Sunday Toughie No 245 by proXimal
Full Review by Gazza
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This puzzle was published on 04/10/26
proXimal has provided a very enjoyable Toughie this week.
Across Clues
1a Pet carrier in vampire’s vessel, according to Spooner (3,6)
CAT BASKET: Spooner would turn the answer into a vampire’s vessel – BAT CASKET.
6a Bungle lunch here? (4)
MESS: double definition, the second where members of the armed forces eat their lunch.
10a Limb clasping the French horn, perhaps (5)
ALARM: a limb (arm) contains the feminine definite article in French.
11a Demonise such black magic developing in closed communities (9)
OCCULTISM: a compound anagram which caused some problems on the day. The answer (identified by ‘such’) is OCCULTISM i.e. black magic and we have to make an anagram (developing) where the fodder is DEMONISE + (the answer) OCCULTISM which gives us CLOSED COMMUNITIES. The easiest way to find the answer to such a clue is to remove the letters of DEMONISE from CLOSED COMMUNITIES leaving CLOSCMUTI and find an anagram of that.
12a Never-failing friend hides secret base from the East (9)
PERENNIAL: a friend (PAL) contains the reversal (from the East, in an across clue) of INNER (secret) and the letter used for the base in logarithms.
14a Berliner regularly following instructions (5)
BRIEF: regular letters from BeRlInEr and the abbreviation for ‘following’.
15a Choice ring originally removed from piercing (7)
PICKING: remove the original letter of ring from PRICKING (piercing).
16a Contempt as I’d unleashed during row (7)
DISDAIN: an anagram (unleashed) of AS I’D goes inside a row or loud noise (DIN).
18a Those rummaging around in auditorium for IT equipment (7)
ROUTERS: the answers sounds (in auditorium) like those rummaging around (like pigs rooting for truffles).
20a Friendly bookie accepting proof of age on the counter (7)
CORDIAL: the trade name of a chain of bookmakers in the UK (Coral) contains the reversal (on the counter) of proof of age (ID).
21a Record contents of tents here (5)
ENTER: stick together the inner letters of the last two words.
23a Fuming about what rats do in passages (9)
CROSSINGS: a synonym of fuming (cross) contains what rats or traitors do (sing).
25a It’s unsafe ignoring simpleton working in Barking hospital department (9)
DEATHTRAP: a subtractive anagram – remove the jumbled (working) letters of SIMPLETON from HOSPITAL DEPARTMENT and make an anagram (barking) of those that remain.
26a King in front shambles (5)
FARCE: the Latin abbreviation for king (Rex) goes inside a synonym of front (face).
28a Daughter of Welshman moves to west valley (4)
DALE: a Welsh male forename (Aled) with the abbreviation for daughter moved to the front (to west, in an across clue).
29a Navigation aid starts to show corner turn by pub (6,3)
SCROLL BAR: the starting letters of S[how] C[orner], a verb to turn (roll) and a pub (bar).
Down Clues
1d Successful athlete first of hundred admitted to training school (5)
CHAMP: the first letter of Hundred is inserted in a training school (camp).
2d After cycling, consume meal (3)
TEA: a verb to consume (eat) with its last letter cycled to the front.
3d Stone mass a bomb has brought up (9)
ALMANDINE: start with A and a type of bomb (landmine) then move the abbreviation for mass towards the top/front (brought up, in a down clue).
4d Shrewd man hiding present (7)
KNOWING: a man on the chessboard (king) contains a synonym of the present (now).
5d Pleased Mo was in first place (7)
TICKLED: a short period of time like a mo(ment) (tick) followed by a verb meaning ‘was in first place’ (led).
7d Removal of this compiler’s popular, encapsulated by delight (11)
ELIMINATION: the contracted form of ‘this compiler is’ (I’m) and a synonym of popular or trendy (in) are contained in a synonym of delight (elation).
8d Competition, one with fine influential hosts (9)
SEMIFINAL: the Roman one and the pencil abbreviation for fine are hosted by a synonym of influential (seminal).
9d Swelling coming up makes you cry (4)
BLUB: a reversal (coming up, in a down clue) of a synonym of a swelling (bulb) makes for you (i.e. the solver) a verb to cry.
13d Audible commotion with party game (11)
RACQUETBALL: a homophone of a commotion or din (racket) followed by a party (ball).
15d Warned wine ran out (9)
PORTENDED: fortified wine (port) and ‘ran out’ (ended).
17d Son flusters about worrying (9)
STRESSFUL: the abbreviation for son followed by an anagram (about) of FLUSTERS.
19d Scoundrel breaking in notices locks (7)
SECURES: a scoundrel (cur) is inserted (breaking in) into a verb meaning notices (sees).
20d Tool for cutting hard metal fences (7)
CHOPPER: a metal (copper) fences/contains the abbreviation for hard.
22d Joyous sounds from Spanish Armada coming north (4)
RAHS: hidden (from) and reversed (coming north, in a down clue).
24d Picked up thin fleece (5)
SHEAR: a homophone (picked up) of thin (sheer) gives us a verb to fleece (or de-fleece).
27d Kid topped card game (3)
RIB: start with a card game (crib) and remove its first letter (topped) to leave a verb to kid or tease.