Sunday Toughie – Page 26 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog

Sunday Toughie 101 (Hints)

Sunday Toughie No 101

by Zandio

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

I hope this isn’t as hard as Zandio’s Friday backpager but I didn’t have time on Friday, this is definitely a toughie with some tricky parsings that needed a lot of thinking about. I went to sleep on a couple and hopefully, they resolved themselves in my dreams. We have Lego™ and lurkers both forwards and backwards and what appears to be a reverse homophone and a reverse anagram, if you have any queries just ask and I will try to help with the hints that hit the cutting room floor.

We  have 14a and 14d clues today and I will hint half 

I was refreshed by a high phenol Speyside Benromach and a morsel (massive slab) of Cheese with my Christmas Cake so my dreams were intense
Here we go…

Continue reading “Sunday Toughie 101 (Hints)”

Sunday Toughie 100 (Hints)

Sunday Toughie No 100

by Robyn

 

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

 

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

I was hoping for something a little more Christmassy or celebratory for Sunday Toughie 100 but we have a fairly standard Sunday Toughie from Robyn today, anagrams and lurkers are unhinted but some obscurities may need an extra nudge, just ask and I will help

I will decorate the blog with our Christmas Plates starting with 1976 up there, Don’t tell Mama Bee about the dust, I am not fluffing around with the feather duster whilst they are up there Pretend it is just the snow falling on the Blog and move on

We have 14a and 14d clues and I will hint half

Here we go…

Continue reading “Sunday Toughie 100 (Hints)”

Sunday Toughie 99 (Hints)

Sunday Toughie No 99

by Zandio

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

Zandio returns from his brief hiatus with a fine Sunday Toughie. a good mix of anagrams, reverse anagrams, lurkers and &lits and I have hinted at half of  an even 14a and 14d clues

I still haven’t heard who or what we are getting in Sunday Toughie 100 on Christmas Eve, I have used up two of my Christmassy songs today I will have to find some more for then, in the meantime here is one of my favourite dogs from the interwebs on a steady winter walk near Lochnagar

Here we go…

Continue reading “Sunday Toughie 99 (Hints)”

Sunday Toughie 98 (Hints)

Sunday Toughie No 98


by proXimal

 

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

We haven’t seen Zandio for a while – maybe they are saving him for the big one hundred on Christmas Eve

proXimal a little tougher than last time and a couple of pesky little four letter words took most of my parsing time last night 

We have hints for half of 14a and 16d clues today

Here we go, Folks…

Continue reading “Sunday Toughie 98 (Hints)”

Sunday Toughie 97 (Hints)

Sunday Toughie No 97

by Robyn

 

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

 

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

Robyn going a bit easier before Christmas I think, I have hinted just under half 😮 of 16a and 14d clues today so I have a bit of latitude to give bonus nudges if you need them.
The Reverend Doctor Spooner makes an appearance but seems quite benign today, I liked it and 3d and 25a today but I am sure there are other candidates for your podia

I haven’t heard if anything special is planned for Sunday Toughie 100 on Christmas Eve yet, but It will probably be a sterner test than this, I hope Chris Lancaster goes easy on us and includes it in advance copies he usually sends to CrypticSue

Here we go…

Continue reading “Sunday Toughie 97 (Hints)”