Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31309
Hints and tips by Huntsman
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BD Rating – Difficulty * Enjoyment ****
Mercifully cooler today so it promises to be a lot more comfortable on the golf course this afternoon.
I found today’s Anthony Plumb offering a good bit easier than last week & about on a par with Heron’s puzzle yesterday in terms of difficulty. As ever nicely clued throughout with some excellent surfaces. Any corrections to the hints (if current form is anything to go by there’s bound to be at least one) will have to wait until later.
There’s a quick reappearance from Ray T over in t’other place with a very enjoyable & fairly gentle(ish) Beamer that’s begging to be walloped to the boundary ropes. I’m sure both he & Whybird would welcome your thoughts on it.
As usual there is a selection of music to enjoy or ignore.
In the hints below the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED & the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the Click Here buttons. Please leave a comment below telling us what you thought & how you got on with the puzzle.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31303
Hints and tips by Huntsman
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** Enjoyment ***/****
I found today’s Anthony Plumb offering maybe a tad trickier than yesterday’s puzzle chiefly because the definition context at 1&23d needed a bit of a crumpet scratch. As ever it was very enjoyable, nicely clued throughout & with some neat surfaces. I look forward to hearing what others make of it. I’m off to play ⛳️ so hopefully (no promises) no amendments need to be made to the hints below.
I see Chalicea is over in t’other place so that is guaranteed to be an enjoyable puzzle & well worth having a stab at. Whybird will be delighted to hear your thoughts on it.
As usual there is a selection of music to enjoy or ignore.
In the hints below the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED & the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the Click Here buttons. Please leave a comment below telling us what you thought & how you got on with the puzzle.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31297
Hints and tips by Huntsman
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BD Rating – Difficulty * Enjoyment ***/****
A ‘typically Tuesdayish’ & perfectly enjoyable Anthony Plumb puzzle that I’d rate on a par with yesterday’s offering in terms of difficulty.
Though I haven’t had a chance to look at it yet I see Hudson is on duty over in t’other place so that’ll be a puzzle guaranteed to be a good ‘un & well worth checking out if seeking a further challenge. Don’t let the Toughie title put you off as generally the Tuesday offerings are no more difficult than the back-pagers near the end of the week.
As usual there is a selection of music to enjoy or ignore.
In the hints below the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED & the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the Click Here buttons. Please leave a comment below telling us what you thought & how you got on with the puzzle.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31291
Hints and tips by Huntsman
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BD Rating – Difficulty * Enjoyment ****
A dull overcast start to the day & comparatively chilly outside with the welcome benefit that the temperature in my flat has now fallen to a tolerable 25C.
I thought today’s Anthony Plumb production was a fair bit easier than yesterday’s offering. As ever nicely clued throughout & with some neat surfaces. I enjoyed it much more than last week’s puzzle so I’ll be interested to see what others make of it.
Our regular Sunday prize puzzle setter is on duty over in t’other place & Tuesday Toughies are invariably very accessible so well worth dipping your toes into slightly deeper waters. Whybird is on hand to chuck in a rubber ring if you get into any difficulty.
As usual there is a selection of music to enjoy or ignore.
In the hints below the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED & the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the Click Here buttons. Please leave a comment below telling us what you thought & how you got on with the puzzle.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31285
Hints and tips by Huntsman
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BD Rating – Difficulty * Enjoyment ***
Looks like we’re in for another hot one today so I think golf can wait for much later this afternoon when hopefully it will be a bit cooler.
I’d describe today’s Anthony Plumb offering as a workmanlike puzzle – perfectly pleasant but lacking a bit of his usual sparkle & on a par with yesterday in terms of difficulty. Maybe that’s just me so I’ll be interested to see what others make of it.
Our old Thursday reviewer is on duty in t’other place & his puzzles are always worth having a stab at. Today’s puzzle is very accessible. Whybird, as ever, will be delighted to hear your thoughts.
As usual there is a selection of music to enjoy or ignore. I’ve been working my way through Joe Bonamassa’s recorded live output (there’s a lot of it) hence 4 of his tunes.
In the hints below the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED & the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the Click Here buttons. Please leave a comment below telling us what you thought & how you got on with the puzzle.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31279
Hints and tips by Huntsman
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** Enjoyment ***/****
The sun is just bursting through here in Harpenden but it’s mercifully cooler so it looks like a more comfortable week ahead before returning to a sauna again next week.
Having commented late yesterday that today’s puzzle was unlikely to be as tricky as yesterday’s above average difficulty puzzle it turned out (for me at least) that it was so I’m giving it an extra *. A straightforward grid fill but I found one or two bits of the wordplay required a bit of thinking about & I was embarrassingly slow to twig the definition context at 19a. As ever nicely & concisely clued from AP & very enjoyable.
I see Hudson is over in t’other place so that’s bound to be a cracker to look forward to later. Tuesday Toughies are generally very accessible & well worth having a stab at even if you never stray beyond the shallow end of the pool. Whybird is one lifeguard duty & will be on hand if you get into any difficulty.
As usual there is a selection of music to enjoy or ignore.
In the hints below the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED & the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the Click Here buttons. Please leave a comment below telling us what you thought & how you got on with the puzzle.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31273
Hints and tips by Huntsman
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BD Rating – Difficulty * Enjoyment ***
After some substantial overnight rain it’s warming up to an uncomfortable extent here in Harpenden so any notion of golf is out the window.
Today’s Anthony Plumb (I assume) is the usual gentle & enjoyable Tuesday affair that I suspect will not cause too many problems for commenters. Apologies in advance for any parsing errors – suffice to say my levels of concentration in this heat are not the best.
As usual there is a selection of music to enjoy or ignore.
In the hints below the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED & the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the Click Here buttons. Please leave a comment below telling us what you thought & how you got on with the puzzle.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31267
Hints and tips by Huntsman
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BD Rating – Difficulty * Enjoyment ***/****
After a dreary start to the morning the sun is out here in Harpenden & we look set for a lovely day which will help to compensate for the likely disappointment of another inept performance on the golf course this afternoon.
I’d judge today’s puzzle pretty Quiptic even by Tuesday standards so it will no doubt be welcomed by those bemoaning yesterday’s offering having been decidedly trickier than Mondays of late. As ever nicely & concisely clued throughout with some neat surfaces. Thanks to (I assume) Anthony Plumb.
For any seeking a further challenge Gila over in t’other place is in no way venomous & well having a stab at. Whybird will I’m sure be delighted to hear your thoughts.
As usual there is a selection of music to enjoy or ignore.
In the hints below the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED & the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the Click Here buttons. Please leave a comment below telling us what you thought & how you got on with the puzzle.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31261
Hints and tips by Huntsman
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BD Rating – Difficulty * Enjoyment ****
After a reasonably bright start here in Harpenden it has just got very dark & another deluge looks imminent but at least the forecast suggests it will not last too long.
Having been alone in thinking last week’s puzzle didn’t have the feel of an Anthony Plumb production I’m pretty certain this one is one of his and very enjoyable it was too. Maybe a tad trickier than yesterday but there’s not much in it & impeccably clued throughout.
For any seeking a further challenge Ray T (in his no anagrams Beamer guise) is on duty over in t’other place with a very accessible Tuesday Toughie that is well worth a stab at. As ever Whybird will be delighted to hear your thoughts.
As usual there is a selection of music to enjoy or ignore.
In the hints below the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED & the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the Click Here buttons. Please leave a comment below telling us what you thought & how you got on with the puzzle.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31255
Hints and tips by Huntsman
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** Enjoyment ***
The much needed rain with hopefully cooler temperatures has arrived so the prospect of a decent night’s kip a realistic prospect to look forward to.
I found today’s puzzle a good bit trickier than the usual Tuesday fare & for me at least more difficult than yesterday’s offering. It didn’t have the feeling of an Anthony Plumb production but I’m probably wrong so it will be interesting to see what others make of it. Anyway I enjoyed the solve & thought it nicely clued throughout.
As usual there is a selection of music to enjoy or ignore.
In the hints below the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED & the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the Click Here buttons. Please leave a comment below telling us what you thought & how you got on with the puzzle.
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