Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
Hints and tips for completing Daily Telegraph Cryptic crosswords
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty ***** – Enjoyment *****
Elgar’s Proper Friday Toughie is a pangram, which may or may not help you finish solving the puzzle. Some nice helpful four-letter solutions together with a few longer ones that did take quite a bit of thought and muttering to parse!
+ - + - + - + - + - + - + - +
BD Rating - Difficulty ** - Enjoyment ****
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Friday. A grid fill using every letter but X suggests that this fine puzzle is the work of regular Friday setter proXimal. Thanks to him for an entertaining crossword to solve and to hint. Continue reading "DT 31048"
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
This puzzle was published on 27th September 2025
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment *****
A splendid Saturday Prize Puzzle
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Toughie difficulty * – Enjoyment ***/****
It’s always a treat to see Django’s byline. And I was delighted to see a flash of his old wordiness crop up in 8d. My clue of the day and yet more proof that – as long as the surface merits it – length is not our enemy! All yours.
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31047
Hints and tips by Shabbo
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Good morning, fellow puzzlers.
I really enjoyed this delightful puzzle, which induced plenty of smiles and a couple of laughs along the way. My ticks are for 18a, 21a, 25a, 4d, 13d and 17d. I would be interested to hear what you think, dear reader.
21a is particularly apposite for me. In 2019, our son set up a laser tattoo removal business in St Albans, which I am pleased to say is going really well. I desperately tried to persuade him to adopt a pig as his logo. Once you have solved 21a, you might understand why! He rightly argued that not everyone has a warped crossword brain like mine. Good point, well made.
Must dash – I’m now off to help at a charity golf day at Knebworth GC in support of Wooden Spoon – a rugby based charity supporting disadvantaged children. If there are mistakes in the blog, I can only apologise.
In the blog below, the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED and the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the “Click Here” buttons. Please leave a comment telling us how you got on and what you thought of the puzzle.
Many thanks to our setter and to the DT Crossword Team.
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty * – Enjoyment *****
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31046
Hints and Tips by Gazza
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty *** Enjoyment ****
A step up in difficulty from the last two days but very enjoyable – thanks to our setter.
Continue reading “DT 31046”
Sunday Toughie No 191 by Zandio
Review by
Sloop John Bee
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
This puzzle was published on the 21st September 2025
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
This puzzle was published on 21st September 2025
BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. A truly, wonderful Sunday puzzle from Dada that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a full review of his puzzle for your kind perusal and precious comments. Continue reading “ST 3335 (Full Review)”