Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
Ooh a Robyn – he was given a Sunday off (for good behaviour perhaps) but after a Beamish interlude he is back with a delightful Sunday Toughie
We have 16a and 14d clues and I have hinted half. I am sure some tricky ones remain unhinted so I will try and provide an extra nudge if you get stuck
Here we go…
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
Hexagonal grids are far from unknown in the world of the themed puzzle, and they are more common now that there is software out there to create and fill them, but I can’t find any record of a hexagonal EV having appeared previously, at least not in recent years.
A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg for the last Sunday Puzzle of the year!
A quick reflection on 4d in DT 30806 – Magazine published after interval (4,3).… Continue reading
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty ***** – Enjoyment *****
It is very damp and foggy outside and Mr CS has taken control of the Christmas jigsaw which allowed me plenty of time to solve, parse and hint this 6d Toughie
+ - + - + - + - + - + - + - +
BD Rating - Difficulty *** - Enjoyment ****
Hello, everyone, and welcome to the last Friday of 2024. Today’s offering is a quirky puzzle that was lots of fun to disentangle. I hope that our setter drops in later to claim it. Continue reading "DT 30808"
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
This puzzle was published on 21st December 2024
BD Rating –Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ***
Toughie No 3399 by Karla
Hints and tips by Gazza
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ***
Karla has given us a really gentle Toughie today, perhaps taking into account our possibly fragile condition after yesterday’s excesses. In his first Toughie he incorporated a very subtle Nina which nobody (including the blogger) spotted. I can’t see any Nina or theme today – can you?
Continue reading “Toughie 3399”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30807
Hints and tips by Shabbo
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Happy Boxing Day to you all. I trust you all had a pleasant day yesterday and are all in tip top condition to take on this tricky puzzle – maybe you are solving it en famille – that should be fun? This is definitely not the work of either of our regular Thursday setters, so everyone can have a go at Guess the Setter. My money is on Twmbarlwm, but I am rubbish at identifying setters, so please feel free to ignore me.
1a and 1d eluded me for far too long, which slowed me down considerably in the NW corner. Much to like and plenty of penny drop moments elsewhere. My last one in was 18d – the checking letters made the answer obvious, but it took me forever to parse it. Very clever. Plenty of ticks on my paper with the slightly odd surface read at 1a being my only gripe, although the definition was cleverly concealed. A nod to the five-word groanworthy and clunky Quickie Pun, which I couldn’t see at all – thanks to the current Mrs Shabbo for unravelling it, assuming she has got it right, of course!
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. Please also try to be positive – it’s only a bit of fun.
Thank you, Setter.