Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
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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 No 243
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An almost floughie toughie from Beam, with all the trademarks: single-word answers, no anagrams, queens and sweethearts, and an initialism. Because of his no-anagrams rule, we have rather a lot of double and even a quadruple definition. I hope you find the checkers to finish and will try and give a nudge if needed
Here we go, Folks…
Enigmatic Variations 1765 (Hints)
THE SEVENTH NOTE by CHALICEA
Hints and tips by Gabriel
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At first, I didn’t bother asking AI since the preamble was pretty laconic and unrevealing. … Continue reading
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A very good Sunday morning from Manitoba where, like a number of other Provinces, the practice of Springing Forward and Falling Back is coming to an end. We Sprang Forward in March but it was announced on Thursday that we are not Falling Back in November so, until it changes again at some indeterminate time in the future, our time pieces will show Central Daylight Time, which is the same as Eastern Standard Time, year round. I expect that it will get a more appropriate name. I’m getting too old for all this malarkey!
For me, and I stress for me,© Dada sort of friendly but some lateral thinking required. Seven anagrams (six partials), two lurkers (neither hinted, you are on your own), and one homophone, all in an asymmetric 29 clues; with 15 hints ‘sprinkled’ throughout the grid, all BRB verified where necessary, 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! You might even need your favourite e-search ‘assistant’!
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!
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty ****** – Enjoyment *****
For a very brief moment, when I had solved several clues on first reading, I hoped that this was one of those extremely rare occasions when Elgar might have decided to be kind to his solvers. How wrong I was
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BD Rating - Difficulty *** - Enjoyment ***
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Friday. Continue reading "DT 31348"
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This puzzle was published on 12th September 2026
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. A fairly gentle and entertaining 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 31343 (Full Review)”
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BD Rating – Toughie difficulty * – Enjoyment ****
Another breezy Thursday, but typically entertaining and elegant. And such generosity suited me down to the ground as I’m itching to take the wife’s new, envy-inducing Brompton out for a cheeky spin. You (and she) may never see me again – if and when I hit Dover, I might just keep going. Bonne route à tous!
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31347
Hints and Tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty ****  Enjoyment ***
The additional star I’ve awarded for difficulty today is wholly down to the problems I had with 24a which were largely due to the positioning of the comma. Many thanks to our setter.
Continue reading “DT 31347”