Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ****
This was trickier than your average Giovanni Toughie (but maybe not as tricky as the back page puzzle). It was an enjoyable puzzle and, as always with a Giovanni puzzle, the clues were perfectly fair. I did waste time trying to justify a couple of incorrect answers but eventually saw the light and inserted the correct answers.
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BD Rating – Difficulty ***** – Enjoyment *****
I had heard a rumour that Elgar was returning to the back page after a long absence and if this isn’t it I’ll eat my 18 across. Although this is not as beastly as some of his Toughies, most of his usual tricks are to be found here. I know that some are going to find this difficult, but all of the clues can be solved with perseverance.
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
A puzzle by Micawber is the very thing to cheer me up on a freezing winter’s morning. This is not one of his more difficult ones but is excellent entertainment.
Let us know your opinion and please take the time to register your enjoyment factor by clicking on one of the stars below.
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Hola from the Vega Baja. Another treat from Jay which I found both tricky and amusing in places. A 2* solving time (but very close to 3*) but the variation in difficulty between the clues is quite large, similar to last week’s puzzle.
There seem to be quite a lot of “take the first and/or last letter” type of clues this week but no substitution clue.
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Busman returns to the Toughie fold after a nine-month absence with an excellent puzzle. I have complained in the past about some of his puzzles being too easy, but this one hits the right level for a Tuesday puzzle.
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ***
Last Tuesday’s puzzle inspired a volley of complaints about its difficulty but I’m pretty sure that we won’t have the same reaction today. This one is a bit of a pussycat but it’s ideal for those trying to get to grips with what cryptic crosswords are all about. Let us know how you got on.
To reveal an answer slide your cursor through the space between the curly brackets under the clue.
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
I get to review another Monday Rufus today, while Mme. Libellule’s recuperation continues. This one was typical of what we have come to expect – light and breezy, with nothing to get heated about. Enjoy it, and let us know what you think.
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BD Rating – Difficulty ***** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from the Calder Valley. Today’s Friday Fiend is Osmosis who produces some of the most challenging Toughies, and today’s is no exception. This is quite a beast of a puzzle and I struggled for a while to get a foothold after entering a couple of answers wrongly (IN TUNE at 20 down and KINDLE at 21 ac). However perseverance paid off and things fell into place. Osmosis (and his other guise of Scorpion in the Indy) puzzles are notable for their detailed constructs which can be rather convoluted. This for me sometimes spoils things for me as it means the clue looks slightly forced and the pudding somewhat over-egged. There were a lot of reversals today as well. Having to rely on the unchecked letters to solve a clue, as happened with a couple of clues today because the definition and indications are very very obscure or vague, is not to me a fair way of puzzle-solving. I feel a heated debate coming on tomorrow!
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Afternoon All! I have recently flown through these reviews due to work commitments and today was no exception. Having attempted to slow down and smell the roses I must urge anyone reading this to look at these clues in isolation and marvel at the superb surface readings that make perfect sense and mostly either perfectly define the answer or else completely mislead. Wonderful stuff!
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Giovanni periodically provides a puzzle which is easier than normal and this one will probably come as a relief to those who have struggled this week. I breezed through most of it and then slowed down a bit in the SW corner. Let us know how you fared.
If you want to reveal an answer highlight the space between the brackets under the troublesome clue.