NTSPP – 255
Pizza Festivale by Quattro Stagioni
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Month: December 2014
DT 27683 (Hints)
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27683 (Hints)
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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.
Toughie 1316
Toughie No 1316 by Sparks
Season’s Greetings from the Blog that Never Sleeps
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment *****
We have often complained that setters wear their pink fluffy slippers when setting for the Toughie series.… Continue reading
DT 27682
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27682
Hints and tips by Deep Threat
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ***
Good morning from South Staffs this Boxing Day morning – not deep and crisp and even, though we may get that later, but damp and grey..
I solved this puzzle before going to bed last night. It may have been the reaction from spending the evening wrestling with the Double Toughie, but I raced through Giovanni’s latest, finishing right on the border between * and ** time.
Double Toughie 100006
Double Toughie No 100006 by Elgar
“7 Down”
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BD Rating – Difficulty ***** + – Enjoyment *****
Down answers, all thematic, are similarly treated before entry.… Continue reading
Toughie 100006
Toughie No 100006 by Elkamere
7 across 8 across to you too!
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Mrs Bufo and I are having a quiet Christmas with no visitors to cater for so around midday we went for a leisurely stroll to the pub where we had a leisurely solve of the Toughie over a leisurely drink.… Continue reading
DT 100006
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 100006
Hints and tips by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ***
Merry Christmas Everyone – a lovely sunny morning here in East Kent, the turkey’s in the oven and a typical Rufus crossword, full of cryptic definitions, anagrams and a few Christmassy clues to please those of us who like a theme, to start the day’s solving, while Mr CS peels the sprouts.
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas to all our readers
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Big Dave and the team of bloggers would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
A special thank you to all the crossword setters, especially to those who have taken the time to leave comments on the blog, and to Phil McNeill and his team at Telegraph Puzzles.
If you are one of several thousand lurkers that visit the site every day – why not break cover and say hello!
Toughie 1315
Toughie No 1315 by Messinae
Play for Today
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
It’s Christmas Eve and we have a themed puzzle – so no prizes for guessing what the theme is all about. We’re told in the preamble: “14 thematic answers are clued by wordplay only; of these, one answer contains all the others and one group is included both individually and collectively.” I’ve identified the 14 thematic answers with ** – obviously, because they have no definitions, there’s nothing underlined in those clues.
I thought that this was most enjoyable and not that difficult (ideal for those who have limited time today due to other commitments) with some inventive and well-crafted clues.
Continue reading “Toughie 1315”
DT 27681
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27681
Hints and tips by 2Kiwis
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
At the time this gets posted we will be fast asleep in bed. Santa, wearing beach shorts and Jandals, will be sliding down our chimney. Our Christmas Day will have begun.
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE.
This week we have the pleasure of blogging a Rufus Christmas puzzle. Happy Christmas Rufus, and a special mention too for Jay who has given us such fun on Wednesdays.