Sunday Toughie No 196 by proXimal
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 26th of October 2025
Across
1a They provoke prejudice and Spooner’s pal wants to scoff (11)
HATEMONGERS: Spooner’s pal desires to eat MATE HUNGERS becomes HATEMONGERS. If the first vowel of the second part worries you, remember a Spoonerism involves swapping sounds, not letters.
10a Immovably fix shrub, pruned in the first place (5)
RIVET: A shrub, mainly used for hedges PRIVET, is pruned of its first letter, to immovably fix or RIVET.
11a Person lagging is larger and gets flustered wasting energy (9)
STRAGGLER: An anagram (flustered) of LARGER and GETS, but waste E for energy first.
12a Duck close to grating by former opening in sewer? (6-3)
GOLDEN-EYE: A type of duck familiar to ornithologists and James Bond fans. A closing letter to grating G, a synonym of former OLDEN, and the opening in a needle used for sewing EYE.
13a Together or on my own, not totally good (5)
ALONG: Almost all of being on my own ALONE (not totally) ALON, and an abbreviation for good G.
14a Noticed European was fast to defend Italy (6)
ESPIED: An abbreviation of European E, and went fast SPED, into which the IVR code for Italy I, has been “defended”.
16a Left in depression by unhappy scene of hoax (8)
PILTDOWN: A depression PIT, containing L for left and a synonym of unhappy DOWN.
More about this hoax here: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2016/august/piltdown-man-charles-dawson-likely-fraudster.html
18a Birds vacated tallish plants by the river? (8)
THRUSHES: What remains of tallish when vacated T-H,and the plants by the river RUSHES, for which Moses was thankful.
20a Fasteners group power lines (6)
CLASPS: A group of schoolchildren or similar animals CLASS, is lined by the abbreviation of power P.
23a Kid picked up drinks (5)
TEASE: A homophone (picked up) of some drinks TEAS becomes TEASE.
24a Calling up musical fellow once in retirement (9)
EVOCATIVE: A musical EVITA, and an old-fashioned (once) term for a fellow COVE, are reversed (in retirement.)
26a What unfashionable women might wear in the suburbs (9)
OUTSKIRTS: Split 3,6 unfashionable womenswear, as (9) it would be the suburbs furthest from the centre.
27a German philosopher from Heidelberg horribly jilting exotic bride (5)
HEGEL: proXimal’s first ™ compound anagram. An anagram (horribly) of HEideLbErG, but first you should extract an anagram (exotic) of BRIDE. Fans of Monty Python’s Philosophers’ Song will know he was out consumed by David Hume.
28a Daughter in Saint Petersburg a while ago, briefly there ignoring her bank charge (7,4)
LENDING RATE: A former name of Saint Petersburg LENINGRAD, is (briefly) shortened LENINGRA. It contains the genealogical abbreviation of daughter D, and is followed by what remains of T(her)E, when you ignore her.
Down
2d Heavy block man villainously carries (5)
ANVIL: A lurker (carries) hidden in the preceding two words.
3d Maybe pine after former lover around month end (7)
EXTREME: A large woody plant, of which pine is an example TREE, goes after a usual former lover EX, and around an abbreviation of month M.
4d Removed knight participating in contest, exposed fraud in the end (6)
OUSTED: A knight participating in a contest JOUSTER, loses his outer letters (exposed) OUSTE, and adds the end of fraud D.
5d This plant with Norman hybrid might produce mandarin orange (8)
GARDENIA: Another proXimal™ compound anagram. If you remove an anagram (hybrid) of Norman from mandarin orange, what remains may produce a type of plant or GARDENIA.
6d Quietly disappearing, with child on the throne (7)
REGNANT: Someone who is with child PREGNANT, loses the musical notation for quietly -P = REGNANT.
7d Treat man to gin after break-up… (13)
FRAGMENTATION: An anagram (treat) of MAN TO GIN AFTER.
8d …police officer over in mountains drinks (8)
ALCOPOPS: An informal term for a police officer COP, and a cricket scorer’s over O, goes in some European mountains ALPS. AL COP O PS
9d Act slowly as monster fish catches that woman (4,4,5)
DRAG ONES HEELS: A fire-breathing monster DRAGON, and some slippery fish EELS, containing a female pronoun for that woman SHE. DRAG ON E(S HE)ELS
15d Desserts adult consumed in sudden efforts below standard (8)
PARFAITS: Semi-frozen desserts, A for adult consumed in sudden efforts FITS, goes below a golfer’s standard PAR.
17d Hindered designated driver perturbed, advising drunk to leave (8)
DETERRED: Another compound anagram™, an anagram (drunk) of advising, is removed from designated driver before it is (perturbed) to fit the definition.
19d Spot fungi over sides of knoll north of Spain (7)
SPECKLE: A type of edible mushroom CEPS is reversed (over) SPEC, the side letters of knoll KL, and the IVR code for Spain E. SPECKLE, These spots on other mushrooms should be treated with caution, as they may indicate poisonous Fly Agaric mushrooms.
21d Bottom of crate covered with foam material (7)
LEATHER: The bottom letter of crate E, covered with shaving foam LATHER.
22d Fatigued boxing opponents decline (6)
WORSEN: A synonym of fatigued WORN, contains (boxing) opponents in a game of Bridge South and East SE.
25d Casting popular leads for Game of Thrones (5)
INGOT: A synonym of popular IN, and the leading letters of the last three words GOT. INGOT a casting of a (usually) precious metal.
Compiler
proXimal
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