Sunday Toughie No 177 by Light
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 15th June 2025
Across
1a Detective writer nobody need say film director wanted back (7,7)
GEORGES SIMENON: A masterful piece of reverse engineering here, synonyms of nobody NONE, need MISS, say EG. and the film director probably most famous for Walkabout Nicholas ROEG, are reversed for the creator of a fictional French detective. NONE MISS EG ROEG becomes GEORGES SIMENON, the creator of the fictional detective Maigret
8a Feature added by architect d’Agnolo voluntarily when flipping houses (5)
OVOLO: Reverse (flipping) lurker (houses) hidden backwards in d’AgnOLO VOluntarily.
9a Symbol put on the line by teacher apart from margins (8)
ASTERISK: A teacher without his marginal letters MASTER becomes ASTE, and to put on the line or endanger RISK. ASTERISK a symbol bloggers may use when censoring comments that go a bit too far.
11a Remains in Nevada before using final bits of annual leave east of Illinois’s state capital (9)
NASHVILLE: Two US state abbreviations Nevada NV, and Illinois IL, the first of which contains some fiery remains ASH, the final letters of annual leave to finish LE, and you should have the State Capital of Tennessee NASHVILLE.
12a Complete clue alongside learner (5)
IDEAL: A clue or realisation IDEA, alongside the letter that represents a learner L. Complete or IDEAL
13a Twin son, not yet 12, heading for Europe (4)
SAME: Numbers in crossword clues usually refer to other clues, but here, “not yet 12” refers to the time of day before noon or AM. That abbreviation goes between the genealogical abbreviation of son S, and the leading letter of Europe E. A twin or the SAME
14a Literary work e.g. Larkin composed (4,4)
KING LEAR: An anagram (composed) of E.G. LARKIN.
17a Stay in lounge prior to shower (8)
RESTRAIN: To stay or check, a synonym of to lounge or be idle REST, goes prior to a shower of RAIN.
19a Settlement in Scotland: ordinary embargo follows (4)
OBAN: An ordinary abbreviation O, and an embargo or BAN.
23a With a lot of outrage post Greek’s last letter to Athenians (5)
KAPPA: Most of a synonym of outrage APPA(l) follows the last letter of Greek K, for a letter of the alphabet used by Athenians KAPPA.
24a Part of the service that includes some Browning? (5,4)
GRAVY BOAT: Some false capitalisation is supposed to create the surface of a Robert Browning poem at a religious service, but you should be thinking of part of the dining service used to serve your Sunday Roast.
25a Film fan biting large piece of noisette? (8)
HAZELNUT: A film or mist HAZE, and an informal fanatic NUT, contain a large abbreviation L. Pureed HAZELNUT is noisette
26a African resident‘s tax paid regularly after fine (5)
OKAPI: Regular letters of tax paid API, follow a fine synonym OK.
27a Strengthening mix of fortified wine left with church staff close to transept (8,6)
PORTLAND CEMENT: Another nice bit of Lego™. A fortified wine PORT, L for left, a synonym of with AND, an abbreviated church CE, some staff MEN, and the closing letter of transept T.
Down
1d Stadium heralding Pat’s lob, perhaps (6,6)
GROUND STROKE: A stadium or arena GROUND, and to pat or touch lightly STROKE. Lob is a definition by example of a tennis stroke played after the ball has hit the ground, as opposed to a volley which is hit before the ball has hit the ground.
2d Very serious about gross animal (7)
OPOSSUM: A synonym of very SO, and an informal adjective that means stolid, or humourless (usually combined with faced) PO, are reversed (about) SO OP becomes OPOS, and go before a gross addition or SUM
3d Dance to jazz flute (6)
GROOVE: A double definition
4d Underwear – pair seen in the middle of dressing? (6)
SMALLS: The pair of letters in the middle of dressing (ss), that also notes their lack of capitalisation.
5d Game‘s popular forward upended one defender at the start (8)
INTREPID: A synonym of popular IN, a reversal (upended) of forward or saucy PERT becomes TREP, the letter that Romans use for one I, and the starting letter of defender D.
6d Poor inns are ultimately losing revenue (8)
EARNINGS: An anagram (poor) of INNS ARE but include the ultimate letter of losinG in the fodder.
7d Graduate in Old English once called immodest (7)
OBSCENE: A science graduate BSC, in an Old English abbreviation OE. Once called provides the last two letters being the male form of the unmarried name of a married man NE.
10d Cuckoo, crane and tit circling lake – first one’s heard in the reeds (12)
CLARINETTIST: An anagram (Cuckoo) of CRANE, TIT, L for Lake and letters that look like first IST. One’s heard in the reed section of the Orchestra.
15d Pope Leo, essentially good man, most civilised (8)
URBANEST: One of eight popes (the last of whom ceased to be pope in 1644) URBAN, the essential letter of Leo E, and a saintly good man ST. The most civilised or URBANEST.
16d House not quite finished in current advanced state (8)
VIRGINIA: An astrological house VIRGO without its last letter VIRG, IN from the clue, and the abbreviations of current in physics I, and advanced A, give us another State VIRGINIA.
18d Singer performing rap and so on (7)
SOPRANO: An anagram (performing) of RAP SO ON.
20d Some disliked a Corbynite’s regressive material (7)
BROCADE: A lurker (some) that is reversed (regressive). The material is hidden backwards in dislikED A CORBynite’s.
21d Tight Pointless (6)
WASTED: A double definition, I am not sure why the second one is italicised.
22d See you bagging rubbish without thinking (2,4)
BY ROTE: A parting “See you” BYE, contains some rubbish ROT.
Compiler
Light
That’s all Folks…
Thank you to SJB for the review and to solvers and commenters in the original hints blog.
21d: I agree that the BRB is vague, but the Chambers thesaurus does have “useless” under wasted. The definitions in Collins do cover it: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/wasted
Pointless is italicised because it’s the title of a TV quiz show – so a close-run contest in the surface reading.
I’m possibly over-explaining or missing the point (no pun intended)!
It’s good to hear from you, my own post-hints research found the thesaurus had it too.
I did hear that the DT were considering changing their recommended dictionary to Collins as Chambers is overdue a revision.
I am glad you didn’t say the TV program was pointless I quite enjoy watching it if only to see if Alexander Armstrong’s ears are getting any bigger.👂
I think he’s gone into hiding after the criticism he got for claiming in the DT to be “extemely poor” because of the decision to put VAT on his children’s school fees.
Incidentally, this puzzle was submitted before the new pope was chosen, so the Pope Leo clue was inadvertently prescient!
Something subliminal with Leo perhaps. You will be accused of revealing details of the next D-day landings if it happens again. I would avoid mentioning Iraq for a while.