Sunday Toughie No 209 by Samuel
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 25th of January 2026
Across
1a Luke possibly seen with Mike penning American hymns (6,5)
GOSPEL MUSIC: Luke is the third GOSPEL, of four, Mike is an abbreviated recording device MIC, he contains one of our usual Americans US.
7a Tired, ran away (7)
DRAINED: A double definition. Ran away down a sink perhaps.
8a Portion proving sufficient (7)
SERVING: Another double definition.
10a Ernie right to probe one smart Alick (8)
WISEACRE: A Comedian Ernie WISE, a playing card with one pip ACE, contains R for right (to probe)
11a Fearsome type of bream regularly seen in port (6)
VIRAGO: Regular letters of bream R A, go into a port in North-Western Spain VIGO. A Virago is a fearsome woman.
13a Pack present (4)
HOST: A double definition, but harder to justify. The first is a great multitude or pack, the second is to introduce participants.
14a Knives Out politician welcomes partner back on shift (3,1,4,2)
GET A MOVE ON: A politician who tried to reduce knife crime GOVE, welcomes a partner MATE, reversed ETAM, (back) and ON from the clue. G-ETAM-OVE ON
16a Identify brave person shouting when out of the news – ultimately, he should be better (10)
AMELIORATE: We need three four-letter words to start with. To identify NAME, a brave hearted person LION, and to shout RANT, they all lose an N for news, and finish with the ultimate letter of he E.
18a Cost not large as will stock book (4)
ACTS: An abbreviation for large or outsize is removed from the first word in the clue CosT, it is stocked within AS, another word from the clue. The book of the Bible ACTS
21a Group of three taking air around centre of Zürich (6)
TRIUNE: A musical air TUNE, contains the central letters of Zürich RI. TRIUNE Being three in one; used especially of the Christian Trinity.
22a Tense and excited about lead track being laid down (3,5)
PUT ASIDE: A tense abbreviation T, and a synonym of excited UP, are reversed (about) PUT, and then we have the leading track of a single or record, the A SIDE.
24a Rather like oil devotee? (7)
DERVISH: A suffix for rather like ‘ISH, follows an acronym for the fuel oil used by Diesel Engined Road Vehicles DERV.
25a Frenchman’s really chucking out very old clothes (7)
RAIMENT: A French word for really VRAIMENT, loses V for very, leaving an archaic (old) term for clothes.
26a Call home in a terribly miserable state (11)
MELANCHOLIA: An anagram (terribly) of CALL HOME IN A.
Down
1d Rats on plants (7)
GRASSES: A double definition.
2d Spooner’s demand for payment, perhaps, when this puzzle appears? (6)
SUNDAY: To persistently demand payment DUN, and a synonym of perhaps SAY, are given the Spooner treatment. This puzzle is the SUNDAY Toughie
3d Blunder in foreign articles by Bush (10)
ELDERBERRY: Grammatical articles from Spanish EL, and German DER, and BY from the clue, contain to blunder ERR.
4d What makes it hard to see half of oversights (4)
MIST: The first half of an eight letter synonym of oversights MISTakes.
5d Voters upset about Independent newspaper’s back page that’s outdated? (8)
SERVITOR: Another archaic or outdated term for a page or attendant, from an anagram of VOTERS, an Independent abbreviation I, and the back letter of newspaper R.
6d Bends stick broken by Roman here (7)
CHICANE: A stick CANE, contains a Latin term for here. HIC
7d Unpleasant death drew on, making you unhappy (11)
DOWNHEARTED: An anagram (unhappy) of DEATH DREW ON
9d Excuse warmth, we hear one might be in a tent (11)
GROUNDSHEET: Information or material that provides a basis for an excuse GROUNDS, and a homophone (we hear) of warmth HEAT becomes HEET.
12d Ultra harsh after trashing valedictory performance (4,6)
LAST HURRAH: An anagram (after trashing) of ULTRA HARSH.
15d Every two years, good American seen to be in love (8)
BIENNIAL: A French good BIEN, and a synonym of love as a tennis score NIL, contain one of our usual Americans A.
17d Funny remark from glutton that’s tucked into English butter (7)
EPIGRAM: A glutton PIG, is tucked into an English abbreviation E, and a male ovine known for headbutting rivals RAM.
19d Fancy that chap entering fancy race (7)
CHIMERA: That chap HIM, enters an anagram (fancy) of RACE.
20d Spoke with artist apparently confined to bed? (6)
RADIAL: An artist who has displayed at the Royal Academy R.A., and a phrase for confined to bed. It is reversed as the indicator is the second part of the phrase LAID UP, would be DIAL
23d Feature of short service (4)
CHIN: A dinner service of fine porcelain CHINA, is shortened by losing the A.
Compiler
Samuel
That’s all Folks…