Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28208
Hints and tips by pommers
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Hola peeps, long time no see! For whatever reason I seem to have been busy on Thursdays this summer so the last blog I managed was DT 28160, way back on 7th July. Thanks to Kath for standing in.
It’s back to normal now and I’m greeted by what has to be a RayT production. All the hallmarks are there. Short clues, synonyms stretched till they squeal, two lurkers, a first letters clue and Her Majesty making an appearance. I thought it a bit tricky in places and somehow lacking some of the usual RayT ‘zing’, but perhaps that’s just me after a break from blogging. I’ll be interested to see what you all make of it.
Continue reading “DT 28208”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28160
Hints and tips by pommers
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Hola from the Vega Baja where it’s very hot and humid and I’ve just heard a rather loud clap of thunder.
I’m pretty sure this is a RayT production as we have the Queen, some innuendo including a nude star and a lot of stretched synonyms. I rather enjoyed the challenge but I know there will be the usual complaints as there are some whoppers today. Overall it didn’t cause too many problems but perhaps a tad trickier than Ray’s recent offerings.
Continue reading “DT 28160”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28142
Hints and tips by pommers
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Hola from Los Alcázares to where I have retreated with a stidkig code id the dose. I recommend you avoid these hints like the plague because they are probably highly infectious. Hopefully not with plague but some sort of Canarian lurgy which pommette picked up in Tenerife and has now generously passed on to me.
Fortunately I don’t think many of you will need the hints today. There are five fairly straightforward anagrams to get you going and a few gimmes as well. Once checkers are in place the other trickier clues will probably fall into place as they did for me. There’s a few smiles along the way and a couple of off the wall definitions so I’ve gone for **** for enjoyment. I have an idea who the setter might be but I’m not saying yet, you all know my record in that area.
Continue reading “DT 28142”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28124
Hints and tips by pommers
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Hola from the Vega Baja where summer has arrived, it’s already 23C and it’s only 0930CEST as I’m typing this.
Today we have a RayT and I reckon it’s at the easier end of his spectrum but hey, what do I know? It will be interesting to see if we have the usual split in opinion about this one as the synonyms aren’t stretched too much, there’s a couple of anagrams and a few gimmes to get you going. All-in-all I thought it was pretty good stuff.
Continue reading “DT 28124”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28112
Hints and tips by pommers
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment *****
Hola from the Vega Baja where the weather has resumed normal service after a few days of cold and wet, while it’s been hot and sunny in the UK. Pommette picked a very good weekend to visit her mother!
I’m pretty sure this is a RayT if only for the slightly stretched synonyms and some cleverly concealed definitions. I quite like stretching the synonyms as it makes you think a bit laterally but I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. I thought it was a fair bit trickier than his recent puzzles but perhaps that’s just me. It will be interesting to hear what you all make of it. I also thought the whole thing brilliant and I think it’s the first time I’ve ever gone to five stars for enjoyment!
Continue reading “DT 28112”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28088
Hints and tips by pommers
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Hola from the Vega Baja and welcome to a very enjoyable puzzle. I’m pretty sure it’s a RayT production – it’s all short clues, some slightly stretched synonyms, a couple of lurkers, Charles’ mother makes an appearance, there’s a bikini almost covering the top and a son chasing skirt. It’s gotta be a RayT with all that hasn’t it? It was heading for a comfortable ** difficulty but then I stalled a bit in the NE corner so *** it became. I’ll be interested to hear what you all make of it.
Continue reading “DT 28088”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28052
Hints and tips by pommers
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Hola from the Vega Baja where spring seems to have arrived. Makes a change from having the proverbials frozen off in England last weekend – brrrr!
I’m pretty sure that this one is a RayT puzzle as all the indicators are there. However, not much in the way of innuendo and there are six anagrams which is unusual. There are a few tricky bits but enough gimmes to get you going so I don’t think it will frighten any horses too much.
Continue reading “DT 28052”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28034
Hints and tips by pommers
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment **
Hola from the Vega Baja where we’re having an unseasonably warm spell and no sign of Imogen. It was 24C yesterday afternoon and the forecast is for it to be similar into next week. I’m not complaining!
Those of you who like anagrams will be complaining today as there are only three in this puzzle. There are, however a lot of charades and loads of messing about with single letters. Somehow it didn’t really float my boat but I’m sure others will like it. I’ll be interested to read your comments.
Continue reading “DT 28034”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27010
Hints and tips by pommers
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Hola from the Vega Baja on a bright but chilly morning. Those of you who like anagrams will be well pleased with this puzzle as there are four fifteen letter ones around the outside of the grid. If you solve those first, as I did, they’ll make the rest of the puzzle fairly straightforward.
Continue reading “DT 28010”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27998
Hints and tips by pommers
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Hola from the Vega Baja from where I have the honour of blogging the last back pager of the year. As you might expect there are a few clues relevant to the occasion but for me they rather spoiled things as their answers were so obvious. The rest of the puzzle is pretty good though.
Before going on to the hints may I wish a Happy and Prosperous New Year to all setters, bloggers, commenters and lurkers. Feliz Año as they say around here.
Continue reading “DT 27998”