Sunday Toughie No 202 by Beam
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 7th of December 2025
Across
1a Reason with dope? (12)
INTELLIGENCE: A double definition to start, one more formal than the other.
9a Pirate fellow captures right international vessel (9)
PRIVATEER: I had a bit of trouble deciding whether I was looking at the vessel or the crewman aboard it, but, looking at the wordplay, we have four letters for a fellow of equal rank PEER, which contain abbreviations of right R, and international I, and the large open vessel for storing liquids VAT. P-R I-VAT-EER
10a Country upset about accepting past (5)
LIBYA: To upset or trouble AIL is reversed (about) LIA and contains (accepting) a preposition for past BY.
11a Get hot picture with article (6)
SEETHE: To picture in your mind’s eye SEE, and the definite article THE, makes you get hot under the collar.
12a Last on is heckled taking floor (8)
ASTONISH: A lurker (taking) in the first four words.
13a Use Beam’s occasionally cunning plan (6)
EMPLOY: A cunning plan PLOY, follows occasional letters of our setter today bEaM.
15a Operated inside cut appendage skin (8)
MEMBRANE: One of your appendages is cut MEMBE-r; it contains a synonym of operated RAN.
18a Hold out ends of intimate undies? (8)
LINGERIE: To hold out or resist departure LINGER, and both ends of intimate IE.
19a Celestial bodies appear with empty tails (6)
COMETS: To appear or arrive COME, and what remains of tails when emptied T-S.
21a Ship taking lead from Red Ensign (8)
STREAMER: A ship powered by the pressure of water vapour STEAMER, around the leading letter of red R.
23a Queen of a foreign country overthrown (6)
REGINA: The indefinite article A, and a country in West Africa, NIGER, are reversed (overthrown) for a Latin queen REGINA.
26a Turned over secured island state (5)
IDAHO: A crickety over O, a synonym of secured HAD, and the abbreviation of island I, are reversed. (turned) for the US state IDAHO.
27a Trouble with part used for love (9)
ADORATION Trouble (much about nothing, according to Shakespeare) ADO, and the part allocated for use RATION.
28a Bloke’s scream reduced stretch for killing (12)
MANSLAUGHTER: Plural possessive bloke’s MANS, a scream of hilarity LAUGH, and a synonym of stretch TERM, that has been reduced by one letter to TER. Killing without malice aforethought MANSLAUGHTER.
Down
1d Rogue’s sweetheart accommodating since deadlock (7)
IMPASSE: An adverb for since AS, in accommodated within some rogues IMPS, followed by Beam’s ™ swEet-heart E.
2d Top of tart covers seasoned rhubarb (5)
TRITE: The top of tart T, and a seasoned or established ritual RITE.
3d Liberal profanity a few finding offensive (9)
LOATHSOME: Put together an abbreviation for Liberal L, , a profanity OATH, and a few SOME, and you should find the solution offensive or LOATHSOME.
4d Feature scrap with male going down (4)
ITEM: A scrap of money that was the biblical widow’s contribution to the collection MITE, moves M for male down the order to be a feature or ITEM.
5d During exercises sergeant recalled escape routes (8)
EGRESSES: A lurker (during) that is reversed (recalled) hidden between the (indicators).
6d Group with orchestra’s first instrument (5)
CELLO: A small group or unit serving as part of or as the nucleus of a larger political movement CELL, and orchestra’s first letter O.
7d Sailor in charge, in time, quit (8)
ABDICATE: Abbreviations of an Able Bodied Seaman AB, and in charge IC, containing a specific time of 24 hours duration DATE. To quit or ABDICATE.
8d Old ladies hurry getting to club (6)
MASHIE: Plural old ladies MAS, and an archaic synonym of hurry HIE. It equates to a middle-length iron club equivalent to a modern five-iron MASHIE.
14d Organ vessel with detailed wrinkle (8)
PANCREAS: A vessel for cooking PAN, and a wrinkle CREASE, without its tail CREAS
16d Backfire bang echoed round exhaust’s opening (9)
BOOMERANG: Backfired or returned. Synonyms of bang BOOM and echoed RANG, on either side of the opening letter of exhaust E.
17d Ores really oddly found in excavations (8)
MINERALS: Odd letters of really RAL, are found in excavations for the extraction of ores MINES.
18d Caught by deceit, fool girl (6)
LASSIE: A deceit LIE, contains (caught by) a fool ASS.
20d Small basket with one missing tool (7)
SPANNER: A basket for a cyclist PANNIER, without a Roman one PANNER, follows a small abbreviation. S+PANNER
22d Square described by Pythagoras? (5)
AGORA: How someone from the ancient home of Pythagoras would describe a square or marketplace. Described by indicates that the square is lurking within PythAGORAs.
24d Incredibly dim individual or thicko, initially (5)
IDIOT: A Beam ™ initial letters all-in-one clue.
25d In company, the French drink (4)
COLA: An abbreviated company CO, and a French definite article LA.
Compiler
Beam
That’s all Folks…
I don’t usually have the time for Toughies but I was off work and thought I’d have a go. I found it easier than two or three back pagers of the last few weeks. A pleasant solve. Shouldn’t the answer to 2D be tripe not trite? Thank to the setter and for the review.
The answers are not out at Telegraph Towers yet, but thinking about it I expect you are right, ripe is a better synonym of seasoned than rite. It is an unchecked letter and I didnt notice it at the time. Apologies for the error.