Sunday Toughie No 168 by Zandio
Review by
Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 13th April 2025
Across
1a Sometime pool worker‘s tipsy swimming time (6)
TYPIST: This pool worker doesn’t usually wear a swimming costume. An anagram to start, TIPSY is (swimming) around T for time
4a One’s fifty and retired on Friday? (8)
ISLANDER: The letter that looks like one and its plural ‘s I’S, AND from the clue and a reversal (retired) of one of our usual ons RE becomes ER. Friday gets a? as he is a fictional resident on Robinson Crusoe’s island
10a Taste shown by fancy sophisticate when rough set’s not around (9)
PISTACHIO: An anagram (fancy) of (s)OPHISTICA(te), after an anagram (rough) of set is removed (not around)
11a Rogue and daughter twisted on stage (5)
DEVIL: A daughterly abbreviation D, and a reversal (twisted) of being on stage rather than pre-recorded LIVE becomes EVIL
12a Put out more even when short of nothing (7)
SMOTHER: A synonym of more even SMOOTHER, loses (when short of) one of its letters that look like nothing
13a Best result of tight recount (7)
TROUNCE: An anagram (tight) of RECOUNT
14a Once more, took police weapon back? (5)
RESAT: A reversed (back) police weapon may make you take an exam again TASER becomes RESAT
15a In Cologne, one’s seen both sides of St Albert? (8)
EINSTEIN: Plural one’s in the language of Cologne EIN and EIN, go either side of the Saint abbreviation ST, to produce a well-known Albert EINSTEIN
18a Repeated romantic “I do” – I reprised cuddles reflexively (8)
PERIODIC: Two indicators here, cuddles is a containment indicator and reflexively suggests look backwards. Repeated is the definition so look backwards in the rest of the clue
20a Refit west-facing home that’s broken in (5)
ADAPT: An informal term for a home PAD, is reversed DAP (west-facing in an across clue) inserted into a synonym of in AT
23a Singing mass maybe, Jagger creating upheaval (7)
SEISMIC: Two homophones (singing) of mass SIZE and Mr Jagger’s forename MICK, create the sort of upheaval that Bangkok suffered recently SEISMIC
25a Paying visit to chateau, stereotypically bleak (7)
AUSTERE: The first three words together, are a containment indicator and the last one is the definition. No reversal indicator so it is a straightforward lurker
26a Mini, say, won’t accommodate wide parts of body (5)
HEELS: The cricket scorers abbreviation of wide W, is removed (won’t accommodate) from an informal term for a car that Mini is an example of (W)HEELS
27a Unique monastic scripture substituted by former partner (9)
EXCLUSIVE: A synonym of monastic or withdrawn RECLUSIVE, swaps the two letter abbreviation of scripture lessons RE for our usual former partner EX
28a Star agitated at skiers or skaters I managed (8)
ASTERISK: Just to emphasise this we have two anagram indicators and two sets of fodder. An anagram (agitated or managed) of AT SKIERS or SKATERS I, but it does give a nice winter-sports surface
29a State of retro TV station once seen in article (6)
NEVADA: The former name of a TV station DAVE (now U&DAVE) in one of the indefinite articles AN is reversed (retro) A DAVE N becomes NEVADA
Down
1d Band’s experiment producing graphic material (8)
TAPESTRY: A type of material that demonstrates needlework “writing” from some bands or ribbons TAPES, and to experiment TRY
2d Pieces spill over, first having been crammed in (7)
PISTOLS: To spill ones tea on the journey from pot to sofa perhaps is reversed (over) SLOP becomes POLS, three letters that look like 1st IST, are crammed in these informal “pieces” PISTOLS
3d Perhaps Italian’s lunch break’s up, he and I keeping alcohol-free (9)
SPAGHETTI: The break’s in the teeth (that may make eating this problematic) GAPS, are reversed (up in a down clue) SPAG, followed by HE and I from the clue, that contain two letters that indicate abstinence from alcohol TT
5d Good possibility of showing songs on the radio (8,6)
SPORTING CHANCE: A synonym of showing SPORTING, and a homophone of songs or CHANTS. There was a good possibility SPORTING CHANCE, of him securing his first Green Jacket at Augusta – Well done Rory McIlroy though you made us sweat a bit lot
6d Overlooking odd posts, valued X as sound (5)
AUDIO: The even letters (overlooking odd posts) of valued AUD, and the letters that look like the Arabic numerals that equate to the Roman X 10 becomes IO
7d Artist takes acid, tripping while quaffing wine (2,5)
DA VINCI: An artist from an anagram (tripping) of ACID who quaffs some French wine VIN
8d Was frolicking Member ousted by Liberals turned over? (6)
ROLLED: A synonym of was frolicking ROMPED, swaps the designation of a Member of Parliament for two Liberal abbreviations ROMPED becomes ROLLED
9d Author of “Three Points in Support of King Richard” (7,7)
CHARLES DICKENS: Three points of the compass ENS, follow the forename of our King CHARLES, and and an informal forename of earlier Kings Richard DICK
16d Change schools, having lost child’s focus with speech suppressed? (9)
TRANSMUTE: A synonym of schools TRAINS, loses the letter at the focus of child I, and adds a word for one whose speech is suppressed MUTE. To change or TRANSMUTE
17d Cold’s piercing and doubled in France, with age and so on (2,6)
ET CETERA: And in French ET, is repeated (doubled) ET ET, pierced by the abbreviation of cold C , followed by an age ERA, and so on ET CETERA
19d Barking tends not entirely to come under E6, that’s clear (7)
EVIDENT: A nice surface – Barking is not actually in the E6 postal area (it is next door to E6 in IG11) but for the purposes of the clue it is an anagram indicator – most of tends (not entirely) comes under E from the clue and a Roman 6. I hope that’s clear or E(VI)DENT
21d Union that might shortly represent you and me (7)
AMERICA: The union of The United States of America, when abbreviated (might shortly represent) a word equivalent to you and me US
22d Advanced maths in revision causing complaint (6)
ASTHMA: Advanced level maths (revision) may be relieved by an inhaler. A and MATHS when anagrammed (in revision) cause the complaint ASTHMA
24d One might find even letters written in emails dear? (5)
MISER: An all-in-one/&lit to finish – even letters of the last two words would be one who finds everything too expensive for his purse M I S E R, even the trifling costs of the data and electrons required for an email
Compiler
Zandio
That’s All Folks…