June 6, 2012 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog

Toughie 784

Toughie No 784 by Elkamere

A proper little Toughie?

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BD Rating – Difficulty ***Enjoyment ****

No, I’ve not blogged the wrong puzzle by mistake! Gazza thought I might be at a loose end with Pommette being away so offered me the chance to do my first Toughie blog.  I couldn’t refuse but it’s been a bit like sailing ‘Firenze’ across the Irish Sea in a force 8 gale – I could do it but I’m not sure I really needed the stress!  The date is quite apposite for my first Toughie blog though – it’s the anniversary of D-Day! Oh well, Once more into the Bleach!

Today Elkamere has given us a middling difficulty Toughie with some fine clues. Due to a bout of on-the-day blogger’s panic I didn’t enjoy it as much as I should have done but it grew on me as I was writing the review. It probably deserves the fourth star just for 1a.

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DT 26885

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26885

Hints and tips by Falcon

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BD Rating – Difficulty **/***Enjoyment ****

Greetings from Ottawa where we are just emerging from a spell of cool, wet weather (much like Britain, I gather) into a hopefully prolonged period of more seasonable weather.

Today, we have a typical offering from Jay with plenty of requirements to select specified letters (first, last, inner, outer, odd, even) from words, but no substitution (X for Y) type clue.

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