April 23, 2009 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog

ST Cryptic No 2480 – Review

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2480 – Review

A full analysis by Big Dave

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BD Rating – Difficulty ** Enjoyment ****

This was the most enjoyable Sunday puzzle in a long time.  It’s hard to explain how one relatively easy puzzle is more satisfying than another – it has a lot to do with the “smile factor” :D that you get when you have solved a particular clue. Continue reading “ST Cryptic No 2480 – Review”

DT Cryptic No 25906 – Review

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 25906 – Review

A full analysis by Peter Biddlecombe

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BD Rating – Difficulty ** Enjoyment ***

A mixed bag this one. The grid has a distinctive Telegraph style to it, with the longish answers at 12, 13, 18, 21 placed in the middle of the grid rather than at one side, and quite a few double unches. But it mostly comes up smelling of roses, with fair checking all round and very generous 80% checking for the 10-letter answers. The only niggle is that we get 12 four-letter words.

Continue reading “DT Cryptic No 25906 – Review”

Toughie No 134

Toughie No 134 by Excalibur

Hints and tips by Tilsit

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BD Rating – Difficulty *** Enjoyment **

Greetings from the hospital again!  I have quite enjoyed solving on line with the Telegraph site something I didn’t do prior to admission.  Indeed my collection of 50+ pencils in their very own kidney bowl is a constant source of amusement to the nurses and worry to the Doctors, who feel I may have a touch of OCD.  The fact that when I am admitted to hospital, the first thing I pack every time is my Chamber’s and Bradford’s is another worry for them too.

My initial solving reaction was that I quite enjoyed it, but as I have begun to look deeper, I find quite a few things that both trouble and irritate me.

Continue reading “Toughie No 134”

DT Cryptic No 25910

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 25910

Today’s hints and tips by Gazza

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BD Rating – Difficulty *** Enjoyment **

It’s St. George’s Day and Shakespeare’s birthday so the puzzle will be full of allusions to celebrations, dragons and bardic quotations, won’t it? Well no, unless you count one measly mention of a flag!

Continue reading “DT Cryptic No 25910”