Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
Why not have a go at the June Monthly Prize Puzzle?
As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, I will select a number of the more difficult clues and provide hints for them.
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
A new month heralds a new Monthly Prize Puzzle – why not have a go?
As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, an assortment of clues, including some of the more difficult ones, have been selected and hints provided for them.
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
Why not have a go at our latest Monthly Prize Puzzle? The winner will receive their choice of any of the Telegraph Crossword Books published by Hamlyn.
Please note that, due to punitive postal charges, while the competition is open to all, the prize is only available to UK solvers.
A review will follow after the closing date (21st June 2014).
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment **
I found this to be a bit of a slog, especially the North West East corner. The answers are obvious when you know them, but a lot of them had to be prised out one by one, a bit like pulling teeth.
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Buon giorno from Torre di Lago Puccini, in Tuscany, where the sun continues to shine. We went to Pisa yesterday and didn’t take a photo of me pretending to hold up the Leaning Tower.
The Don has marked today’s 70th anniversary of D-Day with a suitably themed puzzle, with several D-Day codewords and other WWII related items. I think, subject to correction, that the D-Day codewords are the ones which got the then Daily Telegraph setter into trouble when they appeared in his crosswords ahead of the event. Not too difficult today, and completed in ** time.
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
I solved this enjoyable pangram while my lovely grandson was having his Saturday morning nap – his idea of ‘helping’ Granny with crosswords was to take away the pen, chew it for a bit and then throw it across the room!
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ****
An enjoyable puzzle from Beam which shows all his usual trademarks (single word answers, no anagrams, short clues). There was nothing too difficult although I did slow down when it came to filling in the last few answers. The time taken took me into 4* difficulty territory.
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ****
Many thanks once again to Virgilius for our Sunday treat. This one was a fine example of the ‘a crossword doesn’t have to be difficult to be extremely enjoyable’ rule
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Greetings from Ottawa where we are finally experiencing some seasonal weather.
I read through the across clues today without solving a single clue. However, the down clues came to my rescue and, in the end, the puzzle did not seem particularly difficult at all. For that I am thankful, as I am just getting back into the swing of things again after a couple of weeks of touring central Europe with nary a cryptic crossword in sight. That also explains why I am occupying the blogger’s chair a week later than I normally would.
Unless I am mistaken (and, according to the 2Kiwis, I may well be), an indicator seems to have been omitted from the clue at 23a. In my review, I have suggested a couple of possible amendments to the clue to make it work.