Prize Crossword Hints – Page 3 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog

Sunday Toughie 216 (Hints)

Sunday Toughie No 216

by Light

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

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It is Light’s turn to have two Prize Puzzles this weekend. If yesterday was his 100th puzzle for The Telegraph is this his 101st? I don’t know for sure, as they may count the anonymous back pagers differently from Toughies. This is definitely his 14th Sunday Toughie as Light and with 8 so far in the other toughie, that leaves at least 79 anonymous backpage puzzles that have entertained us since he graduated from these shores. An impressive output in such a short time.

Anagrams and double definitions have hit the cutting room floor today, and don’t forget the maxim: When in doubt…

14a and 14d clues today and I have hinted at half. I will try and provide a nudge or two if you ask, but as it is Mother’s Day, my normal Coffee and Cake outing with Mama Bee will probably be Betty’s rather than the local Caffè Nero, I may take a little longer to reply

 

Here we go, Folks…

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EV 1738 (Hints)

Enigmatic Variations 1738 (Hints)

Cross Words by Robyn

Hints and tips by Phibs

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Telegraph regulars will recognize today’s setter as the deputy puzzles editor, using a pseudonym normally associated with his Toughies; he has set themed puzzles for several publications in years gone by under a different nom de guerre, including ten Listeners (three more than me), but as far as I can ascertain this is his first EV – if so, we extend a warm welcome to him.

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ST 3360 (Hints)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3360 (Hints)

Hints and tips by Senf

A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg with greetings of the day for all Mothers.  Borrowing from Old Bill Shakes, ‘Beware the Ides of March’ (Julius Caesar (Act 1, Scene 2)), especially when they fall on a Sunday (today that is) and there is a Dada crossword to be solved!

So, Terence, what did go wrong on the Fulham Road yesterday afternoon/evening?

For me, and I stress for me,© Dada still reasonably friendly with more than a soupçon of quirkiness – nine, unless I lost count, anagrams (four partials), one lurker (reversed), and no homophones in an asymmetric 28 clues; with 15 hints, including a bonus one for illustration purposes, ‘sprinkled’ throughout the grid you should/might be able to get some of the checkers to enable the solving of the unhinted clues. I hope you have your Crimson Tomes at hand!

Remember that Reading the Hints before commenting can be beneficial!

If it is some time since you read, or if you have never read the instructions in RED below the hints then please consider doing so before commenting today as my electronic blue pencil is at the ready and the Naughty Step is OPEN!

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Sunday Toughie 215 (Hints)

Sunday Toughie No 215

by Beam

 

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

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Beam has provided a very pleasant and not too tough Toughie today. I was pleased to have something a little easier than last week’s, as no matter what tricks I used, I couldn’t get the puzzle until 00:10

Beam has brought us a generous and symmetric 16a and 16d clues today. When selecting the clues to hint, I found that the across selection was equally symmetric, so I let that guide an equally symmetric selection of downs. That may have left a few of the trickier clues unhinted, so I will endeavour to help with a bonus hint or two if you ask.

All the Beam™ trademarks are there, sweetheart, the Queen, single word answers and no anagrams. I spotted quite a few definitions by example? hence the question marks. I expect you will find the checkers to finish, as this was much more straightforward than last week.

 

Here we go, Folks…

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ST 3359 (Hints)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3359 (Hints)

Hints and tips by Senf

A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where at zero dark thirty we undertook the nonsensical annual ritual of ‘springing forward’.  British Columbia has the right idea; while it did ‘spring forward’ today it will not be ‘falling back’ in 8 months time.  Manitoba has said that it will wait to see what the USA does but will that wait be a year, a century, or a millennium?

For me, and I stress for me,© Dada reasonably friendly with a soupçon of quirkiness – an economical four anagrams (two partials), no lurkers, and one homophone in an asymmetric 29 clues; with 15 hints ‘sprinkled’ throughout the grid you should/might be able to get some of the checkers to enable the solving of the unhinted clues. I hope you have your Crimson Tomes at hand!

Remember that Reading the Hints before commenting can be beneficial!

If it is some time since you read, or if you have never read the instructions in RED below the hints then please consider doing so before commenting today as my electronic blue pencil is at the ready and the Naughty Step is OPEN!

Continue reading “ST 3359 (Hints)”

Sunday Toughie 214 (Hints)

Sunday Toughie No 214

by proXimal

 

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

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proXimal is here again with all his Sunday Toughie trademarks. Tougher than usual I think, but not helped by my failure to find 27a in any dictionary! There appears to be a surplus I and the only source I can find suggests it is a common misspelling. Tomdisappointingsturges 65 will be very disappointed indeed if we allow misspellings to become commonplace.

We have 14a and 16d clues today and I have hinted half. I hope you find the checkers to get across the line.

 

Here we go, Folks…

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EV 1736 (Hints)

Enigmatic Variations 1736 (Hints)

Crack Up by Shark

Hints and tips by Phibs

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With very little to offer Claude in terms of today’s puzzle, I asked, “Why would a setter of themed crossword puzzles choose to call themselves Shark?”

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