Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
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.
If this is your first time, or for more information about this site, please click on Continue reading “Welcome”
In a comment on today’s Cryptic Crossword, Daisygirl inquires about the number of hits on the site and I thought it would be interesting to delve into this a bit. While there is a Statistics page on this site (under the About tab), it has not been updated since 2021.… Continue reading
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Even allowing for the two words most of us have probably never heard of (both fairly clued), I thought this was just right for a Wednesday Toughie. All I’ve got to do now is get rid of the ear worm!
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty **/*** Enjoyment ****
Good morning everyone, and welcome to the midweek back-pager blog. I found today’s puzzle suitably challenging for a Wednesday workout: there were a couple of (for me) obscure words that held me up, pushing me just into 3* time. I found it very hard to pick a favourite clue, as there was so much to enjoy and admire, with some great misdirection and several amusing cryptic definitions. I especially liked 10a, 14a, 3d, 7d and 9d, but today’s winner for me is 16d for its excellent surface reading and because it taught me a new word. Many thanks to today’s setter.
Sunday Toughie No 214 by proXimal
Review by
Sloop John Bee
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
This puzzle was published on the 1st March 2026
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
This puzzle was published on 1st March 2026
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. A highly entertaining puzzle from Dada this Sunday that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a full review of his puzzle for your kind perusal and valuable feedback. Continue reading “ST 3358 (Full Review)”
Toughie No 3649 by Hudson
Hints and tips by Whybird
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***
Greetings from a sunny, Spring-has-started Wirral. The first wheatear of the year has been seen on Hilbre Island, and Burton Mere Wetlands now has about a hundred Avocets dominating the main scrape (with more to come, hopefully), as well as a Mediterranean Gull looking to set up a territory on one of the islands.
I found today’s puzzle to be something of a curiosity. Apart from the fact that it is a pangram that I actually noticed (which makes it unusual!) it felt like it was a bit of a struggle to solve, but when I actually checked, I’d done it all in 1* time. It’s definitely not a Floughie, though, and there were a couple of senses employed that had me checking the reference works to confirm my suspicions. My prizes today go to 6d, 10a and 27a – a trio of clever clues with very neat surfaces. Thanks to Hudson for getting the morning cogs whirring!
Please let us know how you fared and what you thought of the puzzle.
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty * Enjoyment ***/****
The sun is out here in Harpenden so guess I’d better make the most of it & get out for a good walk before Cheltenham kicks off.
I thought today’s puzzle very enjoyable & about par for the course for a Tuesday. Possibly a tad trickier than yesterday but I wouldn’t say there’s much in it. For any seeking a further crossword I can heartily recommend Hudson’s excellent puzzle over in t’other place which really isn’t any more difficult than some of his Wednesday back-pagers & is great fun. I’m sure Whybird would be delighted to hear your thoughts.
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 from Ilkley. Here are some photos from a day trip this weekend — where did we go? (People from Yorkshire, please let others answer first!)
I liked all the clues in today’s Telegraph cryptic crossword. I got fewer answers on the first pass than I often do on Mondays, so I’ve rated it ★★ rather than ★ for difficulty. But several of the ones I skipped were those I’d successfully identified as anagrams, which I find hard to work out until I have crossing letters; if you’re somebody who can solve anagrams straight away, you may find it easier than I did.
Sunday Toughie No 215
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
Beam has provided a very pleasant and not too tough Toughie today. I was pleased to have something a little easier than last week’s, as no matter what tricks I used, I couldn’t get the puzzle until 00:10
Beam has brought us a generous and symmetric 16a and 16d clues today. When selecting the clues to hint, I found that the across selection was equally symmetric, so I let that guide an equally symmetric selection of downs. That may have left a few of the trickier clues unhinted, so I will endeavour to help with a bonus hint or two if you ask.
All the Beam™ trademarks are there, sweetheart, the Queen, single word answers and no anagrams. I spotted quite a few definitions by example? hence the question marks. I expect you will find the checkers to finish, as this was much more straightforward than last week.
Here we go, Folks…