Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
Some solvers might find today’s cryptic crossword is * for difficulty, the only obscure word being a lurker. I wasn’t one of those solvers, which is why I’ve rated it **.
If any clues are baffling you, hopefully you will find éclaircissement below.
Welcome to Monday and today’s cryptic crossword, one of those with long answers around all the sides, which can lead to solvers experiencing quite different overall solving times based on how many of the long ones they get straight away. (Zero in my case; I needed crossing letters for all of them.) Hints for and explanations of answers are below. Do leave a comment, especially if you haven’t commented before. Don’t worry about it being ‘too late’: many of us often do the crossword later in the day, and all comments get read no matter what time (or even day) they are made.
Did anybody else see Friday’s episode of Countdown? If you haven’t, it’s recommended for two reasons: it was a particularly good episode, with two fantastic players of the game, and one of those players was a Telegraph crossword setter.
We’ve almost made it to the end of the school year — and indeed the end of primary school for this household, with just one week to go. We’ve seen the Year 6 musical, and last week the 10-year-old had a three-day residential trip with activities including caving and gorge-scrambling. This week there’s an assembly, a church service, a party, presents for teachers, and probably something else I’ve forgotten. I’m lucky to be in a position to attend most of those.
However fitting that in means starting work earlier today, so I’m unlikely to have time to add illustrations to this review before it goes live, for which apologies — but I’m hoping to pop back at lunchtime and retrospectively sneak a few in then.
Good morning. It’s been a busy time in our household, with the 10-year-old’s final half-term of primary school featuring many additional events and trips. Last week’s induction day at their next school seemed to go well (they got in the house they wanted!), and we survived the second-hand clothes scrum at the evening event for parents. This week we get to see the leavers performing the musical they’ve been rehearsing for weeks. Once parts were allocated, the children came home with costume requirements — at which point we found ourselves wondering why on earth a tweed jacket to fit a 10-year-old would even exist, let alone where to acquire one cheaply; my mum came to the rescue with a great find on a second-hand website.
On to today’s crossword. Hints and explanations for each clue are below, with definitions underlined and the answers hidden inside the Will you never learn? boxes — though don’t click that one, obviously. Do leave a comment sharing how you found the crossword, which clues you particularly liked, if any of my explanations aren’t helpful enough, or you can’t work out what a video or picture has to do with its clue. Please see the etiquette guide for how things are done round here.
Good morning. Today’s crossword felt like *** difficulty to me: I got only a few answers in my first pass and then it was slow-going to fill the rest. But it doesn’t contain any obscure answers and most of you lot are way better at anagrams than I am, so I’m guessing you’ll find it more straightforward than I did, and I’ve rated it ** accordingly. Thank you to the setter, I’m guessing X-Type, for the challenge.
Hello. We got back last night from an enjoyable half-term holiday. The train journey took about 6 hours and includes one of the most scenic stretches of track. Can you triangulate where we were from these pictures (click to enlarge)?
Hello. Today’s crossword is apparently from the anonymous member of the regular Monday trio, the one who isn’t X-Type or Twmbarlwm. Welcome especially to anybody new to cryptic crosswords: hints and explanations for each clue are below, with definitions underlined and the answers hidden behind the Told you! blobs — though don’t click that one, obviously.
Hello, and happy Bank Holiday to those who have one. It’s Ilkley Carnival today, with the parade starting right as these hints go live. Both our children are among the 1000+ participating, one with their school and t’other with their dance school, each group with costumes and props in their interpretation of the theme, hoping to impress the judges.
And our church hall has re-opened after its building work, now with its floor all the same level and the distinctive ‘show home’ smell. Thank you to those who donated last year when the eldest and I climbed 2 of the 3 Peaks as part of the fundraising — with special thanks to the recently returned Steve C, who encountered some kind of blip on the payment page and inadvertently donated twice!
Anyway, to today’s crossword, which I’m presuming is by X-Type — though given I’m typing this introduction on Sunday evening before having seen the puzzle, I wouldn’t give that much credence.
Happy Easter. Last Monday X-Type commented: “See you again, quite soon”, so I’m presuming today’s crossword is another from the same mind.
Yesterday one of the children and I got up before dawn to walk up Ilkley Moor to the Cow & Calf rocks, for the Churches Together Easter ‘Son-Rise’ service. The sun just put in an appearance between the clouds.
Good morning. Last week I said I found the crossword harder than any recent Monday backpager, but I think today’s puzzle has topped that: by the time I’d been through all of the across clues, I’d only entered 2 answers! But YMMV — there was such a range of views on how hard last Monday’s was that it would’ve been impossible to give a rating that matched even a majority of commenters, let alone all of them. Today’s puzzle is ideally suited to fans of reversing things.
