Sunday Toughie No 248 by Beam
Full Review by Gazza
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This puzzle was published on 25/10/26
Beam has given us a pretty gentle puzzle this week.
Across Clues
8a Be obnoxiously repetitious, even initially (4)
BORE: initial letters of four words.
9a United in tied score at last (10)
EVENTUALLY: a synonym of tied (even) and a synonym of score (tally) with the abbreviation for united inserted.
10a Star of Stratocaster is Knopfler (8)
ASTERISK: hidden in the clue.
11a Salt in deserted sea channel (6)
SALINE: sea without its inner letter (i.e. deserted) followed by a synonym of channel or route (line).
12a Inspiring swimming round reef occasionally (9)
BREATHING: a synonym of swimming (bathing) contains occasional letters from ReEf.
13a Sentimental text’s opening for message (5)
TWEET: an adjective meaning sentimental (twee) and the opening letter of text.
15a Resolute with love for one unravelled (7)
DECODED: start with an adjective meaning resolute (decided) and change the Roman one to the zero-shaped letter.
17a Dressing is pronounced forbidden, period! (7)
BANDAGE: a homophone (pronounced) of a past participle meaning forbidden (banned) and an historic period (age).
20a Strength of donkey with discontented effort (5)
ASSET: a synonym of donkey and the outer letters (dis-contented) of EfforT.
22a Princess anticipated keeping constant (9)
INCESSANT: hidden (keeping) in the clue.
25a Empty container to contain container (6)
VACANT: a large container (vat) contains another container (can).
26a Burglar is not oddly more startling (8)
INTRUDER: the odd letters of ‘Is NoT’ followed by a comparative meaning more startling (ruder).
27a Transfer of company rejected in alliance (10)
RELOCATION: reverse the abbreviation of company inside a synonym of alliance (relation).
28a Respiratory infection caught early (4)
COLD: the cricket abbreviation for caught and an adjective meaning early or historic (old).
Down Clues
1d Understand criminal’s regret, accepting time (8)
CONSTRUE: an abbreviated criminal (con) with the ‘S and a verb to regret (rue) bracketing the abbreviation for time.
2d Old bread prepared, with seed coating (6)
PESETA: a synonym of prepared (set) with a seed (pea) outside (coating) it.
3d Happy seeing Beam in action? (9)
DELIGHTED: a synonym of the falsely-capitalised beam (light) can be seen inside a synonym of action (deed).
4d Fuming Queen upset European ruler (7)
REEKING: reverse (upset) the cipher of our late Queen and add an abbreviation for European and a ruler (king),
5d Band covers tango collection (5)
STASH: a band (sash) contains (covers) the letter that tango represents in the Nato Phonetic Alphabet.
6d Church finally authorised and sanctified (8)
HALLOWED: the final letter of church and a verb meaning authorised (allowed).
7d Quietly dive and submerge (6)
PLUNGE: the musical abbreviation for quietly and a verb to dive (lunge).
14d Sweetheart is proud hugging advanced sweetheart (9)
VALENTINE: an adjective meaning proud (vain) containing a verb meaning advanced (lent). Finish with Beam’s usual swEetheart.
16d One speaks about exercise for worker (8)
OPERATOR: someone who speaks (orator) contains exercise at school (PE).
18d Reddish lady after vacation with caution (8)
GINGERLY: an adjective meaning reddish followed by the outer (after vacation) letters of L[ad]Y.
19d Lifeless heart cut absorbing current power (7)
INSIPID: a synonym of heart (inside) loses its last letter (cut) and contains (absorbing) the symbol for electric current and the physics abbreviation for power.
21d Small port having crew cut (6)
SHAVEN: the abbreviation for small and a synonym of port (haven).
23d Root of horseradish, reportedly? (6)
SOURCE: a homophone (to some people) of what horseradish is an example of what you may have with your roast beef (sauce).
24d Greek god is ultimately without end (5)
ATLAS: a phrase meaning ‘ultimately’ (at last) without its end letter.