Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2709
A full review by crypticsue
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ****
Another splendid start to Sunday morning. My top favourites were 6a and 5d but there were lots of runners-up.
Author: crypticsue
Toughie 1053
Toughie 1053 by Elgar
Read all about it!
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment *****
This week’s Toughies have been disappointingly straightforward, but one can normally rely on Elgar to provide the required brain tormenting challenge. Today’s puzzle, whilst being very entertaining, has a helpful theme which ensures that although this isn’t his fluffiest work, it certainly isn’t excessively hob-nailed either.
ST 2708
Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2708
A full review by crypticsue
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
“Entertaining”, “fun”, “well-crafted” – just what we have come to expect from a Sunday morning crossword. My particular favourites were 22a, 6d, 8d and 13d.
DT 27271
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27271
A full review by crypticsue
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***/****
I found this Saturday’s Mysteron puzzle more enjoyable than usual – perhaps it was nostalgia taking me back to the 1950s when I was both a Brownie and a watcher of 9a. Not content with making grown men cry, I now appear to be causing our Canadian friend to despair about my assessments of difficulty, and so although I took one star time, I have awarded it 2* for difficulty based on an average view of the comments made on the day.
ST 2706
Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2706
A full review by crypticsue
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
I solve a considerable number of cryptic crosswords every week and I have to say that the highlight of the week remains the ability to both solve and review a Virgilius Sunday puzzle.
DT 27265
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27265
A full review by crypticsue
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ***
A typical Cephas Saturday puzzle, with quite a few of his trademark anagrams.
ST 2705
Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2705
A full review by crypticsue
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Never mind a full English, a bowl of cereal or even toast with my home-made greengage jam – the best way to start Sunday morning is with a Virgilius cryptic crossword. This one wasn’t one of his most difficult but it had the usual high level of entertainment.
NTSPP – 185
NTSPP – 185
A Puzzle by Alchemi
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
ST 2704
Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2704
A full review by crypticsue
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
My solving of this great Sunday puzzle was delayed by a couple of days but it was well worth the wait. Lots of favourites but my top favourite has to be 24d.
MPP – 015 (Review)
Monthly Prize Puzzle No 15 (August 2013) by Alchemi
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
A review by crypticsue
To find the answer all (!!) we had to do was solve the crossword and then ADD UP (27) THE N (16) UMBER (7) S IN G (18a) RID (28) – some obvious and some extremely well-hidden – to reach a total of 150. This was far from easy, even at the testing stage…. “You appear to have added up only three of the eight numbers in the grid, so you don’t have the sum right” !!! I wasn’t alone – less than a quarter of the entries were correct. Still confused? Have a look at the end of the review.
Mrs BD has kindly once again picked out a winner – the lucky person this month being our occasional blogger , Jon Delfin. As he lives in New York, however, he joins the rank of those entering for the HAG (Honour and Glory) and the prize rolls over to next month.