Sunday Toughie No 224 by Beam
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 10th of May 2026
Across
1a Unhappy detectives – criminal incredibly unpunctual (12)
DISCONSOLATE: Put together the following bits of Lego™, plural detectives of a particular rank DI’S, a singular informal criminal CON, an adverb for incredibly SO, and finally a synonym of unpunctual LATE
9a Discharge empty rifle in division (9)
SECRETION: Empty rifle of its internal letters R-E, and insert what remains in a division or part SECTION. A discharge or SEC(RE)TION
10a Reportedly fine cut (5)
SHEAR: A homophone (reportedly) of a fine fabric SHEER, becomes to SHEAR the finest wool off a sheep’s back
11a Trouble with Royal Navy’s decks (6)
ADORNS: A Shakespearean trouble, much ADO about nothing, along with the Royal Navy RN, and the plural S, ADORNS or decks halls with boughs of holly
12a Drink ale, swallowing volume before time (8)
BEVERAGE: The drink is BEER, it swallows an abbreviation for volume V, BE(V)ER, and it goes before a period of time AGE.
13a Stoop taking on small form (6)
DESIGN: Stoops to conquer DEIGN, around s for small
14a Having no trouble in East End? (8)
WIFELESS: A nice all-in-one. You should have no trouble with this when you remember the Cockney rhyming slang “trouble and strife is WIFE” therefore if you have no trouble you would be WIFELESS
17a Discipline of lives in celibate surroundings (8)
CHASTISE: To live, exist or be IS, surrounded by a synonym of celibate CHASTE. To discipline or CHASTISE
19a Search engine’s about electronic entities (6)
BEINGS: The prefix for things electronic E, is inserted in Microsoft’s favoured search engine BING, and add the plural ‘S
22a Disappoint rude robber catching burglar? (8)
INTRUDER: A lurker (catching) in the first three words
24a Overcome accepting each penny is mine? (6)
WEAPON: To have overcome or defeated WON, contains abbreviations of each EA, and penny P. The question mark indicates a definition by example
26a Composer‘s record for the audience (5)
LISZT: A homophone (for the audience) of a record. LIST becomes LISZT
27a Slip behind holding line (9)
BACKSLIDE: Your “behind” or BACKSIDE holds an abbreviation of line L
28a Nice young lady? (12)
MADEMOISELLE: That Nice must be capitalised is neatly hidden by making it the first word of the clue. How you should address a young lady from Nice
Down
1d Old rogue damn upset, being upset (7)
DASTARD: A plural synonym of damn DRAT and one of being upset SAD are reversed (upset) DRAT SAD becomes DASTARD
2d Divisions of party, boorish occasionally (7)
SECTORS: A subdivision of a party SECT, and adds occasional letters of boorish O R S
3d Some lover nigh trembling until morning? (9)
OVERNIGHT: A lurker (some) contained in the following three words
4d Vessel beginning to heel in drink (4)
SHIP: The beginning of heel H, in a small drink SIP
5d Dally over ends of intimate frillies (8)
LINGERIE: We are back in the Beam™ underwear drawer, to dally or LINGER over both ends of intimate I-E
6d Cheers setter regularly providing hint (5)
TASTE: An informal cheers or thanks TA, and regular letters of setter STE
7d Member polished off representative (6)
LEGATE: A lower member LEG and to have polished off some food ATE. LEGATE a representative at a LEGATION
8d Scoff served up with grand vegetables (6)
GREENS: To scoff or make a snide remark SNEER, is reversed (served up) with a grand abbreviation G REENS
15d Seconds after otherwise eating balanced snack (9)
ELEVENSES: A synonym of otherwise ELSE, contains one of balanced EVEN, put the abbreviation of seconds S, afterwards. EL(EVEN)SE(S)
16d Group practised stocking jam on counter (8)
ASSEMBLE: Group together, To be well practised or skilled ABLE, containing a jam MESS, that is reversed (on the counter) A(SSEM)BLE
17d Country, some say, is distant (6)
CHILLY: A homophone (some say) of a South American country CHILE becomes CHILLY
18d Most likely a person’s first ordeal (6)
APTEST: A, the first letter of person P, and an ordeal TEST, is the most likely answer APTEST
20d The French sex joke upended wedding (7)
NUPTIAL: A French definite article LA, a pronoun used to refer to sex IT, and a joke or play on words PUN, are reversed (upended) for an adjective related to wedding LA IT PUN becomes NUP TI AL
21d Pure burn audibly following transgression (7)
SINCERE: A homophone (audibly) of to burn or char SEAR becomes CERE, it follows a transgression of God’s will SIN
23d Usually least tolerant radical activist, initially (5)
ULTRA: Beam’s™ initialism
25d Memory of sweetheart and brief split (4)
ECHO: Beam’s™ swEetheart E, and a shortened (brief) split or cleave with an axe CHO(p)
Compiler
Beam
That’s all Folks…