Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31029
Hints and tips by Huntsman
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** Enjoyment ****
No doubting who set this one. Unlike your usual Thursday blogger I’m too lazy to do the maths but it’s the usual impressively low average word count & cleverly concise clueing. I found it pretty straightforward to complete but had some hesitation where underlining the definitions was concerned. Many thanks to Ray T for a very enjoyable puzzle.
Got to dash off for golf so I hope the hints are error free.
In the hints below the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED & the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the Click Here buttons. Please leave a comment below telling us what you thought & how you got on with the puzzle.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31027
Hints and tips by Shabbo
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Good morning, fellow puzzlers.
Sorry, but it’s me again! Huntsman and I have swapped blogging days this week, so you have his contribution to look forward to on Thursday.
I thought today’s puzzle was light and accessible with some gentle misdirection to keep us on our toes. 32 concise clues perfectly pitched for a Tuesday. I only mention the number of clues (30 is probably the average) in the vain hope of a pay rise. One thing that I have learnt to do over the last couple of years of blogging is to pretend to be busy with one eye on the clock and the 11.00 deadline. If I do it convincingly enough, the current Mrs Shabbo invariably volunteers to make my breakfast.
My ticks were for the goods in transit at 7d, the Yorkshire river’s characteristics at 9d and the perils of getting old at 16d. 23d was my LOI, as I wrestled for a while with the definition.
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.
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Toughie No 3541 by Chalicea
Hints and tips by Whybird
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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***
Hello and welcome to another Toughie week. Your peripatetic Blogger finds himself in the delightful surroundings of Dumfries and Galloway, looking out over a small loch near Auchencairn and trying desperately not to lapse into Scottish cliches. … Continue reading
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31021
Hints and tips by Shabbo
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Good morning, fellow puzzlers.
I’m afraid you’ve got me twice this week, as I am filling in today for Huntsman who is golfing in Suffolk. I shall endeavour to maintain his high standards of blogging, but there won’t be any of his trademark musical clips to entertain you.
I am not very good at guessing the setter on my regular Thursday slot, so I am not even going to make an attempt here today. Over to you, dear solver.
I found this to be a very gentle Tuesday puzzle. I got slightly delayed in the SW corner but, in hindsight, there is nothing too difficult there. My joint CoDs are the very simple but elegant 26a and 25d.
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.
Continue reading “DT 31021”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31015
Hints and tips by Huntsman
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** Enjoyment ****
It’s reasonably bright for the moment here in Harpenden but the forecast says there’s some much needed wet stuff due to arrive before too long.
If SJB’s comment yesterday is correct then fans of Anthony Plumb have a double dose of plumbing to enjoy today as one of his puzzles features in the last of Vintage series. No idea if I reviewed it (if so can’t recall it) but it was a light delight which I completed a good bit quicker than this one. I thought today’s puzzle extremely enjoyable with some excellent surfaces reads & a good splash of humour.
In the hints below the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED & the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the Click Here buttons. Please leave a comment below telling us what you thought & how you got on with the puzzle.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31009
Hints and tips by Huntsman
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** Enjoyment ***
It’s slowly starting to brighten up a bit here in Harpenden this morning so looks perfect for this afternoon’s scheduled battle with bats & ball on the links.
Today’s Plumb production is a reasonably straightforward proposition in terms of filling in the grid though I found one of the whys & a couple of the required synonyms less obvious. It’ll be interesting to see what others think.
In the hints below the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED & the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the Click Here buttons. Please leave a comment below telling us what you thought & how you got on with the puzzle.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31003
Hints and tips by Huntsman
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BD Rating – Difficulty * Enjoyment ***
It’s a lovely sunny day here in Harpenden this morning & it looks like it’ll develop into a scorcher so I’m still debating whether it’s too hot for golf.
Today’s Plumb production is a pretty gentle affair. Enjoyable enough but I can’t honestly say that I thought it on a par with last week’s cracker. Maybe that’s just me so it will be interesting to see what others think.
In the hints below the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED & the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the Click Here buttons. Please leave a comment below telling us what you thought & how you got on with the puzzle.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30997
Hints and tips by Huntsman
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BD Rating – Difficulty * Enjoyment ****
It’s a lovely sunny day here in Harpenden this morning & it looks as though the weather is set fair down here for the remainder of the week.
I did wonder if we were going to get something a bit different today after the shock of Saturday’s prize puzzle & yesterday’s fairly tricky (for me) offering. I needn’t have worried because we’ve the usual expert Plumbing & a very tidy job it is too. I found it pretty straightforward & thoroughly enjoyable from a fast start to a brisk finish. Chalicea has also given us a very approachable floughie over in t’other place that is well worth a visit for those who don’t usually venture to those parts.
In the hints below the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED & the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the Click Here buttons. Please leave a comment below telling us what you thought & how you got on with the puzzle.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30991
Hints and tips by Huntsman
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BD Rating – Difficulty * Enjoyment ***
Overcast here in Harpenden this morning & with rain in the forecast this afternoon once again on a Tuesday no golf.
Today’s Plumb production is perfectly pleasant, neatly clued as ever & about on par with the usual level of difficulty for a Tuesday. I did enjoy it though didn’t think it one of the Prof’s top drawer puzzles & felt it lacked a bit of the pizzazz of yesterday’s back-pager
In the hints below the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED & the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the Click Here buttons. Please leave a comment below telling us what you thought & how you got on with the puzzle.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30987
Hints and tips by Huntsman
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** Enjoyment ***
Overcast here in Harpenden this morning & with rain in the forecast this afternoon so no golf.
Shabbo is off to Suffolk hence our swap which takes me out of my Anthony Plumb comfort zone. I was expecting a Smooth production but pretty certain it’s not one of his & wouldn’t like to hazard a guess at who the setter is. I found it pretty straightforward other than some doubt as to what to underline in a couple of the clues. There’s rather a lot of GK which I guess is fine if you’re familiar with it so I’ll be interested to see what others think.
Great to see some new commenters on yesterday’s blog. I do hope that having de-lurked they comment again.
In the hints below the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED & the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the Click Here buttons. Please leave a comment below telling us what you thought & how you got on with the puzzle.
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