Sunday Toughie 229 (Review)

Sunday Toughie No 229 by Zandio

Review by

Sloop John Bee

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This puzzle was published on the 14th of June 2026

 

Across 

1a “White tie with hot pants” ad redesigned to cover backside (3,3,3,5) 

TOP HAT AND TAILS: The backside of a coin perhaps TAILS, is covered by an anagram (redesigned) of HOT PANTS AD, becomes TOP HAT AND + TAILS 

10a One believes appeal Sir Humphrey’s opening looks retrograde in pen (9) 

CHRISTIAN: Sexual appeal IT, and Sir Humphrey SIR H, are reversed in an informal term for a penitentiary CAN. A C(H-RIS)(TI)AN believer 

11a Doe-eyed creature‘s all over relative (5) 

LLAMA: ALL reversed (over) LLA, and a female relative MA, give us a creature known for particularly long eyelashes a LLAMA 

12a Piano’s quality’s occasionally lacking, causing aspersions (7) 

INSULTS: Remove occasional letters from the first two words of the clue  pIaNoS qUaLiTy’S 

13a Scarcity’s hollowed out Iran – I must move from Middle East (6) 

SYRIAN: Hollow out scarcity  S-Y, and add Iran, but move the I along a bit  for a SY-RIAN 

15a Run out of cannabis with 90 per cent reduction initially (4) 

LOPE: Zandio’s Roman maths again. Find a synonym of cannabis (that starts with a Roman numeral) DOPE, and replace it with another Roman numeral 90 per cent smaller D for 500 become L for 50. To LOPE or run 

17a Work regime that could mean four being cut (4-2-4) 

NINE-TO-FIVE: A typical work regime, that could be what results when cutting four from nine NINE goes TO FIVE 

18a No safety net and no rubber ring? (4,2,4) 

SINK OR SWIM: The options when thrown in the deep end without a rubber ring as a buoyancy aid 

20a Margaret briefly flipped about son’s sparklers (4) 

GEMS: An brief pet name for Margaret MEG, is reversed (flipped) GEM, and has a genealogical S for son added 

22a Back street with neat vents (6) 

ERUPTS: A reversal (back) of a street abbreviation ST, and a neat whisky perhaps PURE, ST PURE becomes ERUPTS 

23a Good day to cut former part in show (7) 

EXHIBIT: An informal  good day HI, cuts between a usual former EX and a part or fraction of the whole BIT. To show or EX-HI-BIT 

26a Where many Arabic speakers are audible, ignoring the French rambling (5) 

DUBAI: An anagram (rambling) of AUDIB(le) but ignore the French definite article 

27a Feigned tenderness in speech toasted with this? (9) 

CHAMPAGNE: Homophones (in speech) of the first two words. Feigned or SHAM, tenderness or PAIN, SHAM PAIN becomes CHAMPAGNE 

28a No right digit found by emergency room – left also seeking location (14) 

NORTHUMBERLAND: Lego™ time. Assemble NO from the clue, a right abbreviation R, one of your digits THUMB, an emergency room ER, a left abbreviation L, finally a synonym of also AND. Seeking out all those parts should lead to NO-R-THUMB-ER-L-AND 

 

Down 

2d Beasts destroyed gorse (5) 

OGRES: An anagram (destroyed) of GORSE 

3d Harry takes winter vehicle, skipping Germany (6) 

HASSLE: A synonym of takes HAS, and a winter vehicle SLED, without the IVR code that German cars display –D. To harry or HASSLE(D) 

4d Most eager characters taken in by artist Hirst, I estimate (10) 

THIRSTIEST: A lurker (characters taken in by) the rest of the clue 

5d What Islington postcode starts with zero? (4) 

NONE: Most Islington postcodes start with the alphanumeric N1, spell out the numeric part for the synonym of zero N-ONE 

6d However casually, hugging friend results in charge! (5-2) 

TALLY-HO: A casual contraction of a however synonym  THO, goes around (hugging) a friend or ALLY. Charge or T(ALLY)-HO! 

7d Lead-free facilities prepared for bank on paper (9) 

ITALICISE: An anagram (prepared) of what is left of facilities when the leading letter has been freed. ACILITIES becomes ITALICISE to make characters on paper lean or bank 

8d Go out more, avoiding unknown creep when talking tough stuff (9,5) 

STAINLESS STEEL: Rephrase go out more (4,2,4) STA(Y) IN LESS, but omit the mathematical unknown Y, and add a homophone (when talking) of to creep or STEAL surreptitiously STEEL 

9d Disorderly teen’s breaking a raw academic member’s connection (8,6) 

ACHILLES TENDON: A from the clue, a synonym of raw in temperature CHILL and a fellow of an academic institution DON, contain an anagram (disorderly) of TEEN’S. A CHILL TEENS DON becomes ACHILLES TENDON the connection between the leg (member) and foot. 

14d Planned to feature in Lancet: “Are bile ducts twisted?” (10) 

DELIBERATE: A lurker (to feature in) that is reversed (twisted) between the (indicators) 

16d Possible way to get lolly stick more frozen? (3,6) 

PIN NUMBER: A sharp stick PIN, and a comparative for more frozen NUMBER, may be the means to access your “lolly” at an ATM 

19d Old saint substantially funded this African native’s fast (7) 

OSTRICH: Abbreviations of the first two words  O S, are joined by substantially funded or RICH. Although they are flightless, an OSTRICH can run at speeds of up to 70 km/h (43 mph) 

21d Man with self at heart in place of religion (6) 

CHAPEL: An informal man CHAP,and the heart of sELf  – EL 

24d Set about panhandler, half knocked down, not out (5) 

BEGIN: The first half of a panhandler or mendicant BEGgar, and the slightly crickety condition of not being out IN 

25d Sting starts on Stewart Copeland, Andy mediates (4) 

SCAM: Initial letters (starts on) of the rest of the clue 

 

Compiler 

Zandio 

 

That’s All Folks…