Big Dave's Crossword Blog » gazza

DT 26779

gazza — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:00:27 +0000

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26779

Hints and tips by Gazza

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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

After yesterday’s excitement we have a more traditional offering today. The main problem I had with this one was that the grid really makes it into four separate puzzles, so that having completed one corner you have to start again with another. Give us your views in a comment.

Toughie 712

gazza — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:21:42 +0000

Toughie No 712 by Micawber

Just what the doctor ordered

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

A puzzle by Micawber is the very thing to cheer me up on a freezing winter’s morning. This is not one of his more difficult ones but is excellent entertainment.

DT 26776

gazza — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:00:09 +0000

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26776

Hints and tips by Gazza

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

Last Tuesday’s puzzle inspired a volley of complaints about its difficulty but I’m pretty sure that we won’t have the same reaction today. This one is a bit of a pussycat but it’s ideal for those trying to get to grips with what cryptic crosswords are all about. Let us know how you got on.

DT 26773

gazza — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:00:13 +0000

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26773

Hints and tips by Gazza

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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

Giovanni periodically provides a puzzle which is easier than normal and this one will probably come as a relief to those who have struggled this week. I breezed through most of it and then slowed down a bit in the SW corner. Let us know how you fared.

Toughie 708

gazza — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:57:23 +0000

Toughie No 708 by Elkamere

Romps with old sports stars

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

This is a really enjoyable puzzle from Elkamere. He’s superb at disguising definitions and there are some excellent examples here, but he’s also included several “easy” clues to give you some toeholds for the harder ones. It also seems to have two mini-themes involving a) old sports stars and b) naughty sexual activities. Let us know if you enjoyed it as much as I did.

DT 26770

gazza — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:01:57 +0000

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26770

Hints and tips by Gazza

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

This is a puzzle with all the hallmarks of Petitjean (my suspicions were first aroused by the Quickie pun). It has some pretty modern references (one so modern that it’s not in my 2008 edition of Chambers) so those who complain about crosswords being designed for oldies should be pleased. It has some excellent penny-drop moments and I really enjoyed it. Let us know what you think.

Toughie 704

gazza — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:15:22 +0000

Toughie No 704 by Excalibur

An Outbreak of 4-Letter Words

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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment **

When I found out last night that my task today was to review an Excalibur puzzle I wasn’t too disappointed because I thought that her previous one was pretty good. Sadly, this one isn’t! It’s nowhere near Toughie standard and many of the clues are weak (this is not helped by the grid having no less than fourteen four-letter words).

DT 26764

gazza — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 11:00:36 +0000

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26764

Hints and tips by Gazza

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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

Libellule is still tied up today so you’re stuck with me once again – that’s the bad news. The good news is that our manager has taken advantage of the January transfer window to sign up an exciting brand new blogger who will be making his or her debut on Friday - so that’s something different to look forward to. Today’s puzzle by the Mysteron is just about as straightforward as they get and it’s only really my abysmal typing skills which have promoted it from one to two stars for difficulty. However, as we always say, the difficulty level is nothing to do with the enjoyment factor, and it contains some entertaining clues. It does, unfortunately, offer limited opportunities for visual aids.

DT 26763

gazza — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:00:13 +0000

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26763

Hints and tips by Gazza

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

It’s hectic chez Libellule this morning so he and I have done a swap and he’ll be here tomorrow. This gives me the opportunity to blog a Rufus puzzle. I enjoyed this one (double unches and all) with its beautifully smooth surface readings. Let us know how you got on.

DT 26761

gazza — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:01:49 +0000

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26761

Hints and tips by Gazza

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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment **

I had to use the de-icer quite extensively this morning before I could take my car to the garage for its MOT, so winter seems to have arrived. That may account for my grumpiness but, whatever the reason, I didn’t think that this was one of Giovanni’s better puzzles – there was a distinct shortage of “doh” moments. On the other hand you may have loved it, so let us know what you thought.

Toughie 700

gazza — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:31:10 +0000

Toughie 700 by Osmosis

All Together Now: Tum-Te-Tum-Te-Tum-Te-Tum

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

Osmosis has produced a great puzzle for us today with a lovely mixture of clues (and it’s a pangram). There are a few easy clues sprinkled round the puzzle to provide footholds for the assault on the trickier ones (where the doh moments are to be found). Please let us know how you got on and rate the puzzle for enjoyment by clicking on one of the stars below.

DT 26758

gazza — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:00:17 +0000

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26758

Hints and tips by Gazza

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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

Nothing too frightening from the Mysteron today, though he has given us a couple of potential topics to discuss in the form of a politician who’s probably not that well known even in his own household and an old musician who would not have been remembered at all were it not for the woman he married. Let us know what you thought of it.

DT 26755

gazza — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 11:00:07 +0000

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26755

Hints and tips by Gazza

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

This was a game of two halves for me. Three-quarters of the grid went in fairly quickly, then I got held up in the NE corner where I was convinced that 9a was going to be a country and that the definition of 5d was “provided” – some nice bits of misdirection here. Thanks to Giovanni for a very enjoyable puzzle.

Toughie 696

gazza — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 12:45:56 +0000

Toughie No 696 by Notabilis

The Triumph of Hope over Experience?

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

This is a thoroughly enjoyable Toughie from Notabilis, worthy of the name Toughie but not so mind-blowing that you have to go and lie down in a darkened room after solving it. Let us know how you got on. Notabilis often hides a Nina in his puzzles, but I can’t find anything today. Can you?

DT 26752

gazza — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:00:15 +0000

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26752

Hints and tips by Gazza

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BD Rating – Difficulty ** - Enjoyment **

Good morning from a stormy, windswept Devon and a Happy New Year to all. Thanks to Prolixic, Gnomey and Crypticsue for doing all my blogging last week and giving me a whole week off. We have a pretty straightforward puzzle today. Let us know what you thought.

DT 26743

gazza — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 11:00:49 +0000

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26743

Hints and tips by Gazza

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

I was expecting a themed puzzle today but it’s a straightforward offering from Giovanni, enjoyable as ever. The grid does contain some of the dreaded double unches which I know that some don’t like although I don’t see them as a problem. Let us know how you fared.

Toughie 688

gazza — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:02:29 +0000

In terms of difficulty I think that this is pretty much spot on for a Wednesday Toughie, i.e. it makes you think but it’s not mind-blowingly tricky. I enjoyed the tussle with it (and it’s also a pangram). Let us know how you liked it and please take the time to click on one of the stars below to record your assessment of the puzzle.

DT 26740

gazza — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 11:00:12 +0000

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26740

Hints and tips by Gazza

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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment **

Perhaps the setters think that we’ll all be stressed out with preparing for the festivities this week and have decided to go easy on us with some not too strenuous fare. Certainly this one is not very stress-inducing, including as it does quite a lot of fairly simple anagrams. Your comments, as always, are very welcome.

DT 26737

gazza — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 11:02:32 +0000

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26737

Hints and tips by Gazza

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

I thought this was a really enjoyable Giovanni puzzle. Let us know how you got on with it.

Toughie 684

gazza — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:43:24 +0000

Toughie No 684 by Beam

Ooh Missus!

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

All of Beam’s trademarks are here – single-word answers, short and pithy clues, mention of Queen and lots of tongue-in-cheek double-entendres. It’s all thoroughly enjoyable. It took me longer than it should have because I initially wrote in the wrong answer for 7d.