Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
There’s a lot of GK in this puzzle but most of it is fairly accessible (though I repeat what I said last week about some clues offering more difficulties for overseas solvers).… Continue reading
BD Rating – Difficulty **– Enjoyment ****
Kia ora from Aotearoa.
A couple of our Spring markers that we watch out for on regular walks have appeared this week. We spotted our first clutch of ducklings, nine in this family, and the first contingent of Bar-tailed godwits have arrived from their breeding season in Alaska.… Continue reading
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This puzzle was published on 13th September 2020
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Not particularly tricky Continue reading “ST 3073”
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
What a pleasure it has been to solve and review this wonderful crossword. The puzzle is full of ingenuity and offers none of the staleness and tiredness sometimes seen in crosswordland. At the time of solving and reviewing I have Silvanus in mind or possibly Chalicea. Only time and Kath will tell. (CrypticSue told and it is Silvanus) Great fun all round. 27 across and 20 down went in easily but both took some time for me to work out the parsing. See if you can manage them without the hints. Continue reading “Toughie 2510”
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BD Rating - Difficulty *** - Enjoyment ****
Hello everyone, and welcome to Tuesday. In my blog for DT 29457 a few weeks ago I said that it was the best crossword that I'd solved for months. The Clue of the Week section in the following edition of the Telegraph Puzzles Newsletter revealed that the compiler of that fine puzzle was our regular Sunday setter John Halpern. In my view, today's puzzle delivers similar levels of enjoyment. There are a few echoes of DT 29457 in it, but I'm not sure enough that it's Dada to stick my neck out and assign it to him. Perhaps our compiler or our editor could enlighten us? Reader speculation is of course welcome. Continue reading "DT 29475"
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Hola from the Vega Baja where summer appears to have returned since my last blog a couple of weeks ago. The temperature has climbed over 30°C every day for the last week and it’s forecast to stay the same for the rest of this week.
Today’s crossword isn’t as easy the last one I blogged but I don’t think these hints will be needed much. There’s a couple of meanings of words which I hadn’t come across before but the wordplay is fairly clear so a quick look in the dictionary to confirm is all that’s required.
Continue reading “DT 29474”
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Pleasant enough, though I normally enjoy Sparks a lot more – could just be me today. Continue reading “Toughie 2509”
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Good morning from South Staffs. The sun is shining, but the news continues to be grim, as the only thing the incompetents in charge of us can think of is to lock us all up again, and expect us to snitch on our neighbours by way of recreation.… Continue reading
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This puzzle was published on 12 September 2020
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Nice to have Cephas back, this time with an enjoyable pangram Continue reading “DT 29467”
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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***
Thursday brings us Firefly with a crossword on the Toughie spectrum Continue reading “Toughie 2508”