Sunday Toughie No 163 by Beam
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 9th of March 2025
Across
8a Oddly sick sailor getting skin disease (4)
SCAB: The odd letters of sick SC, and add one of our usual sailors AB for Able Seaman
9a Republican helping following old president’s mistake (10)
ABERRATION: The letter that represents Republican R, and a measured helping RATION, follow the familiar name of an old president ABE Lincoln
10a Tabloid airs unimportant articles (8)
SUNDRIES: A tabloid newspaper SUN, airs away moisture DRIES
11a Fellow consumed finding present (6)
DONATE: A fellow at a university DON, and consumed food ATE, found time to give a charitable present
12a Grip hard with small fish (9)
HANDSHAKE: Four bits of Lego™ here, start with the letter that signifies a hard pencil H, add a synonym of with AND, and the abbreviation of small S, and a fish that resembles the cod HAKE. A grip or HANDSHAKE
13a Last item removed in strip? (5)
THONG: A double definition of the last item removed in a striptease or something a cobbler may create on his last
15a Answer requires pondering, somewhat (7)
RESPOND: A lurker (somewhat) hidden between the definition and (indicator)
17a Bodices seen in fancy outfits (7)
CORSETS: An informal interjection of surprise like fancy that COR!, a synonym of outfits SETS, that happens to have the most definitions of all in the dictionary. I wonder if crossword setters have used all 430 or so meanings?
The word with the most meanings in English is the verb ‘SET’, with 430 senses listed in the Second Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, published in 1989. The word commands the longest entry in the dictionary at 60,000 words, or 326,000 characters.
I wonder if Beam could do it in 6 words rather 60,000!
20a Cavort and prance, even romp initially (5)
CAPER: A Beam trademark™, initial letters of the first five words as an &lit
22a Legend backing vermin concerning Manx cat (9)
SUPERSTAR: A reversal (backing) start with some vermin RATS, one of our usual concerning on or abouts RE, and a familiar name for a cat PUSS, that has lost its tail letter PUS reversed it becomes a legend or SUP ER STAR
25a One writes copy in discontented state (6)
SCRIBE: To copy or plagiarise CRIB, in what remains of state when discontented S-E
26a Match point in brilliant tie (8)
LIGAMENT: A point of the compass N, in a synonym of brilliantly illuminated LIT, all around a “match” in tennis perhaps GAME. A nice surface LI GAME NT being the tie between bones and muscles
27a The French turns in show becoming rude (10)
INDELICATE: Count them, seven words in a clue from Beam/RayT Fancy that! It may be an aberration, but I am sure he wouldn’t waste one unnecessarily, so as the word we seek is defined as verging on immodest I will include becoming in the definition. The wordplay has one of the French definite articles LE, reversed EL, into a synonym of show IND ICATE.
28a Tip £1000 cash for 14 (4)
RAND: Take the tip off an informal £1000 GRAND, for the currency of a foreigner from South Africa
Down
1d Clergy member supports account for faithful (8)
ACCURATE: An abbreviation for account AC, supported by a member of the clergy CURATE
2d Remained laid up around current day (6)
ABIDED: A word for laid up ABED, contains abbreviations for electrical current I, and day D
3d Crazy about single mum being seductive (9)
RAVISHING: A synonym of crazy RAVING, around the letter that a Roman cricket scorer may use for a single I, and an interjection to stay “mum” SH
4d Japanese ornament of bag’s buckle occasionally (7)
NETSUKE: Bag’s with an open framework NETS, and occasional letters of buckle UKE. I doubt Terence will be considering this for THE LIST™ as he is probably on a lovely walk with the 3d H
5d Arrogance and spin underpinning power (5)
PRIDE: To go for a spin on a bike perhaps RIDE, underpins an abbreviation of power P and PRIDE comes before a fall
6d Smells fish cake finally on board (8)
STENCHES: A freshwater fish of the carp family TENCH, and the final letter of cake E, on board a steam ship or more accurately a Screw Steamer S.S.
7d Temper beginning to show frequently (6)
SOFTEN: To moderate the malleability of metals by heating and cooling, the first letter of show S, and a synonym of frequently OFTEN
14d Alien enemy queen holding sway (9)
FOREIGNER: A bit tricky to parse until you get the right queen in the right place, An enemy FO-E, contains a synonym of sway REIGN followed by a one-letter Latin abbreviation of Queen R. FO-REIGN-E R
16d Pressure sweetheart in uncaring propositions (8)
PREMISES: The abbreviation of pressure P, and a synonym of uncaring REMISS, that contains Beam’s™ “sweetheart” E. PREMIS-E-S Propositions stated or assumed for the sake of argument
18d Showering after end of difficult exercise (8)
TRAINING: A showering of weather RAINING, after the end of difficult T
19d Announced original patent of power source (7)
NUCLEAR: A homophone (announced) of a synonym of original New becomes NU, and something patent or obvious CLEAR
21d Cryptic from regular can entertain (6)
ARCANE: A lurker (from) hidden in the last three words
23d Affliction has doctor in dark (6)
SOMBRE: The Latin abbreviation of a doctor who holds a Medicinae Baccalaureate MB, in in a painful or tender affliction SO-RE. Dark or SOMBRE
24d Dug up revolting material (5)
DENIM: A reversal (revolting) of dug up MINED becomes DENIM – a material originally from the French city of Nîmes hence de Nîmes
Compiler
Beam
That’s all Folks…