Toughie No 381 by Shamus
Hints and tips by Bufo
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
For the second week running I get a pleasant, non-controversial puzzle. This pangrammatic puzzle is very good. There was nothing I needed to check in the dictionary and I could understand all the wordplay without difficulty. I’m beginning to look forward to my next “stinker” when I’ll be able to have a good moan.
Leave a comment telling us what you thought. You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.
Continue reading “Toughie 381”
Toughie No 377 by Kcit
Hints and tips by Bufo
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
It was a pleasant, non-controversial puzzle with some nice clues for me to blog this week. There was nothing really obscure in it and for once I had no problems working out the wordplay.
Leave a comment telling us what you thought. You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.
Continue reading “Toughie 377”
Toughie No 373 by Petitjean
Hints and tips by Bufo
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
I completed this puzzle in reasonable time but struggled to understand some of the wordplay. I think that I’ve now worked it all out correctly.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought. You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.
Continue reading “Toughie 373”
Toughie No 369 by MynoT
It’s in the air
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Let me first apologise to Big Dave for going away last week and leaving him with an Excalibur puzzle to blog, I did look at it on my return and I doubt that I would have been much more complimentary than he was. But to be honest I would quite cheerfully have taken last week’s Excalibur puzzle in exchange for this week’s MynoT puzzle.
I filled in all the squares reasonably quickly and then had to resort to the dictionary to check several answers and to work out some wordplay that I hadn’t fully understood. I think I now understand it all but I’m sure someone will tell me of any subtleties I may have missed. Once again MynoT includes three signs of the zodiac as answers.
Continue reading “Toughie 369”
52.955108-1.14931
Toughie No 361 by Kcit
Hints and Tips by Bufo
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
After the puzzles of two weeks ago (too easy) and last week (too obscure) I had hopes that Kcit would pitch it just right. I wasn’t disappointed. I got becalmed with 4 answers to go but eventually got moving again.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought. You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.
Continue reading “Toughie 361”
Toughie No 357 by MynoT
Hints and tips by Bufo
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
It was down to earth after last week’s gentle introduction. I gave up on this after half-an-hour’s hard slog with 3 answers missing and several others not fully understood. I then filled the gaps with the aid of TEA and Chambers but was still left with 2 or 3 answers for which I need enlightenment. I am sure that someone will oblige. I found the top half more difficult than the bottom half.
The puzzle contains several clues that contain no wordplay. This means that you stand no chance if you don’t happen to be familiar with the answer. For instance I couldn’t remember the answer to 14 across and so I had no alternative to looking it up. I also didn’t like the fact that there are also several answers (or part answers) that appear only in Chambers and not in the COD or Collins.
I have taken note of last week’s comments about not revealing the answers in my hints.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought. You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.
Continue reading “Toughie 357”
52.254523-2.266838
Toughie No 353 by Busman
The Busman’s Holiday is over!
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
I had a few pints with Big Dave at the White Horse on Saturday and foolishly offered to do a bit of blogging for him. So here’s the result.
I must admit to not being too familiar with the Toughie crossword so I didn’t know what to expect. I was disappointed with it because I found it somewhat on the easy side. But it was a pleasant enough solve with only one or two things that I had to check.
[My subheading refers to the fact that Busman’s last Toughie was published on 25th March. BD]
Continue reading “Toughie 353”
52.254523-2.266838