Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26236
Hints and tips by Libellule
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BD Rating – Difficulty ***– Enjoyment ***
I thought this crossword was a bit harder than we have had for the last couple of Monday’s, but that maybe because I stared at 1a for longer than I should have done before the penny dropped. All in all a very enjoyable crossword, although 8d seems like a clue you might see in the Quick crossword rather than the Cryptic.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26230
Hints and tips by Libellule
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BD Rating – Difficulty **– Enjoyment ***
First of all I would like to congratulate (as I suspect will many of his fans) Rufus on his achievement of having 1,000 puzzles printed in the Daily Telegraph.
Today’s crossword is the usual gentle start to the week, with its own nina.
If this was a normal Monday I might complain about the number of anagrams, and the double reference to a particular school, but because it’s a special day I am going to say nothing. Just sit back and enjoy!
As usual, if you cannot work out the answer from the hint, just highlight the space between the curly brackets. Please feel free to leave a comment and/or congratulate Rufus!
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26224
Hints and tips by Libellule
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BD Rating – Difficulty ***– Enjoyment ***
Another not overly complex crossword from Rufus today, with the usual smooth cluing and sprinkling of generally amusing double and cryptic definitions. Favourite clue – probably 5d. Was it me or did anybody else think this crossword was a bit “cornery”?
If you need to see the full answer just highlight the space between the curly brackets.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26218
Hints and tips by Libellule
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BD Rating – Difficulty ***– Enjoyment ***
Another fun crossword today, not difficult but certainly entertaining. Favourite clue 8d, even if it causes a lot of discussion.
If you can’t work out the answer from the hint, just highlight the space between the curly brackets.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26212
Hints and tips by Libellule
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
A nice enjoyable and gentle start to the week. With exactly what we expect from Rufus. No complaints from me. Both Gazza and I agree that 15d is the clue of the day.
As usual if you want to see the answers directly, just highlight the space between the curly brackets.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26206
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
I’ve had a very frustrating morning. Libellule was due to write today’s blog but the never-ending problems with CluedUp (is there a worse commercial web site?) meant that he had no access to the puzzle, so I agreed to swap with him and he’ll be doing this Friday’s. So I went to my usual shop to get the paper, only to find that they were not yet open (it being a Bank Holiday). I eventually got a paper and carefully transcribed all the clues, only to find, just when I’d finished, that CluedUp was back!
Anyway, enough of my difficulties, what of the puzzle? Rufus has produced a nice, gentle themed crossword, which I think that most solvers should enjoy. We’d love to hear from you via a comment.
For new readers, the answer to each clue is hidden between the curly brackets under it – just drag your cursor through the white space between the brackets to reveal it.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26200
Hints and tips by Rishi
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
[This will be the last review from Rishi for a while as he is taking a break due to family and business commitments. I would like to thank him for the enlightenment he has brought to crossword solving over the last few months, and hope that he will be able to return later in the year. Libellule will be in this spot from next Monday. BD]
An easy outing! Actually I solved this crossword while travelling in a public transport known as autorikshaw on public thoroughfares here in Madras that is Chennai, India, to fulfil a private engagement in a different part of the city away from my home.
I especially liked 19a, 3d, 16d and 22d for their excellent surface reading. I also liked 1a, 11a, 17a, 19a, 31a, 2d and 6d for their smoothness.
Some like 25a, 29a and 21d and 25d, we have met before many times if we are veteran solvers.
The answer tucked away under each clue will show up if you highlight the white space between the curly brackets.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26194
Hints and tips by Rishi
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
This week I was held by a couple of the long answers for a few more moments than usual. Take 8d for instance. Though these blocks are used in the building industry in India, they are not known by that term. At least, I have not heard. In 28a, I had to disabuse my mind that William = Tell before the answer stuck to me. As for 7d, well, we in India too have bond, and, oh yes, bind (“Gita, what’s it? Wait a minute…”) but it may not be band, it is ‘thali’ which only women wear round their neck to signify that they are married and the man has nothing to show! In 12d, I had to decide that the word outside is CHINAS, not CHINA.
I enjoyed solving this crossword despite a couple of clues that we have seen in the same or almost similar form (e.g., 13d, 16d) in the past.
I liked 29a and 26d as they are very smooth in surface reading.
A quibble: 14a reads “Listen to a number cheer”. In real life, would grammar require the use of ‘cheering’ ?
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26188
Hints and tips by Rishi
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Today I finished the bottom right quadrant first and then the other three in an anticlockwise direction from there.You can guess how it happened. The eye landed on the last Ac. clue which is an anagram. Reading the Dn. clues for each of which a crossing letter had been obtained got more. And so the whirlijig went.
Usually some reservations are expressed by commenters on this blog about four-letter words but in this crossword most of them should pose no difficulties.
To see any answer, please highlight the white space between the curly brackets under the clue .
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26182
Hints and tips by Rishi
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
In this neat and gentle crossword by our Monday Maestro I first secured bottom left corner and then bottom right. The very last to go in were 9a, 10a, 3d and 7d. For excellent surface reading I like 31a and 20a. If there is a clue that I don’t like it’s 10a. Please see comment at appropriate place below.
If you are wondering where my answers are, please highlight the white space within the curly brackets under any clue.
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