Sunday Toughie No 205
by Beam
Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
Not the trickiest Beam today, with a generous 16a and 16d clues today, and I have hinted half. I hope you find the checkers to finish. I will try and give an extra nudge if you are struggling.
Cold cuts and the cheeseboard for lunch today. I hope you are not snowed under by leftovers.
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 Family maybe present tons in journal (10)
Present, as in this location, and a journal or calendar of events, that contains the abbreviation of tons.
12a Conservative helping to preserve English life (8)
A helping contains E for English, and follows the Conservative abbreviation.
13a Run with sweetheart? (5)
Beam’s™ heart of sweet and to run with a long stride. On the way to Gretna Green perhaps?
21a Dissenter aired complete question (7)
Homophones (aired) of complete and to question, as Thomas did about the resurrection of Christ.
24a Jumbles of gold in heaps (8)
Heraldic gold in heaps. Jumbles of soft, wet ground.
27a Orchestra play and learn periodically (7)
To play recreationally, and periodic letters of learn. An Indonesian orchestra of mainly percussion instruments.
30a Party with government’s leader in Asia? (10)
Asia? Is an example of one of the great divisions of the land surface of the globe. It goes round the leading letter of government, to be party with something else
Down
1d Wash old drawers (4)
A double definition. To wash down a muddy dog, or old and obsolete, close-fitting breeches or drawers.
Although he loved nothing more than a frozen muddy puddle, our dog hated the cleaner that washed him down afterwards, shivering and shaking as if we were trying to give him hypothermia.
3d Greek character central to Medea? (5)
How a Greek would refer to the central character of Medea, once they have got over all the sorcery and child murdering.
8d Devoted time, ultimately cracking criminal’s case (10)
Some plural criminal’s, the ultimate letter of time and a case. To devote to render holy or venerable.
9d Physical partner left, bearing up (8)
A sexual partner and L for left into which a bearing or manner has been reversed (up in a down clue.)
14d Drink, taking one’s time, being anxious (10)
A beer drawn from a barrel, takes a Roman one, its plural ‘ess, and t for time.
16d Just dropping ecstasy, almost snorting line (8)
A synonym of almost, drops e for ecstasy, and contains a line or rank.
21d Crop top with stiff cut top (7)
A synonym of stiff is cut, it goes on top of a sleeveless top.
23d Occasionally lands Cambridge university grant (5)
Occasional letters of lands and a Cambridge university, think Massachusetts rather than up the M11.
26d Bold queen surrounded by treasure (4)
Not the late Queen’s regnal cipher today, but the Latin Queen surrounded by a treasured companion.
I doubt Beam had program evaluation and review techniques in mind, but an image search revealed little else that was not too bold.
Compiler
Beam
Could new readers please read the Welcome Post and the FAQ before posting comments or asking questions about the site.
As this is a Prize crossword, please don’t put any ANSWERS, whether WHOLE, PARTIAL or INCORRECT or any ALTERNATIVE CLUES in your comment.
Please read these instructions carefully – they are not subject to debate or discussion. Offending comments may be redacted or, in extreme cases, deleted. In all cases the administrator’s decision is final.
If you don’t understand, or don’t wish to comply with, the conventions for commenting on weekend prize puzzles then save yourself a lot of trouble and don’t leave a comment.
An enjoyable offering from Beam/Ray T with just the right amount of grey cell exercise needed. The only one I am not sure about is 26d. I have an answer but cannot see what it has to do with the clue. Neither did I know the orchestra at 27a but I do now. Whether or not I will remember it is another matter. My COTT is the old soldier at 11a.
Thank you, Beam for a diverting solve. Thank you, SJB for the hints.
A Latin queen abbreviation in a treasured companion like Hudson
Blast! I’ve got it wrong!
Thanks, Sloops for explaining it. 👍
I can parse the answer but don’t understand your ref to Hudson, unless he’s a Geordie?
Hudson is Steve’s treasured companion
Whenever I see a Beam Toughie i always have a go. If i look at it carefully and apply standard techniques it eventually yields – this was no exception. (i wish i could say the same of Elgar!!)
I loved 14 and 18 down.
Thanks to Beam and to the Yottie.
Yottie? That’s a new one on me, although a small neuron tells me it was also applied to the crew of the Royal Yacht Britannia before she was retired to Leith in Edinburgh.
Elgar’s toughie on Friday is probably the most seasonal crossword this year, and well worth a look even with Gazza’s hints on standby.
Reasonably friendly for a toughie but enjoyable to solve nonetheless.
I particularly liked 16d’s clever reference to ingesting illegal substances.
Thanks to Beam and SJB.
We too are making steady progress through our leftovers. I had a salami and truffle bagel with poached egg and pigs in blankets for breakfast. The remaining brussels are destined to become part of an eagerly anticipated bubble and squeak.
I am too innocent to have noticed that Beam was taking illegal substances, (he said with fingers🤞🏼 crossed)
Many thanks for your helpful tips. SJB.
There was a lot of clever misdirection to trip up the unwary. A few sneaky lurkers. A lot of Lego/charades.
I did lean on AI for some clues, as I like to finish before consulting BigDave44.
Despite your generous clues, I cannot fathom the ultracryptic 21d, despite having 4 letters (hopefully correct)
Any nudge appreciated.
Perhaps I shouldn’t have tackled the bumper Private Eye puzzle beforehand…
Grateful and entertained at the same time.
To colour a fabric for the second time, contains the letter at the focus of key. Photographic feature being the definition. It happens when the flash is too close to the lens and bounces back from the retina.
Oops. See my non-reply reply below
I made harder work of this than I should have done but it was a very enjoyable solve. I spent far too long looking at 13a and then the penny dropped…odd, because that’s precisely what my sweetheart and I did!
Thanks to Beam for another great puzzle and many thanks to SJB for all the Sunday Toughie blogs through the year.
Thanks for this. I’m getting red eyes looking at this crossword clue!
I can guess the word you are hinting, and you did underline the definition as a photographic feature. It just won’t fit with my 24a, which must be correct
I will revisit this tomorrow, but may have to wait for the published solution, unless the penny drops…
,
My apologies, I gave a hint for a different 21d in Friday’s Toughie. In this 21d you want stiff or difficult (shortened) And it goes on top of a sleeveless top. Definition is crop
I have three crosswords on the go but my bad for misleading you. Too much Christmas spirit perhaps.
Found this gentler than Dada’s puzzle. Pretty straightforward other than the need to check out the band at 27a post completion. Podium spots for 2,14&16d. Very enjoyable.
Thanks to Beam & to John
I also found this marginally easier than the other Sunday Toughies that I have attempted. The SE stalled me for a while and I didn’t know the Indonesian orchestra so resorted to Mr G for that, but in retrospect should have worked it out from the checkers. I then needed assistance from SJB for 21a, after which the remainder fell into place.
Thank you Beam for renewing my faith in Toughies, unlike Elgar on Friday.
Thanks to SJB for leveraging the completion.
It is worth persevering with Elgar. The most Christmassy crossword from Telegraph Towers this year with a Nina too – roll on January
Didn’t have time to tackle this one until now and I certainly needed Mr G’s help with the orchestra, a new one for me and I’m unlikely to remember it!
Think my favourite was 14d with the government leader’s party not far behind.
Devotions as ever to Mr T/Beam and all good wishes for the New Year. Thanks also to SJB for the hints – hope you’ve got a New Year’s Eve party organised for Mama Bee!
There is plenty of New Year’s spirit from Islay distilleries but I suspect Mama Bee will prefer cocoa and an early night, with maybe a new year’s resolution to have fish and chips at The Magpie in Whitby on Thursday. – Roll on January.
No Christmas leftovers for us on Sunday – the whole family were here and the weather was fine enough to wheel out the BBQ for its last outing of the year! Mind you, we now have BBQ leftovers for the next couple of days…
and to wish everyone a Happy New Year 
Just as with Gazza’s NTSPP, my struggles came in the SE corner with this puzzle. With 21a and 21d sharing an initial letter it took me some time to finally twig the homophone (actually, quite a good one!) which then helped me to get 21d. [BTW – I have ‘Crop top’ as the definition, which I also liked once I had sorted out all the bits of wordplay.] My podium places eventually went to 13a, 15a and 4d; although many other clues ran them close.
My thanks to Beam and to SJB. As I’m posting this a bit late, it does give me the opportunity say farewell to 2025
I picked up a good tip for leftover pigs in blankets, dip them in batter and deep fry the Pigs in Double Glazing.
Probably not good for you all the time
From a Lancashire chippy…
264473995_878706552811728_5942840483976154477_n
Marginally better than deep fried Mars bar, perhaps…
The Christmas left-over I am looking forward to (with some trepidation) is the Elgar puzzle, which I’m about to download. I did have a quick look a few days ago for his traditional double toughie, but if Mr. Henderson already had Christmas crosswords in four different publications simultaneously (as reported by CS) then perhaps that might be asking for too much of a ‘good thing’. Please let me know if you are aware of one…?! If I make decent progress (or at least get close to a full grid) with the Elgar, I might follow up with the Enigmatist – I periodically scan the Guardian website for any Boatman, Paul and Enigmatist puzzles anyway.
No double from Elgar but Fridays Toughie isn’t too tricky, I did need Gazza’s hints for a few
But it is probably the most christmassy puzzle from Telegraph Towers this year with a nice Nina
I assume you have both of Boatman’s books.
Having attended his Masterclass I was provided with several of his earlier puzzles for pre-course familiarisation, and I have a back-catalogue of his published puzzles that I have enjoyed over the last several years, so the books might overlap with this somewhat. Perhaps I should treat myself to the books anyway then, if there are puzzles that I have solved some time ago, I can enjoy them all over again! On the other hand, there are too many crosswords in this world to do them all – I don’t know how the setters manage to keep coming up with novel material for our enjoyment. Every time I consider compiling a grid I am daunted by the notion of following in their footsteps! One day…
They are worth it just for the back stories that go with each puzzle. He is up to 100 puzzles in 2 books… so far.