Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
A delightful Sunday Toughie from Zandio, which I really enjoyed. 16d was my favourite by a country mile and is awarded the “Sloopy” today, but I am sure you will have other favourites?
I have hinted just under half of an even 14a and 14d clues so there is leeway for a bonus hint if you need a nudge for those clues that hit the cutting room floor
Here we go…
Sunday Toughie No 114 by
Robyn
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 31st of March 2024
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I tried to do this last night on the “new” site but it failed to update for ages, I had to carry on on the old site and had a full grid before the new site moved to Sunday. They must change that before killing off the old site as I can’t wait until 01:15 to start solving. I will also miss the old site’s facility of allowing you to check if you are correct a few times and the bonus 5 letters have also been useful in the past, but I guess I will have to forgo the “lagnappe” that Robert and I used. I think this will probably reduce the number of correct submissions and therefore Stephen C is more likely to secure that mythical pen! I am sure you will bear with me and correct any mis-parsings that I make in future. That is something else we will miss from the old site – the lists of Toughie setters and Sunday Toughie setters. I hope that something similar appears on the new site soon.
We have many of the proXimal signature clues, A Spoonerism to start and extractions aplenty but the X’less or 4X features of proXimal’s puzzles seem to be reserved for elsewhere.
Today we have evenly balanced 14a and 14d clues and I have hinted half. I hope you find the checkers to finish but remain available for an extra nudge if there are any tricky clues left on the cutting room floor
Here we go, Folks…
Sunday Toughie No 113 by Zandio
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 24th of March 2024
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I was hoping that Robyn would give us a slightly easier ride for Easter Sunday when the clocks go forward, but I found this “fully” up to Sunday Toughie difficulty
A couple of old coins and an Easter clue were podium contenders but I will pick the animal feeds in 12d and 27a What were your favourites?
We have a slightly uneven 15a and 16d clues and I have hinted just under half so A bonus hint is available for the first to ask
Here we go…
Sunday Toughie No 112 by proXimal
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 17th of March 2024
Zandio has brought us a Toughie that, although it took me a while before I got a foothold (26a was my first one in), I concentrated on the south but sped up as I moved northwards. Zandio was very generous with his definitions today, a triple nay quadruple definition in 9/12a and two more double definitions. There are lots of lurkers forwards and backwards and cryptic reversals too.
We have 14a and 16d clues today and I will hint half I hope you find the checkers to get over the line, if any tricky ones have hit the cutting room floor don’t be 11a and I will try to help without incurring the Naughty Step
You have had quite a bit of my favoured music recently both last week and yesterday so I have tried to pick music of a slightly different flavour today
Here we go…
Sunday Toughie No 111 by
Robyn
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 10th of March 2024
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I started to solve this on the “old puzzles site” and Telegraph Towers have yet to update the setters list for the Sunday Toughie or the regular Toughie. Still, I didn’t have to wait for the new site to tell me as there are a couple of trademark tells that this is a proXimal production. A couple of extraction anagrams and starting with a Spoonerism gave the game/name away
The Spoonerism and 28a can fight it out for the minor places on the podium but because of dear Robert C I will pick 20d as the pinnacle today
We have 14a and 16d clues today and I will hint half – as usual with the Sunday Toughie some quite tricky clues have hit the cutting room floor so I offer a bonus hint to the first to ask
It is nice to see the Paddy’s Day banner up there to commemorate the Irish Six Nations victory but no Irish references crept into this crossword (probably set ages ago) and despite watching a fine Van Morrison concert and a review of the life and music of Phil Lynott on the Beeb last night you didn’t expect me to ignore the brilliant new Mark Knopfler charity single did you? –
Whilst out visiting National Trust properties with Mama Bee yesterday I found this in a second-hand book room
I didn’t need it last night but I imagine it will come in useful next time Robyn brings us a theme – Thanks Beningborough Hall
Here we go, Folks…
Sunday Toughie No 110 by Zandio
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 3rd of March 2024