Sunday Toughie No 233 by Zandio
Review by
Sloop John Bee
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
This puzzle was published on the 12th of July 2026
Across
1a Also sad after tripping is all over (4,3,3)
HIGH AND LOW: Synonyms of also AND, and sad DOWN, go after one of tripping (on drugs perhaps) HIGH. Where you have to look for something lost HIGH AND LOW
6a Heading west, I’m busting to leave out (4)
OMIT: I’m “busting into” to T(I’M)O, then reverse them (heading west in an across clue) TIMO becomes OMIT
10a Deduce sign of bears being present occasionally (5)
INFER: Occasional letters of sIgN oF bEaRs, I will leave you to deduce the rest INFER
11a Growth, bracken, a crag usually keeps back (9)
SUGARCANE: A growth that is a reverse lurker (keeps back) I did check the enumeration and (9) is as acceptable as (5,4)
12a Like Lazarus before the introduction of Christ, as stated deep in the Bible (4,3)
DEAD SEA: The condition of Lazarus before the miraculous intervention of Christ DEAD, and a homophone (as stated) of the introductory letter of Christ, C becomes SEA. The DEAD SEA
13a Card player leading accommodating partner endlessly (3-4)
NON-STOP: One of the players in the card game Bridge N for North, leads a phrasal synonym of leading ON TOP, that contains (accommodating) his partner S for South. Endlessly or NON-(S)TOP:
14a Figure city detective lacks focus to solve grand plots? (7,5)
STATELY HOMES: An abbreviated figure that can be represented numerically STAT, a city in the Fens ELY, and a fictional detective HOLMES, without the letter at the focus of solve HOLMES becomes HOMES.
18a The sharpest beaks? (7,5)
SUPREME COURT: Beak is an informal term for someone who is a judge, the sharpest of which pass judgement in the SUPREME COURT
21a Port bar’s ordered in time (7)
HARBOUR: An anagram (ordered) of BAR in a period of time HOUR. A port or HARBOUR
23a Shark hurtles at sea (7)
HUSTLER: An anagram (at sea) of HURTLES
24a Used in review, a term illustrating feature of Constable’s work (5,4)
WATER MILL: A lurker (used in) the next four words (review is not a reversal indicator)
25a Cross that is worn by Judas (5)
IRATE: A Latin that is I.E. contains an informal term for an informant such as Judas RAT. I(RAT)E or cross
26a Rook’s piercing croak – it’s ominous (4)
DIRE: To croak (like Lazarus) DIE, contains the Chess notation for a Rook R. Ominous or DI(R)E
27a Dr Spooner’s phantom message for officer at sea? (10)
COASTGUARD: A phantom GHOST, and a short message CARD, are given the Reverend Doctor Spooner’s treatment GHOST CARD becomes COASTGUARD
Down
1d Party atmosphere’s suppressed following husband’s shock appearance (6)
HAIRDO: An atmosphere AIR, and an informal party DO, follow a husband abbreviation H. HAIRDO the appearance of a shock of hair
2d Twisted joker stifling very loud, posh laugh (6)
GUFFAW: A joker WAG, contains a musical notation for very loud FF, and a posh abbreviation U, WA(FFU)G should be reversed (twisted) before inserting into the grid as a laugh or GUFFAW
3d Smallest man gets here in five steps, generally (6,3,5)
ACROSS THE BOARD: A double definition (I think) I puzzled over this for some time and concluded that it refers to the smallest man in chess. Generally, pawns are allowed to move two spaces forward on the first move and once thereafter, considering they start on the second rank, it takes five steps before they can be upgraded to a better man
4d Idlest cooks entertaining staff in strip (9)
DISMANTLE: A singular member of staff MAN, in an anagram (cooks) of IDLEST. To strip or DISMANTLE
5d Other ranks realise when one’s lost heart? (5)
ORGAN: To realise a profit GAIN, without the Roman one GAIN becomes GAN, follows soldiers of other ranks OR. Heart? Is a definition by example of an ORGAN of the body
7d Some aerodrome altimeters showing gathering point for swallows? (8)
MEALTIME: A lurker (some showing) The point in time when we gather to swallow our food
8d Invasion outside Portugal, resort asserts (8)
TRESPASS: An anagram (resort) of ASSERTS outside the IVR code for Portugal P
9d Wearing Dior, maybe it gives one more taste (6,8)
FRENCH DRESSING: Wearing the clothes of Christian Dior (or one of his fellow FRENCH countrymen) may give a salad more taste
15d Escapes in lido, perhaps getting over tears (9)
LOOPHOLES: A lido or POOL is reversed LOOP (getting over) some HOLES, rips or tears
16d Cheesed off about weight, went without (8)
ESCHEWED: An anagram (off) CHEESED and W the abbreviation of weight. ESCHEWED or went without
17d Mechanic fixing speaker in gym? On the contrary (8)
OPERATOR: The wordplay suggests that the speaker ORATOR goes in the gym class PE, on the contrary means that the gym goes into the speaker O(PE)RATOR
19d A top North American city put up South American native (6)
ALPACA: A from the clue, to top or reach an upper limit CAP, and an abbreviated North American city LA, are reversed (put up) A CAP LA becomes an ALPACA a camelid native to South America
20d Ally of Republican caught in buff (6)
FRIEND: A buff or someone obsessively devoted to a particular interest or activity FIEND, contains a Republican abbreviation R
22d Exotic creature with a load of myrrh in Orient (5)
RHINO: An exotic creature that is lurking (with a load of) at the end of the clue
Compiler
Zandio
That’s All Folks…