Category: Zandio (Sunday)

Sunday Toughie No 48 by Zandio

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

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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…

 

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Sunday Toughie No 45 by Zandio

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

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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…

 

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Sunday Toughie No 41 by Zandio

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

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Thanks to Gazza for stepping in to do the hints last week, I was busy boozing myself silly with Elgar, Dutch, Smylers, Fez and many other Big Dave and Fifteensquared alums and a great time was had by all.

It didn’t take too long to crack this last night but I am sure a skinful would have hampered me. I have hinted at half of an evenly balanced 28 clues and hope you have enough checkers to get the rest.

Here we go…

 

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Sunday Toughie No 38 by Zandio

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

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For me, the trickier end of Zandio’s spectrum but I got there eventually. I understand that some of you may have not got the correct enumeration for 1 across, on the new site it was initially (15) when it should have been (4,3,3,5) It has been corrected now and should be an easyish start and doesn’t cause you to 27a.

14 across and 16 down clues today and I have hinted half. If you require extra hints or have alternative parsings (1d and 5d in particular) I am open to help and advice if required.

Here we go…

 

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Sunday Toughie No 35 by Zandio

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

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A not-too tricky Sunday Toughie from Zandio today. I cannot confirm whether it was harder than his Friday offering as work and Mama Bee curtailed my cruciverbalism that day.

Several cups of 16d were required to parse a couple and I hope I have got them now, please feel free to correct me if you disagree. I have hinted half of an even 14a/14d, but even so, there are quite enough hard ones unhinted. I think I have the latitude to help with a few bonuses if you want more hints, just ask away and I will try and help.

Here we go…

 

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