Toughie No 2378 by Donnybrook
Hints and tips by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***
Donnybrook makes it simple today with a mix of easy clues with even easier ones, with 10a being the only clue that would have been out-of-place in a backpage puzzle.
Continue reading “Toughie 2378”
Toughie No 2366 by Donnybrook
Hints and tips by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Measured as a Toughie, I found this to be fairly easy. Less experienced solvers may think differently if they haven’t previously seen constructs like shopper = one who shops or betrays (13a), near meaning tight or miserly (1d), and splitting the answer to 9d as (3-11). Continue reading “Toughie 2366”
Toughie No 2351 by Donnybrook
Hints and tips by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Another excellent puzzle from Donnybrook – there’s little more I can say. Continue reading “Toughie 2351”
Toughie No 2332 by Donnybrook
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
A very pleasant puzzle which didn’t pose too many difficulties – thanks to Donnybrook.… Continue reading
Toughie No 2316 by Donnybrook
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment **
We have a very gentle puzzle today, most of which I thought could easily have appeared on the back page.… Continue reading
Toughie No 2299 by Donnybrook
Hints and tips by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Another great puzzle from Donnybrook. The answer to 11a reminded me of an anecdote, recounted below, from a job in Glasgow some 25 years ago – we stayed in a hotel in East Kilbride (Glasgow’s equivalent of Milton Keynes) as our usual hotel (The Pond, now the Leonardo Inn, at Anniesland) was fully booked. Continue reading “Toughie 2299”
Toughie No 2283 by Donnybrook
Hints and tips by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
The handful of lesser-known words were clued in such a way they could be worked out then checked in Chambers. Continue reading “Toughie 2283”
Toughie No 2267 by Donnybrook
Hints and tips by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty ***/**** – Enjoyment ****
I struggled with some of the clues but looking back the only ones that involved something I had never encountered were the Chinese port in 10 Across and the American “spin” in 7 Down. This was certainly not a typical (Fluffy) Tuesday puzzle! Continue reading “Toughie 2267”
Toughie No 2251 by Donnybrook
Hints and tips by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
As usual, Donnybrook teases and tantalises. There’s a lot to enjoy in this puzzle, and the words which were new to me were clued fairly.… Continue reading
Toughie No 2235 by Donnybrook
Hints and tips by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ****
Kitty now has a full-time job, so is taking a break from blogging.… Continue reading