Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29004
Hints and tips by pommers
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Hola from the Vega Baja where spring must have sprung because the swallows have returned from their winter vacation. Hopefully they will have brought some good weather with them.
I’m not sure what to make of this puzzle. I started off in fine style with eight of the acrosses and then ten of the downs so was thinking it was going to be a breeze but after that it was a bit like running into a brick wall. Still, I got there in the end with a few penny drops and a bit more damage to the tea tray. I’ll be interested to hear what you thought of it.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28980
Hints and tips by pommers
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Hola from the Vega Baja on a bright and sunny morning. It’s a bit chilly at the silly o’clock time I’m writing this but the forecast for today and the next week is pretty good. If you’re interested then have a look here: https://www.eltiempo.es/almoradi.html .
I don’t know who today’s setter is but whoever it is has set a bit of a tricky rascal again so I have my suspicions. On first pass I only got five of the acrosses and then eight of the downs so that makes it a bit tricky in my book but it could just be due to the early hour and too much vino collapso last night. However, tricky or not there’s five longish anagrams to give a lot of checkers so it shouldn’t frighten the horses too much. I’ll be interested to see how you all got on with it.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28962
Hints and tips by pommers
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Hola from the Vega Baja on a pleasantly warm (for late January) RayThursday. At least I’m pretty sure it is he as all the usual signs are here, short clues, Her Majesty on parade and a bit of innuendo by way of a love affair, a misbehaving husband and Rose gripping a large chopper. I thought it was going to be a tad tricky as I only got four of the acrosses on first pass but then eleven of the downs came to the rescue so it turned out to be OK. As usual with a RayT puzzle I enjoyed the challenge and I’ll be interested to see what you all thought of it.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28944
Hints and tips by pommers
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Hola from a cold but sunny Vega Baja.… Continue reading
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28927
Hints and tips by pommers
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Hola from a slightly chilly but bright morning in the Vega Baja. I’ve no idea who today’s setter is but whoever it is he/she has given us a treat, with just enough trickiness to make it more than just a walk in the park. I’ll be interested to see what you all thought of it.
This will be my last blog of 2018 so I’d just like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year. Continue reading “DT 28927”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28897
Hints and tips by pommers
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Hola from the Vega Baja where it’s throwing it down big time. A good job that Chris Lancaster provided the puzzle last night as the site still isn’t up and running so many thanks to him.
I’m pretty sure this puzzle is a RayT as most of his calling cards are there apart from Her Majesty, who’s now missed the last two of Ray’s puzzles. Perhaps she has better things to do than appear in crossies.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28885
Hints and tips by pomagne
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ****
Hola from the Vega Baja from where today’s hints are brought to you by an effervescent amalgamation of pommers and Jane, with just a touch of gravity as the job in hand demands. The technical stuff has been done by pommers and the very good review written by Jane so here it is . . .
A bubbly Good Morning to everyone and welcome to what has to be a Mr T puzzle – the word count is spot on (if we allow him to count the shortened form of ‘he is’ as a single word!) and one of his favourite leading ladies puts in an appearance. I guess that the other one is busy overseeing the redecoration of the royal nursery. Sadly, we seem to be a bit light on innuendo today but there is still a splash of those definitions that might have you seeking confirmation from the Big Red Book. Continue reading “DT 28885”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28867
Hints and tips by pensionista pommers
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Yep, since my last blog three weeks ago I have become an OAP, (I think that’s probably a code for “grumpy old man”), but the upside is that my first pension payment arrived in the bank yesterday! I can now get bus and train passes and a free trip up the lift to Alicante castle which is well worth seeing if you’re ever in the area.
I don’t know who the setter of this puzzle is but I have a suspicion which I will keep to myself for now to avoid embarrassment. It’s a nice puzzle which I quite enjoyed. Nothing to really frighten the horses and a few anagrams for those that like them as a way into the puzzle. Continue reading “DT 28867”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28849
Hints and tips by pommers
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Hola from the Vega Baja where summer seems to have returned with a bang. After some rather spectacular thunder and seriously torrential rain, like 35mm in 30 minutes, over the last few days the skies have cleared and it’s forecast to get up to 35°C over the weekend. Not bad for late September!
Anyway, to the puzzle . . . It’s a RayT but there’s nothing to really frighten the horses and there’s more than his usual quota of anagrams to get you going. I’m sure even the RayT sceptics will get along with this one.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28837
Hints and tips by pommers
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Hola from the Vega Baja on a warm and sunny RayThursday. A bit on the tricky side for me this morning with some well-stretched synonyms and a couple of unusual definitions. There’s also a few rather complicated constructions so it’s ***/**** from me. It will be interesting to see what you all made of it.
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