Sunday Toughie 200 (Review)

Sunday Toughie No 200 by proXimal

Review by Sloop John Bee

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This puzzle was published on the 23rd of November 2025

 

Across

1a          Spooner’s reason for leaving Greggs empty-handed is utter tosh (4,2,4)

PACK OF LIES:  A complete dearth of pastry-based products may cause you to leave Greggs empty-handed, a LACK OF PIES, becomes utter tosh, or a PACK OF LIES, when treated by Reverend Spooner.

6a          Prophet unwrapped food parcel from India (4)

AMOS:                A food parcel from an Indian version of Greggs, perhaps, (s)AMOS(a), should be unwrapped to reveal the biblical prophet AMOS.

9a          Wasp I distracted circling plant (10)

ASPIDISTRA:     When in doubt, look for a lurker, hidden in the first three words.

10a       Obscure band (4)

BLUR:                 A double definition.

12a       Priest of 16 domesticated animal, we’re told (4)

LAMA:                 A homophone (were told) of an animal usually found in the region of 16a LLAMA, becomes LAMA, a priest from the mountainous location of Tibet.

13a       Uncouth sort in the background shot, suspect bandit edited out (9)

ROUGHNECK: An anagram (shot) of IN THE BACKGROUND, after another anagram (suspect) of BANDIT has been edited out.

15a       Metal vehicle beside arena aside from street (8)

VANADIUM:      A small commercial vehicle VAN, and a synonym of an arena (ST)ADIUM, from which the abbreviation of street has been removed.

16a       An ecclesiastical dignitary in lofty location (6)

ANDEAN:           AN from the  clue and an ecclesiastical dignitary DEAN, ANDEAN, someone from the lofty location where South American LLAMA roam

18a       Prying relative returning home beginning to gossip (6)

NOSING:           A younger male relative SON, is reversed NOS, before our usual home IN, and the beginning of gossip G.

20a       Supply tends to run out of special Middle-Eastern curative (8)

REMEDIAL:        I was fooled by this one. In this case, supply does not mean to replenish, but is the adverb form of pliant or yielding (that I may have seen if rendered supp’ly). It is therefore an anagram indicator and instructs us to remove an anagram of TENDS from Middle-Eastern. Another anagram indicator (special) allows us to re-order the letters that remain to reveal the curative REMEDIAL. (Thanks Lie-in-King)

23a       Testing fixed retaining wall having rejected a new alternative (9)

TRIALLING:       Our third compound/subtractive anagram. An anagram (fixed) of retaining wall from which an anagram (alternative) of a new has been removed.

24a       Show only half of effects from extreme cold (4)

EXPO:                 The first half of the effects of extreme cold or EXPOsure.

26a       Turn against nobleman losing power (4)

VEER:                  The letter used to indicate against in football matches V and and a nobleman PEER, who has lost the abbreviation of power P.

27a       Award cats pieces of meat (10)

MEDALLIONS: An award for gallantry, perhaps MEDAL, and plural big cats LIONS.

28a       Cape regularly picked, unless Superman’s first (4)

NESS:                 Pick regular letters of unless NES, and add Superman’s first S.

29a       Page is separated in cell, part of church (10)

BAPTISTERY:     An abbreviation of page P, and IS from the clue are separately housed in a cell used to power devices BATTERY. Not the spelling with which I am familiar, but of course, the BRB approves of either.

 

Down

1d         Model learner dons criticise (4)

PLAN:                 To criticise PAN, dons the letter that learner drivers display L.

2d         Leader is third person to control school organisation (7)

CAPTAIN:           The firstborn son of Adam and Eve would be the third person in the Garden of Eden. CAIN, he contains an abbreviated school organisation, Parent Teacher Association or  PTA.

3d         Former PC, duck farmer (3,9)

OLD MACDONALD:      A synonym of former OLD, a personal computer from the Apple Corporation MAC. and a cartoon duck DONALD combine to be a farmer…  OLD MACDONALD had a farm E.I.E.I.O.

4d         Brilliant lake tours organised by American (8)

LUSTROUS:       L for lake, an anagram (organised) of TOURS, placed by one of our usual Americans, US.

5d         Audio receiver nearby dude used endlessly (6)

EARBUD:           Two words (nEARBy and dUDe) from the clue lose both ends for an EARBUD.

7d         Playwright is one I’m unsure should be taken on by agent (7)

MOLIERE:          Two late nights on the trot appear to have broken my parsing engine. This took forever to drop. A secret agent who successfully infiltrates a rival organisation MOLE, contains the letter that Romans use for one I, and an interjection said when unsure ER. The playright MOL-I-ER-E

8d         Remarkably rigorous leaving court before royal (10)

STRIKINGLY:     A rigorous dance competition, which last night came from the Blackpool Tower Ballroom, swaps its abbreviation of court for a senior male royal. More accurately a six-letter synonym of rigorous STRICT, swaps its abbreviation of court CT, for a six-letter adjective for royal KINGLY. Thanks Spartacus

11d       Fungi merchant with mount starts to hand ceps over (12)

CHANTERELLES:           Start with a merchant SELLER, add a volcanic mount in Italy ETNA, and the starts of hand and ceps H C. Finally, turn the lot over C-H-ANTE-RELLES, for a type of fungi

14d       Equal leader in table demoted in heptathlon final (4-6)

EVEN STEVEN: How many different “parts” are there in the Heptathlon? A phrase for the final “part” EVENT SEVEN, demotes the leading letter of table T, down the order to be equal in score EVEN STEVEN.

17d       Officer despatched to collect cycling kit (8)

SERGEANT:       A synonym of despatched SENT, that contains some kit GEAR, that has been “cycled” one letter RGEA.A Non-commissioned officer SE-RGEA-NT.

19d       Slices of offal devoured in two seconds (7)

SLIVERS:            Two abbreviated seconds S-S, contain offal LIVER. Thin slices or SLIVERS

21d       Ask further about place south of Italy (7)

IMPLORE:          A synonym of further MORE, goes about an abbreviation of place PL, all south of the IVR code for Italy I. To ask or IMPLORE.

22d       Such pictures hung up the wall could show machinegun (6)

CINEMA:            An anagram (up the wall) of hung when removed from machinegun reveals another anagram (could show) of such pictures.

25d       Notice part of my pseudonym is raised (4)

ESPY:                  A lurker (part of) that is reversed (is raised) in the two words between (indicators) mY PSEudonym. Y PSE becomes ESPY

Compiler

proXimal

 

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