Toughie – Big Dave's Crossword Blog

Toughie 3772

Toughie No 3772 by Sparks
Hints and tips by Gazza

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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****

Thanks to Sparks for a very enjoyable puzzle containing some cunning bits of misdirection.… Continue reading

Toughie 3771

Toughie No 3771 by Kcit
Hints and tips by ALP

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BD Rating – Toughie difficulty * – Enjoyment **/***

Very relaxed for a Thursday Toughie, with a one-in-four anagram count adding further grease to the wheel. Is it just me or is the leap to a Friday Elgar growing wider by the week? ‘Twas alway a step-up – and rightly so – but the gap now seems interplanetary! The floor, as ever, is yours.

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Toughie 3770

Toughie No 3770 by Silvanus

Hints and Tips by crypticsue

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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ****

Unusually for both a Wednesday and a Silvanus crossword, I found this to be a proper Toughie – my favourite Across clue was 28a and my favourite Down clue was 8d, as both of them mde me smile

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Toughie 3768

Toughie No 3768 by Elgar

Hints and Tips by crypticsue

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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty ****** – Enjoyment *****

Anyone else solve the first two clues straight away and hope that we might have Elgar wearing his pink fluffy slippers this week?   No such luck – this Friday Toughie was as diabolically tough as ever!

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Toughie 3767

Toughie No 3767 by Dharma
Hints and tips by ALP

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BD Rating – Toughie difficulty **/*** – Enjoyment *****

As ever, it took a moment of flitting about the grid to refind my Dharma legs but, once regained, this fell into place very nicely – started gingerly, finished at pace. Nowt obscure and all very stylish: sharp wit, smart constructions and silky surfaces. Up there with his very best, I’d say. The floor is yours.

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Toughie 3766

Toughie No 3766 by Donnybrook

Hints and Tips by crypticsue

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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty * – Enjoyment ****

A nice start of the week Toughie from Donnybrook, with a bit of a cozy mystery theme and, probably only if you are me, an earworm too!

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Toughie 3764

Toughie No 3764 by Luxor
Hints and tips by Gazza

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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***

This came as a blessed relief after yesterday’s Toughie – no obscurities (well, Planet Normal was new to me but I didn’t need to know it to solve the clue). This is fairly gentle for a Friday Toughie – thanks to Luxor.
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Toughie 3763

Toughie No 3763 by Potoroo
Hints and tips by ALP

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BD Rating – Toughie difficulty **/*** – Enjoyment ****/*****

A most welcome return by Potoroo – cunning misdirection, sophisticated wordplay and some smart surfaces. Oh, and a pangram to boot. All yours.

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Toughie 3762

Toughie No 3762 by Dada

Hints and Tips by crypticsue

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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***

The SE corner of this Dada crossword turned it from being one of his Sunday puzzles to a 1* Toughie

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