Sunday Toughie No 232 by proXimal
Review by
Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 5th July 2026
Across
1a One gives credit for shopping centre rated like hotel, as per Spooner (5,4)
STORE CARD: The centre of an apple perhaps CORE, and how hotels are rated STARRED, given the Spooner treatment, CORE STARRED becomes STORE CARD
6a Young bird scrubbing wings in soil is usual (5)
GOING: Operating as usual, from a young goose GO(SL)ING, without the winging letters of soil SL
9a I dash in extremely cold country (7)
ICELAND: I from the clue and dash or style ELAN, in the extreme letters of cold CD
10a When playing sound effect releases funny tune, you’ll have laughed (7)
SCOFFED: A proXimal(tm) compound anagram, two anagram indicators (playing) and (funny) as releasing tune from sound effect requires that both parts are anagrams SOUND EFFECT minus TUNE leaves the fodder for you’ll have laughed or SCOFFED
11a Foreign friend put million into AI work (5)
AMIGO: Artificial intelligence AI, contains an abbreviation for million M,, followed by a synonym of work GO. AMIGO a friend from a Spanish speaking country
12a Not being rude is something quite acceptable (2,7)
NO OFFENCE: Not being rude is also quite acceptable as the law hasn’t been broken
13a Leave pieces: article and advert for senior boss (10,4)
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Piece together the following Lego(tm) To leave DEPART, the pieces on a chess board MEN, a definite article THE, and an abbreviated commercial break AD – A senior boss or DEPART-MEN-T HE-AD
16a Certain mate capturing India in camera (14)
CONFIDENTIALLY: Synonyms of certain CONFIDENT, and mate ALLY, capture the letter that India suggests I, in camera is a legal definition that takes place behind closed doors or CONFIDENTIALLY
20a Again look around front of lobby for additional coat (9)
OVERGLAZE: Synonyms of again OVER, and look GAZE, around the front letter of lobby L, OVERGLAZE an additional coat on pottery
22a Happy with Germany being given penalty (5)
FINED: Happy FINE, and the IVR code for Germany D. being given a penalty or FINED
23a Holidaymaker‘s time with great person in Sydney (7)
TRIPPER: How an Australian (from Sydney) may refer to a great person “you RIPPER”, follows T for time
24a Couple of swine reversing in volume (7)
TWOSOME: A female swine SOW, reverses WOS, into a large volume or book TOME,
25a Leaders of detachment identify trap and establish defensive position (3,2)
DIG IN: Leaders of detachment identify DI, and a trap (illegal to use since 1958) GIN
26a Cross with ruler’s heavy losses (9)
SPANKINGS: To cross like a bridge SPAN, and male rulers KINGS
Down
1d Increase of bunce oddly given out by corrupt Republicans (6)
SPIRAL: Another compound anagram, BUNCE is removed in anagram form (oddly) from REPUBLICANS, for another anagram (corrupt) of what remains. I suppose a SPIRAL can be both an increase or decrease, depending on the direction
2d Old English dons working to schedule (3-4)
ONE-TIME: A phrase for working to schedule ON-TIME, dons an English abbreviation E
3d Adding detail about pub with no ale, resolved to keep sermonising (11,4)
ELABORATING UPON: An anagram (resolved) of PUB NO ALE that contains (to keep) some sermonising ORATING
5d Meal person’s beginning to taste is dodgy (9)
DISHONEST: A meal or the crockery it is served on DISH, a singular person and its ‘s ONE’S, and the beginning letter of taste T. Dodgy or DISH ONES T
6d Begin unprepared and blunder with money, seeing a large football club in debt? (2,3,2,4,4)
GO OFF AT HALF COCK: A blunder GOOF, an informal term for lucrative money of a corpulent cat FAT, and to pawn an item to pay a debt HOCK, that contains abbreviations of a large football club A L F C Begin unprepared or GO OFF AT HALF COCK
7d One young European nobleman abroad (7)
INFANTE: One who is young INFANT, and a European abbreviation E, for a title given to sons of the kings of Spain and Portugal, except the heir apparent the INFANTE
8d Follow up tips to receive small boons (8)
GODSENDS: To track or follow DOG, is reversed (up in a down clue) GOD a small abbreviation S, and some tips ENDS, give us some boons or GODSENDS
14d Sign outside of that man’s reference book (9)
THESAURUS: A sign of the zodiac TAURUS, around a contraction of that man’s HE’S
15d Last of the cod cats rampantly attacked (8)
ACCOSTED: An anagram (rampantly) of COD CATS and the last letter of the E
17d Wanting massage, we’re told (7)
NEEDING: A homophone (we’re told) of massage bread perhaps KNEADING becomes NEEDING
18d Fifty in company vacated Latvian city (7)
LINCOLN: A Roman fifty L, IN from the clue, an abbreviated company CO, and what remains of Latvian when vacated L_N. The city of L IN CO LN
19d Reptiles turning up in gorgeouS RED DAhlias (6)
ADDERS: A reverse lurker (turning up in a down clue) hidden in the last three words of the clue S-RED-DA becomes ADDERS
21d Additional texts are bad, when fully exposed (5)
EXTRA: Expose the contents of three words in the clue, t–EXT–s a–R-e b-A-d. EXTRA or additional.
Compiler
ProXimal
That’s All Folks…