Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2685 (Hints)
Hints and tips by Big Dave
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As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, I will select a few of the more difficult clues and provide hints for them.
Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
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As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, I will select a few of the more difficult clues and provide hints for them.
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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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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment *****
Notabilis is one of a handful of Toughie setters who consistently produce five-star puzzles.
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Although I must have blogged hundreds of Giovanni’s puzzles by now I wouldn’t have associated this one with him if I hadn’t known that he always provides the Friday back-pager. In spite of the date there are no trademark religious references and no classical allusions. I thought that it was pretty straightforward – how did you get on?
Continue reading “DT 27138”
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Gnomey’s stuck in a dark basement again (the lives these young men lead!) and his very last minute emailed plea for help gives me the chance to review this Cephas puzzle – Cephas is definitely increasing the difficulty level these days which adds to the enjoyment factor too.
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
It’s about 2½ years since I last blogged a Busman toughie but I could still remember that Busman toughies are normally pleasant enough to do but not overly difficult. Nothing has changed. This is the grid that is effectively four mini-puzzles connected at the centre. There’s always a danger with this grid that one of the corners might prove intractable but that didn’t happen here. I did the top two corners with ease but then had to think a little bit harder about the bottom two.
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Afternoon All! Apologies for the late delivery – my PC at home had problems so I couldn’t upload late last night and had to redraft the blog. A fine Virgilius puzzle as we have come to expect..
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Greetings from Ottawa where spring has arrived. Judging from the UK forecast, conditions here are very similar to those in London – perhaps even a few degrees warmer here. However, we still have a foot or two of snow on the ground – but it is quickly disappearing.
I suspect that you did not get the blogger you were expecting, and maybe not the setter either – I would say that this puzzle has definitely not been fashioned by RayT. On first read through, I thought it was going to be more difficult than it turned out to be. Once I got a foothold established, things started to fall into place.
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BD Rating – Difficulty ***/**** – Enjoyment ****
…well, it is Petitjean so several musical references and some mountains too! A super crossword; for me it had about the right level of toughness for a Wednesday (3.5*), lots to smile at, and the chance to sing while you type too!! No need for hats, either slightly mad or thermal today as the sun’s finally appeared in a lovely blue sky.