I found myself appreciating this puzzle even more as I prepared the hints – there are references to three classic books, and a nursery rhyme. While not trivially easy, this is a well constructed puzzle which is well worth the effort taken to solve. Don’t forget the highlighted items give supplementary information and, usually, the answer.
There are a few lesser known words in this puzzle, but overall it’s not too bad. Don’t forget that clicking on the links will reveal items of interest, and often the answer!
You may have noticed yesterday that I made a complete hash of the wordplay for 23 down, although I did say that I was open to better interpretations. Well, someone did post a far better interpretation, and it was two hours before I tumbled that we had been privileged to receive a fleeting visit from Firefly, yesterday’s setter.
If you have never tackled a Toughie before, then this one would be a good one with which to start, as there are no obscure words and the clues are straightforward – and you’ve got the hints below if you get stuck!
I was racing through this one, with thoughts of a relatively early night, when suddenly I hit a brick wall in the bottom right hand corner. At least three out of the five difficulty stars are for this corner – see what you think.
Woke up this morning to find that the light dusting of snow that has been around for a few days has been replaced by a full carpet – I have added a new picture to the Gallery. As a new feature, started yesterday with “Freight Train”, some hints link to supplementary information!!