Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
This is the sort of puzzle that you come to expect in the Telegraph. Nothing too difficult, no awkward constructs, no obsolete or obscure words, no silly phrases, no proper nouns, no isolated corners, and certainly no sign of those love ’em or hate ’em unches! Just a good, honest puzzle. Well done our Wednesday setter.
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment *****
When I see that Giovanni is the setter, I know I am in for a difficult but thoroughly enjoyable puzzle. Today is no exception, even allowing for the fact that this interestingly shaped grid is more-or-less four puzzles in one. There were a handful of easier clues – just as well or you might never get started – but nothing so difficult that, even if you didn’t know the answer, you couldn’t work it out from the wordplay.
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment **
In his review yesterday tilsit introduced a phrase “double unch” (double unchecked square) which I hadn’t heard before and which I determined to remember for future use – well, I did not have to wait long, because today’s puzzle is full of them! It’s a bit of a curate’s egg really, with a few nice cryptic definitions and some attempts at misdirection, but some of the surface readings are pretty poor, notably 16d.
Phil McNeill, the Puzzles Editor for the Telegraph Media Group, has issued answers to questions like “Can I use pencil or Tippex?”. You can read what he has said in Guidelines for the submission of Prize Puzzles.
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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment **
Very much at the easier end of the scale, the only thing that I suspect will hold solvers up today is the grid itself. What an abomination! Just under half of the clues contained a double unchecked square (known as a “double unch”). Indeed my record solving time for the Telegraph would have been beaten only for being held up with 5 down. I really don’t like grids with double unches and although I’ll tolerate a couple in a normal puzzle, surely this was too much.
When a previous Times Crossword Editor took over a few years back, he devoted a bit of time to revising all the Times stock grids. I think it’s time for the DT to follow suit.
Back to the puzzle. It being Monday we have the usual collection of cryptic definitions, which are fine, but I would rather have two or three a puzzle instead of the number we get. I always recommend the Telegraph and Guardian Monday puzzles as good places to start when solving cryptics but I sometimes fear that newer solvers are tempted to stick at this level when other puzzles adopted, shall we say, a more balanced approach. In addition, as my esteemed colleague Big Dave points out, sometimes the puzzle is weakened by these, 26 across is a good example.
That said, there are some lovely surface readings and constructions. Thanks as usual to our Monday Maestro.
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
For the weekend prize crosswords I will select a few of the better clues and provide hints for them. A full analysis of this puzzle will be available at 12.00 next Thursday, 14th May.
Some hints to get you started:
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Two small landmarks – this is the 200th post on the blog and earlier this week the view count topped 100,000.
Peter Biddlecombe’s full review of this puzzle will be published at 12.00 on Thursday, 14th May.
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment **
There was much to enjoy in this puzzle, but, for me, it was totally spoiled by the silly phrases and by wordplay in which so much is sacrificed to achieve good surface reading. I fail to see how A B on C means A on B is C, but once you get used to the silliness of the construct the puzzle is not that difficult.
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Not too complicated, not too easy either. One new word for me, a french phrase and a couple of Big Dave bete noires, what more could you ask for. Comments as always appreciated.
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
