Sunday Toughie No 198
by Beam
Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee
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A generous (32 clues today) and not too tough for a Toughie, from Beam today. No multiple-word clues and no more than six words per clue, plenty of Beam trademarks, even though he has played a bit fast and loose with his sweetheart today.
I have hinted at half of an evenly balanced 16a and 16d clues today. I hope you find enough checkers to finish today, but I will possibly provide a nudge or two if asked.
Here we go, Folks…
As it is a Prize puzzle I can only hint at a few and hope that will give you the checkers and inspiration to go further. I’ll return with the full review blog just after the closing date. Don’t forget to follow BD’s instructions in RED at the bottom of the hints!
Most of the terms used in these hints are explained in the Glossary and examples are available by clicking on the entry under “See also” Where the hint describes a construct as “usual” this means that more help can be found in The Usual Suspects, which gives a number of the elements commonly used in the wordplay. Another useful page is Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing, which features words with meanings that are not always immediately obvious. Don’t forget the Mine of Useful information that Big Dave and his son Richard so meticulously prepared for us.
A full review of this puzzle will be published after the closing date for submissions. Some hints follow: Remember the site rules and play nicely.
Across
1a Mocking tips for dressage on horseback? (8)
The tips or extreme letters of dressage, plus what you are doing when on horseback.
11a Italian in pole position? (9)
A type of Italian “punter”
15a Husband in wrong till quarrel (7)
The seven classical wrongs contain an abbreviation of husband, followed by to till soil, perhaps. I thought this was more of a celebration than a quarrel, but of course, the BRB supports Beam.
The title is too obvious to not go under a spoiler – only click when you have the solution.
18a Zenist regularly on waves showing stuff (7)
Regular letters of Zenist follow some breaking waves. In 1135, King Henry I died from stuffing himself with Lampreys – a type of eel.
20a Acknowledgement from right admitting constituent backing (7)
An acknowledgement of a debt paid, a two-letter abbreviation of right contains a reversal (backing) of a constituent or part.
24a Sweetheart in time wearing ring (5)
In this case, sweetheart is not Beam’s ™ way of clueing E; it is the definition. A ring of bells “wears” T for time.
26a Panicked blunder provided, held by United (9)
To make a blunder and a conditional conjunction for provided, are held within a synonym of united.
28a
29a One agrees while Queen takes broadcast (8)
There are two spellings of this noun for someone who agrees, but Beam with his “Queen”™ tells us which one to use. A synonym of while and our late queen’s regnal cipher, contains (takes) a synonym of broadcast.
Down
1d Material excavated being brought up (5)
A reversal (being brought up – in a down clue) of excavated coal, perhaps.
2d Grass conveying fake regret about storyteller (9)
A grass or informer containing to fake by dishonest means, followed by a synonym of regret that is reversed (about)
8d Whisper in woods sharing small anticipation (9)
Large woods contain the sound of a whisper, but they share an ess for small.
14d Wind almost common with one’s illness (9)
The physical state of windborne elements, most of a synonym of common and plural Roman one’s. An illness that may produce “wind”.
17d Prettiest daughter commonly isn’t keeping relationships (9)
A daughterly abbreviation, followed by a common word for isn’t containing (keeping) some relationships.
19d Steamy, revolting, detailed, terrible rubbish (6)
A synonym of terrible that has been de-tailed, and some rubbish, all reversed (revolting).
20d Screen of pure red, ostensibly (7)
A lurker (of) contained in the rest of the clue.
23d Discontented, sleeping around can hurt (5)
What remains of sleeping when “discontented” goes around a type of can.
Another link too obvious to go uncovered.
Compiler
Beam
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The usual brilliant Beam crossword, not too hard and very entertaining on this soggy Lancashire day. The Italian in pole position made me smile….and ponder the outcome of the Portuguese MotoGP this afternoon where there is indeed an Italian in pole position!
Thanks for the Fairport song, John, what a brilliant guitar player (and song writer) is Richard Thompson. Saw him in Manchester a while back with the late, great Danny Thompson.
Thanks to SJB for the hints and Beam for a fine crossword.
Fairport appear here frequently and although the clue remained unhinted I had to leave Meet on the “Step”.
Others can leave examples of the upsets to cricketers.
Quite often with Beam puzzles, when I’ve decided upon an answer to a clue, I have to write it out on the side of my printout to reassure myself that all the ‘bits’ fit together. Sometimes they don’t which is when I know that I’ve gone astray and have to do a rethink. Wily setter indeed! Today’s ‘almost’ blunder was the 21a official.
My podium choices are 11&21a plus 25d although I could have opted for several others to accompany the Italian.
Devotions, of course, to Mr T/Beam and my thanks to SJB for the hints, the clip to accompany 23d and the Mark Knopfler tribute to the fallen.
My parsing notes contain several similar examples where I had to check I had built the Lego correctly 21a, 14d and 17d amongst others.
I wasn’t aware of the definition of 15a being a quarrel, as it is more often used as a party.
It’s a lovely old fashioned word thought.
8d is very cleverly clued considering it uses so few words.
Entertaining as ever from Beam, my thanks to him and SJB.
One of the sources for 15a suggests it is derived from the Gaelic sport, similar to hockey. I suppose that is more of a quarrel than a party, though Runrig seem to think it is a bit of both.
Not too tricky, and very enjoyable.
A couple of things I needed to confirm; the synonym of 15a (I always associated it with parties etc) and how to pronounce 20d (I’ve never heard it spoken before).
Top three for me were 11a, 14a, and 28a.
Thanks to Beam and to SJB.
The picture I chose for 20d is a particularly fine example from York Minster.
I had a stab at my version of how to pronounce the word before listening to online dictionaries. My attempt was nowhere close!
More of a gentle long hop than a vicious Beamer but still maybe made a bit harder work of it than the level of difficulty warranted. Excellently clued throughout, nothing obscure (though the 15a def context was unfamiliar to me) & of a hatful of ticks the person in pole position my fav.
Thanks to Beam/Ray & John – if it’d been a Tues I’d have struggled to resists clips of Stevie, Sister & Wesley
The perils of a hints blog I suppose. I only get to hint half and they can’t all have clips. You almost got a clip of American Beauty for 24a, but Mena Suvari hiding her dignity under a few roses would have been a bit too much.
An overrated film if ever there was one……..
Late as usual for this one, the Sunday Toughie. I must be getting very slow in my dotage as I do less but it takes me longer.
A fine guzzle. I loved the Italian pole and I enjoyed the pure red screen as it is such a lovely word and we have a fine one.
Many thanks to our Ray of Sunshine, Mr. Beam, and to our Busy Bee.
The screen in my pic is in York Minster, and it is a belter too.
I liked the Italian even though his pole is more like an oar (crossing the lido to Murano would be difficult with a punting pole.
A gentle start to my week with this Beam puzzle – perfectly pitched for late-in-the-day relaxation. Podium places went to 11 (appropriately in a ‘pole position’), 20 & 28 across; then 3, 17 & 19 down. If you are looking for good examples of 28a, SJB, the Ashes are starting soon and the Aussies are masters of that particular dark art…
Thanks to Beam for the puzzle and to SJB for the hints – and a reminder of The Shadows 15a, which I hadn’t listened to for more decades than I care to mention!
As it is a Beam puzzle I will mention a little bit of serendipity. I didn’t comment at the time on Beam’s ST187 (24/08/2025) as I only solved it some time after my return from holiday, but I did give a tick to 21d, “Aphrodisiac could produce pronounced strain (7)”. Having duly caught up on the weekend puzzles I had missed, I returned to my regular diet of archive Toughies and the next one I picked up was Beam’s Toughie 2735 (21/10/2021). Lo and behold, 12a was ” Reportedly strain to make love potion (7)”, so not surprisingly it was my first one in!
I am often surprised by how often setters find a good word that fits different grids like Beam has done here. Thanks for the tip about Aussie 28a’s maybe I’m so fat because every time I hear one I have a biscuit.😜
Mmm, if that biscuit reference is what I think it may be…
My favourite is along the lines of, “Oi Tuffers, lend us your brain, I’m building an idiot.”
A possibly apocryphal story when Mike Gatting was asked why he was so fat, replied “Whenever I “see” your wife, she gives me a biscuit afterwards.
That is indeed the same story I have in mind, but featuring different player(s). Maybe an original version was so well admired it became a standard? Who knows…
thank you SJB for letting me know about this puzzle. My first attempt at a Sunday toughie, completed eventually.
I do appreciate it when you blogges let me know that a toughie is accessible. Good practice for me,
thanks.
You’re welcome, the more you try the easier they become, stick with us and you will soon be finishing more. The Sunday Toughie is supposed to be about a Tuesday/Wednesday standard of toughieness. Try a few of those and look at the hints to see how they work. Soon you will be finishing many more. The Sunday Toughie is a prize puzzle so I can only hint at half, but study of the review blogs will help you too. provided the paper hasn’t been recycled