Sunday Toughie No 217 by Zandio
Review by
Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 22nd March 2026
Across
1a Pop round with ring, or call? (6)
APPEAL: Another affectionate term for your father is reversed PA becomes AP, it goes with a campanologists ring of bells PEAL. The answer is slightly crickety as it is an APPEAL for a wicket perhaps?
4a Fool covering over head, overcome meeting king (8)
HOODWINK: A head covering HOOD, to overcome WIN, and a chess piece K for King, HOODWINK to fool you
10a Septuagenarian maybe called up to avoid second Republican bounce back (9)
BOOMERANG: A person who is a septuagenarian today was born during the post war period of population growth, they would be known as a BOOMER, add the term for such people to called on the phone RANG, but avoid one R for Republican before putting your answer in
11a House I found with grand throne room (5)
IGLOO: I from the clue, a grand abbreviation G, and the smallest throne room LOO
12a Coming down or stepping up, changing direction halfway (7)
RAINING: Assuming the definition comes first, a synonym of stepping up RAISING, swaps its halfway letter for the polar opposite direction. RAISING becomes RAINING
13a Ignore indoctrination, e.g., lecturer has jammed in (7)
NEGLECT: A lurker (has jammed in) hidden between definition (ignore) and indicator (has jammed in)
14a Savour a city with Italian styling … (5)
AROMA: A from the clue and the city of ROME, styled as the Italians would ROMA
15a … try consuming Italian wine, most delicious (8)
TASTIEST: To try TEST, contains crossworders favourite Italian wine ASTI. Most delicious or T-ASTI-EST
18a Eccentric hoarder stashing book away couldn’t stand (8)
ABHORRED: An anagram (eccentric) of HOARDER and B for book
20a Music from South America echoed around Lima (5)
SALSA: A South American abbreviation is echoed SA-SA, and goes around the letter that Lima suggests L
23a Turning 22 shortly, a friend in France – wave from afar? (7)
TSUNAMI: Your answer for 22d is turned and shortened STREET becomes ST reversed TS, followed by how someone from France would refer to a friend UN AMI
25a Award given for foul seaside resort by Democrat (3,4)
RED CARD A seaside resort on the northeast coast REDCAR, goes by D for Democrat
26a Kindle fine to charge night before (5)
EVOKE: Something fine OK, charges into the night before EVE
27a US city politician I saved in overdose took off (9)
LAMPOONED: An abbreviated US city LA, a British politician MP, and an overdose OD, that contains the number that I would represent to Romans ONE. Took off or LA MP O ONE D
28a Grow sad, decline (4,4)
TURN DOWN: I thought at first we had synonyms of the first two words, but I couldn’t get grow to equal TURN. I have decided it must be a double definition. To TURN a corner or improve and sad or DOWN
29a Laboured to get new dog in pig’s place (6)
STODGY: An anagram (new) of DOG in a place for a pig STY
Down
1d Cutting from cedar bore a leaf like this? (8)
ARBOREAL: This is a lurker (cutting from), but a definition is hard to find, unless you consider it an all-in-one lurker, as Cedar trees do indeed bear leaves of this nature. Hidden in CedAR BORE A Leaf like this?
2d It’s a reservation, or so VIP arranged (7)
PROVISO: An anagram (arranged) of OR SO VIP
3d Drink occasionally calms earl, if cha in pot (9)
AMERICANO: Occasional letters of calms earl if cha in pot
5d Murderous milieu of “Mr Ice”? (9,5)
ORGANISED CRIME: A reverse anagram, where the indicator and fodder go into the grid and “Mr Ice” could be generated or (organised) from CRIME
6d Fading colouring lacks energy (5)
DYING: The act of colouring fabric DYEING lacks E for energy
7d This person will head for disorder (7)
ILLNESS: A contraction of “this person will” I’LL, and a cape or headland NESS
8d Initially yarn’s twisted trying out needle-less knitting – flipping puzzling! (6)
KNOTTY: Without the hyphen in needle-less the reverse (flipping) initial letters wouldn’t work
9d These newly spliced girls, wed, haunt Ma if short of capital? (9-2-3)
DAUGHTERS-IN-LAW: A relationship between girls who have recently married. An anagram (newly spliced) of the following four words, but as the fodder contains 15 letters and we only need (9-2-3) remove the only capital letter
16d So Anna makes naan (6,3)
INSIDE OUT: What you have to do to Anna to make naan, you turn the letters INSIDE OUT
17d To be honest, sweet includes fritter with the end cut off (8)
CANDIDLY: A type of sweet CANDY, contains most of a verb to fritter away IDLe
19d Bedroom in Brazilian city – couple bowled over (7)
BOUDOIR: Crossworders favourite Brazilian city RIO, a couple DUO, and a cricket scorers bowled abbreviation B, are reversed (over) RIO DUO B becomes BOUDOIR
21d Academic, 50, got paid (7)
LEARNED: A Roman fifty L, and to get paid EARNED
22d Second time in Paris, and carrying on in road (6)
STREET: Abbreviations of second and time S T, a Parisians and ET, contain a usual on or about RE
24d Daughter holds up end of prayer finding change (5)
AMEND: The end of a prayer AMEN, and a genealogical abbreviation D for Daughter
Compiler
Zandio
That’s All Folks…