Prize Crossword Hints – Big Dave's Crossword Blog

Sunday Toughie 60 (Hints)

Sunday Toughie No 60

by Zandio

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

Zandio gets to set the 60th Sunday Toughie today, I hope that it doesn’t keep me up all night as by the time you get to read this I will be out to Mother’s Day Lunch with Mama Bee (it didn’t- crossword solved before 01:00 7 hrs beauty sleep and hints done before 10:00). I hope that the brevity of hints is sufficient to get you close to the end and that you can help each other with any unhinted gaps without triggering the red pencil of doom from the powers that be.
A couple of parsings elude me (19d and the second word of 3d  see bonus pic for the pad in question)
14a and 14d today and I have hinted half 

Here we go…

 

Continue reading “Sunday Toughie 60 (Hints)”

EV 1582 (Hints)

Enigmatic Variations 1582

Undefined Parameters by Cagey

Hints and tips by The Numpties

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

It seems that this is only Cagey’s third Enigmatic Variations crossword though his is a more familiar name in the Magpie. We wondered how cagey he was going to be with his clues and prompts.… Continue reading

ST 3204 (Hints)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3204 (Hints)

Hints and tips by Senf

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where, while it may be the last full day of Winter today, Old Man Winter does not seem willing to allow the change of season to take place. … Continue reading

Sunday Toughie 59 (Hints)

Sunday Toughie No 59 by proXimal

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

A tricky but doable Toughie today from proXimal.A slightly uneven 14a and 16d clues today, as ever I am struggling to keep hints down to half, there may be some bonus hints. I loved the topicality of 1a and 24a

I am still shivering without a boiler but plenty of coffee breaks will keep me going, and I have a subliminal yen for olives stuffed with peppers and beetroot soup for lunch, washed down with a French aperitif. I better get on with it before I suffer a 27a emotional change.

Here we go, Folks…

Continue reading “Sunday Toughie 59 (Hints)”

EV 1581 Hints

Enigmatic Variations 1581 (Hints)

Aircon by Ifor

Hints and tips by Phibs

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

Ifor is a name of Welsh origin, meaning ‘archer’, and also the label given to the Implementation Force, a NATO-led multinational peace enforcement unit deployed in Bosnia and Herzegovina during 1995 and 1996 under the codename Operation Joint Endeavour. However, I suspect that the alias assumed by today’s setter owes more to the Deefor Dog, Ellfor Leather and Peefor Pleasure school of nomenclature. Let’s hope we’re not dealing with Ifor Impenetrable…

Continue reading “EV 1581 Hints”

ST 3203 (Hints)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3203 (Hints)

Hints and tips by Senf

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where, while it was snowing at 2:00am this morning, we endured the biannual nonsense of changing our clocks and other timing devices by one hour, ‘springing forward’ in this case. … Continue reading

Sunday Toughie 58 (Hints)

Sunday Toughie No 58 by Robyn

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

I am planning a little trip out with Mama Bee this afternoon and was hoping that Robyn would go easy on me last night. Fortunately, I managed to solve this before my wee dram had evaporated in the glass and have enough time to bring you a few hints for a grid with 14a and 16d clues today. Chat amongst yourselves and someone will help eventually, I will reply when I have got back from my favourite cheese and whisky shop
I started slowly but when the penny dropped on 1a it went straight to the top of my podium and stayed there.

Anyway this isn’t getting the baby bathed

Here we go…

Continue reading “Sunday Toughie 58 (Hints)”

EV 1580 (Hints)

Enigmatic Variations 1580 (Hints)

Arriviste by Artix

Hints and tips by The Numpties

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

Artix was chosen by solvers as the compiler of this year’s favourite Inquisitor crossword, one which had WORDLE as its theme. Dave Hennings’ Crossword database lists almost 50 of his crosswords compiled for the Listener (an unforgettable ‘One Shot at a Time’ back in 2012), the Magpie, the Inquisitor series and the EV.… Continue reading