Sunday Toughie No 48 by Zandio
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published online only on the 25th of December 2022
Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
Sunday Toughie No 48 by Zandio
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published online only on the 25th of December 2022
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Happy New Year to all.

I found this a bit of a grind last night but maybe because my nightcap of Bunnahabhain Toiteach a Dhà (smoky too) was delayed by some noisy fireworks and tricky parsing.
Here we go…
Sunday Toughie No 47 by proXimal
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 18th November 2022
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Here we go with the first Christmas Sunday Toughie, This is online only today, which probably cuts the audience a bit. As Gazza said in his last blog, now would be a good time to emerge from the shadows and comment. there will always be someone to answer your queries even if postprandial naps and visits from Santa Claus may delay response at times.
I found this a quite gentle toughie but some of that may be because Chris Lancaster at Telegraph Towers was good enough to provide an advance copy of this and other Christmas puzzles. I was able to solve this at my leisure. I thank him and wish him a speedy recovery from a lurgy that is going around at the DT. Thanks also to Crypticsue for liaising the early delivery of puzzles to me and other bloggers.
We have an evenly balanced 14a and 14d clues and I have hinted at half. I can’t decide if any of the unhinted clues merits a hint so will offer a bonus hint to the first lurker to ask. (my own postprandial naps permitting.)
Many thanks to Zandio, proXimal and Robyn for improving my crossword skills with the excellent Sunday Toughie series. I wish them and all the other setters, bloggers, commenters and lurkers here a very merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
Here we go…
Sunday Toughie No 46 by Robyn
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 11th of December 2022
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Welcome from a frosty Yorkshire, but far from the Canadian level of cold Senf is enduring.
I could have saved myself from the final tricky solves last night if I had noticed the view answers button that was available on the old website, but when I got to the tricky ones and saw it I was determined to not succumb to the temptation. This morning the new website seems to be behaving itself and I have submitted my answers as normal. I think I will revert to scanning and emailing my entry until they sort out the websites
Not a lot of Christmas in today’s clues, those Christmas fruits I don’t like make a reappearance in 27a, but the holly that lurks in 5d is not the lurker (or direction) you seek.
I guess that next weeks online toughie will be a little bit more Christmassy (and tougher) I wonder who will be setting that?
Anyway this isn’t getting the baby bathed
Here we go, Folks…
Sunday Toughie No 45 by Zandio
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 4th of December 2022
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We really need a 1a here as our boiler has just broken down, I need a 22a to keep me going. I have hinted about half of an evenly balanced 14a/14d clues and a few bonus pics as well. If there are any problems with the remainder please ask and I will try and guide you to the right solution between bouts of shivering. I hope the shivering is due to being overcaffeinated, I have swapped from a Kenyan Wanjegi to a Brazilian Single origin but wonder if the capital city we need for 24d produces coffee.
Here we go…
Sunday Toughie No 44 by proXimal
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 27th November 2022
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I found this quite tricky last night, but sitting here and parsing it I don’t know why (I do now – I cannot spot an &lit for toffee). Zandio brings us a nice even 14a and 14d clues and I have hinted half (with a few bonus picture hints along the way)
Here we go…