Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
Jed, also known as Virgilius in the Independent and Brendan in the Guardian , is Brian Greer, a former crossword editor of The Times and the current Sunday Telegraph setter
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BD Rating – Difficulty **/*** – Enjoyment ****
Hi everyone. Jed brings us another very enjoyable Toughie, which took me some time to get started on but then filled up steadily from the bottom, finishing with a little head-scratching in the NE. If I detected a slight political flavour in some of the clues, I think I’ll not add further comment!
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
A big warm hello to you all on a day which, here in a sunny Surrey, feels far too spring-like for February. How lovely to see Jed in this spot. I didn’t find this any harder than this setter’s Sunday offerings used to be, and every bit as enjoyable, so would invite those of you who miss Virgilius in the ST to pop a roast in the oven, don your Sunday best, and enjoy a day of rest with an extra crossword.
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ****
When (to universal sorrow) Virgilius announced that he was giving up the Sunday Prize slot he said that he would continue to contribute to the Telegraph on an ad hoc basis.… Continue reading
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BD Rating – Difficulty ***** – Enjoyment ****
We have a super puzzle today to celebrate the 500th Toughie, set by the mysterious DiDi Guess (with, as is explained in the paper and on-line, the considerable assistance of eight better known setters). We are promised a breakdown of who set which clues tomorrow, so that means we have the opportunity to show how well (or badly) we recognise the characteristics of the individual setters by making educated guesses today.
As is quite usual for me I missed the theme completely until I’d finished (at least I did spot it then – I quite often miss these things altogether until somebody points them out). It’s all to do with the Roman numeral for 500.
So, let us know how you liked it and who you think set which clues and then we’ll all have a good laugh tomorrow when we find out the correct answers. I’ve put a few of my thoughts at the bottom of the review.
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
After last Friday’s struggle, I found this one to be much easier. As always when a puzzle contains four long answers, getting at least two of these early on is the key to success.
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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment **
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
If you have never tackled a Toughie before, then this one would be a good one with which to start, as there are no obscure words and the clues are straightforward – and you’ve got the hints below if you get stuck!