Sunday Toughie No 245
by proXimal
Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee
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I found this from proXimal at the tougher end of my ability spectrum, not because of the Spooner that fell early doors, but one of the compound anagrams had a tricky to spot definition in the middle. I was on the verge of phoning a friend just before the penny dropped!
I hope you have an easier time than I did, but I will try and give a nudge if you ask.
The brass bands on Wetherby Ings are finished for the season, so even if we have a blue sky today, Mama Bee and I won’t be going far
Here we go, Folks…
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Sunday Toughie No 244
by Light
Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee
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Light has brought a great Toughie today, with some clever surfaces and a bit of investigoogling to check the 3d novelist and 23a cocktail. I hesitate to call it floughie as I was off base last week and there were a few crumpet scratches to get across the finish line.
I hope you find the checkers to cross the line too, but as usual I will try and give a nudge if asked.
Here we go, Folks…
Continue reading “Sunday Toughie 244 (Hints)”
Sunday Toughie No 243
by Beam
Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee
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An almost floughie toughie from Beam, with all the trademarks: single-word answers, no anagrams, queens and sweethearts, and an initialism. Because of his no-anagrams rule, we have rather a lot of double and even a quadruple definition. I hope you find the checkers to finish and will try and give a nudge if needed
Here we go, Folks…
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Sunday Toughie 242
by Silvanus
Hints & Tips by Sloop John Bee
Silvanus was here for the Friday backpager, with a great Nina to honour the “Mutch Admired” Jeremy Mutch AKA Jay. I thought we were starting along a tribute to the equally admired Mr Manley AKA 1a, but that is as far as I got with setter spotting. A couple of former PM’s appear but don’t be fooled by the former Chancellor; it isn’t Rachel in 4d
I am finding Silvanus with his Sunday Toughie hat on quite tricky to parse, but that is as it should be with toughies. 7a and 2d in particular, and I have given my best guess in the hints. As a consequence, some other quite tricky constructions have hit the cutting room floor, so I will try and give a nudge if asked
The mental image of George proposing to Daisy at an Elizabethan-themed ball will live in my mind for some time, so 7d gets my COTT
Here we go…
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Sunday Toughie No 241
by Zandio
Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee
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As seems to be usual with Telegraph Towers, the first puzzle of the month is slow to appear. I got this at about quarter past midnight, but sped through this fairly quickly for a Zandio. 23d and 18d needed a bit of thought but I think I have parsed them now.
I will try and give a nudge if you are struggling; just ask. We have pulses here 4d and in the Dada 27a with Senf. Are the setters on a bit of a health kick? With all the healthy eating you are entitled to an extra 12a for afters
Here We Go…
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Sunday Toughie No 240
by Light
Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee
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Light has given us a rather deceptive crossword today. A Spoonerism that isn’t and cricket references that aren’t crickety. A couple of the answers were easier to bung in than parse, but I think I have them now.
14a and 14d clues and I have hinted half. I will try and nudge some that hit the cutting room floor if asked.
13a, 16a and the non-spooner 3d are my favourites today; which ones did you like?
Here we go, Folks…
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Sunday Toughie No 239
by proXimal
Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee
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A delightful puzzle from proXimal, that I didn’t find too tricky last night. As usual, he starts with a Spoonerism and follows up with the first compound anagram.
The grid means we have a slightly unbalanced 14a and 16d clues and my half of the hints are equally unbalanced (6a and 9d)
I hope you find the checkers to cross the line, but will try and nudge you in the right direction if asked.
Here we go, Folks…
Continue reading “Sunday Toughie 239 (Hints)”
Sunday Toughie No 238
by Beam
Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee
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Beam with his 24th and 25th Sunday Toughie, has sandwiched Hudson’s first. Lots of Beam trademarks, including no anagrams, so I hope you find the checkers to finish today
A generous 16a and 16d clues, and I have hinted at half. I will try and nudge if any tricky clues haven’t survived the cutting room
Here we go, Folks…
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Sunday Toughie No 237
by Hudson
Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee
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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…
Continue reading “Sunday Toughie 237 (Hints)”
Sunday Toughie No 235 by Silvanus
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 26th of July 2026
As this is my last review blog, and the hints blog was rather brief, I have gone a bit overboard today. I will continue hinting on Sundays, but Gazza will be reviewing the Sunday Toughie going forward
I hope I have not made the mistake of not checking the fodder for anagrams and apologise to Light for that error last week.
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