Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
Currently Tuesday does not appear to have a regular setter, although Shamus usually features on alternate weeks. Until Autumn 2010 the other slot featured Ray T most of the time.
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BD Rating – Difficulty **/*** – Enjoyment ****
Slightly chewier than usual, I’d say. At least on the parsing front. And there’s some fairly quirky GK in here. The dollop of classive and an 19th century novel are pretty straightforward, the fabric (argh!)… Continue reading
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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***/****
This was very jolly, extremely brisk and rather generous. I don’t think I’ve ever written the words “A from the clue” so many times! Chalicea’s been remarkably sparing with her magic dictionary today, too.
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment *****
Spot on. Dharma’s best yet, for my money. Smart synonyms, garlicky constructions, sharp surfaces and, as ever, very fair definitions. It all flew in pretty briskly but some knotty parsing persuaded me to bung an extra half on for difficulty.
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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment *****
Who’s this new blade, eh? Well, he’s a top-notch setter many of you will know by his other moniker. He got kicked upstairs to NTSPP obscenely quickly from Rookie Corner and made his Independent debut (not as Weatherman) last month.
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ****/*****
I must admit 1a’s rather frosty “hello” threw me momentarily and I doubt I’ll be totally alone. There is certainly a smidgeon of jumping about here. But it’s worth it.
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
As ever with Dharma, his typically fair definitions often got me over the line before I’d fully worked out all of the machinery. So this was a fairly brisk solve, but the full-parse did take slightly longer.
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BD Rating – Difficulty **+ – Enjoyment ****/*****
This was excellent – Zenas’ best Toughie yet for my money. A lovely mix of clues: just four anagrams (two absolute belters) some smart letter swaps and a fair chunk of GK.… Continue reading
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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***
Chalicea’s magic dictionary gets a well-earned rest this week with only 9a and 12d needing Chamberchecks. A very gentle kick-start to the week and a nice mix: five anagrams, five double definitions, four alternates and two lurkers, etc.
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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ****/*****
Very gentle, rather lovely. Unusually, the anagrams were the stand-outs for me today. 3d/1d is arguably the oddest-looking clue I’ve seen in a while … but I, for one, loved it.
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ****
Excellent from Dada today, I thought. Yes, there are six anagrams but they’re almost all partials so it didn’t feel like overkill. Pretty light and lively, but there is certainly some GK that, though eminently gettable from the wordplay, was new to me.… Continue reading