Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 25905
Hints and tips by Libellule
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Another generally enjoyable Friday puzzle, but a bit more complicated today, than it has been for a while.
Category: Crosswords
Hints and tips for completing Daily Telegraph Cryptic crosswords
ST Cryptic No 2479 – Review
Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2479 – Review
A full analysis by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
As I wrote last Sunday, I found it a little easier this week – on a par with the average daily puzzle. My feedback, private and public, is mixed but generally in favour of the change in style.
Continue reading “ST Cryptic No 2479 – Review”
DT Cryptic No 25900 – Review
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 25900 – Review
A full analysis by Peter Biddlecombe
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
I found this a bit easier than last week’s, but based on recent goes at some old DT puzzles, there may be even easier ones out there (or I’m gaining from experience), so not worthy of one-star difficulty. The grid is mostly very sound, but spoiled a bit by some under-checking at the edges. On the placenames that the Saturday setter seems fond of, I don’t mind having them as answers, but would prefer not to have quite such difficult geographical wordplay as used today. I have a vague notion that I’ve seen a more approachable {town+town = town} clue before, but I can’t think of the places – maybe Sometown+Bury or Sometown+Chester?
Continue reading “DT Cryptic No 25900 – Review”
Toughie No 130
Toughie No 130 by MynoT
Hints and tips by Tilsit
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ***
Quite a thought-provoking and entertaining puzzle today from a setter known for producing some very challenging and difficult puzzles – last Sunday’s Enigmatic Variations puzzle of his is one that is certainly worth solving, if you have the time and patience. I found this a reasonable challenge with several new words and phrases, but it did contain another appearance of the dreaded indirect anagram (see the blog for Toughie 126!). I thought a couple of clues over-egged the pudding and I am not at all keen on one definition.
DT Cryptic No 25904
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 25904
Today’s hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
If yesterday’s puzzle required a frantic trawl through a medical ward, then today’s offers a period of convalescence with a gentle stroll through some fairly straightforward clues with no obscure words in sight.
Toughie No 129
Toughie No 129 by Elgar
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty ***** – Enjoyment ****
Elgar has produced another tour de force with many excellent but tricky clues. I thoroughly enjoyed battling my way through this one.
DT Cryptic No 25903
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 25903
Hints and tips by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ***
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Toughie No 128
Toughie No 128 by Osmosis
Tough, but not too Tough
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
I made steady progress through this puzzle – very few easy clues, but only one or two really difficult ones.
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DT Cryptic No 25902
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 25902
Today’s hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Fasten your seat belts! This puzzle takes us on a virtual world tour – we visit two English towns, two French towns, an American university, regions in the Middle East and Italy, and an African country.
DT Cryptic No 25901
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 25901
Hints and tips by Tilsit
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
A reasonably straightforward start to the week from our regular Monday setter. Lots of cryptic definitions and anagrams to give you a good start in completing it. My only grumble is with the grid itself; 18 answers each contain a double unchecked letter and if the cluing hadn’t been so solver- friendly, I could imagine I would have had trouble. 14 had me looking for something less obvious than it actually was, but generally a nice friendly puzzle after a weekend of solving some really tough beasts. Thanks to Big Dave for a nudge with 9 across. And now back to writing almost 200 questions for our local quiz league Individual Mastermind Championship.