Senf – Page 2 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog

ST 3364 (Hints)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3364 (Hints)

Hints and tips by Senf

A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where yesterday we enjoyed a double digit (positive) temperature, for the first time since 23rd November of last year, of plus 11 degrees  (plenty of double digit (negative) temperatures in the meantime).

For me, and I stress for me,©  Dada quirkily friendly again – four longish ‘uns (only one an anagram), five anagrams (two partials), two lurkers (one reversed), and no homophones in a symmetric 32 clues; with 16 hints ‘sprinkled’ throughout the grid you should/might be able to get some of the checkers to enable the solving of the unhinted clues. I hope you have your Crimson Tomes at hand!

Remember that Reading the Hints before commenting can be beneficial!

If it is some time since you read, or if you have never read the instructions in RED below the hints then please consider doing so before commenting today as my electronic blue pencil is at the ready and the Naughty Step is OPEN!

Continue reading “ST 3364 (Hints)”

DT 31209

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31209

Hints and Tips by Senf

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

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

A very good Thursday morning from Winnipeg where, yesterday, on the 19th day of Spring we woke up to fluffy white precipitation courtesy of an Alberta Clipper!  Fortunately, in my area, there was only 5 to 10 cms and the roads and footpaths are already warm enough that it ‘self cleared.’

For me, etc© (I have to say that for Terence), a puzzle of two halves, North and South, but once again not half of a Dream Team Thursday, Prime on Toughie duty today, but no doubt that this is the work of the Master of Brevity.  The usual one word clues and answers in the Quickie, and appearances from the Queen and his swEetheart, don’t be confused by the second ‘sweetheart’ in 1d (check the hint), appearing in the back pager with an average of 5.2 words per clue.  Also, like Dada, Ray T still seems to be making occasional use of a personal thesaurus.  I hope you have your Crimson Tomes at hand!

Remember that Reading the Hints before commenting can be beneficial!

Continue reading “DT 31209”

ST 3363 (Hints)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3363 (Hints)

Hints and tips by Senf

A very good Easter Sunday morning from Winnipeg where I have been pondering on the origins of the Easter Bunny.  I sort of assumed that it was a Hallmark Thing conjured up by my Southern neighbours but, apparently, that is not the case. That unimpeachable source Wikipedia suggests that the Easter Bunny is a folkloric figure and symbol of Easter originating among German Lutherans as early as the late 16th Century!  Decorated Easter Eggs, not made of chocolate, go back even further.

For me, and I stress for me,©  I might have been having an off day but somewhat reminiscent of ST 2978 on November 18th, 2018 – four long ‘uns (only one an anagram), five anagrams (one partial), two lurkers (one reversed), and one homophone in a symmetric 28 clues; with 14 hints ‘sprinkled’ throughout the grid you should/might be able to get some of the checkers to enable the solving of the unhinted clues. I hope you have your Crimson Tomes at hand!

Remember that Reading the Hints before commenting can be beneficial!

If it is some time since you read, or if you have never read the instructions in RED below the hints then please consider doing so before commenting today as my electronic blue pencil is at the ready and the Naughty Step is OPEN!

Continue reading “ST 3363 (Hints)”

ST 3362 (Hints)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3362 (Hints)

Hints and tips by Senf

A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where on Friday morning, I was thinking, a dangerous activity at any time, that a fortified coffee after my weekly expedition to the supermarket might not be required on the day or for a number of months.  That was until I found out that it was minus 11 degrees, feels like minus 20!  Perhaps the fortified coffee won’t be required this week!

Question of the day for UK residents, were you awake at 1:00am GMT this morning to advance your various timepieces, except for the ‘clever’ ones that are programmed to do it automatically, to 2:00am BST?

For me, and I stress for me,© Dada quirkily friendly – two long ‘uns (one an anagram and one not), nine anagrams (five partials, three of them only three letters!), two lurkers, and no homophones in an almost symmetric 30 clues; with 15 hints ‘sprinkled’ throughout the grid you should/might be able to get some of the checkers to enable the solving of the unhinted clues. I hope you have your Crimson Tomes at hand!

Remember that Reading the Hints before commenting can be beneficial!

If it is some time since you read, or if you have never read the instructions in RED below the hints then please consider doing so before commenting today as my electronic blue pencil is at the ready and the Naughty Step is OPEN!

Continue reading “ST 3362 (Hints)”

DT 31197

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31197

Hints and Tips by Senf

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

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

A very good Thursday morning from Winnipeg where Winter is proving very reluctant to depart and we are getting some more snow although not significant amounts and probably not as bad as the hailstorm that my Big Sister experienced in Egham yesterday.

For me, etc© (I have to say that for Terence), once again not half of a Dream Team Thursday, Silvanus was on Toughie duty yesterday, but no doubt that this is the work of the Master of Brevity once again.  The usual one word clues and answers in the Quickie, and appearances from the Queen and his swEetheart, don’t be confused by the ‘sweetheart’ in 9d (check the hint), appearing in the back pager with an average of 4.94 words per clue.  Also, like Dada, Ray T still seems to be making occasional use of a personal thesaurus.  I hope you have your Crimson Tomes at hand!

Remember that Reading the Hints before commenting can be beneficial!

Continue reading “DT 31197”

ST 3361 (Hints)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3361 (Hints)

Hints and tips by Senf

A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg.  So, Spring has sprung, the grass is riz, I wonder where the birdies is!  Since most of the grass is still covered by snow and ice, and what can be seen is brown, it is difficult to decide whether it has riz or not.  But we do have birdies.  Many of the small ones such as Chickadees, Nuthatches, and Sparrows are with us all year round regardless of the temperature.

A little late, but in the last couple of weeks snow sculptures have appeared on a pedestrians/cyclists only street in the downtown area – this is one of a turtle that appears to be about to consume a jelly fish – the wonders of nature!

For me, and I stress for me,© Dada quite friendly – seven anagrams (one partial), two lurkers, and no homophones in a symmetric 28 clues; with 14 hints ‘sprinkled’ throughout the grid you should/might be able to get some of the checkers to enable the solving of the unhinted clues. I hope you have your Crimson Tomes at hand!

Remember that Reading the Hints before commenting can be beneficial!

If it is some time since you read, or if you have never read the instructions in RED below the hints then please consider doing so before commenting today as my electronic blue pencil is at the ready and the Naughty Step is OPEN!

Continue reading “ST 3361 (Hints)”

ST 3360 (Hints)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3360 (Hints)

Hints and tips by Senf

A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg with greetings of the day for all Mothers.  Borrowing from Old Bill Shakes, ‘Beware the Ides of March’ (Julius Caesar (Act 1, Scene 2)), especially when they fall on a Sunday (today that is) and there is a Dada crossword to be solved!

So, Terence, what did go wrong on the Fulham Road yesterday afternoon/evening?

For me, and I stress for me,© Dada still reasonably friendly with more than a soupçon of quirkiness – nine, unless I lost count, anagrams (four partials), one lurker (reversed), and no homophones in an asymmetric 28 clues; with 15 hints, including a bonus one for illustration purposes, ‘sprinkled’ throughout the grid you should/might be able to get some of the checkers to enable the solving of the unhinted clues. I hope you have your Crimson Tomes at hand!

Remember that Reading the Hints before commenting can be beneficial!

If it is some time since you read, or if you have never read the instructions in RED below the hints then please consider doing so before commenting today as my electronic blue pencil is at the ready and the Naughty Step is OPEN!

Continue reading “ST 3360 (Hints)”

Jane – New Update April 29th

April 29th:  Another update from Jane herself a few days ago. There is some progress but it is slow and she hopes that the considerable number of daily tablets are being effective. Mobility has been affected by two and half months in a hospital bed and she will be having physio to address this. She is being looked after by one of her daughters and regular visits from the district nurses.

Continue readingJane – New Update April 29th

DT 31185

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31185

Hints and Tips by Senf

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

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

A very good Thursday morning from Winnipeg where, yesterday, I had the annual ‘delight’ of bending over and taking it like a man for my urologist.  Still it was worth it; ‘Keep Calm And Carry On’ for another year!

For me, etc© (I have to say that for Terence), not half of a Dream Team Thursday, Mr Bringloe in the guise of Donnybrook is on Toughie duty, but no doubt that it is the work of the Master of Brevity.  The usual one word clues and answers in the Quickie, and appearances from the Queen and his swEetheart appearing in the back pager with an average of 5.25 words per clue.  Also, like Dada, Ray T seems to be making occasional use of a personal thesaurus.  I hope you have your Crimson Tomes at hand!

Remember that Reading the Hints before commenting can be beneficial!

Continue reading “DT 31185”

ST 3359 (Hints)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3359 (Hints)

Hints and tips by Senf

A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where at zero dark thirty we undertook the nonsensical annual ritual of ‘springing forward’.  British Columbia has the right idea; while it did ‘spring forward’ today it will not be ‘falling back’ in 8 months time.  Manitoba has said that it will wait to see what the USA does but will that wait be a year, a century, or a millennium?

For me, and I stress for me,© Dada reasonably friendly with a soupçon of quirkiness – an economical four anagrams (two partials), no lurkers, and one homophone in an asymmetric 29 clues; with 15 hints ‘sprinkled’ throughout the grid you should/might be able to get some of the checkers to enable the solving of the unhinted clues. I hope you have your Crimson Tomes at hand!

Remember that Reading the Hints before commenting can be beneficial!

If it is some time since you read, or if you have never read the instructions in RED below the hints then please consider doing so before commenting today as my electronic blue pencil is at the ready and the Naughty Step is OPEN!

Continue reading “ST 3359 (Hints)”