A very clever Sunday Toughie I really enjoyed solving last night, some typical Zandio Roman numbers and some great PDMs. The linked 14a and 18a are a particular favourite, along with 27a, but 24a gets the gold today. What were your favourites?
14a and 14d clues today, and I have hinted at half. I hope you find the checkers to fill the grid, and I will give a nudge or two if required, and entertaining Mama Bee permits.
A veritable herd of Wildebeest today and I really enjoyed it. When we were heading across the plain with nyala and gnu’s, I was sure we were heading to the Serengeti.
Some quite tricky constructions have hit the cutting room floor, I will try and give a nudge if you are struggling. Zandio brought us some devious manipulation of Roman numerals in his Friday backpager, and a similar (unhinted) construction appears again.
5d and 18a share the second step on my podium, just below 15a – which did you like?
Lurkers and anagrams are largely unhinted, and I have hinted 6 across and 8 down of an even 28 clues today. I hope you find enough checkers to find the rest.
A great Toughie from Zandio today, I managed to see it at about 11:30 last night and it didn’t take me much past midnight to fill the grid. Parsing it this morning took longer. The Spoonerism and nod to our new Tuesday Toughie blogger is probably my favourite today, but plenty of podium candidates.
I don’t think it is sufficient to call a theme but a couple of military units hit the cutting room floor, and another sneaks into 28a. I will try and nudge unhinted clues, if you identify some or all of the picture for 28a
We have 14a and 16d clues today and I have hinted half.
Before we get going on the hints, I have a favour to ask. I have managed to secure a ticket to see Bruce Springsteen in Liverpool on the 7th of June, and although I should be home in the wee small hours of Sunday the 8th it is also my birthday😁🎂, and I am looking for a volunteer to hint the Sunday Toughie that day. I will probably be tired/hungover but will be trying to solve myself so I can assist if required.
I started slowly last night but picked up the pace as checkers and linked clues helped. there are 14a and 14d clues today and I have hited half, further nudges may be available if you ask
I found this a proper toughie last night, but as usual a night to sleep on it and I think all has become clear. Clues of a wide range of types and I found it quite tricky to limit myself to half of 16a and 14d clues.
Some fine surfaces today and a bonus nudge may be available if you ask
Good luck to Rory McIlroy – I think he has a 5d of securing his first Green Jacket
I had a rather pleasant tour of the North East Coasts and Castles yesterday, but I was rather tired and a restorative Torabhaigh meant that I fell asleep before I had fully parsed this last night. Coffee and a bacon butty restored me this morning.
Is Zandio having a go at my drinking in the unches going right from 16… perhaps not
I wouldn’t recommend trying to set up a new Windows 11 laptop at the same time as a new phone, but technical issues apart this was a fun Sunday Toughie that troubled me less than the aforementioned tech issues. 14a and 14d clues and I have hinted half
I have some doubts about 4d but I am sure someone will throw some light on stocks. Looking at the grid and the clues I have hinted there are a lot of gaps in the East but when in doubt look for anagrams and lurkers and you should get enough checkers to find the rest. I will try and help with a bonus nudge if required.
A good friend pointed out the dangers in 25a, whatever you do make sure you abandon the odd letters. If you don’t you will have the start of a very unsuitable word for the crossword. I assume neither Zandio or CL spotted this 😭, but MP did😁
Zandio very graciously provided me with an advanced copy of this puzzle. I imagine I will be a “bit under the weather” after the Big Bash and unable to give this puzzle a good blogging. By the time you read this, I should be on a train home but I will respond to comments if and when I can.
I hope I have transcribed the clues accurately, as I haven’t seen the puzzle in print yet. It is quite tricky and has lots of cross-references between clues. Big Dave’s advice when I started these hints almost three years ago was to hint first and last across and down clues with about half the clues hinted. I have stopped at half hints before I got to the end.
I have hinted at half of the 14a and 16d clues. I hope you find the checkers to enable completion, as the journey home from the Big Bash may make bonus nudges a bit tricky.
*Post Bash update*
All had a great time, and it was even better to see so many old and new faces. The Teams link was a little problematic, but I hope those who managed to log on could join in the fun a little. Many thanks to Steve C who got the ball rolling with a donation to the bar bill, even though he may have preferred not to be teased by those displaying “Mythical” Pens. Over the next few days, I hope to collate photos taken and put them in the gallery.
