Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2535 – Hints
Hints and tips by Big Dave
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
I really enjoyed yesterday, and it was great to meet three cyberfriends for the first time. I have a few pictures to put up on the blog soon (unless the people concerned send money in a plain brown envelope!).
A few hints to get you started.
Don’t forget that you can give your assessment of the puzzle. Five stars if you thought it was great, one if you hated it, four, three or two if it was somewhere in between.
As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, I will select a few of the better clues and provide hints for them.
Peter Biddlecombe’s full review of this puzzle will be published at 12.00 on Friday, 14th May.
Continue reading “ST 2535 – Hints”
Not the Saturday Prize Puzzle – 013
Superficial Cuts by Radler
+– + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
Welcome to the thirteenth in our series of weekly puzzles.
Radler reaches his fourth on this site – and don’t forget he has a further puzzles on Alberich (see the main Crosswords page for a link).
Continue reading “NTSPP – 013 Comments”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26235 – Hints
Big Dave’s Saturday Crossword Club
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
The usual few hints just to get you started. I’m off to the White Horse soon so I will leave you all in the more-than-capable hands of the other bloggers. If you fancy coming along to the pub today, the directions are on the Cruciverbalists’ Convention post.
Don’t forget that you can give your assessment of the puzzle. Five stars if you thought it was great, one if you hated it, four, three or two if it was somewhere in between.
As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, I will select a few of the better clues and provide hints for them. A full review of this puzzle will be published on Thursday, 13th May.
Continue reading “DT 26235 – Hints”
Toughie No 350 by Notabilis
Five Star Brilliance
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ***** – Enjoyment *****
Having had a very late night on Electionwatch and trying to make sense of the whole thing. I was grateful to Notabilis for giving me something to take my mind off things. This was a magnificent puzzle, with fine tough cluing leading to a considerable amount of satisfaction as the last answer entered. Anagrams are suitably masked and Notabilis is not afraid to use unusual words in the subsidiary indications. However, I am afraid that several clues defeated me.
As usual, have your say after the blog and tell us how you rated the puzzle with the star system. New visitors should know that the answers to the clues are hidden between the squiggly brackets and you should highlight the space to see the solution.
Off we go.
Continue reading “Toughie 350”
Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2534
A full analysis by Peter Biddlecombe
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment *****
For once I looked at the hints posting before writing this, so I’m trying to highlight a few useful pointers for beginners. The Sunday puzzles are worth attention from beginners because Brian Greer is scrupulously fair – more so than some Telegraph or Toughie setters. Every clue has a fair definition, and every word in the clue is there for a good reason – there are no extra words added for the sake of the “surface” reading and not the cryptic reading of the clue.
Continue reading “ST 2534”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26234
Hints and tips by Gazza
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ***
Giovanni has given us probably the most difficult puzzle of the week. Please remember that the gradings above are a personal opinion, i.e. just my view, which has no more validity than anyone else’s view, so let us know your opinion.
The answers, should you need to see them, are hidden inside the curly brackets. Just drag your cursor through the space between the brackets to reveal them.
Continue reading “DT 26234”
Cruciverbalists’ Convention
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
Tilsit, Prolixic, Gnomethang and I will be among those present in the White Horse pub in Parson’s Green, London tomorrow, 8th May, from 11am till late. Drop in and have a drink with us if you are in town today.
Full details can be found here, just click on the picture:
Continue reading “Cruciverbalists’ Convention”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26229
A full review by Big Dave
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
An enjoyable Prize puzzle from Cephas, with no major grumbles from me!
Continue reading “DT 26229”
Toughie No 349 by Messinae
Hints and Tips by Tilsit
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
I’d have probably said this was a 2 ½ for difficulty, absolutely right down the middle. Delightfully exact cluing in a similar way to Giovanni and a few to make you smile as you solve.
As usual, have your say after the blog and tell us how you rated the puzzle with the star system. New visitors should know that the answers to the clues are hidden between the squiggly brackets and you should highlight the space to see the solution.
Off we go.
Continue reading “Toughie 349”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26233
Hints and tips by Big Dave
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
This Crossword is specially themed for the General Election and mentions the three main parties and their leaders as well as a smattering of other politically oriented terms. I have highlighted, in green, the seven main clues. Expect a protest from the Scottish and Welsh Nationalists, as they are not included.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought. You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.
Continue reading “DT 26233”