Toughie No 770 by Elgar
Moonlighting?? – No, Just Dancing on the Sand!
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ***** – Enjoyment *****
Matron has insisted that young Tilsit remain for another week in Convalescent Corner, which means that I have crept out of the Weekend Retreat for the second time this week, in order to blog my first whole Toughie. Having sorted out the wordplay (I hope!), I do wonder if perhaps Matron knew what Tilsit was in for with this particular crossword!!
At the bottom of the puzzle in the paper it says ‘All at sea? See the note under the back-page Cryptic Crossword solution’. Look there and, if you can read upside down, you learn that tomorrow is the 200th anniversary of the birth of the 6a whose best-known work is celebrated here.
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26858
A full review by crypticsue
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Cephas put on his slightly trickier hat last Saturday and gave us an entertaining crossword with a nice mix of clues, including his usual beautifully indicated anagrams. The difficulty rating just sneaked into the 3* category because of problems I had with two clues.
Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2637
A full review by crypticsue
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ****
Before I start getting comments from people who think I have reviewed the wrong crossword, can I just remind everyone that, because Telegraph Puzzles have extended the end date for Sunday puzzles from five days after publication to eleven days after publication, this, if you can remember that far back, is the crossword which appeared on Sunday 29 April.
Once again, Virgilius provided us with a splendid treat of a puzzle – it was almost a shame that it was so straightforward as it was over all too soon. Lots of entertainment as usual and I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did.
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26860
Hints and tips by crypticsue
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** - Enjoyment **
Firstly thank you to Gazza who cleverly noticed that if I had chosen yesterday from one of two options for my lovely walk, then I must still have a day off today and therefore suggested that I might like to undergo the scary experience of an on-the-day blog once again.
Thank you to the Tuesday Mysteron for one of those crosswords where starting with the downs would have paid dividends, but in the end was completed in a straightforward time. I have awarded ** for difficulty because it took me a little longer to ‘see’ the wordplay of a couple of clues.
Not the Saturday Prize Puzzle – 117
You’re my Favourite by Prolixic
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
Starting from today, all puzzles will be available in interactive format right here on the blog
Not the Saturday Prize Puzzle – 116
A puzzle by Donk
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
A new name joins the ranks of the NTSPP setters. When you’ve been solving cryptics for as long as I have, it is good to try new setters’ puzzles and I thoroughly enjoyed Donk’s first NTSPP and hope we see more of him soon.
April 27, 2012 – 12:00 pm
Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2636
A full review by crypticsue
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ****
Many thanks to Virgilius once again for brightening up Sunday morning with a slightly more straightforward than usual crossword, but with the same high enjoyment factor as ever. My favourites are highlighted in blue.
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26846 (Hints)
Big Dave’s Crossword Club
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
First of all, many happy returns of the day to Her Majesty the Queen, Big Dave, Libellule (a special one for the latter!) and anyone else whose birthday is today. Big Dave is celebrating his birthday at the Sloggers & Betters in Todmorden and so I am in the hot seat for the day – I would have loved to join the celebrations but West Yorkshire is just a bit too far for a day trip from Kent!
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.
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26840
A full review by crypticsue
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***
A typical Prize Puzzle from the Saturday Mysteron – a straightforward solve with a nice mix of clues including one particularly straightforward clue which caused a great deal of discussion as to the accuracy of the definition therein. My favourites are highlighted in blue.
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26834
A full review by crypticsue
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ***/****
For me this was one of the best Saturday Prize Puzzles for some time. An enjoyable solve with a very nice mix of clues and, for me, double the fun as it was my turn for the review. Thanks very much to Cephas for a great start to Easter Saturday.
Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2633
A full review by crypticsue
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment *****
Possibly the Best Puzzle of the Week once again, thank you Virgilius – all the usual ‘trademarks’ but this time with the added bonus of a date-related theme!
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26833
Hints and tips by crypticsue
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Gazza very kindly offered the ‘weekend’ bloggers the chance to do an on-the-day blog today and as the two gentlemen had prior engagements, I took up the challenge of the Good Friday Giovanni puzzle for the second year running. Giovanni normally gives us a religious clue or two, but the nearest I can find is 19a which always makes me think of Biblical retributions. Not sure what Gazza would think about the anagram count, but I didn’t really notice until I came to do my notes for the review!
March 30, 2012 – 12:00 pm
Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2632
A full review by crypticsue
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment *****
Best puzzle of the week, thank you Virgilius. Some clues fall into easier to solve than explain territory, and it is impossible to pick favourites from so many good examples, although revisiting the crossword for the review has made the one clue I didn’t like ‘grow’ on me!
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26816
A full review by crypticsue
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Every other Saturday we get a slightly trickier challenge from the Saturday Mysteron and this week’s puzzle was no exception. When I had finished, I wasn’t sure I had found it as much fun as usual but doing the review it has certainly grown on me, not least because of my two favourite clues, highlighted in blue.
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26810
A full review by crypticsue
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***
Many thanks as usual to Cephas for another straightforward enjoyable Saturday puzzle. After all the varying levels of difficulty in the weekday puzzles (Toughies included), I quite like a gentle Saturday puzzle. It gives me my daily crossword ‘fix’ and still leaves time for all the other things that have to be crammed into an all-too-short weekend.
Click here & select Favorites to Bookmark in your browser
Admin
Big Dave
bufo
crypticsue
Digby
Falcon
gazza
gnomethang
Jon88
Libellule
pommers
Prolixic
tilsit