Sunday Toughie No 205 by Beam
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 28th of December 2025
Across
1a Family maybe present tons in journal (10)
HEREDITARY: Present, as in this location HERE, and a journal or calendar of events DIARY, that contains the abbreviation of tons T. HERE DI(T)ARY
6a Long extended poem is classical, initially (4)
EPIC: A Beam™ initial letters clue.
10a Standard copier’s last office appliance (7)
STAPLER: A standard part of ones diet STAPLE, and the last letter of copier R.
11a Continue slowly capturing old soldier (7)
DRAGOON: To continue slowly (4,2) DRAG ON, that contains our usual old O.
12a Conservative helping to preserve English life (8)
CREATION: A helping RATION, contains E for English, and follows the Conservative abbreviation C.
13a Run with sweetheart? (5)
ELOPE Beam’s™ heart of sweet E, and to run with a long stride LOPE. On the way to Gretna Green perhaps?
15a Batting turn proceeds, possibly losing wicket (7)
INNINGS: The proceeds of victory WINNINGS, without w for wicket would be one sides turn at batting INNINGS.
17a Captain’s small fish (7)
SKIPPER: S for small and a herring that has been split and cured KIPPER. An informal term for a sea captain SKIPPER.
19a Blithe or emotionless about proposition (7)
THEOREM: A lurker (about) hidden in the first three words.
21a Dissenter aired complete question (7)
HOLDOUT: Homophones (aired) of complete WHOLE, and to question DOUBT, as Thomas did about the resurrection of Christ. WHOLE DOUBT becomes HOLDOUT.
22a Warning missing Republican essentially about battle (5)
ALAMO: A warning ALARM, without R for Republican ALAM, and the essential letter of about O. Remember the ALAMO.
24a Jumbles of gold in heaps (8)
MORASSES: Heraldic gold OR in heaps MASSES. MORASSES jumbles of soft, wet ground.
27a Orchestra play and learn periodically (7)
GAMELAN: To play recreationally GAME, and periodic letters of learn LAN. GAMELAN an Indonesian orchestra of mainly percussion instruments.
28a Obliteration is certain after time (7)
ERASURE: A synonym of certain SURE, follows a main division of geological time ERA.
29a Rubbish exhibition’s opening for gallery (4)
TATE: Some rubbish TAT, and the opening letter of exhibition E.
30a Party with government’s leader in Asia? (10)
CONTINGENT: Asia? Is an example of one of the great divisions of the land surface of the globe CONTINENT. It goes round the leading letter of government G, CONTINGENT, to be party with something else.
Down
1d Wash old drawers (4)
HOSE: A double definition. To wash down a muddy dog, or old and obsolete, close-fitting breeches or drawers usually encountered with Doublet and HOSE.
2d Bottom line leads to change (9)
REARRANGE: One’s bottom or backside REAR, and a line or classification of products RANGE.
3d Greek character central to Medea? (5)
DELTA: How a Greek would refer to the central character of Medea D for DELTA, once they have got over the sorcery and child murdering.
4d Turn furrow over for vegetables (7)
TURNIPS: Vegetables may be found when a turn SPIN, and the furrow RUT, you may grow them in are reversed.
5d Baloney’s put round hole getting mice? (7)
RODENTS: Plural baloney’S ROTS, around the hole or hollow lair of a wild animal DEN.
7d Perhaps bowl over fielding hard shot (5)
PHOTO : A bowl or similar domestic container POT, and O for over field the hard pencil abbreviation H.
8d Devoted time, ultimately cracking criminal’s case (10)
CONSECRATE: Some plural criminal’s CONS, the ultimate letter of time E, and a case CRATE. CONSECRATE To devote time to render holy or venerable.
9d Physical partner left, bearing up (8)
MATERIAL: A sexual partner MATE, and L for left into which a bearing or manner AIR, has been reversed (up in a down clue.) MATE (RIA) L
14d Drink, taking one’s time, being anxious (10)
DISTRAUGHT: A beer drawn from a barrel DRAUGHT, takes a Roman one I, its plural ‘ess S, and T for time. Anxious or DISTRAUGHT.
16d Just dropping ecstasy, almost snorting line (8)
NARROWLY: A synonym of almost NEARLY, drops e for ecstasy NARLY, and contains a line or rank ROW.
18d Plain speech on appealing charge (9)
PROSECUTE: Plain speech without metrical structure PROSE, and something quaintly pleasing CUTE.
20d During half-time, men took trophy (7)
MEMENTO: A lurker (during) half-time men took.
21d Crop top with stiff cut top (7)
HARVEST: A synonym of stiff HARD is cut HAR, it goes on top of a sleeveless top VEST.
23d Occasionally lands Cambridge university grant (5)
ADMIT: Occasional letters of lands AD, and a Cambridge university, think Massachusetts rather than up the M11 M.I.T. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology. To grant or ADMIT
25d Stretch including Iberia’s principal country (5)
SPAIN: The stretch of a bridge from one side to the other SPAN around the principle letter of Iberia, leads to the principal country of the Iberian peninsula SPAIN.
26d Bold queen surrounded by treasure (4)
PERT: Not the late Queen’s regnal cipher today, but the Latin Queen R for Regina, surrounded by a treasured companion PET.
Compiler
Beam
That’s all Folks…