Sunday Toughie No 195 by Zandio
Review by
Sloop John Bee
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
This puzzle was published on the 19th October 2025
Across
1a Stand-in for substitute? (7)
SYNONYM: A double definition &lit. Stand-in and substitute are two words that can be interchanged in a context. I.E. they can be found in dictionaries as SYNONYMs of each other.
5a An Idiot Abroad location (7)
ANTWERP: AN from the clue and the idiot is a TWERP. This idiot is abroad in Belgium.
9a Spooner’s toilet humour seen in prison (5)
GULAG: The smallest room LOO, and a witticism GAG, when treated by The Reverend Spooner becomes a Russian political prison or GULAG.
10a Take back some dreSSES, SO PERfect on the counter (9)
REPOSSESS: A lurker (some) that is reversed (on the counter) between the indicators.
11a Anecdot? (5,5)
SHORT STORY: What has happened to the anecdote? It has been shortened to a SHORT STORY.
12a Struggle to shift this person’s record covers (4)
LIMP: A contraction for this person’s I’M between an album-sized record LP. The struggle to shift one’s feet.
14a Parking roasting pan out back, batter that man the starter of red snapper (12)
PHOTOGRAPHER: A lot of Lego™ here, start with the map symbol for parking P, a roasting temperature HOT, to pan out that is reversed (back) GO becomes OG, to batter on the knuckles perhaps RAP, the objective male pronoun for that man HE, and finally the starter of red R.
18a Drunk teens conga about from moment it’s legal (3,2,7)
AGE OF CONSENT: An anagram (drunk) of TEENS CONGA goes about a synonym of from OF.
21a And what have you applied with husband getting cut? (4)
ETCH: An abbreviated adverb for what have you ETC, and the abbreviation of husband H.
22a Four members per side engaged in combat? (4,6)
KICK BOXING: An &lit, to use all four of your “members” in combat.
25a False gravity punctured by university lecturer’s opening bawdy remark (9)
VULGARITY: An anagram (false) of GRAVITY, punctuated by the opening letters of university and lecturer’s UL.
26a Good day to break into 21, ultimately lacking moral code (5)
ETHIC: An informal good day HI, is inserted into what remains of your answer to 21a ETCH, when it is lacking its ultimate letter -H.
27a Heard nude group like a nice fire? (7)
ROARING: A homophone of an informal state of being nude- in the RAW becomes ROAR, and a group or RING.
28a King, 21, happy to get extra for English breakfast? (7)
KETCHUP: The chess notation for a King K, and the answer to 21a ETCH, are joined with a synonym of happy UP.
Down
1d Most learned of gossip going round East Street (6)
SAGEST: A reversal (going round) of an informal to gossip GAS becomes SAG, followed by abbreviations of East and Street E ST. Most learned or SAGEST.
2d Northern Liberal appearing in feature about who looks down on Londoners? (6)
NELSON: Abbreviations of Northern and Liberal N L, and a reversal (about) of a facial feature NOSE. NELSON specifically looks down Whitehall towards his employers, the Admiralty and the Houses of Parliament.
3d Man scratching head hard during screen work, missing sleep? (5,5)
NIGHTSHIFT: A chess “man” KNIGHT, without his head NIGHT, and to screen fine materials such as flour SIFT, around the abbreviation for a hard pencil H.
4d French sea temperature restricting island’s value (5)
MERIT: The French for sea MER, the island abbreviation I, and T for temperature.
5d Something pointed found in – gASP! – A RAGU Sauce (9)
ASPARAGUS: A lurker (found in) the rest of the clue.
6d Cheers over busker in the centre getting charge (4)
TASK: An informal cheers TA, and the central letters of busker SK.
7d Vision of nearly 19, agreed to split up (8)
EYESIGHT: Almost all of the answer to 19d EIGHT(h), split by an affirmative for agreed to YES.
8d Public address finally announces game that’s shown both sides of border? (8)
PASSPORT: An abbreviation for public address PA, the final letter of announces S, and a physical game SPORT. It is shown when crossing borders.
13d ExtRA IN FOR ESTablished part that’s steamy (10)
RAINFOREST: A lurker (part) in the first four words.
15d Deviously omitting to stick around wife? (3-6)
TWO-TIMING: An &lit anagram of OMITTING and W for wife
16d The old woman with face to kiss, on base done with this? (8)
MAKEOVER: A slightly politically incorrect way to make an old woman kissable. From an informal old woman MA, the face to kiss K, the base letter of logarithms E, and a synonym of done OVER.
17d Upper-class, protected by corrupt palace after maiden I’ve offended (3,5)
MEA CULPA: An anagram (corrupt) of PALACE, after M for maiden that protects U for Upper-class.
19d Top cycling? Not even on the podium! (6)
EIGHTH: The mountain that occupies this elevated position is Manaslu; it tops out at 26,871 feet. Cycle its elevation or HEIGHT, one letter for its position in the table of mountains EIGHTH.
20d Container goods European Commission holds up (6)
EGGCUP: The European Commission EC, holds plural good abbreviations GG, followed by UP from the clue.
23d It floats up and down (5)
KAYAK: It floats, and it is a palindrome (up and down in a down clue.)
24d Try to sit on one that’s for hire (4)
TAXI: Trying one’s patience TAX, sits on the letter that Romans use for one I.
Compiler
Zandio (With a little help from Chris Lancaster)
That’s All Folks…