Daily Telegraph
No 31174
Hints and tips by ALP
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty **/*** – Enjoyment ****
I’m standing in for Mr K so I’m afraid there will be no cats. I remain traumatised by them after watching Doctor Who getting chased through London’s sewers by giant rats back in 1977. Our old tom was equally terrified and promptly pounced on my head before coughing up hot milk all over me. Happily, there are no such horrors today, simply smart but fair wordplay and fizzy surfaces. Just no cats! All yours.
Continue reading “DT 31174”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31169
A full review by Rahmat Ali
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
This puzzle was published on 21st February 2026
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. A delighted, lovely Saturday puzzle from the setter that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a review of the same for your kind perusal and significant feedback. Continue reading “DT 31169 (Full Review)”
Toughie No 3643 by Silvanus
Hints and tips by ALP
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Toughie difficulty * – Enjoyment ***/****
Largely light, and scrupulous. There’s a spot of Scots vocab (6d), botany (7d) and geography (15a) but Silvanus is, of course, typically fair. The grid did prompt me to look for a Nina, but I certainly couldn’t spot one! Over to you.
Continue reading “Toughie 3643”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31173
Hints and Tips by Senf
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****/*****
A very good Thursday morning from Winnipeg where winter continues in both temperature and precipitation!
For me, etc© (I have to say that for Terence), absolutely no doubt that this is a friendly back page half of a Dream Team Thursday from the Master of Brevity, with Silvanus on Toughie duty. 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 5.38 words per clue and a Hmm for 18d. 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 31173”
Toughie No 3642 by Robyn
Hints and Tips by crypticsue
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty **** – Enjoyment *****
Continue reading “Toughie 3642”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31172
Hints and Tips by Deansleigh
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** Enjoyment ***
Good morning everyone, and welcome to the Wednesday back-pager blog. I found this slightly easier than last week’s Wednesday cryptic, with much to enjoy and appreciate, including a fair smattering of musical references. I especially liked the risqué surfaces in 10a and 29a, but my favourite today was 23d. Many thanks to today’s setter.
Continue reading “DT 31172”
Toughie No 3641 by Django
Hints and tips by Gazza
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Django is as entertaining as always but not that tricky. Thanks to him.
Continue reading “Toughie 3641”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31171
Hints and tips by Huntsman
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty */** Enjoyment ***/****
Well the sunshine has actually put in an appearance here in Harpenden but it’s not Mallorca. Thanks again to ALP for filling in for me last week.
I thoroughly enjoyed today’s puzzle which I assume is an Anthony Plumb production. I found it reasonably straightforward with just a couple of pauses for the parsing. That said it remains to be seen whether I can avoid a hat trick of parsing errors so no promises. For any that make light work of this one there is a typically enjoyable & none too taxing Django puzzle over in t’other place that’s well worth a look at.
As usual there are an assortment of clips 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 31171”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31170
Hints and tips by Smylers
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ★★ – Enjoyment ★★★
Hello from Ilkley, part of the City of Bradford, last year’s UK City of Culture. That involved hosting the Turner Prize, the exhibition for which we finally got round to visiting this weekend. Here are some pictues of works by Mohammed Sami, winner Nnena Kalu, and two of Zadie Xa’s golden-floored room (in which we had to remove our shoes):
Continue reading “DT 31170”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31169 (Hints)
The Saturday Crossword Club
(hosted by crypticsue)
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
Continue reading “DT 31169 (Hints)”