Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
Toughie No 3708 by Sparks
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
There are a couple of unusual words here and some synonyms requiring a bit of thought but all were very fairly clued. Thanks to Sparks for the pangram.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31263
Hints and Tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** Enjoyment ****
Thanks to today’s setter for an enjoyable puzzle which provides a step up in difficulty from the earlier ones this week.
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Toughie No 3700 by Osmosis
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ****
You know what to expect from Osmosis – devious definitions, wily wordplay an absence of anagrams. I really enjoyed working through it in an anticlockwise route finishing in the N-E corner. Many thanks to Osmosis.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31251
Hints and Tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** Enjoyment ****
Thanks to today’s setter for an enjoyable puzzle which I found slightly trickier than its predecessors this week but still pretty accessible.
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Toughie No 3692 by Luxor
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
By Friday Toughie standards this is fairly straightforward. Thanks to Luxor for the enjoyable puzzle.
Please leave a comment telling us how you fared and what you liked about the puzzle.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31244
Hints and Tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** Enjoyment ****
Deansleigh is on holiday (and probably without Internet access) this week so I’m standing in for him.
Thanks to today’s setter for a very enjoyable challenge which is fairly gentle. All three of the long anagrams fell quickly based on the enumerations and a few checkers so that was a big help in completing the grid.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31239
Hints and Tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** Enjoyment ****
Thanks to today’s setter for an enjoyable and reasonably gentle challenge.
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Toughie No 3684 by Sparks
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
For a Friday Toughie Sparks is being quite gentle with us today. Thanks to him. He often gives a Nina in the grid and today we have a Dylan Thomas play as well as a phrase which is used backwards in 3d.
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31227
Hints and Tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** Enjoyment ****
Today’s puzzle is just one letter short of a pangram which is a strong hint as to the setter. Thanks to him for a very enjoyable challenge.
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Toughie No 3676 by Osmosis
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ****
This is not Osmosis at his most fiendish but it is still worthy of the Friday Toughie slot. Thanks to him for the very enjoyable challenge with well-disguised definitions and clever wordplay (and extra kudos for forswearing anagrams).
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