Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Afternoon All!. Gazza has graciously stepped aside this afternoon to let me have a bash at my first Toughie review. I must admit to a feeling of trepidation when I realized it was to be Osmosis as I sometimes struggle with him.
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On 24 March, top Guardian cryptic crossword setter Paul will be giving members of Guardian Extra a fascinating insight into the mysterious and wonderful minds of the the Guardian cryptic crossword setting team.
How does one become a cryptic crossword setter? How are cryptic crosswords written? What is a fair clue and what isn’t? What is the secret of crossword comedy?
Paul, aka John Halpern, will charm and delight you as you enter the mysterious, bamboozling, magical world of the cryptic crossword.
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
While I enjoyed this puzzle and was able to complete it fairly readily, I found it considerably more of a challenge to review. I found that the clues ran the gamut – from quite simple to very tricky. For a while I thought it might merit 2* for difficulty, but a few clues whose wordplay left me scratching my head for quite some time caused me to rethink the rating.