Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
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You have reached the world’s biggest and best crossword blog. If you are looking for help with the Daily and Sunday Telegraph cryptic crosswords, a total of 11 puzzles a week, then you have come to the right place.
If this is your first time, or for more information about this site, please click on Continue reading “Welcome”
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Good morning from South Staffs on another chilly, wet, day.
Nothing unduly difficult for me in today’s crossword, with a couple of interesting clue constructions. I appreciate that others may have a different view, but I can only relate my own experience.… Continue reading
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This puzzle was published on 22nd February 2020
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment **
One for fans of anagrams and/or ‘container and contents’ clues; one of the latter, 18d, being my Down favourite as I did smile at the ‘one in hand’; my Across favourite was 12a
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.… Continue reading
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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment **
I’m at a loss as to what level of difficulty to award this extremely straightforward crossword – time-wise, I’d have only given it 1* difficulty rating if it had been on the back page of the paper – I actually did a double-take at the timer to make sure it was correct. … Continue reading
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment **
It’s not often that I notice a grid pattern before during or after solving a puzzle. I did today as soon as it appeared. Too many black squares. Only 26 answers and only 26 clues. I feel short-changed.
At the birthday bash Silvanus told us he had a puzzle published elsewhere that he had written for The Daily Telegraph but could not submit as the grid was not one that they use. Well whatever grid it was I reckon it will have had more than twenty six solutions. Continue reading “DT 29297”
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This puzzle was published on 16th February 2020
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment **/***
On the difficult-to-get-going side again – however, if you are fond of a double definition clue, this could be the crossword for you!… Continue reading
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment **
This didn’t provide too many problems apart from 11a which I’d not heard of and which I needed to look up. The clueing, as always from Giovanni, is precise but there’s not much pizzazz.… Continue reading
BD Rating – Difficulty **– Enjoyment ****
Kia ora from Aotearoa.
We have been away for a few days. Taumarunui is a small town in the centre of the North Island and from there we did a day trip which involved a jet boat ride on the upper Whanganui river and then a self-drive excursion in converted golf carts along a section of discontinued railway.… Continue reading
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
An extremely pleasant start to the week’s Toughies, albeit not taking up much of my day. Continue reading “Toughie 2390”
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BD Rating - Difficulty *** - Enjoyment ***
Hello, everyone. Apologies for today’s bare-bones blog, but I need to spend my Monday evening with PowerPoint preparing for an important review in the morning. In the hints below most indicators are italicized, and underlining identifies precise definitions and cryptic definitions. Clicking on the answer buttons will reveal the answers. Please leave a comment telling us how you got on. Continue reading "DT 29295"
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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***
A user-friendly puzzle today in a user-friendly grid. What’s not to like. A first read through of clues gave a satisfactory number of answers scattered nicely across the grid. This gave many useful checking letters which helped with the trickier clues. Continue reading “DT 29294”