Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29071
Hints and tips by Deep Threat
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Good morning from South Staffs on a grey Friday with the promise of rain to come.… Continue reading
Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Good morning from South Staffs on a grey Friday with the promise of rain to come.… Continue reading
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This puzzle was published on 1st June 2019
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Morning All! This was just about a 2 star solve and fairly normal for a Saturday Prize Puzzle. Continue reading “DT 29066”
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***/****
After yesterday’s trials and tribulations it was back to fluffiness today with a puzzle that caused some (but not much) head-scratching.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought. Continue reading “Toughie 2241”
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BD Rating — Difficulty ***/**** — Enjoyment ****
Hello everyone. I’m sure that this is a Ray T crossword.… Continue reading
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This puzzle was published on 26th May 2019
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Morning All! Double Definitions abound in this one which made it fairly straightforward in my opinion but there were some fun clues as well.
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BD Rating – Difficulty ****/***** – Enjoyment ****
A warm welcome to Zandio, a new Toughie setter.… Continue reading
BD Rating – Difficulty **– Enjoyment ****
Kia ora from Aotearoa.
On the first of the month winter arrived with a vengeance. We have had windy, cold, changeable weather ever since with snow down to low levels on the ranges.… Continue reading
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
I had an email from today’s setter concerning my comment last Friday about “those fluffy offerings found in the early part of each week”.… Continue reading
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BD Rating - Difficulty **** - Enjoyment ****
Hello, everyone. I found today's puzzle tougher than recent Tuesday puzzles. I got only a few answers on the first pass through the grid, and I had to use an aid or two to get the grid filled in time to complete the hints. It's also one of the most enjoyable Tuesday puzzles that I've blogged recently. I would love to know who crafted this masterpiece and thank them, so if our setter is reading please consider posting a comment below.
That wish brings us rather appropriately to the results of last week's survey on whether our setters should be named or anonymous. Thanks to everyone who participated. The result was a clear 3:1 split in favour of identifying setters (154 votes for naming them, 51 votes for keeping them anonymous). I've put a selection of comments and a recent Telegraph Puzzles Newsletter extract on the topic under the following spoiler box. Feel free to continue this discussion in the comments below. What do we think about Kitty's compromise suggestion made last week that setters of anonymous puzzles be named when the puzzle's solution is published?
Some comments in favour of naming setters:
Some comments in favour of keeping setters anonymous:
Finally, in the May issue of the Telegraph Puzzles Newsletter (sign up here) our Editor Chris Lancaster explained his view:
This is a good question, and one that has vexed Telegraph Crossword Editors for some years. Solvers quite often get in touch to say that they have favourite compilers, and so would like to be able to watch out for puzzles by a particular setter; some even get in touch to say that they have particular compilers they don't like, so would like to be able to avoid their puzzles. Others point out that we publish the pseudonyms of our Toughie Crossword compilers, so it would make sense to be consistent across both types of crossword.
My own view is that for some solvers, the battle of wits between themselves and an anonymous, mysterious other person, the compiler, is what it's all about. If one knows the identity of a compiler before embarking on a crossword, one perhaps know something of what to expect, as most compilers have their own foibles that act as a kind of signature. Knowing a little in advance about what's to come, based on the compiler's name, would spoil this for those solvers. If retaining this anonymity adds to the enjoyment for some solvers, then that's a great argument for maintaining the status quo.
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
The sun had his hat on when I started this puzzle but it is mostly covered by cloud now here on The Roseland.… Continue reading