Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
Sunday Toughie No 235 by Silvanus
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 26th of July 2026
As this is my last review blog, and the hints blog was rather brief, I have gone a bit overboard today. I will continue hinting on Sundays, but Gazza will be reviewing the Sunday Toughie going forward
I hope I have not made the mistake of not checking the fodder for anagrams and apologise to Light for that error last week.
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BD Rating – Toughie difficulty */** – Enjoyment ****
‘Tis always a (rare-ish) treat to see Silvanus pop up on a Thursday – elegant as ever and nowt too tricky, with a very faint French flavour. 22d was new to me but it’s generously clued and I had to run through a few comedians to crack 12a. Still, the deletion and definition couldn’t be clearer. Even 7d’s botany (my bête noire) is gifted on a plate. So, not tremendously tough, just tremendously entertaining. À vous la parole!
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ***
Sunday Toughie No 230 by Silvanus
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 21st of June 2026
Sunday Toughie No 230
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For Silvanus’s third Sunday Toughie (# tooth hurty) I may have expected a dental reference or even a reference to the summer solstice, which passed as I slept on the parsing.
I think the slightly niche British TV references should be widely enough known to those overseas.
14a and 16d clues today and I have hinted half. I hope you find the checkers to finish, but I will nudge if required and able.
Here we go, Folks…
Sunday Toughie No 226 by Silvanus
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 24th of May 2026
Sunday Toughie No 226
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Silvanus was last here on Easter Sunday and seems to becoming the regular bank holiday substitute.
Good fun until I made a mess of parsing some of the south. I was sailing along smoothly until a bad night for Mama Bee somewhat messed up my thinking.
She seems a bit more compos mentis this morning, so we are going out for the day. I have hinted at (just about) half of a slightly unbalanced 16a and 13d clues. Some tricky bits have hit the cutting room floor, so I’ll nudge if needed (and can).
Here we go, Folks…
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty * – Enjoyment ****
Silvanus set us a crossword , the majority of which was at the friendlier end of the Toughie spectrum Continue reading “Toughie 3690”
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BD Rating – Toughie difficulty */** – Enjoyment ***/****
Not too tricky and typically fair. I suspect 25a, for one, would have taken longer to unpick without crossers but – with them – it flew in. So … pretty gentle for a Thursday, I’d say. All yours.
Continue reading “Toughie 3671”