Toughie No 3673 by Dada
Hints and tips by Whybird
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Welcome to another Toughie Week. I’m back in a Very Spring-like Wirral for this week. The migrants continue to arrive or pass through heading North; the sand martins are back exploring the nesting wall at RSPB Burton Mere, and I managed to successfully twitch the wryneck that spent a day in one of Burton village’s sheep fields. Well, just its head, really – I didn’t have much time en route for a stroll with The Present Lady Whybird through Burton Mere’s lovely bluebell wood.
We have a full-on Toughie from Dada today that could easily have slotted in a day or two later in the week. There are a few musical references, but I’m not sure there are enough to constitute a theme. My solve wasn’t helped by the Dead Tree arriving late, which meant I started on the iPad and only really got into the swing once I had a suitably-folded Broadsheet in my hands. I felt this was a rather quirky puzzle, with a few I’ve had to scratch my head over, but there are also a few absolute belters. I knew I was going to love 14d from the moment I saw it – the idea of an extra brock in reserve that it brought to mind made me smile, although I doubt that was the allusion Dada intended. Nothing to do with the solution, either. Anyway, 14d takes top spot in a 28a with 2d, and with honourable mentions for 1a and 20a. Thank you, Dada, for getting the mental cogs spinning.
Please let us know how you fared and what you thought of the puzzle.
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Toughie No 3657 by Dada
Hints and tips by Whybird
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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ****
Croeso o Gymru! This week’s travels find me in a very nice cottage on the Bodnant Estate, overlooking the Conwy valley and the village of Dolgarrog. The Present Lady Whybird, Lord Alfie and I are enjoying a few days of downtime following Lady W’s latest sewing retreat, coincidentally situated in the aforementioned village. Anyone would think there was a plan… We’ve had a hefty dose of spectacular early spring weather, but we are now experiencing something more traditionally North Walian. As with the last time I was in this area, several hours over a couple of days in St Mary’s Churchyard, Caerhun, involved plenty of obliging finches (Gold, Green, Chaf) but not Haw. There’s always a next time, and the Roman archaeology is interesting.
Dada, to whom, many thanks, has given us a very enjoyable puzzle today, towards the more straightforward end of the spectrum, I felt, which is especially welcome as I’ve been solving on the iPad rather than my much preferred Dead Tree. Just a couple of pieces of explanations had me scratching my head a little, but nothing too strenuous. I did wonder if Dada had dined on an Atlas given the number of geographical references. My prizes today go to 18a, 19a, 27a with 14d getting an honourable mention
Please let us know how you fared and what you thought of the puzzle.
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Sunday Toughie No 213 by Dada
Review by
Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 22nd February 2026
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Toughie No 3645 by Dada
Hints and tips by Whybird
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Namaste! Many thanks to Gazza for filling in for the past two weeks whilst I “trundled” around India seeing most of the cast of the Jungle Book, through some absolutely wonderful wildlife experiences– although the leopards weren’t black – and eating equally wonderful food . I thought I might return somewhat lighter and slimmer, but that hasn’t happened at all. Fortunately, the return flight from Delhi was direct to Heathrow, and the normal route is well north of the Gulf, so everything went smoothly. I’m disappointed to see I missed blogging a Tuesday Django – I’d been looking forward to that pleasure, so I hope the chance comes around again soon.
I was hoping for a gentle reintroduction to the blog, but that hasn’t happened. Dada has given us a quirky puzzle, which I think would have fitted in reasonably well later in the week. Perhaps the cough and head cold I have acquired, coupled with the “safari massage” my body has endured, has deadened my senses somewhat, but I found this rather tricky. My podium places are occupied by 2d, 16a and 21a today.
Thanks to Dada for a re-baptism of fire.
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Sunday Toughie No 213
by Dada
Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee
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A day out at the Rhubarb Festival yesterday was very good (and tasty too), but quite tiring. Last time Dada was here (Sunday Toughie 204) I was a bit grumpy and wanted to express disapproval (7a) at getting a Dada to solve last night, but this was quite pleasant. I will obviously have to get used to seeing Dada twice on a Sunday quite often.
28 clues today split 13a/15d and I have hinted half. I hope you find the checkers to finish but I will try and give a nudge or too if time permits, around preparing the surplus of Rhubarb I bought yesterday.
Here We Go…
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Toughie No 3629 by Dada
Hints and tips by Whybird
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Hello and welcome to another Toughie week. Could someone kindly go out and switch the Wirral’s daylight on, please? It still feels like nighttime, although I know it isn’t, thanks to a disturbed night courtesy of Lord Alfie-du-Sniffs who dragged me from my slumbers twice for access to the garden… I should take that as a positive, but I’d much rather he hadn’t helped himself to whatever dubious substances he found whilst fossicking around Birkenhead Park yesterday!
We have something of a challenging puzzle from Dada today – definitely no Floughie for me. My heart sank when I saw the grid – I always find the proliferation of unchecked initial letters to be a challenge. Then I thought we might be on for an easy-to-spot Nina that may have helped, but, alas, no such luck – at least not as far as I can see! The solve wasn’t helped by getting my first one in (9a) wrong – being too clever for my own good. There are some quite tough nuts to crack amongst a smattering of “Gimmes”, and to my taste there are too many onomatopoeic-like terms employed. But there are also some gems, and some “usual suspects” with lesser-spotted – but perfectly fair – meanings to get the cogs whirring. Rosettes from me today for 15a (my last one in), 20a and 4d, but my overall prize goes to 2d.
Thanks to Dada for unlocking the mental machinery, and for the first time in a while providing me with an obvious bird illustration!
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Toughie No 3613 by Dada
Hints and tips by Whybird
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Happy New Year from Neston! The weather has turned, and the snow and ice are gradually being washed away. A shame, as both Lord Alfie and I (especially the former!) enjoy early morning strolls on crisp snow. On the plus side, looking for the short-eared and barn owls at the Old Baths won’t feel quite so much like a cryogenic experience.
Dada’s puzzle today has provided something of a jolt after the Festive period. It took a while before I started to get onto the right sort of wavelength. There are plenty of inventive, lesser-spotted pieces of word play, but all very fair. I’ve given my prizes today to 1a, 11a, 19d and 21d. Thank you, Dada, for effecting a thorough clean-out of the mental cobwebs.
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Sunday Toughie No 204 by Dada
Review by
Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 21st December 2025
Nothing against the crossword; it was a good exercise for the brain cells, but I am not a fan of Dada getting both Prize Puzzles on the same day. As Huntsman said about the absence of a Toughie on a Monday, Telegraph Towers have a large enough roster of setters to share them out a bit more or even give a Rookie a shot!.
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Sunday Toughie No 204
by Dada
Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee
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Well, it is not the first time we have had Dada here and in the other prize Sunday slot, as no one has yet claimed yesterday’s SPP, maybe he has had a trifecta!
A slightly less than normal 13a and 13d clues today, and I have hinted less than half. The 6d 22a combo fooled me and I had to ask for help (thanks Lie-In-King). I am still not 100% convinced by my answer so the mythical is yours today.
Here We Go…
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Toughie No 3597 by Dada
Hints and tips by Whybird
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment *****
Well, what a treat Dada has handed us today to brighten a damp, grey, uninspiring UK morning! It is pretty mwah on the Wirral anyway, although thankfully we’ve been spared any excessive winds – so far. Apart from my initial horror at seeing all those unchecked initial letters when first looking at the grid, this was a pleasure from start to finish. The wordplay is wonderful, the clues concise and full of subtle mis-directions, although nothing too drastic; and a difficulty level just enough to get the brain cells working, but not over-heating. I’ve added an extra star for difficulty given the length of time it took me to sort out 6d, before leafing through the options in Dr Roget’s magnum opus made me see the light.
I have smiley faces all over my paper this morning – this was definitely a crossword that pressed all the right buttons for me. I love the wordplay in 6a, 18a, 5d, 17d and 22d; the surfaces in 2d and 23d; and the clever connection between 10a and 11a. However, I’ve decided to give today’s gold star to 18d.
Thank you, Dada, for an absolute delight!
Please leave a comment telling us how you fared and what you liked about the puzzle.
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