Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
You have reached the world’s biggest and best crossword blog. If you are looking for help with the Daily and Sunday Telegraph cryptic crosswords or the Enigmatic Variations advanced cryptic, a total of 13 puzzles a week, then you have come to the right place.
If this is your first time, or for more information about this site, please click on Continue reading “Welcome”
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
Toughie No 3780 by Osmosis
Hints and tips by Gazza
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ****
Jezza’s pleas on Wednesday’s Toughie blog have been answered and we have an Osmosis production with his usual cunning misdirections and no anagrams. I enjoyed it a lot but thought it marginally less tricky than his previous Toughies – I’d be interested in your thoughts.
Many thanks to Osmosis.
Please leave a comment telling us how you fared and what you liked about the puzzle.
Continue reading “Toughie 3780”
+ - + - + - + - + - + - + - +
BD Rating - Difficulty *** - Enjoyment ***
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Friday. I made a swift start on today’s enjoyable grid fill thanks to getting a few of the long answers right away from the enumeration and the definition. Continue reading "DT 31378"
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
This puzzle was published on 17th October 2026
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. A nice, lovely Saturday puzzle from Twmbarlwm that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a review of the same for your kind perusal and significant feedback. Continue reading “DT 31373 (Full Review)”
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Toughie difficulty */** – Enjoyment ****
Another entertaining romp from Dharma that thrives on typically smart wordplay and fair definitions. Such generosity proved especially welcome as I’m currently dosed to the eyeballs – laid up with mild concussion and a knee the size of a beachball. Joining the wife for a spin to mansplain the gearing on her new Brompton, I idiotically cycled full pelt into a bollard as I barked faintly patronising instructions over my shoulder and somersaulted into traffic. That’ll learn me … possibly! Still, there is one vague upside – I’ve had to borrow the telescopic walking stick I gave my mother-in-law last Christmas and this daft reversal of fortune has cheered her up enormously. The floor, as ever, is yours.
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty 1.5* – Enjoyment 4.5*
A very good Thursday morning from Winnipeg where we are enjoying high temperatures of up to 20 degrees! But, it is not going to last.
For me, and I stress for me© (I have to say that for Terence), another not a Dream Team Thursday with Dharma on Toughie duty. But, there is no doubt that this is the very entertaining and friendly work of the Master of Brevity. The usual one word clues and answers in the Quickie, and an appearance from the Queen and Ray T’s swEetheart in the back pager. Nothing to excite the latent third formers among us. Also, like Dada, Ray T still seems to be making occasional use of a personal thesaurus. I hope you have your Crimson Tomes at hand!
Remember that Reading the Hints before commenting can be beneficial!
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ***
A chilly, wet and gloomy morning makes this a perfect day to stay indoors and do battle with what I thought was a proper, almost 5* Toughie. Continue reading “Toughie 3778”
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** Enjoyment ****
Good morning everyone, and welcome to the midweek back-pager blog. I found today’s puzzle similar to yesterday’s in terms of difficulty. Some general knowledge of Greek mythology and literature is needed, and there are one or two more obscure words, but everything is fairly clued. There is also a very groanworthy Quickie pun. My favourite clue, and the one that gave me the biggest laugh, was 17a. Many thanks to our setter.
Sunday Toughie No 246 by Hudson
Full Review by Gazza
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
This puzzle was published on 11/10/26
Hudson has provided a very entertaining Toughie this week.
Across Clues
1a Hit extremely elegant golf shot (6)
SOCKET: an informal verb to hit (sock) and the outer letters of elegant. The answer is a rather obscure word for a golf stroke using the shaft of an iron club (thanks to the BRB). Continue reading “Sunday Toughie 246 (full review)”