Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
Excalibur is Nuala Considine. She was, until early 2009, the setter for the Sunday Telegraph.
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment **
Most of the answers here went in fairly easily and it might have been 1* for difficulty if I hadn’t been held up in the NW corner (due to my incorrect assumption that rum in 3d was an anagram indicator and my failure to realise that exorcising in 7a was meant to be one).
Continue reading “Toughie 1066”
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ***
Good afternoon from South Staffs, where a bright morning has become an overcast autumnal day.
A gentle start to the Toughie week, though I found that some of the clues took longer to explain than to solve.
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment **
This is unmistakeably an Excalibur puzzle, i.e. it’s pretty quirky. Even for a Tuesday I think it’s a pretty easy Toughie, so I’ll be surprised if the hints are in great demand.
Continue reading “Toughie 1026”
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Good afternoon from South Staffs, on an overcast day, with rain forecast for later.
A gentle start to the Toughie week. I liked 14d.
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Good afternoon from South Staffs, although by the time this is published I expect to be well towards a stop-off in Kent, en route to France.
This being my first go at blogging a Toughie, I’m short of reference points for the difficulty – I don’t usually look at how long a Toughie takes me. But on the basis that this one took about twice the time I would take for a ** back pager, I think ** is reasonable.
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment **
Excalibur has a unique, quirky style which tends to polarise opinions. I can’t pretend that she’s one of my favourite setters but I do think that her puzzles have improved since the early Toughies and this is a fairly typical example with quite a lot of cryptic definitions. I didn’t find it particularly difficult – how about you?
Continue reading “Toughie 963”
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment *
I can say nothing polite about this puzzle so I will say nothing. This will be the last time I ever look at a puzzle from this setter.
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment *
Precisely what you expect from a puzzle by this setter.
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment *
Everything you expect from an Excalibur puzzle.
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment *
I’m sure that there are solvers who will like this puzzle, I am not one of them.