Toughie No 3642 by Robyn
Hints and Tips by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty **** – Enjoyment *****
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 – Toughie Difficulty **** – Enjoyment *****
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** Enjoyment ***
Good morning everyone, and welcome to the Wednesday back-pager blog. I found this slightly easier than last week’s Wednesday cryptic, with much to enjoy and appreciate, including a fair smattering of musical references. I especially liked the risqué surfaces in 10a and 29a, but my favourite today was 23d. Many thanks to today’s setter.
Sunday Toughie No 212 by Beam
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 15th of February 2026
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This puzzle was published on 15th February 2026
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Greetings from Kolkata. A nice, brilliant puzzle from Dada this Sunday that I enjoyed solving and subsequently writing a full review of the same for your meticulous reading and valuable feedback. Continue reading “ST 3356 (Full Review)”
Toughie No 3641 by Django
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Django is as entertaining as always but not that tricky. Thanks to him.
Continue reading “Toughie 3641”
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** Enjoyment ***/****
Well the sunshine has actually put in an appearance here in Harpenden but it’s not Mallorca. Thanks again to ALP for filling in for me last week.
I thoroughly enjoyed today’s puzzle which I assume is an Anthony Plumb production. I found it reasonably straightforward with just a couple of pauses for the parsing. That said it remains to be seen whether I can avoid a hat trick of parsing errors so no promises. For any that make light work of this one there is a typically enjoyable & none too taxing Django puzzle over in t’other place that’s well worth a look at.
As usual there are an assortment of clips to enjoy or ignore.
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.
Hello from Ilkley, part of the City of Bradford, last year’s UK City of Culture. That involved hosting the Turner Prize, the exhibition for which we finally got round to visiting this weekend. Here are some pictues of works by Mohammed Sami, winner Nnena Kalu, and two of Zadie Xa’s golden-floored room (in which we had to remove our shoes):


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A day out at the Rhubarb Festival yesterday was very good (and tasty too), but quite tiring. Last time Dada was here (Sunday Toughie 204) I was a bit grumpy and wanted to express disapproval (7a) at getting a Dada to solve last night, but this was quite pleasant. I will obviously have to get used to seeing Dada twice on a Sunday quite often.
28 clues today split 13a/15d and I have hinted half. I hope you find the checkers to finish but I will try and give a nudge or too if time permits, around preparing the surplus of Rhubarb I bought yesterday.
Here We Go…
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It looks like Kcit (one of our favourite appropriately inverted antipodean setters) is trying to present us with a fun way to state what was left unsaid in a certain poem.… Continue reading