May 6, 2016 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog

Cryptic Crossword Research (Update – May 2016)

Cryptic Crossword Research
by Kathryn Friedlander and Philip Fine

Many of you kindly helped us in our research by completing a very detailed survey of personal background and solving habits, advertised via this board in 2010. We’ve just published some of the results from this large-scale survey in the Open Access international journal ‘Frontiers’, and a link is available here for anyone who is interested in downloading and reading the findings (click on the Download Article button for a pdf).… Continue reading

Toughie 1599

Toughie No 1599 by Elkamere

Hints and tips by Dutch

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

I’m always delighted when I get to blog an Elkamere. Today’s puzzle has the usual mix of clever clueing, disguised definitions and fun answers. It took me just over normal toughie time creeping into 4* for difficulty.… Continue reading

DT 28107

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28107

Hints and tips by Deep Threat

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BD Rating – Difficulty **Enjoyment ***

Good morning from South Staffs on a bright, sunny day.

In the end, today’s Giovanni yielded in fairly comfortable time, but at one stage I had the whole of the right-hand side filled in with nothing on the left.… Continue reading

DT 28102

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28102

A full review by crypticsue

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BD Rating – Difficulty ***Enjoyment ***

This puzzle was published on Saturday, 30th April 2016

I’d say this slightly trickier than usual  Saturday puzzle was a Mysteron production .   There appeared to be quite a bit of two of the same clue type in a row and a mistake in 17d.… Continue reading