Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
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Toughie No 3749 by Chalicea
Hints and tips by Whybird
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
We have an enjoyable start to the Toughie Week with Chalicea being somewhat less benign than usual. I also didn’t help myself by mistakenly opening the Back-pager on the iPad (my dead tree being a little late today) and thinking we had an extreme Floughie, then realising that the clues I had already pasted into the Blog on my PC didn’t match my short-term recall, twigging my stupidity and having to start again. At least by this time, the dead tree had arrived so I was safe in analogue-land. The Present Lady Whybird is considering blocking me from the internet for our mutual safety. It was very interesting to experience the contrast in styles in back-to-back fashion and I felt it made solving Chalicea’s puzzle more difficult.
There are plenty of clues that get honourable mentions, including 1d, 4d, 6a, 7d, 16a and 19d, but I’m giving my top prize today to 3d.
Thanks, Chalicea, for a fun start to the week.
Please let us know how you fared and what you thought of the puzzle.
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BD Rating – Difficulty * Enjoyment ***
The sun is shining here in Harpenden but a walk will have to wait as I’m off back to bed to catch up on some much needed kip. Yesterday was a full on day of golf followed by a very pleasant early evening meal at a Turkish restaurant near my course then the trek into Hammersmith to see The Black Keys. Suffice to say I was finally in bed much later than is ideal when you have to get up & write the blog.
As ever with one of AP’s Tuesday puzzles tightly clued & not overly taxing fortunately – on a par with yesterday in terms of difficulty.
I’ve not had a chance to look at it but I see Chalicea is over in t’other place. I’m sure that will be an accessible puzzle well worth having a stab at & Whybird will appreciate your thoughts on it.
As usual there is a selection of music to enjoy or ignore.
In the hints below the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED & the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the Click Here buttons. Please leave a comment below telling us what you thought & how you got on with the puzzle.
Hello. It’s the last day of August, and a Bank Holiday for those in England, Northern Ireland, or Wales — meaning I get to write this at a more relaxed pace, instead of the usual need to finish solving and blogging early, before working 9 to 5.
Sunday Toughie No 240
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Light has given us a rather deceptive crossword today. A Spoonerism that isn’t and cricket references that aren’t crickety. A couple of the answers were easier to bung in than parse, but I think I have them now.
14a and 14d clues and I have hinted half. I will try and nudge some that hit the cutting room floor if asked.
13a, 16a and the non-spooner 3d are my favourites today; which ones did you like?
Here we go, Folks…
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I didn’t feel there was much for Claude to get his virtual teeth into here, so I asked him, “What do solvers have to say about crosswords compiled by the setter Ifor?”
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A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where we are back into the high 20s feels like mid 30s for a few days.
For me, and I stress for me,© Dada quirky as usual, reasonably friendly, with four long uns, only one of them an anagram, a meagre four anagrams in total (two partials), two lurkers, and no homophones, all in a not much value for the money symmetric 28 clues; with 14 hints ‘sprinkled’ throughout the grid, all BRB verified where necessary, you should/might be able to get some of the checkers to enable the solving of the unhinted clues. I hope you have your Crimson Tomes at hand! You might even need your favourite e-search ‘assistant’!
Remember that Reading the Hints before commenting can be beneficial!
If it is some time since you read, or if you have never read the instructions in RED below the hints then please consider doing so before commenting today as my electronic blue pencil is at the ready and the Naughty Step is OPEN!
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Toughie No 3748 by Sparks
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Thanks to Sparks for an enjoyable pangram.
Please leave a comment telling us how you fared and what you liked about the puzzle.
Continue reading “Toughie 3748”