Sunday Toughie No 243 by Beam
Full Review by Gazza
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This puzzle was published on 20/09/26
A fairly gentle Toughie from Beam this week.
Across Clues
7a Restrict and almost confuse cycling Latvian (8)
THROTTLE: a verb to confuse or disconcert (throw) without its last letter followed by an old word for a Latvian (Lett) with its last two letters cycled to its front.
8a Examined and quietly dressed (6)
PROBED: the musical abbreviation meaning quietly and a verb (or adjective) meaning dressed in a long outer garment.
9a Emperor Selassie follower nearly flipped (4)
TSAR: a follower of Haile Selassie is a Rastafarian. Make the usual short form of the word even shorter (nearly) and flip it around.
10a Do go on about Queen favourite (10)
PERPETRATE: go on or talk at length (prate) containing our former Queen’s cipher and a synonym of favourite,
11a Some people taking plunge? (6)
DIVERS: double definition, the first an old word meaning some or several.
13a Follow behind following bird (7)
EMULATE: an adjective meaning behind schedule follows a flightless bird.
14a Sweetheart left almost finished in sack (7)
BELOVED: the abbreviation for left and an adverb meaning finished (over) without its last letter go inside what sack is an informal word for (i.e. where you go to sleep).
16a Firm action restraining plainclothes police (7)
DECIDED: a synonym of action (deed) contains the plainclothes department of a UK police force.
19a One is he, she or they? (7)
PRONOUN: he, she and they are grammatical examples of the answer.
20a Shut up keeping warmth in cover (6)
SHEATH: a 2-letter request to shut up or keep the noise down contains a synonym of warmth.
21a Ahead, mini’s terribly restricting run (10)
ADMINISTER: hidden (indicated by restricting) in the first three words.
22a Envelop with ribbons and paper, initially (4)
WRAP: initial letters of four words in the clue.
23a Endure occasionally cruel sea (6)
REMAIN: the even letters of ‘cruel’ followed by an old term for the open sea (main).
24a Dungarees partially cover, all smelly (8)
OVERALLS: hidden (partially) in the last three words.
Down Clues
1d Cold rush accepting one’s discipline (8)
CHASTISE: the tap abbreviation for cold and a synonym of rush or briskness (haste) containing the Roman one and the possessive ‘S.
2d Bad smell on a right pig! (4)
BOAR: a nasty bodily smell precedes A and the abbreviation for right.
3d Small audio apparatus with small bone (6)
STAPES: a bone in the middle ear comes a charade of the abbreviation for small, a recording medium (tape) and the same abbreviation for small again.
4d Close second slipped catching first person (7)
SERRIED: the abbreviation for second and a verb meaning slipped or blundered containing the first person pronoun. We often see the answer in a phrase such as ‘the ******* ranks’.
5d Explore excavation obtaining a large gem (10)
TOURMALINE: a verb to explore or travel (tour) and a type of excavation (mine) contain A and the abbreviation for large.
6d Insect larvae cleared under vegetable (6)
BEETLE: just the outer letters (cleared) of ‘larvae’ follow (under, in a down clue) a root vegetable (beet).
8d Puritan admits heartless evil is beginning (7)
PRELUDE: a synonym of puritan i.e. someone easily shocked by things related to sex or nudity (prude) contains the outer (heartless) letters of ‘evil’.
12d Sparing sweetheart, funny about refusal (10)
ECONOMICAL: Beam’s usual swEetheart followed by a synonym of funny (comical) containing a short response signifying refusal.
15d New excellent mark uplifted schoolboy (7)
ETONIAN: assemble the abbreviation for new, a 2-letter abbreviation for excellent and a verb to mark (note). Now reverse that (uplifted, in a down clue).
17d Guts requires taking on Republican (8)
ENTRAILS: a verb meaning requires or involves (entails) contains the abbreviation for Republican.
18d Job removing top for ointment (7)
UNCTION: a synonym of job or purpose (function) has its top letter removed.
19d Fathers concerned with being in homes (6)
PADRES: a 2-letter preposition meaning ‘concerned with’ goes inside an informal word for homes (pads).
20d Vet show on television? (6)
SCREEN: double definition, both verbs. The first means to assess and the second to broadcast.
22d River erosion (4)
WEAR: another double definition, the first the name of a river in N-E England.