Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
Hints and tips for completing Daily Telegraph Cryptic crosswords
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment **
Peter Biddlecombe’s full review of this puzzle will be published at 12.00 on St George’s Day – Thursday, 23rd April.
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ****
A very enjoyable puzzle that took longer to complete than I thought it should, but then hindsight is always 20/20 vision!
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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.
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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”
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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”
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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.
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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.
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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.
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ***
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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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