Big Dave's Crossword Blog – Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English

 Welcome

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 or the Enigmatic Variations advanced cryptic, a total of 13 puzzles a week, then you have come to the right place.

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Toughie 3428

Toughie No 3428 by Osmosis
Hints and tips by Gazza

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

Thanks to Osmosis for a Friday-level Toughie which I enjoyed working through. I was slow to start but eventually gained a foothold in in the SW corner and proceeded slowly but steadily in a clockwise direction, finishing in the SE. Osmosis has given us a lot of clever wordplay and no anagrams.
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DT 30845 (full review)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30845

A full review by Rahmat Ali

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This puzzle was published on 8th February 2025

BD Rating – Difficulty **Enjoyment ****

Greetings from Kolkata. A nice, straightforward Saturday puzzle from NYDK that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a review of the same for your kind perusal and valuable comments.
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Toughie 3427

Toughie No 3427 by Silvanus
Hints and tips by Gazza

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BD Rating – Difficulty **Enjoyment ****

Silvanus appears once more in what has become a double act with Ray T (whose turn it is to be on the back page today). Thanks to him for a very enjoyable puzzle.
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DT 30849

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30849
Hints and tips by Huntsman

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

Shabbo has had the temerity to request a day off as he is off enjoying himself in the Cape so you’re stuck with me. Can’t promise his precise explanations but there are some good tunes to listen to.

No prizes for guessing the identity of today’s setter. With no more than six words in any clue & a crafty appearance for one of his trademarks (albeit in the form of an anagram) it’s Ray T, the first half of Jane’s Thursday dream team with Silvanus on Toughie duty. I’ll be interested to see how many, if any, hands go up for one consonant shy of a correct grid. A thoroughly enjoyable solve from start to finish.

In the following hints, definitions are underlined, indicators are mostly in parentheses, and answers are revealed by clicking where shown as usual. Please leave a comment below on how you got on with the puzzle.

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DT 30848

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30848

Hints and tips by Senf

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

A very good Wednesday morning from Winnipeg where we are in the deep freeze producing ideal conditions for this year’s Festival du Voyageur which begins on Friday.… Continue reading