Sunday Toughie No 166 by proXimal
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 30th of March 2025
Tag: 166
Sunday Toughie 166 (Hints)
Sunday Toughie No 166
by proXimal
Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee
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It appears that getting a midweek toughie slot precedes an appearance here, instead of an X’less pangram proXimal is using Sunday Toughies to demonstrate a Spoonerism to start and compound anagrams. It took me right to the LOI to find the compound.
The topicality of the wordplay for 23d should get an award, but for childhood holidays, the 24a island gets my prize.
14a and 14d clues today, and I have hinted half. A bonus nudge or two may be available if Mother’s Day trips for Mama Bee allow.
Here we go, Folks…
Toughie 166
Toughie No 166 by Shamus
Hints and tips by Tilsit
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
A fairly entertaining challenge from Shamus, who always provides puzzles that are both fair and a reasonable test for solvers. I have to say I found this one a little easier than his usual challenges, but it did contaion things that made me reach for the Chambers.
Shamus is one of Azed’s band of solvers from the Observer every Sunday, and regularly appears in the prize winners for his monthly clue writing competition. Solvers may be interested to know that another of Azed’s band of regulars sadly passed away the other day. Dorothy Taylor, who was 98, had a rather particular claim to fame. Dorothy used to enter puzzles under her sister’s name Mrs B Lewis and her name was used, along with that of another eminent solver, Sir Jeremy Morse, by Colin Dexter, himself a regular Azed prizewinner. And so Morse and Lewis became famous.
[You can see a picture of Dorothy, with Sir Jeremy, in this post on Derek Harrison’s Crossword Message Board. The following entry in the same thread has a picture of her with Colin Dexter and Don (Giovanni) Manley . BD]