Sunday Toughie No 217 by Zandio
Review by
Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 22nd March 2026
Tag: 217
Sunday Toughie 217 (Hints)
Sunday Toughie No 217
by Zandio
Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee
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We haven’t had Zandio here since #207, and judging by some of his recent backpagers, I expected a tougher time. This went smoothly with only a few 2d’s or quid pro quo’s for parsing.
16a and 14d clues and I have hinted half. In order to sprinkle them evenly around the grid I have left a few of the trickier clues unhinted. I will try and give a nudge or two if you ask.
Here We Go…
Toughie 217
Toughie No 217 by MynoT
O-Level Examination
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ****
Having completely failed to notice (until it was pointed out) that only one vowel was used in all the answers in each of MynoT’s last three Toughies, I was on the lookout for this one! However, even when you’ve grasped what’s going on, it’s far from easy, with some pretty obscure words. You get a real sense of satisfaction from finishing a puzzle like this, and I really enjoyed it.
As usual we’d love to get your views via a comment.