September 2025 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog

Month: September 2025

Toughie 3557

by Whybird  

Toughie No 3557 by Chalicea
Hints and tips by Whybird

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BD Rating – Difficulty */2  – Enjoyment ***

Greetings one and all.  The pink-feet (and attendant fly-over squeaking) have continued to increase. but the major weekend excitement was (and still is) a very obliging Slavonian Grebe on West Kirby Marine Lake, and with sunshine to boot.  Birders and general public have enjoyed a treat!

Chalicea, to whom, many thanks,  has given us the mildest of puzzles today – so much so that I feel even a one-star difficulty would have been a bit OTT.  I had to check a couple of elements to confirm my suspicions, but even these didn’t take much unearthing. I’m sure the resultant expanded GK will come in handy at some point. 13a, 19a and 30a get my rosettes today.

Hopefully the formatting has worked this week – thanks to CrypticSue for expanding the scope of Hints and Tips beyond untangling impenetrable crossword clues!

Please leave a comment telling us how you fared and what you liked about the puzzle.

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DT 31045

by Huntsman  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31045
Hints and tips by Huntsman

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BD Rating – Difficulty */**  Enjoyment ***

Another lovely sunny autumnal day perfect for an afternoon of golf at Centurion.

We have another offering of typically gentle Plumbing from the Prof complete with the usual plethora of single letter insertions. I’d rate it about on a par with yesterday in terms of difficulty with maybe a little more to it in terms of the parsing. For any yet to try a puzzle over in t’other place or to complete one unaided then today is the day as Chalicea’s ‘floughie’ is certainly no more difficult than this one so I hope Whybird’s review gets plenty of comments.

In the hints below the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED & the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the Click Here buttons. Please leave a comment below telling us what you thought & how you got on with the puzzle.

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DT 31044

by Falcon  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31044

Hints and tips by Falcon

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BD Rating  –  Difficulty ** –  Enjoyment ***

Greetings from my lakeside retreat near Ottawa, where I am enjoying a few days of summer-like early autumn weather before I close up the trailer (caravan) for the winter.

In my last appearance two weeks ago, I neglected to mention that review marked my fifteenth anniversary – my first review having appeared on September 15, 2010.

Today’s puzzle did not strike me as being the work of either X-Type or Twmbarlwm, so I’m guessing it may be from a new setter – but my guesses at the identities of setters rarely prove to be correct.

A month ago, when Smylers was covering for me, Jenny M commented “Still waiting for a clue involving say a netball term??” Well, Jenny, since the inception of Big Dave’s Crossword Blog netball has featured on a number of occasions in both Toughies and the Backpager. In fact, I first learned of the existence of the sport from a puzzle in 2012. Netball is not commonly played in Canada as girls here generally play basketball like their male counterparts. Your question prompted me to do a little research which I had intended to include with my review two weeks ago but it had to be deferred for technical reasons.

Click here to open or close a list of clues in which netball has appeared in some respect.

On three occasions, netball appeared in the fodder:

ST 3227 (27 August 2023): 2d Sport taken up by thousands, in netball (6)

Toughie 1835 (23 June 2017): 14a Badly soiled netball, not current sporting prize (8,4)

Toughie 728 (29 February 2012): 29a Netball team training in court close to contest (6)

In two cases, the blogger who reviewed the puzzle associated the solution with netball:

DT 28164 (12 July 2016) 29a More intelligent animal restricts physical exercise (6)

where the reviewer stated “A horned animal that could be Red or Fallow includes (restricts) an abbreviation for a type of exercise we all did at school. For the girls it was usually hockey and netball. I have no idea what the boys did. Rugby I think. Possibly football?”

ST 2571 (21 January 2011) 18a Tries to win where some games are played (6)

where the reviewer stated “A nice double definition – wooing or winning the attention of someone/a place where games such as netball and tennis are played.”

In 22 instances, netball was the solution to the clue:

Toughie 3187 (21 December 2023): 4d Heard about any tea dance after game (7)

Toughie 2998 (25 January 2023): 8d Online dance is sporting activity (7)

DT 29900 (02 February 2022): 3d Before dance catch game (7)

DT 29855 (10 December 2021): 21a Geordie great inspiring British sport (7)

Toughie 2761 (07 December 2021): 2d Mistress Gwynne about to be announced for sport (7)

DT 29717 (02 July 2021): 3d Significant number held up party game … (7)

Toughie 2638 (05 May 2021): 17a Final dance in game (7)

Toughie 2411 (01 April 2020): 18d Before dance catch game (7)

Toughie 2112 (23 October 2018): 6d Two necessities for tennis, as a game (7)

Toughie 1968 (13 February 2018): 12a Bungle service perhaps for game (7)

DT 28547 (02 October 2017) 6d Every throw-in counts in this game (7)

Toughie 1774 (09 March 2017): 22a Figure recalled enjoyable time in sport (7)

ST 2836 (03 March 2016): 10a Clear bishop completely in court action (7)

DT 27674 (16 December 2014): 6d Two features of tennis in another game (7)

DT 27603 (24 September 2014): 18d Before the dance, catch the game (7)

DT 27338 (18 November 2013): 17a Game with two essential elements of tennis (7)

DT 27127 (22 March 2013): 7d Game to be announced when girl comes around (7)

DT 27027 (19 November 2012): 19a Game — and how to score in it (7)

DT 26994 (11 October 2012): 2d Practice session before dance and sport (7)

ST 2614 (18 November 2011): 27a A couple of things used in many sports, or one in particular (7)

ST 2501 (18 September 2009): 20d A couple of requirements for tennis or another sport (7)

DT 25957 (17 June 2009): 1d Girl collecting new bat for game (7)

Only one clue appeared twice (in both instances in puzzles set by Donnybrook/NY Doorknob), although there are several minor variations on some of the other clues. Should you wish to check the parsing of a clue, the puzzle numbers link to the review of the puzzle.

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.

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Sunday Toughie 192 (Hints)

by Sloop John Bee  

Sunday Toughie No 192

by proXimal

 

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

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I seem to have come down with some lurgy or other, and I may have to retire to bed. Apologies if the hints are a bit terse today, 

We have 16a and 14d clues, and I have hinted half. I found the Spooner today quite difficult and the proXimal™ compounds a bit easier. I have left the last of three unhinted, in order to give a nudge to the 13a anagram.

Between paracetamol and naps I will be hoping Europe make light work of at least 2 1/2 points to retain The Ryder Cup. I will provide hints if you ask.

Here we go, Folks…

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EV 1714 (Hints)

by Phibs  

Enigmatic Variations 1714 (Hints)

Shambles by Curmudgeon

Hints and tips by Phibs

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I asked Claude “Why would a lady crossword setter who normally uses the pseudonym ‘Chalicea’ occasionally set puzzles under the name ‘Curmudgeon’?”

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ST 3336 (Hints)

by Senf  

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3336 (Hints)

Hints and tips by Senf

A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where Summer is refusing to go quietly as we have a forecast of four of five sunny days with temperatures in the ‘middle 20s’.

For me, and I stress for me,© Dada quirkily friendly – four long ‘uns, only one of them an anagram, 5 anagrams (no partials), 2 lurkers, and no homophones all in a symmetric 28 clues; with 14 hints ‘sprinkled’ throughout the grid, you should/might be able to get the checkers to enable the solving of the unhinted clues.  And, remember, my electronic blue pencil is at the ready and the Naughty Step is OPEN!

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Toughie 3556

by Gazza  

Toughie No 3556 by Karla
Hints and tips by Gazza

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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****

This is pretty gentle for a Friday Toughie but very enjoyable. Many thanks to Karla.

Please leave a comment telling us how you fared and what you liked about the puzzle.
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