Sunday Toughie No 219 by Silvanus
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 5th of April 2026
Across
1a American subject receives award for Shakespearean role (7)
MACBETH: An award for services to the British Empire CBE, is inserted into how an American would refer to the school subject Mathematics or Arithmetic becomes MATH. MA-CBE-TH
5a Deletes two females, ones on Myspace, finally (7)
EFFACES: Two female abbreviations FF, and playing cards with one “pip” ACES, follow the final letter of Myspace E. E-FF-ACES
9a Sayings over time ill-natured, on reflection (5)
DICTA: Ill-natured or sour comments ACID, are reversed (on reflection) around a time abbreviation D. Sayings or DIC-T-A
10a Checking trendy clubs, Alan’s excited Manchester has one (4,5)
SHIP CANAL: A synonym of trendy HIP and the abbreviation for the Club suit of playing cards C, are contained in an anagram (excited) of ALAN’S
11a Film franchise ranges between frenzied and barely terrifying (10)
MADAGASCAR: Plural ranges or posh ovens AGAS, go between frenzied MAD, and what remains of a synonym of terrified (S)CAR(Y), when its outer letters are removed. MAD-AGAS-CAR
12a Sounds like Win’s providing things for tea? (4)
URNS: A homophone (sounds like) of wins through endeavour Earns, they may provide tea or similar hot beverages URNS
14a Reacted badly after fool initially mocked Devonshire delicacy (7,5)
CLOTTED CREAM: A thick fool CLOT and the initial letter of macked M, around an anagram (badly) of REACTED. CLOT(TED CREA)M
18a Shock crowds in Barking earlier for furniture item (7,5)
WINDSOR CHAIR: An anagram (Barking) of CROWDS IN goes before (earlier) a shock of curls HAIR
21a Reject intended dismissing church as simplistic (4)
NAIF: A man who is engaged to be married FIAN(CE), dismisses an abbreviation for the Church of England, and is then reversed (reject) to be NAIF or simplistic
22a Tie worn by British fellow club member (10)
STABLEMATE: A tie in a particular board game STALEMATE contains a British abbreviation B
25a Where due legal process should be followed, whatever happens (2,3,4)
IN ANY CASE: I am going to call this a double definition, but it may be an all-in-one, whatever…
26a Locks personal belongings (5)
TRAPS: Another double definition, the second being the personal belongings that usually accompany something or some activity, more often encountered as a plural noun TRAPpingS
27a Offspring penning article was livid (7)
SEETHED: The offspring of one’s loins perhaps SEED, contains (penning) the definite article THE
28a Cyclists en masse open to waving crossing line (7)
PELOTON: An anagram (waving) of OPEN TO that has crossed a line abbreviation L
Down
1d Nice lady, perhaps first person to plug this writer (6)
MADAME: How someone from the French city of Nice may refer to a lady, the first person ever ADAM in a pronoun for this writer ME
3d Mark perhaps we’ve discovered initially touring London area (10)
EVANGELIST: Mark perhaps is the definition of one who wrote one of The Gospels. What remains of we’ve when discovered gives us the first two letters EV and initially or first when abbreviated is 1ST. The London area should be familiar to collectors of the light blue properties on the Monopoly board ANGEL, put them together you have an EV-ANGEL-IST
4d Publicans out of spirits? Not good (5)
HOSTS: Spirits or spectral beings (G)HOSTS, without G for good, Mine’s a large one!
5d Newish line from Waitrose ultimately, nuts Hazel bit (9)
ELIZABETH: The ultimate letter of Waitrose E, and an anagram (nuts) of HAZEL BIT. A newish addition to the London Underground
6d Points of origin of people indeed announced (4)
FOCI: A homophone (announced) of an adjective relating to of the people, FOLKY or FOLKIE becomes plural points of focus or origin FOCI
7d Islands, those Iran acknowledges claims over (8)
CANARIES: Very topical as Donald considers invading Kharg, Qeshm or Hormuz (that gives its name to the strait). The Islands we seek are actually Spanish, off the coast of Western Sahara/Morocco, they are lurking in reverse (claims over) in thoSE IRAN ACknowledges. SE IRAN AC or CANARIES
8d Identical photo requires pap briefly returning for one (8)
SELFSAME: A photo that includes the photographer in the image SELFIE, swaps the letter that one represents I, for most of a synonym of pap MAS(h) that has been reversed (returning) SELF-SAM-E
13d Western not intended to have different opening (10)
OCCIDENTAL: A synonym of not intended or ACCIDENTAL, opens with a different vowel, OCCIDENTAL. If Oriental is Eastern OCCIDENTAL is Western.
15d Strength maybe shown by that oddly corrupt character (5,4)
TAROT CARD: Odd letters of that TA, some corruption or decay ROT, and a characterful, witty or amusing chap CARD
16d Banknotes left India amongst batch heading north (8)
TWENTIES: Left or departed WENT, and the letter that India represents I, is amongst a batch SET, that is reversed TES (heading north in a down clue) T-WENT-I-ES
17d Imagine broadband provider saving mobile feeds (8)
ENVISAGE: A broadband provider formerly known as everything everywhere EE, contains an anagram (mobile) of SAVING. To imagine or ENVISAGE
19d Empty vessel to fill another (6)
VACANT: One vessel CAN, inserted into another VAT. Empty or VA-CAN-T
20d Period of fewer commitments? (6)
LESSON: A period of learning, when split (4,2) could mean having fewer commitments LESS ON becomes LESSON
23d Sound of bishop dozing since dropping off (5)
BLEEP: An abbreviation of Bishop and most of dozing or (AS)LEEP, from which a synonym of since AS, has been dropped
24d Story of loss delivered by Mike Tyson? (4)
MYTH: How someone who has a lisp like Mike Tyson would talk about a loss or failure to connect his fist with his opponent’s body MISS becomes MYTH. Mike Tyson has a well-known, distinct frontal lisp that he has had since childhood. It occurs when his tongue protrudes between his front teeth while pronouncing “s” and “z” sounds.
Compiler
Silvanus
That’s all Folks…