Big Dave's Crossword Blog – Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English

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Welcome to Big Dave’s Crossword Blog

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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.

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Sunday Toughie 233 (Hints)

Sunday Toughie No 233


by Zandio

 

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

 

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A  cracking puzzle from Zandio, I solved this with less stress than watching the England game last night, although 3d and 13a took a bit of pondering.

My stress levels have soared as the installation of new broadband is not going smoothly…

I hope you find the checkers to finish, and I will try to give a nudge if required.

 

Here We Go…

Continue reading “Sunday Toughie 233 (Hints)”

ST 3377 (Hints)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3377 (Hints)

Hints and tips by Senf

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A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where, like most of the UK (or is it only England?), we are extremely hot and humid but only for three days with the ‘feels like’ somewhere in the high-40s/low 50s. Then, on Tuesday, we are forecast to return to pleasantly warm and humid with the ‘feels like’ in the low 30s.

Then yesterday, there was the ‘oddity’ of watching the England oval ballers playing an ‘away’ game (yes, I do know why) in Everton FC’s magnificent new stadium.  But, I suppose ‘going North’ to play in Liverpool counts as an away game for the 15-a-side national team!

For me, and I stress for me,© Dada quirkily friendly with perhaps some lateral thinking required with one long ‘un, six anagrams (one partial), one lurker, and no homophones, all in a very asymmetric 31 clues; with 15 hints ‘sprinkled’ throughout the grid you should/might be able to get some of the checkers to enable the solving of the unhinted clues. I hope you have your Crimson Tomes at hand!

Remember that Reading the Hints before commenting can be beneficial!

If it is some time since you read, or if you have never read the instructions in RED below the hints then please consider doing so before commenting today as my electronic blue pencil is at the ready and the Naughty Step is OPEN!

Continue reading “ST 3377 (Hints)”

Toughie 3720

Toughie No 3720 by Elgar

Hints and Tips by crypticsue

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

A proper Friday Toughie, but then we would expect nothing less from Elgar

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DT 31283 (Full Review)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31283

A full review by Rahmat Ali

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This puzzle was published on 4th July 2026

BD Rating – Difficulty **Enjoyment ****

Greetings from Kolkata. A brilliant Saturday puzzle from the setter that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a review of the same for your kind perusal and significant feedback. Continue reading “DT 31283 (Full Review)”

Toughie 3719

Toughie No 3719 by Django
Hints and tips by ALP

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BD Rating – Toughie difficulty * Enjoyment ****

Pleasingly gentle from Django today. The only vaguely time-consuming element was checking the anagram fodder but – like a saint! – I’ve done it so you don’t have to. There’s some Beam-ish mention of boobs and blue tablets that makes the presumably accidental four-letter central Nina seem rather appropriate. There’s also the Miss Piggy reference that, for some reason, always makes me smile. ‘Tis all very jolly. The floor, as ever, is yours.

Continue reading “Toughie 3719”