Comments on: Toughie 233

By: Big Dave

Big Dave — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 09:17:52 +0000

Welcome to the blog Bob

By: Bob J

Bob J — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 09:15:02 +0000

I’m normally a Times Crossword man but I’ve just started doing these ‘Toughies’ (courtesy of my mum saving them for me) and they are fantastically full of wit and clever construction. I’ve just finished number 233 and it nearly blew my mind! I think in a crossword like this the easiest clues are often the most difficult to get purely because most of the clues are so obscurely set and brain sapping that you lose the ability to see the obvious.

Nice to have a site where you can check your answers too as my old mum doesn’t always remember to tear the Toughie out for me !!

Cheers Big Dave

By: petebiddlecombe

petebiddlecombe — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:37:33 +0000

Great stuff – anyone else remember this?

By: Jonathan Richards

Jonathan Richards — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:02:31 +0000

Well done! I also enjoyed Weston-super-mud, as we call it. I nearly reached for the atlas to see what other random place names I could find… but decided enough was enough!

By: gnomethang

gnomethang — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:29:56 +0000

My sentiments entirely!

By: Edi

Edi — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:17:33 +0000

Another great blog from Gazza, had a good chuckle at this one. Some new words to learn. 15a messed me up, as i tried to stick with the theme but got it all wrong.

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:22:03 +0000

It was an absolute delight only getting half of this one. The most fun I have had not completing a crossword – even if it was partly influenced by doing it with coffee and olives in the sunshine looking over Penzance harbour.

By: Anna Gramme

Anna Gramme — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:01:43 +0000

Really enjoyed this one. Had to guess 16d Mackenzie. Favourite clue 1d.

By: Kram

Kram — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:09:21 +0000

I also didn’t enthuse about 16d’s answer of mackenzie for Crook, probably the weakest of a thoroughly enjoyable crossword with surprises around the corner!. Hard to pick my favourite, but maybe 3d?!.

By: Prolixic

Prolixic — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:17:39 +0000

| am firmly in the loved it camp. There were some very clever constructions here. Having originally solved 1d and 4a, I wondered if a different theme was about to emerge! My favourite clues were 1d, 3d and 5d.

For the full benefit of this crossword, it should be published again tomorrow!

Must resist the temptation to post this twice.

By: gazza

gazza — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:40:52 +0000

Io
Thanks for the clarifications (I’ll update the blog) and for the puzzle which was great fun.

For those not aware of Elgar’s other aliases, he is Io in the FT.

By: Iolanthe

Iolanthe — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:18:35 +0000

Thank you for the blog Gazza!

26ac is a treble, not double definition, see Chambers; the wordplay for PRIE-DIEU is an anag of PERU I containing DIE.

By: gnomethang

gnomethang — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:41:37 +0000

Liked the puzzle although I was 9 short of completing. Not sure I like ‘Mackenzie’ as an answer with Crook as a definition.
18a, 6d and 9d were favourites

By: Libellule

Libellule — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:24:15 +0000

Gazza,
Not the most difficult Toughie I have ever done, but certainly one of the most entertaining!