Sunday Toughie 177 (Hints)

Sunday Toughie No 177

by Light

 

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

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In recent conversations with Light/Twmbarlwm he says he has been permitted to be quite tough in this slot. He has certainly brought his A game today and I have reconsidered and re-parsed several clues overnight. It is hard to see beyond the sublime reversal of 1a for COTD but there are many fine clues here. 

I have hinted at half of an even 14a and 14d clues today, but I will try and provide a bonus nudge if required, although I will emphasise the advice that when in doubt look for a lurker (backwards too)

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 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          Detective writer nobody need say film director wanted back (7,7)
A masterful piece of reverse engineering here, synonyms of nobody, need, say and the film director probably most famous for Walkabout are reversed for the Belgian-born creator of a fictional French detective.

9a          Symbol put on the line by teacher apart from margins (8)
A teacher without his marginal letters and to put on the line or endanger. A symbol bloggers may use when censoring comments that go too far.

11a       Remains in Nevada before using final bits of annual leave east of Illinois’s state capital (9)
Two US state abbreviations, the first of which contains some fiery remains, the final letters of annual leave to finish, and you should have another State Capital.

13a       Twin son, not yet 12, heading for Europe (4)
Numbers in crossword clues usually refer to other clues, but here, “not yet 12” refers to the time of day. That abbreviation goes between the genealogical abbreviation of son and the leading letter of Europe.

17a       Stay in lounge prior to shower (8)
To stay or check, a synonym of to lounge or be idle goes prior to a shower.

24a       Part of the service that includes some Browning? (5,4)
Some false capitalisation is supposed to create the surface of a Robert Browning poem at a religious service, but you should be thinking of the dining service used to serve your Sunday Roast.

27a       Strengthening mix of fortified wine left with church staff close to transept (8,6)
Another nice bit of Lego™. A fortified wine, l for left, a synonym of with, an abbreviated church, some staff and the closing letter of transept. So-called because it is supposed to resemble the stone of the same name.

Down

1d         Stadium heralding Pat’s lob, perhaps (6,6)
A stadium or arena and to pat or touch lightly.

2d         Very serious about gross animal (7)
A synonym of very and an informal adjective that means stolid, or humourless (usually combined with faced), are reversed (about) and go before a gross addition

5d         Game‘s popular forward upended one defender at the start (8)
A synonym of popular, a reversal (upended) of forward or saucy, the letter that Romans use for one and the starting letter of defender.

7d         Graduate in Old English once called immodest (7)
A science graduate in an Old English abbreviation. Once called provides the last two letters being the male form of the unmarried name of a married man.

15d       Pope Leo, essentially good man, most civilised (8)
One of eight popes (the last of whom ceased to be pope in 1644), the essential letter of Leo and a saintly good man.

16d       House not quite finished in current advanced state (8)
An astrological house without its last letter, in from the clue, and the abbreviations of current in physics and advanced, give us another State.

22d       See you bagging rubbish without thinking (2,4)
A parting “See you” contains some rubbish.

Compiler

Light

 

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I feel obliged to mark the passing of Brian Wilson, the track that gave me my blogging name (thanks to the equally much missed JB) would be too obvious, and this is just the perfect song IMO