Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26119
All Puzzled Out!
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Christmas is always a crossword fan’s dream. Lots and lots of special puzzles around and I currently have 14 waiting to be solved from last weekend. Many of them are Jumbos and barred puzzles with a theme and take a lot longer.
Of course the dailies still run on, and not many have a theme, especially here in the Telegraph. So in effect they provide a little light relief from the festive challenges. This was an OK puzzle, but didn’t really hit the heights for me and it was difficult to guess who the setter was there were no clues to really help me identify them.
One of my (admittedly small) grumbles today is with the cryptic definition at 7 down. I am a reasonably PC person and have to admit to being surprised to see that clue in the Telegraph, rather like yesterday’s CRINOLINE clue. Quite a lot of you will probably find it hilarious, but it isn’t my cup of coffee (I can’t stand tea!). Not keen on the use of “number” to indicate Personal Identification Number in 19 either. However it passed a pleasant few minutes and there wasn’t a lot to trouble me in there today.
Incidentally, if you want a cracking Christmas challenge, try Araucaria’s Christmas Cracker, which can be found here. Read that preamble carefully and get thinking!
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26113
How do you like your curate’s eggs in a morning?
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment **
Greetings from the Calder Valley. A curate’s egg of a puzzle today, nice in parts but in others… One or two clever clues, but a couple of the definitions were of the “hits the target but not the bullseye” sort; 17 down. for example. My other grumble is the use of almost similar words in 2d and 9 across. This is just laziness by the setter and could fairly easily have been altered.
Feel free to have your say after the blog, and mark the puzzle using the star system. New posters are always welcomed, but you may have to wait a little for your first post to appear as it has to be moderated, to ensure no silly spammers get through peddling their rubbish.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26107
Hints and tips by Tilsit
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Not the hardest puzzle in the world, but a good example of how you can make a puzzle enjoyable with good fair cluing and good accurate surface reading.
My favourite clue is 5 down, followed by 26 across. It is also refreshing to see the cryptic definition used prudently rather than overdone to death.
Thanks for an enjoyable puzzle, and I hope you find it fun too!
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26101
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
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BD Rating – Difficulty ***** – Enjoyment ***
Tilsit escaped from the Calderdale Colditz this morning and should be back with you tomorrow.
Surely no one other than Elgar could have set this puzzle [I was wrong, this is not by Elgar]. I found it to be a mix of good and bad clues, some of which seem out of place in a daily cryptic. I’m sure you will all have your favourites and your pet hates. Personally I did today’s Toughie in about half of the time I spent on this one.
Leave a comment telling us what you thought. You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26095
Let’s all play Charades!
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment **
Tilsit would rather go back to see the lovely nurses in the Calderdale Royal Hospital than do today’s puzzle, and I don’t blame him. It was very easy and the newer solvers should enjoy finishing it. For the rest of us it offered very little.
You can add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26089
Hints and tips by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Tilsit is unable to review today’s puzzle, but he will be back here tomorrow with the Toughie.
When I solved this crossword I quite enjoyed it, but once I sat down to analyse the wordplay I must admit to being less than impressed with a few of the clues. For example most setters try not to use the same indicator twice in a puzzle but here we have “up”, a dubious anagram indicator at the best of times, in two of the across clues.
Leave a comment telling us what you thought. You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post. And don’t forget that the answers can be revealed by highlighting the space between the curly brackets.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26083
Weak after the event ……..
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
After the ferocity of last Wednesday, we are back to a more reasonable puzzle that I am sure most of you will enjoy. The clues are nicely written and should not prove too much trouble for the majority of solvers. However, we are here to point you in the right direction, if a nudge is needed. Apart from a couple of dodgy anagram indicators, I found it very reasonable fare.
However, this is where I get to be controversial. As I have said, this is quite an elegant puzzle with the anagram clues invariably written with a little thought and style. However, this puzzle is almost entirely filled with these and word-sum clues, of which there are over a dozen. It provides an ideal challenge for those learning to solve cryptics, but I prefer a variety of clue types, with an occasional mind-stretcher. This sits firmly at the opposite ends of the universe inhabited by last Wednesday’s and I am happy for these puzzles, as long as we are treated to an occasional difficult one.
The answers, if you are really stuck, are hidden between the squiggly brackets and highlighting the space between them will reveal the answer.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26077
Enjoyable or 5 Down?
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from the Calder Valley. I think I nearly had a relapse with today’s puzzle. Another grid that I am not too keen on, as you are only offered one way into each corner. With almost 50% of the answers you have neither the first nor last letter, and, with the exception of the two long answers, in the remainder you have only either the first or last letter. This to me adds additional difficulties in solving. The other problem is using the Clued Up software, you don’t automatically see the enumeration if the solution runs across two answer spaces, e.g. 1a and 9a.
As the setter is a very dear friend, I am used to solving some of his puzzles and he does produce some of the toughest around in the variety of dailies he sets for. I suspect here he is an acquired taste for some, and I hope you won’t be put off, particularly as one of the answers gives me a chance to play you one of the funniest pieces of comedy from TV history. If you feel you are quite blank with this, have a look at how one or two of the clues work below (especially the two log ones), and go back to it. I know sometimes when you look at a puzzle and don’t get much in reward, the temptation is to leave it, but persevere, it is worth the effort. If only for solving 20 across which made me smile. The puzzle itself is terrific and contains some wonderful clues.
As usual, you can have your say after the puzzle, and rate the puzzle using the star system. I know all the bloggers love reading what you have to say and it helps us pitch our blogs to you as well. For new visitors, your first comments always have to be moderated to prevent spammers gumming up the works. And if you wish to see the answer, it is hidden between the squiggly brackets at the start of each clue. Simply highlifght that part of the page to view the answer.
And if you do get really stuck, as the man on telly used to say, don’t have nightmares, and another will be along tomorrow, as will I with the Toughie!
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26071
Double D Maths
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
A preponderance of Word Sums and Double Definition clues today with the odd anagram thrown in. A few of the clues were old chestnuts to me, but if you haven’t sen them before, they will probably raise a chuckle with you. It was probably a 2 ½ for difficulty rather than three, really. But I am sure a few of you will feel that three is appropriate.
Sorry for being a bit late, but clandestine meetings with Distrcit Nurses have been the order of the day!
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26065
Hints and tips by Tilsit
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Greetings from Calderdale Hospital where yours truly is still recovering and likely to be here for a little while longer. This was a reasonably typical midweek puzzle which should please most people, although there were a couple of pitfalls here and there.
I thought a number of the surface readings were a little contrived for one or two clues, but otherwise it was a pleasant challenge.
As usual, the answers can be revealed by highlighting between the squiggly brackets and you can rate the puzzle by clicking on the star ratings. Feel free to comment, but newer posters need to be approved first to prevent those nasty spammers from peddling their rubbish.
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