Sunday Toughie No 193 by Light
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 5th October 2025
Across
1a Hedges unlikely to be planted in drained swamps (6)
STALLS: An “unlikely” or TALL story is planted in what remains of S(wamp)S when drained.
5a Elusive ginger cat in hole near motorway area (8)
MACAVITY: A hole in the tooth perhaps CAVITY, follows abbreviations of motorway M and area A. Anagrammists’ favourite poet and playwright, T. S. Eliot wrote about him, “he’s called the Hidden Paw … For he’s the master criminal who can defy the Law …”
9a Insane habit abroad, losing sight of hotel while away (2,8)
IN ABSENTIA: An anagram (abroad) of INSANE HABIT, but drop H for hotel first.
10a Troubles doctor not to join in with exercises (4)
ILLS: Military exercises DRILLS, without an abbreviation for doctor DR.
11a Star writing at home about strict regimen (8)
VEGANISM: The brightest star in the constellation of Lyra VEGA, followed by a reversal (about) of a usual at-home IN, and an abbreviated piece of writing Manuscript MS. IN MS becomes NI SM. VEGA-NI-SM a strict dietary regimen.
12a Wrong headings in report? This shouldn’t be wrong in the paper! (6)
SYNTAX: A couple of homophones (in report), the first being one of seven “wrongs” SIN becomes SYN, the second homophone is headings taken by a sailing boat when changing direction, TACKS becomes TAX. SYNTAX the correct grammatical structure in papers or other writings.
13a Mystic provided with universal awareness at last after setback (4)
SUFI: A conditional provided IF, a universal abbreviation U, and the last letter of awareness S, are reversed (after setback) for an eastern mystic SUFI.
15a Hop in the middle following foxtrot and interrupt ball (3,5)
OFF BREAK: The middle letter of hop O,, followed by an abbreviation for following F, and the code letter that Foxtrot suggests F, then add an interruption or BREAK, for a ball delivered in cricket OFF BREAK.
18a Contemptible person taking in adult now and then, right? (8)
SWINDLER: A contemptible person, who behaves like a pig SWINE, contains alternate letters of adult DL, and finishes with R for right.
19a Greedily eat tripe? (4)
GUTS: Unmentionable parts of a cow’s stomach, usually appended to one who greedily eats, a greedy GUTS.
21a Sweetheart briefly in thrall to drink, missing Eastern European (6)
SLOVAK: A shortened sweetheart LOVE (briefly) LOV, is inserted into what remains of a Japanese wine SAKE, that is missing E for East.
23a King, perhaps with knight, arranged violets (8)
NOVELIST: A definition by example Stephen KING (perhaps), an anagram (arranged) of the chess notation for a Knight N, and VIOLETS.
25a Square in France – visit when temperature’s dropped (4)
FOUR: The IVR letter for French cars to display F, and a visit TOUR without T for temperature. Giving us FOUR, which is the square of two.
26a This writer’s flannel quite possibly irrelevant (10)
IMMATERIAL: A contraction for this writer I’M, and what flannel is an example of MATERIAL.
27a Two leading tenors sing outside hospital for charity show (8)
TELETHON: The first two letters of Tenors TE, to “sing” or reveal a secret LET ON, around the map notation for a hospital H.
28a Maybe princes greatly impress old Republican, on reflection (6)
ROYALS: A transitive verb to greatly impress SLAY, and abbreviations of old and Republican O R, are reversed (on reflection) to give us ROYALS.
Down
2d Dye cutting-edge coats (5)
TINGE: A lurker (coats) hidden in cutting-edge.
3d Freshen up new house at first for lender (9)
LIBRARIAN: To freshen clothes perhaps AIR, and N for new, are reversed (up in a down clue) RIA N, and follow an astrological house LIBRA, a lender of books.
4d Grand picture house graduate leaves about six, initially uplifted (6)
SCENIC: Another reversal (uplifted in a down clue). A picture house CINEMA, without an arts graduate -MA, one of our usual abouts, C for circa, and the initial letter of six S, are all uplifted.
5d Single mum ran into bar upset with me (2,10,3)
MR TAMBOURINE MAN: An anagram (upset) of MUM RAN INTO BAR and ME. The Byrds first single.
6d Chic covering one fine group (8)
CLASSIFY: Group together, a Roman one I, a fine abbreviation F, covered with something chic CLASSY.
7d Binary digital message? (1-4)
V-SIGN: Binary-two, digits-fingers. Think Churchill (or apocryphally Archers at Agincourt)
8d Pick out a cracking Archer character (4,5)
TELL APART: A particular Swiss archer William TELL, A from the clue and the character played by an actor PART.
14d Order boring new clue to be changed as not acceptable (9)
UNWELCOME: An Order of Merit OM, bores into an anagram (to be changed) of NEW CLUE.
16d Day after day, soldier accompanies lady on vacation (9)
REGULARLY: A permanent (as opposed to voluntary) soldier REGULAR, and what remains of L(ad)Y when vacated LY.
17d Matey and reportedly drunk, make an amorous gesture (8)
BLOKEISH: A homophone (reportedly) of how someone drunk makes an amorous gesture BLOW KISS when inebriated may sound like BLOKEISH.
20d Feature of fancy cravat Charlie put aside for American (6)
AVATAR: An anagram (fancy) of CRAVAT, but put aside C for Charlie with A for American. The feature in blogs and other webspaces that represents you. Mine is a BEE. Although feature may just be the definition of the feature film AVATAR.
22d Byron delivered this extract from overseas (5)
VERSE: A lurker (extract from) in the last word. BYRON delivered many VERSES
24d Saint Nick is one in no hurry (5)
SNAIL: An informal Nick, of a felon perhaps, NAIL, follows a single-letter saintly abbreviation S.
Compiler
Light
That’s all Folks…
Belated thanks to SJB for the review.
18a is meant to be an all-in-one, fwiw. The definition ‘Feature’ in 20d is indeed the James Cameron film. (I don’t think ‘feature’ alone would be adequate to define a personal online image.)