Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31220
Hints and Tips by Deansleigh
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BD Rating – Difficulty **/*** Enjoyment ***
Good morning everyone, and welcome to the midweek back-pager blog. For me, this was the hardest solve of the week so far. It took me a while to get the three long anagrams 1a, 1d and 8d, but once I’d cracked these everything else fell into place. I liked the cricketing misdirection in 17a and the dull French group in 3a, but my favourite today was the pachydermal pothead in 28a. There is also an excellent Quickie pun. Many thanks to our setter.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31214
Hints and Tips by Deansleigh
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BD Rating – Difficulty **/*** Enjoyment ****
Good morning everyone, and welcome to the midweek back-pager blog. I found today’s puzzle to have just the right level of difficulty for a Wednesday workout, and the perfect antidote to a miserable morning here on the South Coast of England. There were a couple of words that were new to me, and a reasonable amount of general knowledge is required, but but everything is fairly clued. I had ticks all over the page, but amongst my favourites are 1a, 24a, 1d, 8d, 16d and 18d, with first prize going to the stranded passenger in 17a. Many thanks to our setter.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31208
Hints and Tips by Deansleigh
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** Enjoyment ****
Good morning everyone, and welcome to the Wednesday back-pager blog. I found this crossword to be just about the right level of difficulty for a midweek puzzle. It took me a while to parse two or three of the clues, pushing me into ** time. Amongst my favourites today are 10a, 11a, 28a and 24d, but top spot goes to the brilliant 7d. Many thanks to our setter.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31202
Hints and Tips by Deansleigh
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BD Rating – Difficulty * Enjoyment ****
Good morning everyone, and welcome to the Wednesday back-pager blog. I approached today’s crossword with some trepidation, as the first puzzle that I blogged – Vintage puzzle 20 – was originally published on 1st April 1978, and had a surprise twist that caught me unawares. Thankfully there were no such pitfalls today, and everything was fairly clued throughout. The standout clues for me were 20a, 18a, 28a, 14d, 24d, and my favourite, the painful riding experience in 16a. Many thanks to our setter.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31196
Hints and Tips by Deansleigh
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** Enjoyment ***/****
Good morning everyone, and welcome to the Wednesday back-pager blog. I started fairly quickly with this one but was held up in the NW corner by the cryptic definitions and the Spoonerism, pushing me into 2* time. There are some excellent clues in today’s puzzle, with plenty of smooth surface readings. I had ticks all over the page, but my favourite clue today, and the one that gave me the biggest laugh, was the superb 26d. Many thanks to today’s setter.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31190
Hints and Tips by Deansleigh
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BD Rating – Difficulty * Enjoyment ***/****
Good morning everyone, and welcome to the midweek back-pager blog. I found today’s puzzle relatively gentle for a Wednesday: I was heading for my quickest solve of the week, until the app inexplicably threw all my answers away and I had to start again. There are several culinary references today, which left me feeling quite peckish. There is also an excellent Quickie pun. Amongst my favourite clues were 4a, 16a, 24a and 14d, but my top spot goes to the topical 4d. Many thanks to today’s setter.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31184
Hints and Tips by Deansleigh
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BD Rating – Difficulty **/*** Enjoyment ****
Good morning everyone, and welcome to the midweek back-pager blog. I found today’s puzzle suitably challenging for a Wednesday workout: there were a couple of (for me) obscure words that held me up, pushing me just into 3* time. I found it very hard to pick a favourite clue, as there was so much to enjoy and admire, with some great misdirection and several amusing cryptic definitions. I especially liked 10a, 14a, 3d, 7d and 9d, but today’s winner for me is 16d for its excellent surface reading and because it taught me a new word. Many thanks to today’s setter.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31178
Hints and Tips by Deansleigh
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** Enjoyment ****
Good morning from a sunny and springlike South Hampshire. Once again we have an excellent midweek puzzle, with some cracking clues. This was the hardest of the week for me so far, mainly because it took me a while to identify the Russian spymaster in 3d. The clues that made it to my (somewhat overcrowded) podium today were 4a, 9a, 2d, 14d and 19d, with 9a the winner by a whisker. Many thanks to today’s setter.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31172
Hints and Tips by Deansleigh
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** Enjoyment ***
Good morning everyone, and welcome to the Wednesday back-pager blog. I found this slightly easier than last week’s Wednesday cryptic, with much to enjoy and appreciate, including a fair smattering of musical references. I especially liked the risqué surfaces in 10a and 29a, but my favourite today was 23d. Many thanks to today’s setter.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31166
Hints and Tips by Deansleigh
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BD Rating – Difficulty **/*** Enjoyment ****
Good morning everyone, and welcome to the Wednesday back-pager blog. I found today’s crossword to be a notch or two more difficult than yesterday’s, with the NW corner being the last to fall. There was much to enjoy and admire, with my favourites being 2d, 8d and 24a. There is also an excellent six-word pun in the Quick crossword. Many thanks to today’s setter.
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