Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
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BD Rating – Toughie difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Typically sharp but fair definitions from Dharma with some knotty wordplay. For some reason, I found this slightly harder to break into than usual but once the top fell, it was a brisk-ish solve. All yours.
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****/*****
I didn’t really need the byline – this was very, very Dharma. As ever, the definitions leapt out and the surfaces told stories, but some parsing needed (a little) teasing. There’s a pleasingly sporty flavour – football, rugby, racing, athletics, golf and tennis all get a look-in. But (I don’t think 3d really counts) no cricket? For shame! Cracking entertainment. All yours. Continue reading “Toughie 3595”
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BD Rating – Toughie difficulty **+ – Enjoyment ****
Dharma’s back to tickle and tease, with engineered surfaces and fair definitions, as always. Some real graft here. All yours.
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BD Rating – Difficulty **/*** – Enjoyment ****
Perhaps slightly trickier than usual from Dharma today, with some imaginative synonyms (10a’s “spot”, 11a’s “accept” and 25a’s “band”, etc) and a couple of extended definitions (11a’s “not much to write home about” and 8d’s “yet to be developed”). All typically smart, of course. Over to you. Continue reading “Toughie 3555”
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty **** – Enjoyment **
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty ***** – Enjoyment **
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty ***** – Enjoyment **
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment *****
Typically clever stuff from Dharma. He’s shown us a lot of love here to put a real shift in: honed surfaces, imaginative wordplay and fun pay-offs.… Continue reading
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ****
Very Dharma today: generous definitions spiced with fizzy wordplay and some big swings.… Continue reading