Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
Toughie No 3451 by Silvanus
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty ***/**** – Enjoyment ****
I thought that Silvanus had upped his difficulty level a bit today whilst maintaining the very high enjoyment factor which is his trademark. I added half a point to my difficulty rating due to the time it took me to twig how 1d worked. Thanks to Silvanus.
Continue reading “Toughie 3451”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30885
Hints and tips by Shabbo
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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***
Good morning from sunny Wells-next-the-Sea. We are getting our biannual Norfolk birding fix this week and the weather has been glorious, as Manders will confirm. For the birders amongst you, the star species to date have been pallid harrier, shore lark and black redstart, but birding is really just an excuse to walk in beautiful places and we have done plenty of that. This is the view from our lovely first floor apartment:
As for the puzzle, I found it very straightforward. Maybe it is just that the Norfolk air has cleared my cluttered mind, so please forgive me if you found it challenging. The brevity of clueing (5.1 words/clue), the single word answers and the single word clues in the Quickie suggest that RayT is our setter today, although there is no queen and the sweetheart is there just to tease us. With Silvanus on duty in the Toughie slot, Jane will no doubt be enjoying her cup of tea more than usual this morning. Some knowledge of the human face is required at 24a, 28a, and 24d, so perhaps a mirror might help? I would not suggest that you use it for 8d, though.
In the blog below, the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED and the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the “Click Here” buttons. Please leave a comment telling us how you got on and what you thought of the puzzle. Please also try to be positive – it’s only a bit of fun.
Thank you, setter.
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty ** – Enjoyment *****
The sun is shining, the sky is blue and cloudless and there’s another splendid Hudson Toughie to solve and blog – what more could anyone want on a Wednesday morning?
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BD Rating – Difficulty **/*** – Enjoyment ****
A very good Wednesday morning from Winnipeg where, with the thaw in full progress, the river levels are being monitored carefully in case the flood prevention measures need to be invoked.… Continue reading
Sunday Toughie No 164 by Zandio
Review by
Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 16th March 2025
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This puzzle was published on 16th March 2025
BD Rating –Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ****
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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***/****
Dada’s been pretty friendly today, peppering us with anagrams and some jolly lingo (17a, 19a, etc).… Continue reading
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** Enjoyment ***
Looks like another pleasant day here in Harpenden so a good walk on the cards before another expensive afternoon visit to the dentist.
After yesterday’s somewhat trickier than usual offering today’s Anthony Plumb (I assume) production is pretty much par for the course in terms of difficulty & fairly straightforward.
In the following hints, definitions are underlined, indicators are mostly in parentheses, and answers are revealed by clicking where shown as usual. Please leave a comment below on how you got on with the puzzle.
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Ottawa, where the weatherman says we are in store for a mixed bag over the coming week – a bit of rain, a bit of snow, a bit of sun, and a bit of cloud with temperatures hovering around the freezing point. The weather may be cool, but the political temperature is heating up. Yesterday, our new Prime Minister not only called a federal election but announced he would run in the riding where I live.
I started off on a tear with today’s puzzle but soon found it became a bit chewier. All in all a very enjoyable solve from our new double punning setter. Last week, X-Type promised to return soon but I would surmise this is not one of his.
In the hints below, underlining identifies precise definitions and cryptic definitions, FODDER is capitalized, and indicators are italicized. The answers will be revealed by clicking on the ANSWER buttons.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought of the puzzle.