Author: Falcon

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30876

Hints and tips by Falcon

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

Greetings from Ottawa where the weather is unseasonably warm and our hockey team is contending for a playoff spot – which would be their first appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in seven years. How could things be any better? Oh yeah, I guess I can think of something.

I have no idea who may have set this puzzle. For reasons Rabbit Dave explained on the blog a couple of weeks ago, it is almost certainly not Robyn. I was only able to find one pun in the Quick Crossword, so (unless someone proves me wrong) it would not seem to be the setter who emulates the late Campbell by slipping in a second pun.

In the hints below, underlining identifies precise definitions and cryptic definitions, FODDER is capitalized, and indicators are italicized. The answers will be revealed by clicking on the ANSWER buttons.

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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30852

Hints and tips by Falcon

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

Greetings from Ottawa where, as Senf said yesterday, we are experiencing a significant snow event. Following 30 cm or more on Thursday, we received a bit more on Saturday. The snow resumed on Sunday, with another 30 cm or more promised before mid-afternoon on Monday. Senf is also correct that I can’t blame this storm on Manitoba. Like most of our storms, it originated in the western United States. Contrary to what our neighbours to the south believe, most of the nastiness flows north across the border.

I’m not sure if we are seeing Robyn return to the Monday slot after a brief absence or not. Some clues feel like they could be his and others not so much – so I won’t go out on a limb with a guess.

In an unexpected development, we find a second pun in the Quickie today – something we have not seen since the Campbell era. It may be unintentional, but nevertheless it is a feature that Smylers and I will now need to be on the lookout for.

In the hints below, underlining identifies precise definitions and cryptic definitions, FODDER is capitalized, and indicators are italicized. The answers will be revealed by clicking on the ANSWER buttons.

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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30828

Hints and tips by Falcon

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

Greetings from Ottawa where today I am covering my regular shift. Last week I was working Smyler’s shift in return for him having covered for me the previous week. I realize that I neglected to acknowledge this and thank him for agreeing to do the swap, so I will belatedly do so now.

The weather system that Senf described on Sunday is now arriving here although it has likely lost some of its bite en route. Sunday evening, as I write this, it is currently -12C heading for -19C (it will feel like -25C with the wind chill). That is absolutely balmy by Winnipeg standards (Oh, how I love to make our readers in Florida shudder!)

I presume today’s puzzle is the work of Robyn. I was well on the way to a one star finish until I hit the southwest quadrant which took as long to complete as the other three quadrants combined. However, in hindsight, I can’t explain why this should be the case. And I must not neglect to thank the setter for the name check in the Quickie pun.

In the hints below, underlining identifies precise definitions and cryptic definitions, FODDER is capitalized, and indicators are italicized. The answers will be revealed by clicking on the ANSWER buttons.

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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30804

Hints and tips by Falcon

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

Greetings from Ottawa, where we are enduring a spell of very cold weather. What Senf reports he is experiencing in Winnipeg arrives here a couple of days later, so I can pretty much say “Ditto” to his weather report – although the weather system does arrive here marginally warmer than when it left Winnipeg.

The photo above is of the Christmas Tree in Boston, Massachusetts. Each year since 1971, the people of Nova Scotia have gifted a tree to the people of Boston in thanks for their assistance after the 1917 Halifax Explosion. This gesture commemorates one originally made in 1917, when Nova Scotia had donated a large Christmas tree to the city of Boston in thanks and remembrance for the help the Boston Red Cross and the Massachusetts Public Safety Committee provided following the explosion.

On December 6, 1917 shortly after 9:00 am, a munitions ship collided with a second ship in Halifax Harbour resulting in the largest non-nuclear explosion of all time which severely destroyed much of the city. Boston authorities learned of the disaster by telegraph, and quickly organized and dispatched a relief train around 10 pm to assist survivors. A blizzard delayed the train, which finally arrived in the early morning of December 8 and immediately began distributing food, water, and medical supplies. Numerous personnel on the train were able to relieve the Nova Scotia medical staff, most of whom had worked without rest since the explosion occurred.

Today we are gifted with a seasonally themed puzzle that should not detain you long from preparations for the big day on Wednesday but is, nevertheless, a very enjoyable diversion. It could be the work of Robyn but I also would not be surprised to be informed that our editor has slipped one in. As Smylers will be with you for the next two weeks while I busy myself as a volunteer at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship which is being held in Ottawa this year, I will take this opportunity to wish one and all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year.

In the hints below, underlining identifies precise definitions and cryptic definitions, FODDER is capitalized, and indicators are italicized. The answers will be revealed by clicking on the ANSWER buttons.

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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30780

Hints and tips by Falcon

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

Greetings from Ottawa, where there’s not a flake of snow in sight – although we may get a dusting of the white stuff later in the week. What a remarkable change for it to be you in the UK, rather than me, who is buried in the stuff!

A fun offering from Robyn this week. I started off at a one star pace but a few at the end held me up due to the need to brush up on a few things British. Thus I expect many may find it easier than my rating.

In the hints below, underlining identifies precise definitions and cryptic definitions, FODDER is capitalized, and indicators are italicized. The answers will be revealed by clicking on the ANSWER buttons.

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