Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Two puzzles from Ray T in the same week – and I get to review both of them! This one has the usual double entendre and a trademark Queen clue.
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment **
Well, there’s one example of a weird surface (22a) and a couple of cryptic definitions which don’t work very well in my opinion, but on the whole I thought this one was pretty reasonable if not too stimulating. It’s not terribly difficult – I completed three-quarters of it in almost record time but then slowed down in the NW corner, so I think this setter definitely belongs to Tuesdays rather than Wednesdays (Puzzles Editor please note) – perhaps a swap with Beam would be in order? 
Let us know how you got on and please take the time to record your enjoyment of it by clicking on one of the stars below.
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Greetings from Canada where we are bracing for the first frost of the season. Today, we have a quintessential Jay puzzle, populated with lots of charades, plenty of clues where one must either take or delete the first, last or middle letters, and sprinkled with a few substitutions (A for B type clues). It took me longer than normal to complete it – but that is undoubtedly due to attempting to watch a hockey game at the same time (and, yes, my team did win).
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Today’s puzzles have kindly been provided by Phil McNeill, the Telegraph’s Puzzles Editor.
In view of the improved performance on the Telegraph Puzzles site, this will be the final day that this facility will be provided.
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment *****
It’s my lucky day again – a Toughie from one of my favourite setters.
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
A couple of weeks ago I asked whether having only two anagrams in a puzzle was a record. Well, if it was it’s been well and truly beaten today because this one has none at all. How refreshing! It does mean that we get a lot of charade-type clues but I’m not going to complain about that. Give us a comment with your views.
To see an answer just highlight the space between the brackets under the clue.
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Today’s puzzles have kindly been provided by Phil McNeill, the Telegraph’s Puzzles Editor.
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
After doing yesterday’s excellent crossword late in the afternoon sat outside in the sunshine with a glass of wine, I got to do this equally excellent crossword from Rufus this morning in the dark and cold with a cup of tea. I thought this was a bit harder and more trickier than we usually get on a Monday morning but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment. Last corner to fall was the NE with 1a and 2d holding me up for a little while.
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Today’s puzzles have kindly been provided by Phil McNeill, the Telegraph’s Puzzles Editor.
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Today’s puzzle can be downloaded from the previous post.
As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, I will select a few of the more difficult clues and provide hints for them.