Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 25979
Hints and tips by Tilsit
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Greetings from the Calder Valley. Quite a challenging and enjoyable puzzle from our Monday Maestro today. Not as easy as the past few weeks with a few clues to cause more than a little head scratching. Lots of good surface reading and a preponderance of double definition clues today.
The topic for debate today concerns the clue at 28 across. I often feel that crosswords are stuck in a sort of time warp of the late fifties/early sixties. Some setters try to write clues that reflect modern usage (and abusage) of phrases, but a few, and this runs from today’s setter through to the Araucarias of this world) sometimes use words or devices that are strictly of a period.
If you asked a younger person what a “cosh” was, would they know? To me, it’s a word that belongs with The Great Train Robbers and 1950’s Teddy Boys. I also accept that I may be wrong, and I’d like your thoughts. I don’t think the day is far off where the newer abbreviations, such as LOL and IMHO will start appearing as indicators as part of clues. What do you think? Let me know at the end. Newer posters please remember that your first posts has to be approved, to prevent spamming, but you’ll be on the board fairly quickly.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 25973
The Yawning After the Night Before
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment **
Dateline: Hebden Bridge : Monday : 00:45
After a very pleasant birthday Sunday, I arrived home just after midnight full of bonhomie (sadly not alcohol) and at one with the world. So I logged on to Clued Up and, armed with a cup of coffee and Tracy Chapman on my speakers, set about the new challenge from our Monday Maestro.
ARVE Error: need id and provider
Some minutes later I am waiting for Clued Up to decide whether I have completed the puzzle, although I am fairly certain I have it correct. Has my good humour survived? Let’s take a stroll round Across Street and Down Lane and see.
I have vented my spleen about the Telegraph Grids recently, so I shall say little about today’s abomination. There’s the usual smattering of cryptic definitions, and the usual odd one that stetches a point. I am sure I have seen the exact same clue at 5 down in a puzzle recently, so that is where I start.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 25967
Hints and tips by Tilsit
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment **
I made it home from the hospital, but haven’t felt much like solving over the weekend, so I have a large pile of puzzles to wade through. Whether it’s because I am out of sorts I can’t decide, but today’s puzzle irritated me more than pleased me. I hate grids that have only one way in and out of each corner and today’s was no exception. There does seem to be a large number of Telegraph grids that are not helpful to solvers, and it may be about time that a review was carried out of the grids. Similarly I hate ambiguous clues with a passion, and there’s one today at 25 across.
Overall, the clues are of the standard we expect from our Monday Maestro, but one or two are of the tooth-sucking variety, and I’ll mention those as we go along. Right, off we go….
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 25961
Hints and tips by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
I am sorry to have to tell you that Tilsit is back in hospital, so I’ve had to do this in a bit of a rush. Very much a typical start to the week from out “Monday Maestro”, but just about into three-star difficulty.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 25955
Hints and tips by Tilsit
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Another Monday and here’s our regular setter to entertain us. A pleasant enough solve with not to much to cause stress. Just the thing to help you clear the Monday morning blues.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 25949
Hints and tips by Tilsit
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Another Monday, another outing for our regular setter. As usual, it’s the sort of puzzle designed to be kind to the newer solvers. Sadly, another outing for one of my least favourite grids, with a lot of the answers containing two consecutive unchecked letters, which I personally consider unfair to solvers. However the benign clues help here.
There’s the usual stock of cryptic definitions which either make you smile or wince. Overall, the smile factor is very much in evidence, although a couple don’t quite hit the mark for me.
Black marks to the Telegraph website, I only managed to get in about an hour ago, and the interactive filling is not as smooth as normal. Another black mark to 15 across which should have the number indication 3-3-5,4 rather than 13,4! [This has now been changed to (3,3,5,4) although (3-3-5,4) would have been more accurate. BD]
Anyway, on with the motley and let’s go….. As usual, the solutions are hidden for you to highlight to reveal the answer. Please feel free to leave any comments, but if it’s your first time, it can take a little while for your first post to appear. It just prevents those naughty spammers from invading the board.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 25943
Hints and tips by Tilsit
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Another pleasant start to the week from the Monday Maestro. Nothing terribly demanding and the usual mix of clues to encourage the newer recruits to the Cryptic World. I feel the puzzle gets off to a bit of a shaky start with the first few clues, but then gets into its stride and delivers what we expect on a Monday.
The spaces between the curly brackets hide the answer, and highlighting that space will reveal it. As usual, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the puzzle. Don’t be afraid, you’re among friends! If it’s your first time posting, it can take a little while for your post to appear, as first posts are always moderated to prevent spammers, but don’t let that put you off.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 25937
Hints and tips by Tilsit
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
The usual amiable start from the Monday Maestro with the usual smattering of cryptic definitions and clever wordplay. Lots of double definition clues today. I have to say that I feel that a couple of the cryptic definitions are not as strong as usual and seem a bit forced.
As usual, the “blank bits” between the curly brackets will give you the solution if you highlight it.
I would also welcome your comments, plaudits or brickbats below..
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 25931
Hints and tips by Tilsit
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
One weak one this time round, with a couple of surplus articles, but nothing major to write home about.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 25925
Hints and tips by Tilsit
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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment **
Very much at the easier end of the scale, the only thing that I suspect will hold solvers up today is the grid itself. What an abomination! Just under half of the clues contained a double unchecked square (known as a “double unch”). Indeed my record solving time for the Telegraph would have been beaten only for being held up with 5 down. I really don’t like grids with double unches and although I’ll tolerate a couple in a normal puzzle, surely this was too much.
When a previous Times Crossword Editor took over a few years back, he devoted a bit of time to revising all the Times stock grids. I think it’s time for the DT to follow suit.
Back to the puzzle. It being Monday we have the usual collection of cryptic definitions, which are fine, but I would rather have two or three a puzzle instead of the number we get. I always recommend the Telegraph and Guardian Monday puzzles as good places to start when solving cryptics but I sometimes fear that newer solvers are tempted to stick at this level when other puzzles adopted, shall we say, a more balanced approach. In addition, as my esteemed colleague Big Dave points out, sometimes the puzzle is weakened by these, 26 across is a good example.
That said, there are some lovely surface readings and constructions. Thanks as usual to our Monday Maestro.
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