Toughie No 3553 by Dada
Hints and tips by Whybird
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment *****
Greetings from a chilly but sunny Wirral. The past few days have seen the start of the return of the Dee Estuary’s pink-footed geese, so my morning walks with Lord Alfie have been lifted by the sight and sound of the flypasts as they disperse to do goose things in the fields of the North-west. The spectacle will only increase over the next couple of weeks – but it does mean Winter is Coming…
Dada has given us a n excellent, perfect Tuesday-level puzzle today, with plenty of clues that made me smile. I found the North slightly chewier than the South today, which warranted the extra half-star for difficulty. And the more I went through this writing the Blog, the more I enjoyed and appreciated it. 1d, 10a and 19a in particular all floated my boat, but in the end I’ve given my rosette to 18d. Thank you, Dada. Chapeau!
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31039
Hints and tips by Shabbo
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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***
Good morning, fellow puzzlers.
It’s me again on Tuesday duty. Huntsman has kindly agreed to swap days this week, as we are off to Jersey at lunchtime for four days. If there are any errors in the blog, I’ll correct them when we get to St Helier. We have never been to the Channel Islands and are looking forward to it.
I found this puzzle to be very accessible with just a couple of clues which required a bit of thought at 28a and 26d. Although it was very light, there was much to enjoy. The artist scratching his bottom at 4d and the underwear infested with insects at 21a made me smile.
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.
Many thanks to our setter and to the DT Crossword Team.
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