Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty ***** – Enjoyment ****
I thought this was a properly tough Toughie, for both a Wednesday and a Donnybrook
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** Enjoyment ****
Good morning everyone, and welcome to the midweek back-pager blog. I got off to a flying start with today’s crossword, aided by the linked solutions in the first and last rows, but paused over the grass in 6d and Tracey’s coupling in 12d, although both answers are fairly gettable from the wordplay alone. My favourite clues today are 8a, the aforementioned 12d, and 16d. Many thanks to our setter.
Sunday Toughie No 236 by Beam
Full Review by Gazza
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This puzzle was published on 02/08/26
Across Clues
1a Friendly, therefore guy protects single (8)
SOCIABLE: an adverb meaning therefore and the sort of guy used to hold up a tent contain the Roman single. Continue reading “Sunday Toughie 236 (full review)”
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This puzzle was published on 2nd August 2026
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. A really entertaining puzzle from Dada this Sunday and now I present to you a full review of his puzzle for your kind perusal and valuable feedback and comments. Continue reading “ST 3380 (Full Review)”
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BD Rating – Toughie difficulty * – Enjoyment *****
It’s always a joy to see Shabbo’s name pop up. He’s clearly got the expected Tuesday non-difficulty level down pat, generously going out of his way to give us a toehold or ten (6d, etc). Ever so gentle, sure, but smoothly entertaining. If you like anagrams, you’re going to love it! The floor, as ever, is yours. PS … dinna fret – Whybird’s back next week!
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BD Rating – Difficulty * Enjoyment ****
It looks like yet another scorcher on the golf course this afternoon at Centurion where I’ll be more than happy if I can get round in under 30 strokes more than Charley Hull took last week.
I thought today’s Anthony Plumb was a very enjoyable solve & maybe a tad trickier than last week. As ever concisely clued throughout with much to admire. Hopefully I can manage a 2nd week without needing to amend any hints but if so they’ll need to wait until later.
Our old Thursday blogger is over in t’other place with a delightful ‘floughie’ which I would strongly urge commenters to have a bash at as it really isn’t any more taxing than this one & is great fun.
As usual there is a selection of music to enjoy or ignore.
In the hints below the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED & the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the Click Here buttons. Please leave a comment below telling us what you thought & how you got on with the puzzle.
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from my lakeside retreat near Ottawa where we have had a beautiful sunny Sunday. No, you did not sleep through a whole week. I’m back this week while Smylers enjoys a holiday road trip with his family.
Today’s puzzle is perfectly pitched for a Monday although some solvers may be caught out by a few rather whimsical definitions. I’m wondering whether this might be an X-Type creation (as usual my predictions are subject to the caveat that they are usually wrong).
In the hints below, underlining identifies precise definitions and cryptic definitions, FODDER is capitalized, and indicators are italicized. The answers will be revealed by clicking on the ANSWER buttons.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought of the puzzle.
Sunday Toughie No 237
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It is always a delight when a new Sunday Toughie setter appears, especially so when it is from Hudson who has 83 normal toughies and many more anonymous backpagers to his name.
That this was a pangram certainly helped with 7d, I bunged the missing letters in and parsed this later.
We have 15a and 15d clues today and I have hinted half. I hope you find the checkers to cross the line, but will try and give a nudge if asked.
Here we go, Folks…
Enigmatic Variations 1759 (Hints)
CHORUS LINE by GASTON
Hints and tips by Gabriel / Jpeg
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The theme of Gaston’s puzzle makes us think of Broadway, but that is not one of our strong suits.… Continue reading