Sunday Toughie No 210 by proXimal
Review by
Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 1st February 2026
Sorry it’s a bit late, I thought I scheduled this with the other BB puzzles
Across
1a Spooner’s avoiding marsupial trainer (7,4)
RUNNING SHOE: Deliberately avoiding SHUNNING, and an abbreviated marsupial ROO, are given the Spoonerisation treatment to be a trainer or RUNNING SHOE.
7a Mortal wins heart of tyrannic deity (7)
HANUMAN: A mortal being such as yourself HUMAN, that contains the two letters at the heart of tyrannic AN, for a revered Hindu Deity HANUMAN.
8a Enticed Callum to strip, visibly embarrassed (7)
ALLURED: Callum is stripped of his outer letters ALLU, add the visible embarrassment that is shown by the colour of his cheeks RED. Enticed or ALLURED.
10a Dry January ultimately restricts everyone severely (8)
BRUTALLY: A term for dry Champagne BRUT, and the ultimate letter of January Y, contains a synonym for everyone ALL. Severely or BRUT ALL Y.
11a Escapades of opponents carrying clubs (6)
ANTICS: Opponents who are opposed to anything ANTIS, carries the abbreviation for the suit of clubs C. Escapades or ANTICS
13a Symbol of clan is tailless bear (4)
TOTE: A symbol of a clan, family or tribe TOTEM, without his tail M, is a synonym of bear. TOTE
14a Pair’s more organised having secured international promoter (10)
IMPRESARIO: An anagram of PAIR’S MORE and I for international.
16a Seemingly caught in trap, parent lying (10)
APPARENTLY: The synonym of seemingly is lurking (caught in) the last three words of the clue.
18a Brown fish (4)
CHAR: A double definition.
21a Delivering all over the place, not ever relaxing or being unoccupied (6)
IDLING: The first compound anagram, (all over the place) of D(e)LI(ver)ING, but remove ever before scrambling.
22a Misbehaving dog about to bite fool from behind (6,2)
ACTING UP: A small, short-haired dog with a wrinkled face PUG, a fool NIT, and one of our usual abouts CA, are reversed (from behind) PUG NIT CA becomes ACTING UP
24a Normal after moulting, tarantula changed (7)
NATURAL: An anagram (changed) of t)ARANTUL(a after moulting his outer letters.
25a Soldier‘s command US General verbalised (7)
ORDERLY: A homophone (verbalised) of a well-known US General LEE, follows a command ORDER.
26a Realistic because of where we live (4-2-5)
DOWN-TO-EARTH: Combine a phrasal synonym of because of DOWN TO, and the planet on which we live EARTH. Realistic or DOWN-TO-EARTH.
Down
1d French firm let out houses in Lille to the personnel at last (7)
RENAULT: To let out property RENT, contains (houses) how someone from Lille would say in AU, and the last letter of personnel L. REN AU L T. The French car manufacturer.
2d Dead ant – not filling for insectivore (6)
NUMBAT: A dead feeling NUMB, and ant without its filling AT. NUMBAT, an Australian marsupial insectivore.
3d Writer‘s one meaningful novel, reportedly you rejected (3,7)
IAN FLEMING: A Roman one I, and an anagram (novel) of MEANINGFuL but reject the letter that sounds like you.
4d Interest king in chat (4)
GRAB: Some informal chat GAB, contains a Latin king R for Rex.
5d House neighbouring bar’s second address for patriarch (8)
HOLINESS: A house abbreviation HO, some bars of music LINES, and a second abbreviation S would be how you would address the head of a patriarchal church, His HOLINESS.
6d Sooner clear the air having clashed, wanting composed chat (7)
EARLIER: Another compound anagram, (having clashed) of cLEAR thE aIR, but it is wanting an anagram (composed) of chat removed first. Sooner or EARLIER
7d Learning to get used to residence outside university (11)
HABITUATION: A residence HABITATION, contains a University abbreviation U.
9d Broadcast extremely groovy rhapsodic record of records (11)
DISCOGRAPHY: An anagram of the extreme letters of groovy GY, and RHAPSODIC.
12d Uprising soldiers arrested by gendarme, several merry (10)
FROLICSOME: A reversal (uprising in a down clue) of soldiers of lower ranks OR becomes RO, contained in the French slang term for a gendarme FLIC, and add a synonym of several SOME. Merry or F RO LIC SOME
15d Rugby players showing impudence fight (5,3)
FRONT ROW: Synonyms of impudence FRONT, and fight ROW, combine to be large and intimidating rugby players.
17d Trialled set parts of various colours (7)
PILOTED: The bit of a cinematic studio where parts of old sets remain LOT, contained within an adjective for of various colours PIED, such as magpies or horses.
19d Selfishly keep creative work, first for humorous satirist (7)
HOGARTH: To selfishly keep HOG, some creative work ART, and the first of humorous H.
20d Burdening to move, dropping wretched gun case (6)
BINDER: An anagram (to move) of BuRDEnINg, but drop an anagram (wretched) of gun first.
23d Idiot forcibly hit bar close to you (4)
CLOT: To forcibly hit CLOuT, without (bar) the closing letter of you U.
Compiler
proXimal
That’s All Folks…