Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2482 – Hints
Selected hints by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Sunday puzzles always used to be predictably bad, full of awkward constructs – now they are predictably good!
For the weekend prize crosswords I will select a few of the better clues and provide hints for them. A full analysis of this puzzle will be available at 12.00 next Thursday, 7th May.
Some hints to get you started:
Continue reading “ST 2482 – Hints”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 25918 – Hints
Selected hints by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment **
A better puzzle than last week, but still not good enough for the top slot of the week – the flagship Prize puzzle. The dreaded place name makes an unwelcome return, but at least there are no girls’ names, or even boys’ names.
Peter Biddlecombe’s full review of this puzzle will be published at 12.00 on Thursday, 7th May.
Continue reading “DT 25918 – Hints”
Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2481 – Hints
Selected hints by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
It looks like this change in style is here to stay. Once again we have a puzzle where the level of enjoyment is disproportionately higher than the difficulty.
For the weekend prize crosswords I will select a few of the better clues and provide hints for them. A full analysis of this puzzle will be available at 12.00 next Thursday, 30th April.
Some hints to get you started:
Continue reading “ST Cryptic No 2481 – Hints”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 25912 – Hints
Selected hints by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment *
There’s not much I can say about this puzzle, other than this week there are no place names in it. Girls’ names feature twice in the answers and once in the wordplay. If it wasn’t for the self-imposed responsibility of producing some hints for this blog, I would be inclined to stop doing these Saturday puzzles altogether.
Peter Biddlecombe’s full review of this puzzle will be published at 12.00 on Thursday, 30th April. I wish him well!
Continue reading “DT Cryptic No 25912 – Hints”
Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2480 – Hints
Selected hints by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
For me,this was the most enjoyable Sunday puzzle in a long time. It was also proof that a puzzle doesn’t have to be fiendishly difficult to give satisfaction. Yes, it has one place name, but that place is both very well-known and uniquely defined by the wordplay.
For the weekend prize crosswords I will select a few of the better clues and provide hints for them. A full analysis of this puzzle will be available at 12.00 next Thursday, 23rd April.
Some hints to get you started: Continue reading “ST Cryptic No 2480 – Hints”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 25906 – Hints
Selected hints by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment **
Just as I thought things were getting better it’s back to the bad old ways. This weeks proper name count is five – two places, two boys and one girl. The usual few hints to get you started.
Peter Biddlecombe’s full review of this puzzle will be published at 12.00 on St George’s Day – Thursday, 23rd April.
Continue reading “DT Cryptic No 25906 – Hints”
Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2479 – Hints
Selected hints by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
A little easier this week – on a par with the average daily puzzle.
For the weekend prize crosswords I will select a few of the better clues and provide hints for them. A full analysis of this puzzle will be available at 12.00 next Thursday, 16th April.
Some hints to get you started: Continue reading “ST Cryptic No 2479 – Hints”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 25900 – Hints
Selected hints by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Things are getting better – just the one place name this week. The puzzle is much the better for not having the names of any women, although one boy’s name does crop up in the wordplay. If we could just get rid of those place names that are better suited to General Knowledge puzzles …. but perhaps I am dreaming! The usual few hints to get you started.
Peter Biddlecombe’s full review of this puzzle will be published at 12.00 on Thursday, 16th April.
Continue reading “DT Cryptic No 25900 – Hints”
Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2478 – Hints
Selected hints by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ****
Another excellent Sunday puzzle, although I had to coax each answer out!.
For the weekend prize crosswords I will select a few of the better clues and provide hints for them. A full analysis of this puzzle will be available at 12.00 next Thursday, 9th April.
Some hints to get you started: Continue reading “ST Cryptic No 2478 – Hints”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 25894 – Hints
Selected hints by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
One place, one ship and a woman’s name this week, but they are nothing like as obscure as those of earlier weeks. The usual few hints to get you started.
Peter Biddlecombe’s full review of this puzzle will be published at 12.00 on Thursday, 9th April.
Continue reading “DT Cryptic No 25894 – Hints”