An open letter to the Clueless Club
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Some of the recent posts from members of the Clueless Club have made me despair and so I give below my thoughts on the DT Cryptic Puzzle.
First of all, I am not an “expert”, I don’t think even the most experienced solver – and I speak from the point of view of 40 years of DT Cryptic solving – could ever be an expert as there is always something new to learn every day. I was introduced to the mysteries of cryptic puzzles by a fellow commuter and was hooked. They do, however, take a lot of practice to get into the minds of the various compilers, all of whom have different styles and methods of stretching our brains.
Continue reading “Clueless?”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26253
A full review by Crypticsue
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Quite often if the Friday Cryptic and Toughie have been particularly testing, the Saturday Prize Puzzle can seem a bit easier in comparison. DT 26,252 and Toughie 362 were splendid examples of the compiler’s art so I started this Saturday’s puzzle expecting a less taxing challenge. How wrong I was, there was a complete range of interesting clues and more exciting for me, as I wasn’t aware of such a thing until I became a fan of Big Dave’s blog, was that the puzzle is a Pangram! Thanks too to Gnomethang for giving me the chance to practice my reviewing skills.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought. You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.
Continue reading “DT 26253”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26254
Hints and tips by Crypticsue
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
[In case you missed Crypticsue’s first appearance last Thursday, she has joined the team as our first lady blogger. Other commitments mean that she will only be able to contribute occasionally, and Libellule has stepped aside today to allow her to take advantage of the Spring Bank Holiday. She will be back on Thursday with a review of last Saturday’s puzzle and is then off on holiday (lucky her!)]
Ten days ago, I was just Sue, a long time fan of the DT cryptic (40 years which apparently equates to over 10,000 puzzles, even allowing for time off for good behaviour), when following an email approach by Big Dave to confirm whether his detective work was right and I would be too busy to be a reviewer (he was), I couldn’t resist a challenge and am now Crypticsue, the first lady reviewer on his blog, here with my comments on today’s puzzle. Despite my long experience, I was quite nervous this morning but needn’t have worried, Rufus has given us all, novice reviewer, experienced and non-experienced puzzle solvers alike, a very nice Bank Holiday puzzle, with a good mix of clues, some straightforward and some needing a little deliberation.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought. You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.
Continue reading “DT 26254”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26247
A full review by Crypticsue
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BD Rating – Difficulty **/*** – Enjoyment ***
[Today I would like to welcome Crypticsue to the review panel. She becomes our first lady blogger, and will be appearing from time to time, other commitments allowing. Her next post will be Monday’s daily cryptic.]
This Saturday’s puzzle was just right – not too difficult, a couple of tricky ones if you didn’t spot such things as the placing of a comma or a capital I (20a and 26a) and even the chance to learn a historical word (20a)
I am torn between a 3 * or 2* for difficulty (after 40 years I may find some puzzles easier than those with less experience) but definitely a 3* for enjoyment.
Continue reading “DT 26247”