Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26083
Weak after the event ……..
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
After the ferocity of last Wednesday, we are back to a more reasonable puzzle that I am sure most of you will enjoy. The clues are nicely written and should not prove too much trouble for the majority of solvers. However, we are here to point you in the right direction, if a nudge is needed. Apart from a couple of dodgy anagram indicators, I found it very reasonable fare.
However, this is where I get to be controversial. As I have said, this is quite an elegant puzzle with the anagram clues invariably written with a little thought and style. However, this puzzle is almost entirely filled with these and word-sum clues, of which there are over a dozen. It provides an ideal challenge for those learning to solve cryptics, but I prefer a variety of clue types, with an occasional mind-stretcher. This sits firmly at the opposite ends of the universe inhabited by last Wednesday’s and I am happy for these puzzles, as long as we are treated to an occasional difficult one.
The answers, if you are really stuck, are hidden between the squiggly brackets and highlighting the space between them will reveal the answer.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26077
Enjoyable or 5 Down?
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from the Calder Valley. I think I nearly had a relapse with today’s puzzle. Another grid that I am not too keen on, as you are only offered one way into each corner. With almost 50% of the answers you have neither the first nor last letter, and, with the exception of the two long answers, in the remainder you have only either the first or last letter. This to me adds additional difficulties in solving. The other problem is using the Clued Up software, you don’t automatically see the enumeration if the solution runs across two answer spaces, e.g. 1a and 9a.
As the setter is a very dear friend, I am used to solving some of his puzzles and he does produce some of the toughest around in the variety of dailies he sets for. I suspect here he is an acquired taste for some, and I hope you won’t be put off, particularly as one of the answers gives me a chance to play you one of the funniest pieces of comedy from TV history. If you feel you are quite blank with this, have a look at how one or two of the clues work below (especially the two log ones), and go back to it. I know sometimes when you look at a puzzle and don’t get much in reward, the temptation is to leave it, but persevere, it is worth the effort. If only for solving 20 across which made me smile. The puzzle itself is terrific and contains some wonderful clues.
As usual, you can have your say after the puzzle, and rate the puzzle using the star system. I know all the bloggers love reading what you have to say and it helps us pitch our blogs to you as well. For new visitors, your first comments always have to be moderated to prevent spammers gumming up the works. And if you wish to see the answer, it is hidden between the squiggly brackets at the start of each clue. Simply highlifght that part of the page to view the answer.
And if you do get really stuck, as the man on telly used to say, don’t have nightmares, and another will be along tomorrow, as will I with the Toughie!
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26071
Double D Maths
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
A preponderance of Word Sums and Double Definition clues today with the odd anagram thrown in. A few of the clues were old chestnuts to me, but if you haven’t sen them before, they will probably raise a chuckle with you. It was probably a 2 ½ for difficulty rather than three, really. But I am sure a few of you will feel that three is appropriate.
Sorry for being a bit late, but clandestine meetings with Distrcit Nurses have been the order of the day!
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26065
Hints and tips by Tilsit
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Greetings from Calderdale Hospital where yours truly is still recovering and likely to be here for a little while longer. This was a reasonably typical midweek puzzle which should please most people, although there were a couple of pitfalls here and there.
I thought a number of the surface readings were a little contrived for one or two clues, but otherwise it was a pleasant challenge.
As usual, the answers can be revealed by highlighting between the squiggly brackets and you can rate the puzzle by clicking on the star ratings. Feel free to comment, but newer posters need to be approved first to prevent those nasty spammers from peddling their rubbish.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26059
Hints and tips by a Grumpy Old Man
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
For those of you expecting Tilsit today, he has been pining for the lovely nurses at the Calderdale Hospital so much that he has gone back to see them for a couple of days. What he has missed is a pleasant but fairly easy puzzle, which should please a lot of you!
Don’t forget that the answers are inside the curly brackets and can be revealed by selecting with the mouse. Leave a comment telling us what you thought. You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26053
Oh No It’s Not! Oh Yes It Is!! Er….Oh No It’s Not!!!
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ****
A lovely puzzle with some really good clues, especially the clever ones at 9 across, 26 across and . However, some of your bloggers have been involved in heated debate today over one clue in particular. 6 across refers to the Biblical story of Cain and Abel. At first I solved it and thought it was a nice clue but then I started to wonder if Abel was the Third Man. Checks with that eminent theologian, The slightly Reverend Big Dave revealed that Abel was indeed the Third Man, after Adam and Cain. I had forgotten about Eve’s sex, but let’s not go there. Fine thought I, nice clue, and move on. Wrong! Of course Cain murdered Abel; everyone worked that out without calling in Miss Marple. So therefore Abel was the victim! By now the other bloggers had joined in and I suspect it’s a misprint and should have read “This victim was The Third Man”.
Enough of matters theological. On with the blog. Don’t forget to have your say and to mark the puzzle with the star rating system. New posters should be aware that we keep the answers hidden between the curly brackets and that they need to be highlighted with your mouse to reveal them. First-time posters on the blog should also know that their posts sometimes take a little while to appear as they have to be moderated to check we are not being attaced by spammers.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26047
Hints and tips by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment **
Tilsit is taking a few days off to attend to other matter, but don’t worry he’s not unwell and should be back next week. Today’s puzzle is one of those that will probably split the opinions into two. The more experienced solvers will dismiss it, and the less experienced will be happy that they have finished it.
Leave a comment telling us what you thought. You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26041
One Banana, Two Banana, Three Banana Four…….
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment: ***
Greetings from the rain-kissed paradise that is the Calder Valley. A nice friendly puzzle that shouldn’t cause too much trouble to newer solvers, although a couple of clues require a careful reading of the words. I also thought there were rather a lot of anagrams (eleven actually, especially of short words and five out of the first six clues), which can suggest a little laziness on behalf of the setter, although here the surface readings of clues are generally very good.
As usual, the answers are “hidden” inside the curly brackets. Highlighting them will reveal all. At the end of the blog, you can click on the star rating to show your opinion on the puzzle, and of course, you are welcome to have your say at the end and newer posters should note that their first posts sometimes take a little while to appear due to having to be moderated to check for spammers.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26035
A Grumpy Old Man writes……
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment **
Greetings from the Calder Valley where I have been largely incarcerated in my flat , as the old illness has been playing up. One of the joys of my imprisonment, apart from the chance to get my blood nice and angry watching the Jeremy Kyle Show and other daytime delights, has been that I have been solving (and compiling) quite a few crosswords from all of the national newspapers.
This has left me in a bit of a dilemma about today’s cryptic. While I am sure that a few of you will feel happy about it because you have been able to solve it, I actually feel cheated of a challenge with it. I just felt it was not worthy of its place in a national newspaper. Some of the clues were utterly dreadful and downright unfair. If you are asked to name a little boy, would you think of the answer NAT? An answer worthy of the new BBC2 daytime quiz show Pointless, where the object is to get answers no-one thinks of.
I am not sure who the setter was today but it was almost my fastest Telegraph solve of all time.
Time for you to feel the love.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26029
All Puzzled Out!
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Greetings from the Peoples’ Republic of Hebden Bridge, and before I start, a quick word of thanks to Gazza for covering last Thursday’s Toughie for me at short notice. I must confess to feeling somewhat drained as I have managed to do the Telegraph, Guardian, Independent and Times puzzles today. I figured that one or two might have something special going on (09/09/09), and was right. Today’s Telegraph wasn’t one of them, but then I wasn’t expecting it to be.
I wrote last week about clues hitting the target, but not the bullseye or gold and today’s puzzle is like that. The surface reading of some clues is off the mark, and others just seem inaccurate (What is a carbon-free decree?) Should we expect our clues to make sense, or are we spoilt when some setters spend their time achieving accuracy in their surface readings? As an aspiring compiler, I spend a lot of my time trying to write clues that read well and make sense both literally and factually. The fact that many of my attempts end up in the waste or recycle bin because they don’t must say something.
I found today’s DT puzzle to be reasonable, nothing more or less. There was nothing in there that really troubled me and I would be terribly surprised if most of the regulars felt differently. What I did miss was anything to make me smile and I did find that in abundance in the other three daily puzzles I solved. I did deliberately make sure this was the first one I solved today, but it just seemed rather humdrum, I’m afraid.
As usual, I’d love to see your thoughts, and you can leave them after the blog. Newer visitors should note that the clue answers are hidden between the curly brackets, and you need to highlight between the brackets with your mouse to view them. New message posters should note that your first post also takes a little while to appear, as they are moderated for spammers.
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