Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26857
Hints and tips by Digby
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BD Rating – Difficulty ***/**** – Enjoyment ***
A bit of a re-shuffle in Bloggingland, unfortunately caused by Tilsit being detained at the NHS’s pleasure, affords me another turn in the Hot Seat. My first effort at blogging – back in the balmy days of January – was a Giovanni puzzle. I commented then that “We have a nicely balanced puzzle today from Giovanni. A good mix of difficulty and clue construction (including a couple of “old chestnuts”) that should please everyone”. Déjà vu all over again?
March 29, 2012 – 10:07 am
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26826
Hints and tips by Digby
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BD Rating – Difficulty ***/**** – Enjoyment ***
Maybe it was the effect of a late night, after a gruelling tennis match against mighty Brighton, but I found this at the high end of difficulty for a back-pager. All the clues were solvable with the application of a little preservation, so get stuck in and enjoy it. A satisfying solve.
March 15, 2012 – 10:45 am
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26814
Hints and tips by Digby
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
A reshuffle of the Blogging Brigade means that you get me today, tackling what BD warned me as being a bit tricky. The bark wasn’t perhaps quite as bad as the bite, and I found it to be a fair and challenging puzzle, with a couple of clues that lifted it just above 3* difficulty. It wouldn’t have been totally out of place on the Toughie page, but regular solvers should not be put off by that.
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26804
A full review by Digby
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Having been a regular solver – and submitter – of Saturday’s Prize Crossword for many moons (still no pen!) this is my first attempt at reviewing one. My impression is that they have become slightly more difficult over the past 2 years or so, and are now at about the level (3*) that they should be.
February 27, 2012 – 11:05 am
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26799
Hints and tips by Digby
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
After a week of celebration in Crosswordland, normal service is resumed with today’s challenge from “our” brand-new octogenarian. Rufus provides us with another gentle and enjoyable start to the week – his consistency never fails to impress.
February 20, 2012 – 9:15 am
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26793
Hints and tips by Digby
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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ****
“Happy Eightieth to Roger Squires” was the round-about nina in NTSPP 106, and the event was well and truly, if a few days prematurely, celebrated in the Shropshire village of Ironbridge on Saturday. Rufus’s sleight of hand with a deck of cards is reflected in the wordplay demonstrated in today’s puzzle, and clearly he has lost none of his wit and dexterity, for this is a reprint of his very first DT cryptic puzzle that first appeared on November 28, 1986.
Has it stood the test of time? Please share your views, but join me in wishing the sly old fox all the best for Feb 22nd, and heartfelt thanks for the untold hours of entertainment that he has provided.
February 6, 2012 – 9:31 am
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26781
Hints and tips by Digby
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ***
Thanks to Pommers and Big Dave, who both stayed up late, today’s Rufus puzzle awaited me in the early hours, and so normal service is resumed. Like Mary, and many more of you, I do enjoy the gentle, flowing style that Rufus seldom fails to deliver. This was no exception, though it fell into place quite quickly for me. How about you?
January 30, 2012 – 9:45 am
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26775
Hints and tips by Digby
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
I get to review another Monday Rufus today, while Mme. Libellule’s recuperation continues. This one was typical of what we have come to expect – light and breezy, with nothing to get heated about. Enjoy it, and let us know what you think.
January 23, 2012 – 10:25 am
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26769
Hints and tips by Digby
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Thanks for all your messages of support on Friday. Having had the weekend to recover here we go again, this time with a Rufus.
The observant ones amongst you might have noticed that my Gravatar (the picture over there >>>) has changed recently to a Buccaneer coming towards you at about 600mph. It’s the jet that Rufus and I used to fly from aircraft carriers, so it’s a real treat to be able to review one of his puzzles. His crosswords always provide a mixture of challenge and amusement, and this one is no exception – how does he manage to keep up the standard time after time?
Maybe getting up early meant that my brain wasn’t quite in gear, but I found one or two clues a little tenuous – but what do you think?
January 20, 2012 – 10:19 am
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26757
Hints and tips by Digby
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
From Closet Blogger, to occasional comments, via offering the odd tip to help guide Mary out of the Clueless Club, I suppose that this was the inevitable next step. I think it was Falcon who said that writing his first blog was like riding a bike without the training wheels. Now I know what he meant! Knowing that BD, and the rest of the team, is “out there” to help is a great comfort, however. We have a nicely balanced puzzle today from Giovanni. A good mix of difficulty and clue construction (including a couple of “old chestnuts”) that should please everyone. But what do you think?
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