Sunday Toughie No 208 by Beam
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 18th of January 2026
Across
1a Notice sibling cycling in dark (9)
DISMISSAL: A shortened female sibling SIS, cycles one letter from front to back ISS, and it is then inserted into a synonym of dark DISMAL. DISM ISS ALL You’re fired!
6a Catwalks? Viewed regularly, they can bore (4)
AWLS: Viewed regularly tells us to look at alternate letters. I’ll leave it up to you to find the thing that can bore in c A t W a L k S.
10a Prevents acne returning (5)
STOPS: A reversal (returning) of how the condition known as acne manifests itself. SPOTS becomes STOPS.
11a Labour always reportedly behind target (9)
ENDEAVOUR: A homophone (reportedly) of always EVER becomes EAVOUR, goes behind a target or END.
12a Comprehensive classes facing learner (7)
GENERAL: Classes of taxonomic groups of closely related species GENERA, facing the letter that learner drivers display L. Comprehensive or GENERAL
13a Demanding former partner with single bloke (7)
EXIGENT: Our usual former partner EX, the letter that represents single I, and a bloke GENT, demand immediate attention EXIGENT.
14a Bold and unwise ousting Republican (8)
IMPUDENT: A synonym of unwise IMPRUDENT, ousts the abbreviation for Republican R. Bold or IMPUDENT
16a Audibly approved for all to hear (5)
ALOUD: A homophone (audibly) of a synonym of approved ALLOWED becomes ALOUD. Said for all to hear.
19a Grand bottoms causing blushes (5)
GLOWS: Bottoms such as those associated with depressions or weather systems LOWS follow an abbreviation for grand G.
21a Tame House’s opening missing some members? (8)
HARMLESS: An opening letter H for House, and the condition of being without your upper members HARMLESS.
24a Bombshell divided party seizing power (7)
TORPEDO: To have divided by ripping TORE, seizes a power abbreviation P, and adds an informal party DO.
25a Beat occupier after vacation alfresco (7)
OUTDOOR: To beat or surpass OUTDO, and what remains of occupier after it has been vacated OR. Although we have stolen the definition from Italian alfresco, they would prefer to use all’aperto.
27a Law record in ancestral houses (9)
ORDINANCE: A lurker (houses) in the preceding three words.
28a Confederate follows Stonewall’s first sortie (5)
SALLY: The first of Stonewall S, followed by a Confederate ALLY.
29a Sweetheart, nearly alone, rejected miss (4)
LOSE: One of those pesky little four-letter words that leap into the grid but can be hard to parse. I have gone with Beam’s™ heart of sweet E, and most of a synonym of alone SOL, then reverse them (rejected) E SOL becomes LOSE
30a Complaint maybe affecting setter? (9)
DISTEMPER: A complaint of a setter who isn’t Beam, but may be his dog
Down
1d Crafty, stooping to pocket shilling (9)
DESIGNING: A synonym of stooping DEIGNING, “pockets” an abbreviated shilling S.
2d Scathing contempt, often really nasty initially (5)
SCORN: A Beam™ initial letter all-in-one.
3d Protected shell’s mouth with hardened exterior (7)
INSURED: The mouth of shell S, has a synonym of hardened INURED, as its exterior.
4d Genuine polyester lingerie clothes (8)
STERLING: A lurker (clothes). Genuine in meeting a standard of 92.5% purity.
5d Boys spending penny once in toilet (6)
LADIES: Boys (particularly those of Scottish or Northern English origin) LADDIES, lose the old abbreviation for a penny D. These LADIES toilets would not normally allow boys in.
7d Respectable females endlessly preserving jams (9)
WHOLESOME: Jams or predicaments HOLES, are contained in some females WOME(n) without their last letter.
8d Disapproving sounds raised about Queen’s parade (5)
STRUT: Disapproving sounds TUTS are reversed (raised in a down clue) STUT around a Latin Queen R for Regina.
9d Plate of chicken possibly sent back (6)
LAMINA: Chicken is an example of an organism having life and voluntary motion an ANIMAL, and it is reversed (sent back). Giving a thin plate of rock or sensitive tissue within a hoof LAMINA.
15d Victorians concealing degenerate bulges (9)
PROTRUDES: Victorians would be people who claim extreme propriety PRUDES; they contain a synonym of to degenerate ROT. P(ROT)RUDES
17d Vandal almost wild besieging ancient city (9)
DESTROYER: Almost all of a synonym of wild or abandoned DESER(t)contains the ancient city of TROY.
18d Is interior to pubs rank? (8)
BARONESS: Spell out the Roman I ONE, and its plural ‘s ONE’S, and insert into some pubs or BARS.
20d Small containers containing ale, ultimately? No! (6)
STEINS: A small abbreviation S, and types of containers TINS containing the ultimate letter of ale E. No! These containers are NOT small and usually contain hopped lager rather than ale.
22d Artist fellow capturing topless smooch (7)
MATISSE: A smooch KISS, without its topmost letter ISS, is contained in a fellow friend MATE.
23d Like bride groom, forgetting occasion, held? (6)
GOWNED: Another tricky parse (For Me™), I think the occasion or the place it occurs in ROOM is removed from the groom G, followed by a synonym of held OWNED. Most brides like to dress up.
24d Someone being virtually insulting? (5)
TROLL: Someone who is prepared to insult you online or in the virtual world.
26d Deck ratings on dock (5)
ORLOP: Ratings of other ranks OR, and a synonym of dock LOP. New to me, but fairly constructed.
Compiler
Beam
That’s all Folks…