Toughie No 242 by Giovanni
Cooking the Books!
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ****
A really enjoyable challenge from Giovanni today, but it contained a rare flaw from our setter. The answer to 4 down contained a misspelling. However all is well now and a correct spelling and clue have been inserted. I have known Giovanni for a number of years and on checking with him, and realising a slip had been made and being the professional he is, he was mortified. A quick exchange of mail and all resolved. This didn’t distract too much from the overall puzzle, which was to his usual standard.
A good balance of all types of clue in the puzzle with a couple of fairly tricky explanations. However fairness is paramount at all times, and aspiring setters should study the wording and phrasing of the clues to see how he achieves the clever surface reading.
Have your say after the review, but do remember that new posters may wait a little while (sometimes a few minutes, possibly an hour or so) to have first posts approved. This just prevents those nasty spammers from gluing up the works. You can also rate the puzzle with the star rating.
[I have now been able to access the new version, but only from the Play Puzzles / Crossword Puzzles page, not from the home page. BD]
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Toughie No 230 by Giovanni
This Crossword is Brought to You by…..
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ****
An interesting challenge today which I found quite tough in parts and blindingly easy in others. I particularly struggled with the bottom left corner. As I solve the puzzle on line, I usually play guess the setter until I can contact a chum who takes the paper. I have to say I wouldn’t have guessed today’s was Giovanni, it didn’t feel like one of his puzzles. However, it was the usual enjoyable mix of witty but scrupulously fair clues. Aspiring setters should always take time to study Giovanni’s clues as they are an absolutel model of perfection.
Recently it was announced that ITV are to be allowed to infest their already dreary programmes with product placement, and I thought this had arrived early in Crossword-land today as 6 across required you to know the name of a leading motor-oil brand (other leading brands of motor oil are available) to help you solve the clue. Some curious answers today including the name of a Cultural Colossus (see yesterday’s Crossword blog).
Off we go, and remember your home is at risk if you put a tin containing petrol in your microwave and turn it on….
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Toughie No 218 by Giovanni
Hints and tips by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ****
Tilsit has had to go to the clinic, so I have produced this review at short notice.
A tough but, as you might expect from Giovanni, extremely fair puzzle that surprised me by including my local town among the answers.
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Toughie No 205 by Giovanni
Sounds Unusual
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ***
I thought that this one was quite tricky and Giovanni, as always, is good at using unusual meanings of common words (like ‘sound’ in 5a). There are a few queries that I have, and these are highlighted in the review. I’d be delighted to get your comments on these or any other matters.
Please take the time to click on one of the stars at the bottom to indicate how entertaining you found the puzzle.
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Toughie No 192 by Giovanni
Giovanni gives us an easy ride
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Last time we had a puzzle from Giovanni, it was a tough time. This time he has been a lot kinder to us. A smattering of new / lesser known words, but altogether the same excellent standard that we have come to expect.
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Toughie No 182 by Giovanni
Payback Time!
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BD Rating – Difficulty ***** – Enjoyment *****
Last time up we gave Giovanni only two stars for difficulty and the time before that it was three. Well, today it is payback! A true Toughie, which gives that real sense of achievement when you have filled in the final square.
Today it is Tilsit’s turn to suffer hardware problems. Unfortunately, his email to me got lost in the ether for nearly 4 hours, so my apologies for the lateness of the review. I think you will agree that this puzzle was worth the wait.
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Toughie No 169 by Giovanni
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
We’re having an easy week (so far) with the Toughies. This one is not quite as easy as yesterday’s but is still pretty straightforward, and it offers some entertaining clues.
As usual the answers are hidden inside the curly brackets – select the white space if you want to reveal them.
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Toughie No 158 by Giovanni
Hints and tips by Tilsit
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Quite a tough puzzle today from Giovanni, but still very enjoyable. Some nice clues to draw you into the puzzle, and then some mind-stretchers to make you think. No really unusual words but good fair cluing providing a good challenge. As usual, all the clues have excellent surface readings and if you aspire to be a setter, studying these will no doubt help you.
Thanks to Giovanni for a thoroughly enjoyable challenge.
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Toughie No 144 by Giovanni
Another great puzzle from Giovanni!
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment *****
When I see that Giovanni is the setter, I know I am in for a difficult but thoroughly enjoyable puzzle. Today is no exception, even allowing for the fact that this interestingly shaped grid is more-or-less four puzzles in one. There were a handful of easier clues – just as well or you might never get started – but nothing so difficult that, even if you didn’t know the answer, you couldn’t work it out from the wordplay.
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Toughie No 136 by Giovanni
An enjoyable puzzle, in spite of the Geography lesson!
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ****
Here we have a Toughie from our regular Friday setter. Tougher than the daily cryptics, with one or two words you may have to look up, but very enjoyable. But the French department will cause a lot of head scratching.
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