Merry Christmas – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all our readers

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Big Dave and the team of bloggers would once again like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas 2020 and a Happy New Year in 2021.

A special thank you to all the crossword setters, especially to those who have taken the time to leave comments on the blog, and to Chris Lancaster and his team at Telegraph Puzzles.

If you are one of several thousand lurkers that visit the site every day – why not break cover and say hello!


Although the Daily Telegraph is not published today, online subscribers have been treated to not two but three web-only cryptic puzzles – a standard puzzle, to be reviewed by Deep Threat, a Toughie by Firefly, to be reviewed by Dutch, and finally a beastly Double Toughie from Elgar (cunningly hidden as Giant General Knowledge No 100,012), to be reviewed by Tilsit.  The reviews of the standard puzzle and Firefly’s Toughie will be published later today, but the review of Elgar’s Double Toughie will not be published until later, to give both you and us more time for solving!


49 comments on “Merry Christmas

  1. Happy Christmas Dave, Happy Christmas everybody, and following a year like no other, I look forward to 2021 with you all. Best wishes to all.

  2. Happy birthday little Jesus.
    Over 2000 years old and not a wrinkle.
    Have a great day everyone.
    I’m going to start with that Elgar now and might finish it before the new year.

  3. Merry Christmas everyone. Think on the bright side – Next year will be better than this year

  4. Season’s Greetings and here’s hoping to a happier 2021. I might even win the DT Saturday crypitc crosswtd prze. Goodbye 2020.

  5. Christmas Greetings to Big Dave
    And your clever Hinting Crew. I’d like to say I’m grateful for everything you do.
    Day by day and week by week you never let us down and when we find we’re really stuck you clear away our frown.
    And greetings to our setters with their sideways, cryptic clues, in this horrid COVID year you’ve kept us all amused.
    I’ve made a lot of lovely friends in many far flung places, I know their pets and favourite teams but I wouldn’t know their faces.
    I wish you all you wish yourselves and pray this coming year, we all keep well and safe and can go on struggling with the crosswords! (I’ve run out of steam). 🎄

  6. Shy Pharmacist upset about patient’s first greeting (5,9)
    to Dave and all the people who set blog and comment here.
    You have all been a port of sanity, amusement and diversion in the storm we have endured this year.!

    The clue at the top is from the rather pleasant cryptic 100012 from the puzzles site

      1. What about the second p!
        The crossword was a nice start to Xmas Day.
        Happy Christmas to all on this site.

  7. Happy Christmas, fellow puzzlers and many thanks to BD for running this marvellous site.
    It has been a source of much comfort and joy in these difficult times.

  8. Merry Christmas, Big Dave and thank you for this wonderful blog. My solving ability has come on in leaps and bounds since I joined.

    A very Merry Christmas to all the setters, especially those who join us on the blog and to all the hinters who give of their time free to offer us all help if we need it.

    Finally, Merry Christmas to fellow members of the blog. You all make shielding bearable and amusing.

    Her’s to a far far better 2021.

  9. Merry Christmas to you Big Dave, all the hinters and of course the setters. I come to the site late most days and don’t often blog but I read the comments every day and feel as if I am among a group of friends.
    My very best wishes for the New Year to all those undergoing health issues and anyone having a difficult time. It’s been a tough year for all of us but coming here for a catch up every day makes it a lot easier.
    Merry Christmas one and all.

  10. A very happy Christmas to all who contribute to this very special site. I think between them Daisy & Steve have captured my thoughts entirely.

  11. Merry Christmas to all compilers, providers of hints, photos and musical feasts and fellow contributors and to our leader, Big Dave. This site is a refuge from the storms of political insanity, the covid pandemic and personal misfortunes, not to mention a fount of advice from the crosswords themselves to gardening hints and delicious recipes. A better New Year in 2021 to all of us hopefully!

  12. All the very best of wishes to BD and his team of bloggers who have not only given us help with the puzzles but also provided a little oasis of calm to turn to each day during these extraordinary times.
    Many thanks to them and to all who pop in to leave comments – what a wonderful little community we’ve formed xxx

  13. I read almost every single post so thank you to all who contribute to this site, I consider many of you friends
    Thanks also to the bloggers for taking the time to prepare entertaining hints & reviews for us, not forgetting Prolixic’s invaluable insight in providing Rookie Corner reviews – it must seem a thankless task at times, and Gnomethang who’s reviews often go uncommented
    And of course, huge thanks to Big Dave for keeping the show on the road
    I don’t do Christmas, but all the best to those who do
    Cheers all, Roy

  14. A very Happy Christmas to everyone associated with this marvellous site, but especially to BD and his team of bloggers who work so tirelessly to produce the daily blogs. Coming on here has been part of my daily ritual for several years now, and I cannot imagine not doing so. Thanks for all your hard work.

  15. Feliz Navidad to one and all – from a sunny (if cold and windy) Vega Baja.
    I’m currently sat outside our local bar with pommers – having a wee brandy with my coffee. Then we’re off home to put the lamb in the oven – traditional xmas supper here.
    Thanks to all setters and bloggers from me. Hope you all have a good day and that 2021 is a bit kinder to everyone.

    1. Lucky you. We also have a windy and cold but beautiful weather but haven’t been able to sit on a bar terrace for 2 whole months and probably not for the next two either.

  16. Happy Christmas Everyone.
    No snow here in Ontario.
    xxxxxxx

  17. Thanks to Big Dave and his team. Also thanks to Chris Lancaster and the telegraph puzzles team. I’m always late to the party as I buy a paper and leave the crosswords and puzzles until the early hours as I don’t sleep as well as others. I don’t know how I’d have coped this year without this blog. I do contribute but in the early hours and so not read by the usual crew. I so enjoy trying to complete the cryptic crosswords with clues provided and I love all the snippets in the blog about the weather and wildlife and pets and food and books etc. Many thanks and much gratitude to you all.

  18. In what has been the strangest year that I can remember I have special reasons to be extremely grateful to be a member of the family that contribute to this site.
    To BD the “Grandad” of us all, and your family thanks for everything and may you have wonderful Christmas and may 2021 make progress to a return to life as we knew it.
    Thanks a million to reviewers, hinters and others who contribute to not only bringing the crosswords to life but wonderfully bringing life to the crosswords, may it long continue.

  19. Merry Christmas and best wishes for the New Year! Thank you to Big Dave and all the setters and bloggers for so much enjoyable time spent puzzling.
    😊

  20. In the unshakeable belief that it’s never too late to wish you all a Happy Christmas, I wish you all a Happy Christmas!
    Thanks for a wonderful blog.

  21. Happy Boxing Day
    to Big Dave,
    all his reindeer bloggers
    Every setter
    and everyone who has made this a better year than we could ever have hoped.

  22. And season’s greetings from Boston. Our ventures into crossword land would not be the same without y’all.

    Mrs & Mr T

  23. Merry Christmas to BD and all the blogging team. I look in most days and contribute now and again. You continue to help me improve my crossword skills as you have done for a number of years.

    I remain very grateful to all of you.

    Have a good one

  24. Wishing you all a healthy and happy for 2021. Most grateful for the great work of all your bloggers, it is a real sanity saver whenever I get ‘stuck’ (which is more often than I would like to sometimes admit).

    Louish1

    1. Good of you to pop in, Snape. A very Happy New Year to you as well – surely has to be better than the last one!

  25. Many thanks to Big Dave, bloggers, hinters and this mad community of cruciverbalists who have helped to maintain my limited sanity. HNY to you all and best wishes for a better, healthier and more normal 2021.

      1. Thanks crypticsue I am an occasional contributor but have fallen foul of the errant + and in the adjustment lost the space between taking and 5 which is my moniker and thus I suspect appeared as new.

  26. Thanks crypticsue I am an occasional contributor but have fallen foul of the errant + and in the adjustment lost the space between taking and 5 which is my moniker and thus I suspect appeared as new.

  27. As I too am an occasional contributor to this site, I am too late to wish everyone a Merry Chrismas, so wish you all a happy and healthy new year.

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