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.
If this is your first time, or for more information about this site, please click on Continue reading …
About the Blog
This blog was set up by Dave Morton (Big Dave) in 2009. Dave died in 2023 but, thanks to the generosity of his sister Carol and his son Richard, the blog continues, managed by the Caretakers (see below). To find out more about Big Dave, click here.
What We Do
Here you will get help with solving the cryptic crosswords published by the Daily and Sunday Telegraph. The wordplay will be explained by fellow solvers in simple, easy to understand, terms.
The main cryptic review is usually available by 11.00am, although it may be later at weekends, the one for the Toughie by 2.00pm and the EV by 12 noon. Please remember that all work on this site is voluntary (that’s a euphemism for unpaid!) and that circumstances may mean that some days they will be a little later.
This help will usually be gentle prods in the right direction, with the main emphasis on the wordplay. CAPITALS are used to indicate anagram fodder (the letters from which the anagram is formed) and any other part of the answer that comes from the clue itself.
For several years the answers were given inside curly brackets using a white font – just select the area inside the brackets and the answer is revealed ~
try it here: {THIS TEXT IS REVEALED WHEN SELECTED}.
More recent posts use a spoiler facility – just click on where it says ANSWER to reveal the answer.
Some hints have links to items of interest, some useful, some totally frivolous – just click on the highlighted words.
Prize Crosswords
As far as Prize Cryptic crosswords are concerned, hints for some of the more difficult clues are given on the day of publication, with a full review appearing on the day after the deadline for submission of competition entries. This is in common with most of the other serious crossword blogs. The EV hints appear on the day of publication and the answers, together with a setter’s blog when available, at 9:00 am on the day after the closing date. The blog is interested in helping true crossword enthusiasts rather than serial prize seekers. Comments on these puzzles which give answers, whether whole, partial or incorrect, or alternative clues before the closing date will be redacted or deleted.
Other Crosswords
The site also features a number of puzzles that are not available elsewhere – a Not The Saturday Prize Puzzle (NTSPP) each Saturday, a Rookie puzzle each Monday and a Quarterly Prize Puzzle (MPP).
Site Map
The Site Map provides a simple guide to the content of the website.
The Caretakers
The blog is now maintained by Gazza, Crypticsue, Mr Kitty and Prolixic. You can read more about them on the Meet the Bloggers page.
Finally
We hope you enjoy your visit, and hope you will return each day.