January 8, 2015 – 7:00 pm
Cruciverbalists’ Convention
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It’s time once again for a meeting in London, this time to celebrate the sixth birthday of the blog. Come along and join us at The Bridge House, 13 Westbourne Terrace Road, London, W2 6NG on the 31st January- any time between 12noon and 7.00pm.
All are welcome (that means you!) and, as usual, we have picked a pub that enables you to enjoy a host of real ales. Click on either of the pictures for further details of the venue.
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January 28, 2009 – 12:00 pm
Welcome to Big Dave’s Crossword Blog
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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 Read More »
January 31, 2015 – 12:00 pm
NTSPP – 260
A Puzzle by Prolixic
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January 31, 2015 – 10:00 am
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27713 (Hints)
Big Dave’s Saturday Crossword Club
Hosted by Tilsit & Digby
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Greetings from the North of Liverpool. I’m up in Crosby on a retreat for a weekend while everyone else is gathering for cake in London. If you are around, do pop over to the Bridge House, it’s a lovely venue and lots of your favourite people will be there, and maybe a few of your tormentors so you can shake them warmly by the throat. You’ll be made extremely welcome and you will probably get a piece of Crypticsue’s lovely cake. We had a lovely chocolate cake last night as part of our evening meal, so I have had my quota already.
This is a reasonably straightforward prize puzzle with some nice clues. It certainly feels like a Peter Chamberlain puzzle, but I have known to be wrong.
I’ll pop in and out up until lunchtime and will then leave you to the tender mercies of young Digby for the afternoon when I hope to be going to look at Antony Gormley’s sculptures on the nearby beach.
As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, an assortment of clues, including some of the more difficult ones, have been selected and hints provided for them.
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January 30, 2015 – 3:00 pm
Toughie No 1336 by Notabilis
The Return of the Magician
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment *****
Another excellent puzzle from our Friday 4 Down. Words like quality and class come to mind. So many superb clues it is hard to pick a favourite, but being a lover of splendid words, Cleo’s going for 4 Down, while Antony has picked 22 Down (mainly because he initially got it wrong until the denarius dropped).… Read More
January 30, 2015 – 11:00 am
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27712
Hints and tips by Deep Threat
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Good morning from South Staffs on a cold day with a light dusting of snow.
I’m not sure what to make today’s puzzle from Giovanni. While I was completing it there was some glitch, either in the Telegraph site or in my PC, which meant that the cursor wouldn’t move from one square to the next every time I typed a letter, so I had to keep repositioning it.… Read More
January 30, 2015 – 8:00 am
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27707
A full review by gnomethang
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BD Rating – Difficulty ***– Enjoyment **
This puzzle was published on Saturday, 24th January 2015
Morning All! A few head scratch moments here and a couple of pretty fairly weak cryptic or double definitions (as far as I was concerened). Read More »
January 29, 2015 – 2:00 pm
Toughie No 1335 by Kcit
Hints and tips by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
A typical Kcit puzzle – not too difficult but nonetheless enjoyable.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought. You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.
Across
1a Building with very loud cracking?… Read More
January 29, 2015 – 11:00 am
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27711
Hints and tips by archy and mehitabel
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Good morning everyone, it’s the cockroach and the alley cat again – I told you we’d be back! Mehitabel has failed to land an Aristocat as her 18d and I’m still bashing my head on the keyboard so no change there. Our first blog was in birthday week last year so we thought it would be cool to get back together and do another.
It’s a pretty good puzzle with some clever stuff, a few “penny drops” and a few grins. We’ve agreed on **/*** but 5d is nearly worth a fourth enjoyment on its own. I’m sure many of you will disagree so it will be interesting to see your comments.
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January 29, 2015 – 8:00 am
Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2779
A full review by gnomethang
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BD Rating – Difficulty **– Enjoyment ***
This puzzle was published on Sunday, 18th January 2015
A fairly straightforward puzzle full of the ususal high quality clueing Read More »
January 28, 2015 – 1:37 pm
Toughie No 1334 by Micawber
Infamy, infamy!
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment *****
I always get a warm feeling from a Micawber crossword (very handy this morning when it’s blowing a gale outside) and, luckily for me, they very often appear on Wednesdays. This one is very much at the easier end of his spectrum but as enjoyable as ever.… Read More
January 28, 2015 – 11:00 am
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27710
Hints and tips by 2Kiwis
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
We felt privileged to have done the reviews on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve and now we get to write one on this auspicious day.
Happy Birthday Blog.
Our weather has been like we think we remember our summers from childhood. Day after day of blue skies and sunshine with the temperatures in the high 20’s. Long may it last.
Good fun again from Jay and it should not present too many difficulties.
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