July 23, 2026 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog

Toughie 3723

Toughie No 3727 by Kcit
Hints and tips by ALP

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BD Rating – Toughie difficulty */** Enjoyment ***/****

Fairly breezy for a Thursday Toughie. 26a was unknown to me but the wordplay’s pretty clear. Having said that, 1a was the last to fall. Not because it’s tricky – it’s not – but because the definition is anathema to me. I have long tried – and failed miserably – to ban them. What on earth is their point? They just get in the bloomin’ way when you’re making the bed! The floor, as ever, is yours.

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DT 31299

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31299
Hints and Tips by Gazza

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

This is a proper end-of-week puzzle with a reasonable amount of GK and a number of cleverly misleading definitions. I loved it.
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