Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
Friday’s current setter is Don Manley who is also known as Giovanni, Duck, Pasquale, Quixote, and Bradman (all punningly connected with the name Don or Donald)
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).
Continue reading “Toughie 3676”
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BD Rating - Difficulty *** - Enjoyment ****
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Friday. I thought that today’s puzzle was a lot of fun with many penny drop moments producing smiles. Continue reading "DT 31222"
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty ***** – Enjoyment *****
Exactly what you expect from Elgar’s fortnightly visit to the middle of the paper. As clearly indicated by the clue to 21d, the Across solutions are all hiding items which a 15d might catch
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BD Rating - Difficulty *** - Enjoyment ***
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Friday. Continue reading "DT 31216"
Toughie No 3668 by Luxor
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Welcome to Luxor, a new Toughie setter whose name will be known to those who solve the Enigmatic Variations puzzles. I was a bit apprehensive on seeing the new name but I needn’t have worried; this puzzle is pretty gentle for a Friday Toughie.
Thanks to our new setter for the enjoyment.
Continue reading “Toughie 3668”
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BD Rating - Difficulty *** - Enjoyment ****
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Friday. Continue reading "DT 31210"
Toughie No 3664 by Elgar
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty *** – Enjoyment *****
Given the battle I had to solve, parse and blog Elgar’s 300th Toughie, I will admit to being more than a little apprehensive when I printed off his 301st, where the last three Down clues had a whole piece of paper to themselves. I was both relieved and delighted to find that he had set us his friendliest crossword for many a long year; I did know the hymn and the unknown catalogue was fairly clued; and the whole was most entertaining, my favourites being the brilliant 26a and 12d
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BD Rating - Difficulty *** - Enjoyment ***
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Friday. Today we have a fun puzzle with tight cryptic grammar, solid definitions and nothing too esoteric. Continue reading "DT 31204"
Toughie No 3660 by Notabilis
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment *****
It was a delightful surprise to find the name of Notabilis on today’s Toughie. We haven’t had a puzzle from him since Toughie 3036 almost exactly three years ago and his clever and very entertaining puzzles have been much missed. I do hope that today’s appearance signals his return on a regular basis. Many thanks to him for today’s splendid puzzle which is not fiendishly difficulty; I only needed to verify the 26a trickster.
Continue reading “Toughie 3660”
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BD Rating - Difficulty *** - Enjoyment ***
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Friday. Continue reading "DT 31198"