May 7, 2023 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog

Sunday Toughie 67 (Hints)

Sunday Toughie 67 by Robyn (Hints)
Hints and Tips by Gazza

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SJB is off to Dublin today to see The Boss so I’m standing in to provide a few hints. I wasn’t expecting a Robyn today as he entertained us last Sunday but I’m certainly not complaining because he’s one of my favourite setters.Continue reading

EV 1589 Hints

Enigmatic Variations 1589 (Hints)

RQAKHNNE WZFADE by Piccadilly

Hints and tips by Phibs

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The Playfair cipher was devised in 1854 by Charles Wheatstone (he of the electrical bridge), but is named for Lord Playfair, who promoted its use in military communications. Playfair puzzles are the Marmite of the barred puzzle world, and I think it’s fair to say that neither the Numpties nor I could be numbered among their fans – however, there are others who reckon they are the best thing for sliced bread, and who are we to question their taste?

Although Ximenes once playfully chose CAB as the key phrase in a Playfair puzzle, it is usual for words or phrases of ten or more letters to be chosen. No letter can appear more than once in this phrase, and it cannot contain both of the letters (here I and J) which do duty for each other.

Continue reading “EV 1589 Hints”

ST 3211 (Hints)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3211 (Hints)

Hints and tips by Senf

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A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where, on Wednesday, we had a high temperature of over plus 20 degrees; the first time that has happened since October 11th of last year.

For me, and I stress for me, Dada quite ‘friendly’ with an anagram fest – eight with two partials, one lurker, no homophones, and one long ‘un (hinted), all in a slightly asymmetric 29 clues; with 14 hints ‘sprinkled’ throughout the grid, you should be able to get the checkers to enable the solving of the unhinted clues.… Continue reading