Sunday Toughie No 207 by Zandio
Review by
Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 11th January 2026
Across
1a Company satisfied with one’s rubbish mobile being returned, as special purchase (10,4)
COLLECTORS ITEM: A synonym of satisfied MET, a Roman one I, and its plural ‘S, some rubbish ROT, and finally a mobile phone CELL, are reversed (being returned)LLEC TOR SI TEM. They follow our usual company CO, for a special purchase or COLLECTORS ITEM
10a Chap in race animated barmiest finish in marathon (9)
TRIBESMAN: An anagram (animated) of BARMIEST and the finishing letter of marathon N.
11a I party less, having no need for insiders and stars (5)
IDOLS: I from the clue, our usual party DO and what remains of LesS without inside letters LS.
12a Level, leapt extraordinarily, followed by gold (7)
PLATEAU: An anagram (extraordinarily) of LEAPT, followed by the chemical symbol of gold AU.
13a Combat uniform required in Military Police’s preparation for conflict? (4-2)
WARM-UP: A combat synonym WAR, and a military police abbreviation MP, around the letter that uniform suggests U.
15a More than one troublemaker is surrounding person who’s 16 (4)
IMPS: Someone who is 16d POLITICAL an MP, surrounded by IS from the clue.
17a Poor soul requesting pick-me-up, by the way? (5-5)
HITCHHIKER: An all-in-one. Too poor to afford a bus or train ticket (who isn’t these days!) This soul uses his thumb to beg for a lift by the roadside.
18a Greens targeting drivers here? On the contrary (4,6)
GOLF COURSE: Where do Greens target drivers – Stop the Oil protests? – On the contrary, we want a place where drivers target greens on the GOLF COURSE.
20a Stumble in tango, leading to endless tears (4)
TRIP: Some endless tears RIP(s) follow the letter that tango suggests T.
22a They’re mighty birds with a new stuffing (6)
TITANS: A from the clue and N for new are stuffed into some not-so-mighty birds TITS. Mighty TITANS.
23a Spike in marriages sadly going west (7)
ASSEGAI: A lurker (in) marriages sadly, that is reversed (going west in an across clue)An ASSEGAI.
26a Hotel occupies particular special area (5)
NICHE: H for hotel occupies something particular or NICE.
27a Disheartened over meeting date where fight took place (9)
AGINCOURT: A synonym of over (and over)AGAIN is disheartened AGIN, and meets a romantic date COURT.
28a Something that gets under my skin? Huddles – they disrupt a party (8,6)
SPLINTER GROUPS: Grandma Emm always used the northern dialect word spelk, for these painful things under the skin SPLINTER, add these to huddles or collections GROUPS, and they disrupt a POLITICAL party.
Down
2d German agreed to get French right on board (5)
OUIJA: An affirmative German agreement JA, follows a French “right on” OUI, for a bit of a crossword chestnut the OUIJA board.
3d Looked unpleasantly twisted when swapping sides (6)
LEERED: Twisted like the line on a fishing rod swaps left for right REELED becomes LEERED
4d Bulletin needs bit of punctuation – not a one-off (10)
COMMUNIQUE: A piece of punctuation COMMA, loses its a COMM, and adds something one-off UNIQUE.
5d Has sprint legend cut energy? (4)
OWNS: A legend of the Berlin Olympics Jesse OWENS, loses e for energy. Has or OWNS
6d Turn a pair of taps, this produces water when you’re boiling (7)
SPINACH: A synonym of turn SPIN, A from the clue and a pair of taps C & H. They certainly wilt a lot when heated.
7d Worker who gives rise to loot? (9)
TOOLMAKER: If loot was to rise in a down clue, it would be Kier Starmer’s dad, he was a TOOLMAKER you know.
8d Nick will be married in Paris if up and fit (14)
MISAPPROPRIATE: I spent rather a long time looking for an anagram of Paris, but failed. Start with a genealogical abbreviation for married M, add how a Parisian says if SI, then reverse it (up in a down clue) IS, and add a synonym of fit APPROPRIATE.
9d Rocky bridge from Sting EP on piano’s dividing old group (8,6)
STEPPING STONES: STING is divided by EP and P for piano on an old group of musicians The Rolling STONES.
14d Incite riots about Jamaican music genre, primarily for sport (3-7)
ICE-SKATING: An anagram (riots) of INCITE, a type of Jamaican music SKA and the primary letter of genre G.
16d Vote to restrict CIA, it worked out of government (9)
POLITICAL: A vote POLL, contains (restricts) an anagram (worked out) of CIA, IT from the clue.
19d Hoax Democrat used before November’s doom? (7)
CONDEMN: A hoax or sting CON, an abbreviated Democrat DEM, and a November abbreviation N.
21d Tipsy choirmaster’s embraces one disturbed (6)
PSYCHO: A lurker (embraces) in the first two words of the clue. A disturbed PSYCHO.
24d Killjoy needs good seat (5)
GRUMP: A good abbreviation G, and one’s seat RUMP.
25d Free trade, third reduced by 90 per cent (4)
SAVE: I am fairly sure that we have some of Zandio’s Roman maths again. A four-letter synonym of trade, that has a Roman numeral in the third position SALE, swaps that letter L for the Roman numeral 90% smaller V, to give a synonym of free SAVE.
Compiler
Zandio
That’s All Folks…