Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26333
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
I used to know where I was on Tuesdays; we had puzzles from Shamus and Ray T on alternate weeks. Then last week the schedule went berserk – not only did we have Ray T two weeks in a row, but his trademark (exclusively single-word answers) was jettisoned. So I approached this morning’s puzzle with some trepidation as to who the setter would be. Well, I’m pretty sure that it’s not by Ray T and I do think that it’s from Shamus (not least because of 5a). It only remains now for me to be proved totally wrong by a comment from the real setter!
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26327
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
I’m confused (nothing new there you’re probably thinking!) – Since we had a Ray T puzzle last week it should be a Shamus puzzle today if the usual pattern is being maintained. However, some of the clues have a Ray T feel, and even though not all the answers are single words the Quick Crossword definitely looks as if it’s a Ray T production. Whoever the setter is, he (or she) has given us an entertaining puzzle today with a good mixture of clues, including a few easy ones to get you started. Let us know what you think of it in a comment.
If you want to see an answer, highlight the space between the brackets on the line under the relevant clue.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26321
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ****
This is a typical Ray T puzzle which I was getting through pretty well, only to be held up in the bottom right-hand corner. When I spotted “at sea” in the middle row I thought that there was going to be a Nina, but nothing else appeared. The puzzle gets an extra enjoyment star from me for having only two anagrams. Agree or disagree? Let us know your views in a comment. Incidentally this appears to be one of those days when the Toughie is a bit easier than this one.
If you need to see an answer drag your cursor through the white space between the brackets in the line under the relevant clue.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26315
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ***
We have an entertaining puzzle from Shamus today with some nice deceptions. I’ve given it 4* for difficulty because I was held up in the top right-hand corner. Let us have your thoughts on it in a comment.
As usual, the answers, should you need to see them, are hidden between the brackets under the relevant clues. Just drag your cursor through the white space between the brackets to reveal.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26309
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
It’s two weeks since we had a Ray T puzzle and we get a good one today with a few of his “nudge, nudge, wink, wink” clues. Let us know how you like it in a comment.
As always, if you still need to see an answer after reading the hint you’ll find it hidden between the brackets under the clue – just highlight the space between the brackets to reveal it.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26303
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ***
Two clues turned this Shamus puzzle, for me, from a 3* to a 4* for difficulty – 14a which was the last to go in and which I’d have got much quicker if I’d realised earlier that it contained the one letter necessary to turn the puzzle into a pangram, and 30a which I made much more difficult by foolishly writing in 23d as a noun rather than a verb. Let us know how you got on in a comment.
If you need to see the answers, they are hidden between the brackets under the clues. Just drag your cursor through the white space between the brackets to reveal one.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26297
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty ***– Enjoyment ***
We have a pleasant solve from Ray T today – possibly a shade easier than we’ve come to expect from him (but still not as easy as today’s Toughie!). Let us know what you think by leaving a comment, and please don’t forget to click on one of the stars at the bottom.
For those who need some answers, they are hidden between the brackets under each clue. Highlight the space between the brackets to reveal.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26291
Hints and tips by Libellule
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BD Rating – Difficulty ***– Enjoyment ***
I would like to thank Gazza for stepping into the breach yesterday after the various power cuts I experienced. But in repayment, I get to blog this Shamus crossword (a first time for me). First off all, the crossword is a pangram, but although this crossword is a good workmanlike effort, nothing really stands out for me. We also have a bit of a cornery grid, and I thought the cryptic definitions were a bit weak.
If you cannot work out the answer from the hint, highlight the space between the curly brackets.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26285
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty **– Enjoyment ***
Ray T must have taken pity on us this week because this puzzle is not as tricky as his usual offerings. The downside is that, amongst the clever and amusing clues, there are several cryptic definitions which are a bit weak. As always we’re keen to hear your views, so let us have a comment.
The answers are hidden between the curly brackets under the relevant clue. Just highlight the space between the brackets to reveal.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26279
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty ***– Enjoyment ***
We have a pleasant workout from Shamus today, with several homophones and a visual clue. Let us know what you thought of it in a comment, and please remember to vote to indicate how much you enjoyed it by clicking on one of the stars at the bottom.
For new readers wondering where the answers are, they’re concealed between the brackets under the clues. Highlight the space between the brackets to reveal one.
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