Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
Excalibur is Nuala Considine. She was, until early 2009, the setter for the Sunday Telegraph.
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Welcome all. Well, today we have come to the last Excalibur Toughie. The end of an era, this is. Fun, it was.
I found it quite a bit harder than usual for a Tuesday Excalibur, and considered rating it more for difficulty, but have a strong feeling that the trouble may have been with the solver rather than the puzzle. … Continue reading
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Hi all. We have another enjoyable puzzle from the late Excalibur.
Definitions are underlined in the clues below and indicators are italicised when quoted in the hints.… Continue reading
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BD Rating – Difficulty ***/**** – Enjoyment ***
Hello everybody. We have today the first of a small stock of Excalibur’s Toughies to be published posthumously. I never met her but feel immensely privileged to have been able to blog a few of her crosswords, through which a real warmth seemed to shine. … Continue reading
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ****
Hi, and welcome to another Toughie Tuesday brought to you by Excalibur, with your furry hinter here to help. I didn’t find this too tricky but did enjoy the solve.… Continue reading
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BD Rating – Difficulty **/*** – Enjoyment ***
Hi everybody. I didn’t have much trouble with most of this, but had to sleep on the last couple (9a/7d). I’m not quite sure why, but it meant that I felt obliged to up the difficulty rating a little. … Continue reading
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BD Rating – Difficulty **/*** – Enjoyment ****
Warm greetings, gridfellows. Well, what a surprise – one of the most recognisable setters, and I failed to guess who it was (setter information had not been updated when I solved this). … Continue reading
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BD Rating - Difficulty **** - Enjoyment ***
Hello, everyone. I'm standing in for Bufo today. I found this puzzle from Excalibur to be a serious challenge that had me wondering for a while if I had bitten off more than I could chew when I volunteered to blog it.
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Hi everyone. Excalibur is here today to brighten Toughieland with a puzzle in her distinctive style. I found it below average difficulty for a Toughie, but I had to stop and use my 28a in places. … Continue reading
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ***
Happy 2018 to you all. Before moving forward I shall pause very briefly to insert the word cloud of Toughie answers seen twice or more in 2017 (click for a larger version):
The new year of Toughies launches with Excalibur who has given us one which I found of back pageish difficulty and providing enjoyment aplenty. … Continue reading
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Hi all. To start the Toughie week we have a puzzle in the distinctive style of Excalibur, which is to be expected, for she is today’s setter. … Continue reading