Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
Toughie No 3637 by Chalicea
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ***
Whybird is away enjoying the delights of the subcontinent so I’m filling in for him today. Thanks to Chalicea for a pleasant puzzle though it’s more like a midweek back-pager than a Toughie.
Continue reading “Toughie 3637”
Toughie No 3621 by Chalicea
Hints and tips by Whybird
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ****
Hello and welcome to another Toughie week. I was expecting Chalicea to be on duty today, and I wasn’t disappointed. I found this a notch or two above her normal difficulty level – definitely not in Floughie territory – and thoroughly enjoyed having to dig around in slightly more obscure areas of vocabulary. I’m also pleased that I can use “synonym” in the hints, unlike last Tuesday. I have plenty of Smileys over the clues, notably 1a, 2a, 3d and 12a, but my favourite is the very elegant (if not too difficult) 4d. You’ll need your sticky-backed plastic or other type of adhesive for a few of the clues, but not too many need you to ask a responsible adult for help with scissors!
Thank you, Chalicea, for a fun start to the week!
Please let us know how you fared and what you liked about the puzzle
Toughie No 3609 by Chalicea
Hints and tips by Whybird
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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***
Hello, good whenever and welcome from a grey, but calm, Wirral today.
Chalicea has turned up the difficulty dial a little in places for this puzzle; this is certainly not a Floughie, but was finished in just about in one-star time for me. Amongst a few “gimmes” are some slightly more unusual senses and at least one pitfall for the unwary solver, although nothing that requires knowledge of what I would class as obscurities. All very fairly and clearly clued, too. My podium places today go to 25a, 14d and 18d. Thank you, Chalicea, for an enjoyable solve.
As this is my final blog of 2025, I will take this opportunity to wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year.
Please let us know how you fared and what you liked about the puzzle
Toughie No 3589 by Chalicea
Hints and tips by Whybird
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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ****
Konnichiwa! Which I have learned is the appropriate Japanese greeting for those viewing this shortly after the GMT publication time. Thank you to Shabbo for filling in whilst I was on my travels – very much appreciated! Cranes, eagles and owl all successfully tracked down and “ticked” along with many other avian delights, with the added bonus of great food, beautiful scenery (and some not-quite-so-beautiful fishing ports) and atmospheric Onsens. And plenty of 12d’s illustration in the moat of Tokyo’s Imperial Palace.
I was delighted to see Chalicea’s name on the page today; just the ticket for a return to duty, and I wasn’t disappointed. I found this to be reasonably straightforward, although leavened with some sneaky bits of “general not-knowledge” that I had to check. The clues are all clear and elegantly concise – definitely to my taste, although some of the NW corner held out a little longer than the rest. I particularly like 19a and 26d, and 6d also makes the podium for the solution being a lovely word. Thanks to Chalicea for such a warm welcome on my return to the Big Dave Blogosphere!
Please leave a comment telling us how you fared and what you liked about the puzzle.
Toughie No 3573 by Chalicea
Hints and tips by Whybird
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ****
S’mae a chroeso i Ddydd Mawrth! Today finds The Present Lady Whybird and I in the North Wales village of Dolgarrog to celebrate a couple of anniversaries, notably our Wooden anniversary. As well as being the site of the world’s first man-made surf lagoon (sadly not currently operational) Dolgarrog has a poignant memorial garden commemorating the worst dam disaster in Wales, which includes some of the massive boulders washed down the hillside by the torrent almost hundred years ago to the day. On a less sombre note, the autumn colours in Bodnant garden are spectacular, although the hawfinches in Caerhun churchyard are as elusive as ever…
Chalicea has given us a very enjoyable, and (with one exception) not too tricky puzzle to start the Toughie week, so many thanks to her. Parsing 20a, and then having to use one of my lifelines to confirm my suspicions, has necessitated the extra half-star for difficulty. My favourites today are 22a and 15a, with the latter being my overall winner, even as a non-golfer.
Please leave a comment telling us how you fared and what you liked about the puzzle.
Toughie No 3557 by Chalicea
Hints and tips by Whybird
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BD Rating – Difficulty */2 – Enjoyment ***
Greetings one and all. The pink-feet (and attendant fly-over squeaking) have continued to increase. but the major weekend excitement was (and still is) a very obliging Slavonian Grebe on West Kirby Marine Lake, and with sunshine to boot. Birders and general public have enjoyed a treat!
Chalicea, to whom, many thanks, has given us the mildest of puzzles today – so much so that I feel even a one-star difficulty would have been a bit OTT. I had to check a couple of elements to confirm my suspicions, but even these didn’t take much unearthing. I’m sure the resultant expanded GK will come in handy at some point. 13a, 19a and 30a get my rosettes today.
Hopefully the formatting has worked this week – thanks to CrypticSue for expanding the scope of Hints and Tips beyond untangling impenetrable crossword clues!
Please leave a comment telling us how you fared and what you liked about the puzzle.
Toughie No 3541 by Chalicea
Hints and tips by Whybird
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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***
Hello and welcome to another Toughie week. Your peripatetic Blogger finds himself in the delightful surroundings of Dumfries and Galloway, looking out over a small loch near Auchencairn and trying desperately not to lapse into Scottish cliches. … Continue reading
Toughie No 3525 by Chalicea
Hints and tips by Whybird
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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ****
Welcome to a very pleasant trip on Chalicea’s time-machine. … Continue reading
Toughie No 3505 by Chalicea
Hints and tips by Whybird
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment *****
Wimbledon’s started, the clouds have come rolling in… All’s normal! … Continue reading
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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***
It’s Chalicea, doing what she does best. Other than one Shakespearean burst, there’s nowt exotic here – just good clean fun.… Continue reading