Sunday Toughie No 146 by proXimal
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 10th of November 2024
Across
1a Good-natured deer transported for Spooner (4-7)
KIND-HEARTED: A female red deer HIND, is transported away on a small animal drawn vehicle CARTED, is Spoonerised to be very good natured or KIND-HEARTED
7a Labelled and brought forth clothes (7)
BRANDED: To have brought forth by management of genetics BRED, surrounds (clothes) AND from the clue
8a Messing with this bully, she and I might become arch-enemies (7)
MENACER: The trademark proXimalisms™ are dealt with early on. A starting Spoonerism at 1a and now the compound anagram. The bully is found in an anagram of (messing with) what remains of ARC(H)-ENEM(IES) when she and I have been removed
10a Stop one riding horse (8)
STALLION: To stop or delay STALL, the letter that looks like one I, and a synonym of riding horseback ON, leads us to an uncastrated male horse kept for breeding a STALLION
11a Asian person immersed in Pokémon Gold (6)
MONGOL: A lurker (immersed in) the last two words of the clue
13a Miss irritated getting led away (4)
NEED: A synonym of irritated NEEDLED getting “LED” away
14a Siren snubbed pamper party in LA (10)
HOOTENANNY: A siren HOOTER, is snubbed to remove its last letter HOOTE, and adds to pamper or overprotect NANNY. A party with folk-singing especially an informal concert with folk music that is principally North American hence the “in LA” although Jools Holland has rather taken it over for his annual New Year celebration
16a Returning drink coasters with duff place for collection (5,5)
STAMP ALBUM: To drink like A cat LAP, and the coasters you may use to protect surfaces from spilled drinks MATS are reversed (returning) STAM PAL, before a synonym of duff BUM, a place for a philatelist’s collection a STAMP ALBUM
18a Get close after cycling (4)
EARN: What you get from gainful employment after cycling one letter of a synonym of close NEAR becomes EARN
21a What comes from those demanding sorts (6)
ORDERS: A cryptic definition of what comes from those who demand compliance
22a Sorry to lose lead before crossing line, as runner might be (8)
ATHLETIC: A synonym of sorry PATHETIC, loses its leading letter and crosses the letter that looks like a line L P(ATH(L)ETIC ATHLETIC as a runner might be
24a Style of space headgear covering Tim’s head (7)
ENTITLE: A printers space that is sufficient room for the fourteenth letter of the alphabet EN, an informal type of headgear TILE, arond the head of Tim T, is how you may style yourself ENTITLE
25a People with word of affirmation for course (7)
RACEWAY: A people or national grouping RACE, an abbreviation of with W, and a word of affirmation AY – a course for competitive sports RACEWAY
26a Assembled parts ready to house large missile launcher (5,6)
DARTS PLAYER: An anagram (assembled) of PARTS READY but include L for large
Down
1d Realm of prince and princess invaded by Chinese dynasts (7)
KHANATE: The informal given name of The Princess of Wales KATE, is invaded by a member of a Chinese dynasty HAN, the resulting realm KHANATE, is that of an Asian prince
2d Head north with unopened piece of cake (6)
NODDLE: A synonym of a piece of cake DODDLE, loses its opening letter and replaces it with N for north
3d Extremely huffy and cross overturning lubricants for nautical devices (10)
HYDROFOILS: The extreme letters of huffy HY, to cross a river without a bridge FORD, reversed DROF,and add some lubricants OILS
4d Top club in which leader’s demoted (4)
ACME: A heavy usually ornamented club carried as a mark of authority MACE, demotes its leading letter down the order to be the top or highest point ACME
5d Dancing function off (8)
TANGOING: A trigonometric function TAN and a synonym of off GOING
6d Figure it’s a month since November (7)
DECAGON: An abbreviated month DEC, a synonym of since AGO, and N for November. Somewhat apt that the month is the one that follows November
7d Cook conveying rats to market-town (11)
BASINGSTOKE: To cook in an oven BAKE, goes around, a synonym of rats or informs SINGS, and TO from the clue BA(SINGS)(TO)KE
9d Call for support in upcoming year after Republican joining forces with core of Democrats (8-3)
RALLYING-CRY: A synonym of upcoming or recovering RALLYING, then abbreviations of Republican R, and year Y, follow the core of DemoCrats C. A RALLYING-CRY
12d Necessary for building muscles, maintaining routine, rogue lifted (10)
STRUCTURAL: A short form of muscles in the lower back LATS,goes around (maintaining) a routine such as that formed by a wagon wheel eroding a road RUT, and a rogue dog perhaps CUR. When you have put all that Lego™ together reverse it (lifted) LA(RUT)(CUR)TS becomes STRUCTURAL
15d Worker about to be lost in corporate reshuffling (8)
OPERATOR: An anagram (reshuffling) of (C)ORPORATE but lose one of our usual abouts
17d Checked treads regularly beneath car (7)
AUDITED: A brand of German car AUDI, adds regular letters of treads TED
19d Soldier perhaps on island, untrained, upset and non-violent (7)
ANTIWAR: A type of “soldier” insect ANT, the abbreviation of island I, and a reversal (upset) of untrained RAW becomes WAR
20d Chunky person in scrum times hooks (6)
BLOCKY: One of the two players in the second row of the scrum LOCK, a mathematical times BY, “hooks” around it
23d Maybe dogs tramp raised (4)
PETS: A synonym of tramp as a pedestrian STEP is reversed (raised in a down clue) to be PETS
That’s all Folks…