Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3376 (Hints)
Hints and tips by Senf
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where I express great thanks to Mr K for resolving issues to fend off Chinese bots and other DDoS attacks in the middle of my night which is why my blog is a little late this morning, it still is the middle of my night, and if you notice any errors have a Mars Bar and a 48.
For me, and I stress for me,© Dada symmetrically not so friendly today with two long ‘uns, six anagrams with five partials (I might have mis-counted), two lurkers (don’t forget the ‘if all else fails . . . ‘), and no homophones, all in an symmetric 28 clues; with 14 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 3376 (Hints)”
Sunday Toughie No 231
by Beam
Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
After Thursday I was hoping, but we haven’t seen a Robyn here in Sunday Toughie land since #175, 1st June 2025, over a year ago; however, Beam is a more than adequate replacement. The daunting castellated grid (nice description, ALP) soon filled itself as I watched a slightly laboured performance of England last night. I was able to turn in before Keane and Neville had their say.
14a and 14d clues and I have hinted half. Beam trademarks are there, under six words per single word solutions, no anagrams, Queens, sweethearts, and initialisms, although we have been spared a trip to the lingerie department today.
I can’t hint them all, but will try and give a nudge if you ask
Here we go, Folks…
Continue reading “Sunday Toughie 231 (Hints)”
Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3375 (Hints)
Hints and tips by Senf
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where today begins a ‘run’ of three ‘close together’ blogging milestones for me which will end in mid-September. Today is my 600th blog overall – around 80% Sundays and the rest SPPs and weekday back pagers except for, as far as I can recall, and reworking a film title from 1960 starring Melina Mercouri, Never on Monday.
Another new, for me, meteorological term – Western Canada is under a Rex Block; don’t ask me to explain it as I have no idea other than we can expect thunderstorms today and tomorrow! Life was so much easier when Michael Fish mistakenly denied the existence of a hurricane!
For me, and I stress for me,© after a number of symmetric weeks Dada asymmetrically quite friendly today with one long ‘un, eight anagrams with three partials, one lurker (with one of the usual indicators), and one homophone, all 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 3375 (Hints)”
Sunday Toughie No 230
by Silvanus
Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
For Silvanus’s third Sunday Toughie (# tooth hurty) I may have expected a dental reference or even a reference to the summer solstice, which passed as I slept on the parsing.
I think the slightly niche British TV references should be widely enough known to those overseas.
14a and 16d clues today and I have hinted half. I hope you find the checkers to finish, but I will nudge if required and able.
Here we go, Folks…
Continue reading “Sunday Toughie 230 (Hints)”
Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3374 (Hints)
Hints and tips by Senf
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg on this day of the Summer Solstice for which I timed the publishing of the blog to be the exact time, 9:24am BST, of the Solstice, although WordPress and the Internet in general may have ‘interfered’ with that by a minute or two. Anyway, from here, it’s all downhill to fog, ice, frost, rain, snow, and heaven knows what else!
For me, and I stress for me,© thankfully, after the brain mangling from the NTSPP, a very pleasant Dim Sum lunch and an afternoon nap put me in the right frame of mind for Dada being quite friendly with extreme quirkiness. A puzzle of two halves split diagonally, four long ‘uns, back up to eight anagrams (four partials, one reversed), one lurker, but no homophones, all in an economically symmetric 28 clues; with 14 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 3374 (Hints)”
Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3373 (Hints)
Hints and tips by Senf
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where, after violent storms on Tuesday and Wednesday, it has cooled down considerably to the point that I have considered retrieving The Red Scarf from Summer storage!
For me, and I stress for me,© thankfully Dada quite friendly with quirkiness here and there. After zero anagrams last week he has included four (three partials) this week, but no lurkers or homophones, all in an economically symmetric 28 clues; with 14 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 3373 (Hints)”
Sunday Toughie No 228
by Light
Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
I found Light at the trickier end of the spectrum last night and quite difficult to select hints.
I have hinted half of 28 clues, with a bonus pic at the end.
I hope you find the checkers to solve this puzzle, but I am going out for lunch to celebrate the eve of a significant date for Nick Rhodes
and myself, and nudges will be sparse until later this evening.
Here we go, Folks…
Continue reading “Sunday Toughie 228 (Hints)”
Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3372 (Hints)
Hints and tips by Senf
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where Summer continues, even though it does not start for another two weeks, with a risk of thunderstorms and tornadoes!
For me, and I stress for me,© Dada very quirkily friendly with some lateral thinking required! OK all you anagram haters just for you there aren’t any! Four long uns, one lurker, and three homophones, all in an economically symmetric 28 clues; with 14 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 3372 (Hints)”
Sunday Toughie No 227
by Beam
Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
A generous 32 clues from Beam today, all the trademarks are here. I have hinted at 17 clues, so I can give a nudge if needed.
I went a bit 2d OTT with The Who today, but feel free to ignore some or all of the music links.
I was hoping to match Senf’s image of John Halpern/Dada with one of Ray Terrell/Beam but I have failed to find a pic. Maybe you can help.
Here we go, Folks…
Continue reading “Sunday Toughie 227 (Hints)”
Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3371 (Hints)
Hints and tips by Senf
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where last week’s 7 day weather forecast proved to be correct – imagine that! Ponder this, at midnight tonight, just before Flaming June starts, 2026 will be 41.4% complete! Apart from solving crossword puzzles, have you used your time wisely?
For me, and I stress for me,© at last, Dada quite friendly! One long ‘un, seven anagrams (two partials) with some creative indicators (TDS will like those), two lurkers, and one homophone, all in an asymmetric 29 clues; I can’t provide 14½ hints so I am being generous and giving you 15 hints ‘sprinkled’ throughout the grid which means 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 3371 (Hints)”
