Toughie No 3653 by Shabbo
Hints and tips by Whybird
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment *****
We have another excellent puzzle from Shabbo today. Absolutely perfect for a Tuesday, plenty to get stuck into, but nothing outrageously difficult or obscure. I thought it was going to be a struggle when I looked at 1a and that pesky question mark, and indeed it took quite a while before I managed to get a proper foothold in the North, the South going in much more easily. So definitely a Crossword of Two Halves for me, but still done in just a smidge over one-star time. The main difficulty factor came from Shabbo’s very clever surfaces and deceptions which I really enjoyed unpicking. Thanks, Shabbo, please keep spoiling us!
I have a host of favourites today -1a, 3d, 5d, 9a, 14d, 17d and 26a are all excellent. I’m going to need a bigger podium!
Please let us know how you fared and what you thought of the puzzle.
Continue reading “Toughie 3653”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31189
Hints and tips by Huntsman
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty * Enjoyment ***/****
I thought today’s puzzle, which I assume is an Anthony Plumb production, very enjoyable & a fair bit easier than yesterday’s. As ever nicely clued throughout & with a lovely clue to finish. For any seeking another challenge the puzzle over in t’other place is pretty ‘floughie’ & also very entertaining. For some reason the puzzles app has omitted to say who the setter is but my money is on Chalicea.
As usual there is a selection of music to enjoy or ignore.
In the hints below the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED & the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the Click Here buttons. Please leave a comment below telling us what you thought & how you got on with the puzzle.
Continue reading “DT 31189”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31188
Hints and tips by Falcon
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***
Greetings from Ottawa where the roller coaster weather continues. One day the temperature dips to minus 20 C at night and a day or two later hits a daytime high of plus 12 C. Fortunately, this week, we were not at the bottom of this cycle when the furnace maintenance man showed up for his annual inspection and promptly shut off the gas and slapped a red tag on the furnace (signifying it was unfit for use). There followed a scramble to install a new furnace. In that situation, one certainly is not in a strong position to shop around and bargain.
Today’s puzzle provides a gentle warmup for the undoubtedly more challenging solving exercises ahead.
In the hints below, underlining identifies precise definitions and cryptic definitions, FODDER is capitalized, and indicators are italicized. The answers will be revealed by clicking on the ANSWER buttons.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought of the puzzle.
Continue reading “DT 31188”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31187 (Hints)
The Saturday Crossword Club
(hosted by crypticsue)
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
Continue reading “DT 31187 (Hints)”
Toughie No 3652 by Karla
Hints and tips by Gazza
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Karla has upped the difficulty level a bit since his last Toughie but this is still pretty accessible and it’s very enjoyable. Many thanks to him.
Continue reading “Toughie 3652”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31181
A full review by Rahmat Ali
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
This puzzle was published on 7th March 2026
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. A nice, lovely Saturday puzzle from NYDK that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a review of the same for your kind perusal and significant feedback. Continue reading “DT 31181 (Full Review)”
Toughie No 3651 by Donnybrook
Hints and tips by ALP
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Toughie difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
A Donnybrook with no linked clues? What’s the world coming to?! Nicely playful with a vaguely classical bent and great fun as always. All yours.
Continue reading “Toughie 3651”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31185
Hints and Tips by Senf
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****/*****
A very good Thursday morning from Winnipeg where, yesterday, I had the annual ‘delight’ of bending over and taking it like a man for my urologist. Still it was worth it; ‘Keep Calm And Carry On’ for another year!
For me, etc© (I have to say that for Terence), not half of a Dream Team Thursday, Mr Bringloe in the guise of Donnybrook is on Toughie duty, but no doubt that it is the work of the Master of Brevity. The usual one word clues and answers in the Quickie, and appearances from the Queen and his swEetheart appearing in the back pager with an average of 5.25 words per clue. Also, like Dada, Ray T seems to be making occasional use of a personal thesaurus. I hope you have your Crimson Tomes at hand!
Remember that Reading the Hints before commenting can be beneficial!
Continue reading “DT 31185”
Toughie No 3650 by Weatherman
Hints and Tips by crypticsue
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Even allowing for the two words most of us have probably never heard of (both fairly clued), I thought this was just right for a Wednesday Toughie. All I’ve got to do now is get rid of the ear worm!
Continue reading “Toughie 3650”