Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
Daily Telegraph Vintage No 12
Hints and Tips by Rossophile
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** ½ Enjoyment ***
The volunteering team (me) happy to keep vintage hinting, but would love company. The definitions are not as clear as nowadays. Lots of anagrams to get you started. V-Day was actually 8th May 1945 when the Allies accepted unconditional surrender from Nazi Germany.
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty ***** – Enjoyment *****
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BD Rating - Difficulty *** - Enjoyment ***
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Friday. Continue reading "DT 31000"
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This puzzle was published on 2nd August 2025
BD Rating – Difficulty ***** – Enjoyment ***
Daily Telegraph Vintage No 11
Hints and Tips by Rossophile
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** Enjoyment **
To cruciverbalist historians, have a look at this offering from 81 years ago. A grim wartime mentality is evident, but also a fighting spirit. Enjoy.
Continue reading “DT Vintage 11”
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BD Rating – Toughie difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****/*****
Typical invention from Light today, with imaginative synonyms/definitions and quirky surfaces.… Continue reading
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30999
Hints and tips by Shabbo
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Good morning, fellow puzzlers.
A lovely puzzle today, perfectly pitched for a Thursday. A smattering of general knowledge is required on television programmes, pop music from the 80s and 90s, a film from the 70s, football, cricket, tennis and one other sport. All completely fair and above board, of course. 21d was my CoD but I thought the Quickie Pun was pants. I’ll get my coat…
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.
Many thanks to our mystery setter and to the DT Crossword Team.
Daily Telegraph Vintage No 10
Hints and Tips by Rossophile
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** Enjoyment ***
[When the vintage puzzles started to appear I invited anyone who wasn’t one of our usual bloggers to have a go at blogging one of them. We only had one volunteer, Rossophile, and this is his blog of Vintage Puzzle #10.
As you’ll have discovered if you’ve been solving these early puzzles they are quite different from modern cryptic puzzles and contain many clues which are ‘straight’ rather than cryptic and that makes writing hints tricky. So, well done to Rossophile – I hope that many people will leave a comment for him.
There’s still time for anyone else to volunteer to do a blog – please don’t be shy. Gazza]
Continue reading “Vintage Puzzle 10”