD, and a transitive verb to land BAG, (esp game birds) into which an abbreviation of new N, has been kept within HEAD BANG or rock out
17d Holders of black bags, say, and Spooner’s broken rackets (8)
DUSTBINS: Synonyms of broken BUST, and rackets or unnecessary noises DINS, transpose starting sounds DUSTBINS. I guess Robyn hasn’t been forced into using countless multi-coloured wheeled receptacles yet, as they have made black bags almost obsolete here
19d US writer otherwise engaged by articles suitable for all (7)
THOREAU: A synonym of otherwise OR is inserted into definite THE and indefinite articles A and the classification of films suitable for all U. The American writer TH(OR)E(A)U
21d Checked Cambridge University cuts weren’t honest (7)
LIMITED: The university is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge Mass. Or MIT. It cuts into a synonym of weren’t honest LIED LI(MIT)ED or checked
22d Italian gallery – enter one in Genoa on vacation (6)
LOGGIA: Genoa is vacated GA, and the letter that looks like one is inserted GIA, it follows to enter some information or LOG
25d Brief was informed over fifty pound toll (5)
KNELL: A Roman fifty L, and an abbreviation of pound L, follow most of was informed KNE(W)– KNELL to toll a bell
That’s All Folks…