Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
Currently Thursday does not appear to have a regular setter, although since Autumn 2010 Ray T features frequently. During 2009 almost all of the Thursday puzzles were set by Jay.
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BD Rating – Toughie difficulty */** – Enjoyment ****
Sue is still off games and we all wish her well, but don’t worry – she’ll be doing star jumps again before you know it. So, I’m afraid you’ve got me instead. You’ll just have to be terribly, terribly brave! Some vintage references from Light today – a 1966 footballer, a post-war singer and a grand old comic. Nostalgic fun. All yours.
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BD Rating – Toughie difficulty **+ – Enjoyment *****
Somewhat of a tour de force from Prime today: smartly studded with pith and wit. It took me a moment to find my stride but, from then on, this was a fair and fizzy romp. I loved it. Over to you.
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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.
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31071
Hints and tips by Shabbo
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Good morning, fellow puzzlers and greetings from North Norfolk where we are enjoying our biannual week staying in an apartment overlooking Wells harbour. The weather has been remarkably kind to us, despite a little bit of rain yesterday afternoon.
Today’s plans include completing today’s blog and then a bit of birding at dusk followed by dinner with friends in the Wells Crab House. Any travel to the east will depend on a burst water main on the A149 having been repaired overnight. Fingers crossed. No real surprises on the birding front so far, but a couple of juvenile gannets and a red-breasted merganser at Titchwell on Tuesday are worthy of note.
Today’s puzzle doesn’t feel like Silvanus and it is definitely not RayT, so I will leave “Guess the Setter” in your capable hands, dear reader. I found it to be a bit tricky in parts, but an enjoyable solve. I will go along with the early commenters in making the very amusing 11a my CoD.
In the blog below, the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED and the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the “Click Here” buttons. Please leave a comment telling us how you got on and what you thought of the puzzle.
Many thanks to our setter and to the DT Crossword Team.
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BD Rating – Toughie difficulty */** – Enjoyment ****/*****
Django’s been fairly gentle today, gifting us a puzzle studded with clever touches and smart surfaces, as ever. His delightfully eclectic cultural references range from The Simpsons to Victor Borge, via the Coen brothers, and, accordingly, it proved hugely entertaining. All yours.
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31065
Hints and tips by Shabbo
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Good morning, fellow puzzlers.
Ray T entertains us again this Thursday with a fine puzzle. The Queen and the sweetheart are there as ever, with brevity of clueing at a miserly 5.25 words/clue. The jury is still out as to whether Ray’s self-imposed brevity and single word answers limit the opportunity for humour in his puzzles.
I will be blogging from North Norfolk next week, with fingers crossed that today’s storm will have well and truly blown over by then!
In the blog below, the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED and the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the “Click Here” buttons. Please leave a comment telling us how you got on and what you thought of the puzzle.
Many thanks to our setter and to the DT Crossword Team.
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BD Rating – Toughie difficulty * – Enjoyment ****
Beam’s back to tickle us with (most of) his usual tricks. There is, of course, a “sweetheart”, a smidgeon of light cheek and a riot of double definitions. Nowt obscure and all very jolly. Over to you.
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31059
Hints and tips by Shabbo
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Good morning, fellow puzzlers.
A perfect Thursday puzzle, in my opinion. Just enough head scratching required to make it a satisfying and most enjoyable solve. Having said that, I got off to a very poor start by biffing “hairgrip” for 1a. Yes, I know it doesn’t make any sense, but I thought I would make the solve a bit more challenging by making a complete Horlicks of the first clue.
In the blog below, the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED and the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the “Click Here” buttons. Please leave a comment telling us how you got on and what you thought of the puzzle.
Many thanks to our setter and to the DT Crossword Team.
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BD Rating – Toughie difficulty * – Enjoyment ***
A surprisingly gentle Thursday Toughie from Kcit, though 16d’s GK certainly had me Googling. Always grand to learn summat new. All yours.
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31053
Hints and tips by Shabbo
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Good morning, fellow puzzlers.
RayT at his most benign, adding fuel to the fire of those who think that the DT may have abandoned their policy of starting the week gently and gradually increasing the level of difficulty as the week goes by.
No doubt as to our setter today, with the Queen and sweetheart making appearances and the words per clue standing at a fraction over five. From the Quickie Pun, we now also know that Ray hails from somewhere north of Watford Gap.
In the blog below, the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED and the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the “Click Here” buttons. Please leave a comment telling us how you got on and what you thought of the puzzle.
Many thanks to our setter and to the DT Crossword Team.