January 5, 2010 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog

ST 2516

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2516

A full analysis by Peter Biddlecombe

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

I found this puzzle a little harder than some Sunday ones, even on a second solve after mislaying my original copy. 9A in particular kept me guessing for quite a while both times, and I’m pretty sure it was my last answer first time around. Even after the thematic extravaganza just before Christmas, there’s still some seasonal material, with wassailing at 16D and two lots of shopping (6D, 21D).
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Toughie 279

Toughie No 279 by Kcit

Does this Tick all the Boxes?

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BD Rating – Difficulty ** Enjoyment ***

A comparatively easy puzzle from Kcit – light relief for some after today’s daily cryptic!  Well-clued crosswords are usually very straightforward, and this one is no exception.

Particular favourite clues are highlighted in blue.

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.

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DT 26129

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26129

Hints and tips by Gazza

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BD Rating – Difficulty ** Enjoyment ***

It’s snowing quite heavily here now, so it’s very pleasant to sit in the warm drinking a cup of coffee and writing this review, whilst stealing a glance at the Christmas card scene outside.
The puzzle has all the hallmarks of a Ray T composition – tight surface readings, a few smiles and one belly laugh. I think that it’s slightly easier than his usual offerings, so I’ve given it only two stars for difficulty – of course you may disagree, and if you do (or even if you don’t) we’d love to get a comment from you.
(Regular readers will get fed up with reading this bit, but please remember that we have new readers joining us all the time.) The answers are hidden inside the curly brackets – just highlight the white space inside the brackets to reveal.

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