Sunday Toughie 167 (Review)

Sunday Toughie No 167 by Beam

Review by Sloop John Bee

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This puzzle was published on the 6th of April 2025

 

Across

1a          Solitude of large singles circling bars (10)
LONELINESS: An Abbreviation of large L, crickety singles as scored individually ONES,  around a synonym of bars LINES

6a          Big league or coalition initially (4)
BLOC: A Beam initial letters clue

10a       Republican deteriorated and went mad (5)
RAGED: The abbreviation of republican R, and deteriorated with time AGED

11a       China, undecorated, round gold centre’s exterior (9)
PORCELAIN: A synonym of undecorated PLAIN, around a heraldic gold OR and the exterior letters of centre CE

12a       Mineral location contains brown iron finally (8)
STANNITE: A mineral (that is an ore of tin) from a location SITE, around a shade of brown TAN, and the last letter of iron N

13a       Tickle trout’s head before rest (5)
TEASE: The head of trout goes before a rest

15a       Running following sweetheart? (7)
ELOPING: Another all-in-one where Beam’s sweetheart E, goes before a synonym of running LOPING. What you may do if marriage to ones sweetheart was forbidden

17a       Throw back tailless shellfish (7)
LOBSTER: A high throw LOB, and a ships back STER(n) without its tail letter

19a       They commanded amounts of money, say (7)
RANSOMS: A homophone (say) of amounts of money SUMS becomes SOMS,  follow to have commanded RAN. The whole is that which is commanded for the release of a hostage

21a       Chasten Gardai holding back police search (7)
DRAGNET: A reverse lurker (holding back)

22a       Acquire practically unrefined oil source (5)
COPRA: To acquire or arrest COP and 2/3rds of unrefined RA(w), COPRA, an oil acquired from the flesh of coconuts

24a       Return of blasted slugs! (8)
RICOCHET: The return of slugs blasted from a gun when they hit something at an inopportune angle

27a       One can time railway route (9)
ITINERARY: A Roman one I, our usual alternative to can TIN, a rather long time period ERA, and a railway abbreviation RY

28a       Leadership having control over government’s leader (5)
REIGN: The controls of a horse REIN, contain the leader of government G

29a       Trap knocking out Old Bill (4)
NOSE: A trap for snaring animals NOOSE, knocks out one of the olds -O

30a       Hamlet possibly finding closure (10)
SETTLEMENT: A double definition

Down

1d         Fat boy eating last of burger (4)
LARD: A bit of a chestnut, an informal boy LAD around (eating) the last letter of burgeR

2d         Nearly personal about togs, occasionally negligee (9)
NIGHTGOWN: A synonym of nearly NIGH, and personally possessing OWN, around occasional letters of togs TG

3d         Left Arabian port carrying cargo (5)
LADEN: An abbreviation of left L, and an Arabian port ADEN

4d         Rushing shot, clip top of goal (7)
NIPPING: A shot of whisky NIP, a means of clipping stuff together PIN, and the topmost letter of goal G, before I rush down to the shops

5d         The French offend America turning funny (7)
SURREAL: One of the French definite articles LA, to offend or sin ERR, and the two letter American  US, are all reversed. LA ERR US becomes SURREAL or funny

7d         Pack animal’s belt dividing load unevenly (5)
LLAMA: To belt or thump LAM, divides uneven letters of load L A

8d         Devote energy cracking criminal’s case (10)
CONSECRATE: Plural criminals CONS, an energy abbreviation E, and a large case or carton CRATE

9d         Supporting bone in cropped top undergarment (8)
VERTEBRA: when you have the right top (the point of intersection of lines or the point opposite the base of a figure) VERTEX, you crop the last letter and add it to an undergarment VERTE-BRA

14d       Pulling back trigger, unloaded, stopping recoil (10)
RETRACTION: A synonym of recoil REACTION, contains (stopping) what remains of trigger when its contents have been unloaded RE-TR-ACTION

16d       Lonely single proposed without ring (8)
ISOLATED: Proposed or written on a blackboard for consideration SLATED contains the ring like letter O, and follows a crickety single I S(O)LATED

18d       Pound from East-ender is earned (9)
TENDERISE: A lurker

20d       Top expert beneath waves (7)
SURFACE: A synonym of expert ACE, beneath waves used for sport SURF

21d       Crack and denounce exercise (7)
DECRYPT: A synonym of denounce DECRY and some physical training PT

23d       They’re smug swines embracing right (5)
PRIGS: Swines PIGS, embrace Rfor right

25d       Shape from grotto around December’s end (5)
CARVE: A grotto CAVE, around the end of December R

26d       Insect bite is rising (4)
GNAT: A reversal (rising) of a bite or sharp taste TANG becomes GNAT

Compiler

Beam

That’s all Folks…