Sunday Toughie 234 (Review)

Sunday Toughie No 234 by Light

Review by Sloop John Bee

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This puzzle was published on 19th July 2026

Across 

1a Film magazine next to old folio paper (6,2,3,3) 

EMPIRE OF THE SUN: A magazine (that happens to be about film) EMPIRE, abbreviations of old and folio OF and a paper that is a rival of The Telegraph THE SUN 

10a American doctor a man sued time after time, annoyingly (2,7) 

AD NAUSEUM: A usual American A, and an anagram (doctor) of A MAN SUED 

11a Material from journo Lynam rejected (5) 

NYLON: A lurker (from) that is reversed (rejected) NYLON is hidden in reverse in jourNO LYNam 

12a Risk when close by firework, losing head (8) 

ENDANGER: To close or finish END, and a small, but noisy firework (b)ANGER, without its head. Tp risk or ENDANGER 

13a Council very, very inept, oddly (6) 

SOVIET: A synonym of very SO, an abbreviation of very V, and odd letters of inept IET. A SOVIET is a Russian council 

15a Lift drink with ice at last (4) 

TOTE: A drink of of rum perhaps TOT, with the last letter of ice E 

17a Discovery perhaps of accommodation – flat (10) 

SPACEPLANE: Synonyms of the last two words. Accommodation or SPACE and something on a flat PLANE 

18a Barrister’s failures outside court, essentially things not worth pursuing (4,6) 

LOST CAUSES: The barrister’s failures LOST CASES, go outside the essential or central letter of court U 

20a Plates in area of London cost tons (4) 

FEET: What someone born in the East End of London is referring to when he mentions plates of meat. The cost of a service FEE and a tons abbreviation T, 

22a Might we be moved by The Rake’s Progress? Parts (6) 

LEAVES: A double definition. These may be moved by The Rake’s Progress through an autumnal garden LEAVES, also parts company or LEAVES 

23a Gladiator director is initially hiding from Harris? (8) 

SCOTTISH: The director of Gladiator Ridley SCOTT, IS from the clue and the leading or initial letter of Hiding H, being from the Outer Hebridean Island of Harris would make one SCOTTISH 

26a They have passed subjects (5) 

OBITS: An abbreviated column in The Telegraph whose subjects have all passed 

27a Bat defensively as not well when running (9) 

STONEWALL: If the best form of defence is attack most of the recent OBITS for Sir Garfield Sobers mention his six sixes from an over. An anagram (when running) of AS NOT WELL 

28a Flower girl getting help, in a manner of speaking? (5,9) 

ELIZA DOOLITTLE: The flower girl from George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion is given elocution lessons to improve her manner of speaking

 

 

Down 

2d This writer’s diamonds dug up (5) 

MINED: That which belongs to this writer MINE, and an abbreviation of the suit of diamonds D 

3d Cold-blooded type, half-cut, aims a gun recklessly (6) 

IGUANA: An anagram (recklessly) of A GUN from the clue and the first half of AI (ms) 

4d Seven pull out after drug test (6-4) 

ELEVEN-PLUS: A recreational drug E, and an anagram (out) of SEVEN PULL 

5d Iron clothes before midday for celebrity (4) 

FAME: A chemical symbol of iron FE, clothes the hours before midday AM 

6d What about new supermarket eggs here? (3-4) 

HEN-COOP: An informal what EH, is reversed (about) HE, a new abbreviation N and a supermarket group founded in Manchester in 1863 CO-OP. Eggs would be found in a HEN-COOP 

7d Photo that includes mum good for ego (4-5) 

SELF-IMAGE: A photo I take of me SELFIE, that includes a mum MA and G for good, is good for my ego or SELF-IMAGE 

8d Husband visiting prime hotel, amazing bar after lots of driving (10,4) 

NINETEENTH HOLE: A prime number, an anagram (amazing) of hotel around a husband abbreviation, the bar where you may celebrate some successful driving around a golf course 

9d Be a little mad? It won’t be Thatcher’s fault! (4,1,4,5) 

HAVE A TILE LOOSE: To be a little mad. Deceptive capitalisation of Thatcher’s here, It won’t be the thatcher’s fault you are a little mad, as they use long straw or water reed 

14d Creature, small dog in wicker basket (7,3) 

SCREECH OWL: A small abbreviation S,and a wicker basket used to carry fish CREEL, around a breed of dog CHOW. A S-CREE-CHOW-L 

16d Conductor to glance over popular first part of intermezzo (9) 

TOSCANINI: To glance over TO SCAN, a usual popular IN, and the first part of Intermezzo I. TOSCANINI is an Italian orchestral conductor 

19d Abrupt trick taking in university team (7) 

CHELSEA: To trick or con CHEAT, is shortened (abrupt) CHEA, about an abbreviated London University LSE, for a football team familiar to Terence CHE(LSE)A 

21d Way ultimately ruthless leader of Tories stifles Redwood? (6) 

STREET: The ultimate letter of ruthless S, and the leading letter of Tories T, contains (stifles) that which Redwood is an example of TREE. A way or S(TREE)T 

24d Everything included where Eve goes for examination (2,3) 

IN ALL: Where you would find Eve, IN an A-L(EVE)L the examination that follows GCSE’s 

25d Upset, jobless regularly, zero capital (4) 

OSLO: An anagram (upset) of regular letters of jobless OLS, and the letter that zero represents O. OLS-O become OSLO  

 

 

Compiler 

Light 

That’s all Folks…