Category: Zandio (Sunday)

Sunday Toughie No 157

by Zandio

 

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

 

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Zandio very graciously provided me with an advanced copy of this puzzle. I imagine I will be a “bit under the weather” after the Big Bash and unable to give this puzzle a good blogging. By the time you read this, I should be on a train home but I will respond to comments if and when I can.

I hope I have transcribed the clues accurately, as I haven’t seen the puzzle in print yet. It is quite tricky and has lots of cross-references between clues. Big Dave’s advice when I started these hints almost three years ago was to hint first and last across and down clues with about half the clues hinted. I have stopped at half hints before I got to the end.

I have hinted at half of the 14a and 16d clues. I hope you find the checkers to enable completion, as the journey home from the Big Bash may make bonus nudges a bit tricky.

*Post Bash update*
All had a great time, and it was even better to see so many old and new faces. The Teams link was a little problematic, but I hope those who managed to log on could join in the fun a little. Many thanks to Steve C who got the ball rolling with a donation to the bar bill, even though he may have preferred not to be teased by those displaying “Mythical” Pens. Over the next few days, I  hope to collate photos taken and put them in the gallery.

Here we go…

Continue reading “Sunday Toughie 157 (Hints)”

Sunday Toughie No 152

by Zandio

 

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

 

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My last blog before Santa Clause Comes to Town It isn’t terribly Christmassy so I will decorate the blog with a few Christmassy bits and pieces.

We have 14a and 14d clues and I have tried to limit hints to half, but a few bonus hints may pop up here and there

Here we go…

Continue reading “Sunday Toughie 152 (Hints)”

Sunday Toughie No 147

by Zandio

 

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

 

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Zandio with his usual entertaining not to tuff tuffie. I found it quite hard to choose which clues to hint but here are half of 14a  and 14d clues and I hope there are enough checkers to get you over the line

There are quite a few literary references to styles of writings from Aesop to Hans Christian Anderson but I may be going 16a to call it a theme

Here we go…

Continue reading “Sunday Toughie 147 (Hints)”

Sunday Toughie No 144

by Zandio

 

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

 

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Many thanks to Zandio who sent me an advance copy of the puzzle as I will be/am boozing with crossword peeps at the S&B in York. Fortunately, this puzzle was not as “Gross” as its number suggests and apart from not knowing enough about RFK Jr it was a not-too-tuff tuffie

Along with the Sunday Toughie, Zandio sent the GK puzzle that appears next to the toughie and for those interested in all things Sloggers & Betters I believe there is a bit of a theme to be discovered

We have 14a and 14d clues today and as has become my practice I have hinted just under half, A bonus nudge may be available if required but bear in mind I may be feeling a little hungover after the aforementioned boozing

Here we go…

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Sunday Toughie No 141

by Zandio

 

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

 

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I managed to get hold of this at about 11:20 last night and had it largely filled in by Midnight, some not-too-tricky parsing and a bit of formatting and I was off to the land of nod fairly early on.

We have 14a and 14d clues today and I have hinted half, A couple of lurkers and anagrams both whole and partial should fill most of the gaps but I will try and give a bonus hint for clues that didn’t make the cut

Here we go…

Continue reading “Sunday Toughie 141 (Hints)”