Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31187 (Hints)
The Saturday Crossword Club
(hosted by crypticsue)
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Category: Prize Crossword Hints
Sunday Toughie 215 (Hints)
Sunday Toughie No 215
by Beam
Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee
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Beam has provided a very pleasant and not too tough Toughie today. I was pleased to have something a little easier than last week’s, as no matter what tricks I used, I couldn’t get the puzzle until 00:10
Beam has brought us a generous and symmetric 16a and 16d clues today. When selecting the clues to hint, I found that the across selection was equally symmetric, so I let that guide an equally symmetric selection of downs. That may have left a few of the trickier clues unhinted, so I will endeavour to help with a bonus hint or two if you ask.
All the Beam™ trademarks are there, sweetheart, the Queen, single word answers and no anagrams. I spotted quite a few definitions by example? hence the question marks. I expect you will find the checkers to finish, as this was much more straightforward than last week.
Here we go, Folks…
EV 1737 (Hints)
Enigmatic Variations 1735 (Hints)
What He Said by Vismut
Hints and tips by Gabriel
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Our friend(s) Gemini claimed that the “commonality” is Vismut (the setter’s name and the nordic name for Bismuth), namely “Bi” in the periodic table.… Continue reading
ST 3359 (Hints)
Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3359 (Hints)
Hints and tips by Senf
A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where at zero dark thirty we undertook the nonsensical annual ritual of ‘springing forward’. British Columbia has the right idea; while it did ‘spring forward’ today it will not be ‘falling back’ in 8 months time. Manitoba has said that it will wait to see what the USA does but will that wait be a year, a century, or a millennium?
For me, and I stress for me,© Dada reasonably friendly with a soupçon of quirkiness – an economical four anagrams (two partials), no lurkers, and one homophone in an asymmetric 29 clues; with 15 hints ‘sprinkled’ throughout the grid you should/might be able to get some of the checkers to enable the solving of the unhinted clues. I hope you have your Crimson Tomes at hand!
Remember that Reading the Hints before commenting can be beneficial!
If it is some time since you read, or if you have never read the instructions in RED below the hints then please consider doing so before commenting today as my electronic blue pencil is at the ready and the Naughty Step is OPEN!
DT 31181 (Hints)
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31181 (Hints)
The Saturday Crossword Club
(hosted by crypticsue)
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Sunday Toughie 214 (Hints)
Sunday Toughie No 214
by proXimal
Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee
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proXimal is here again with all his Sunday Toughie trademarks. Tougher than usual I think, but not helped by my failure to find 27a in any dictionary! There appears to be a surplus I and the only source I can find suggests it is a common misspelling. Tomdisappointingsturges 65 will be very disappointed indeed if we allow misspellings to become commonplace.
We have 14a and 16d clues today and I have hinted half. I hope you find the checkers to get across the line.
Here we go, Folks…
EV 1736 (Hints)
Enigmatic Variations 1736 (Hints)
Crack Up by Shark
Hints and tips by Phibs
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With very little to offer Claude in terms of today’s puzzle, I asked, “Why would a setter of themed crossword puzzles choose to call themselves Shark?”
ST 3358 (Hints)
Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3358 (Hints)
Hints and tips by Senf
A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg on this first day of March.
For those who are minded to celebrate today, a Happy St David’s Day. I should like to mark the day with a wee dram of a single malt, which I discovered when I was in Somerset at the end of November last year, from the Aber Falls Distillery in Abergwyngregyn, North Wales, but I have yet to find it over here; however, I am sure that The Balvenie will be an acceptable substitute.
If meteorologists try to persuade you that today is the first day of Spring ignore them, they are delusional. Starting the seasons on the first of a month is a convenience they have invented for themselves and they should probably have their meteorological qualifications revoked. As any sane person knows, Spring begins with the Vernal Equinox which this year occurs at 2:46pm GMT on Friday, March 20th.
For me, and I stress for me,© Dada somewhat quirky today but I did not detect any post-modern intellectual, cultural and artistic pseudo-meta-clues (see NYDK’s response to Paul Gowans – Comment 23 – in yesterday’s blog) – eight anagrams (three partials), one lurker, and no homophones in an asymmetric 29 clues; with 15 hints ‘sprinkled’ throughout the grid you should/might be able to get some of the checkers to enable the solving of the unhinted clues. I hope you have your Crimson Tomes at hand!
Remember that Reading the Hints before commenting can be beneficial!
If it is some time since you read, or if you have never read the instructions in RED below the hints then please consider doing so before commenting today as my electronic blue pencil is at the ready and the Naughty Step is OPEN!
DT 31175 (Hints)
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31175 (Hints)
The Saturday Crossword Club
(hosted by crypticsue)
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Sunday Toughie 213 (Hints)
Sunday Toughie No 213
by Dada
Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee
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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…