Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
Sunday Toughie No 214 by proXimal
Review by
Sloop John Bee
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
This puzzle was published on the 1st March 2026
The publication of the result contains the line;
The answer to 27a is misspelt. We apologise for the error.
Well done to J De Bruyn, Sheffield for winning
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
This puzzle was published on 1st March 2026
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. A highly entertaining puzzle from Dada this Sunday that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a full review of his puzzle for your kind perusal and valuable feedback. Continue reading “ST 3358 (Full Review)”
Toughie No 3649 by Hudson
Hints and tips by Whybird
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***
Greetings from a sunny, Spring-has-started Wirral. The first wheatear of the year has been seen on Hilbre Island, and Burton Mere Wetlands now has about a hundred Avocets dominating the main scrape (with more to come, hopefully), as well as a Mediterranean Gull looking to set up a territory on one of the islands.
I found today’s puzzle to be something of a curiosity. Apart from the fact that it is a pangram that I actually noticed (which makes it unusual!) it felt like it was a bit of a struggle to solve, but when I actually checked, I’d done it all in 1* time. It’s definitely not a Floughie, though, and there were a couple of senses employed that had me checking the reference works to confirm my suspicions. My prizes today go to 6d, 10a and 27a – a trio of clever clues with very neat surfaces. Thanks to Hudson for getting the morning cogs whirring!
Please let us know how you fared and what you thought of the puzzle.
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty * Enjoyment ***/****
The sun is out here in Harpenden so guess I’d better make the most of it & get out for a good walk before Cheltenham kicks off.
I thought today’s puzzle very enjoyable & about par for the course for a Tuesday. Possibly a tad trickier than yesterday but I wouldn’t say there’s much in it. For any seeking a further crossword I can heartily recommend Hudson’s excellent puzzle over in t’other place which really isn’t any more difficult than some of his Wednesday back-pagers & is great fun. I’m sure Whybird would be delighted to hear your thoughts.
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.
Hello from Ilkley. Here are some photos from a day trip this weekend — where did we go? (People from Yorkshire, please let others answer first!)
I liked all the clues in today’s Telegraph cryptic crossword. I got fewer answers on the first pass than I often do on Mondays, so I’ve rated it ★★ rather than ★ for difficulty. But several of the ones I skipped were those I’d successfully identified as anagrams, which I find hard to work out until I have crossing letters; if you’re somebody who can solve anagrams straight away, you may find it easier than I did.
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty **** – Enjoyment *****
+ - + - + - + - + - + - + - +
BD Rating - Difficulty **** - Enjoyment ***
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Friday. Continue reading "DT 31180"
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
This puzzle was published on 28th February 2026
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. A highly entertaining 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 31175 (Full Review)”
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Toughie difficulty * – Enjoyment ***/****
It’s Beam, so you know what to expect – sweethearts, a Queen, a flurry of imaginative synonyms and no anagrams. Over to you.
