Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
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):
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BD Rating – Toughie Difficulty ***** – Enjoyment *****
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BD Rating - Difficulty **** - Enjoyment ***
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Friday. Today we have a puzzle where intricate wordplay and complex letter algebra trumps everything else. Continue reading "DT 31168"
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This puzzle was published on 14th February 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 31163 (Full Review)”
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BD Rating – Toughie difficulty **/*** – Enjoyment ****
Highly enjoyable shenanigans from Kcit today with a smidgeon of tricky vocab (e.g. 16a’s “age”) and a pleasingly classical feel. There was, happily, no need to know about models of mobile phones popular in New Zealand this time out but I suspect not many of us (with two notable exceptions!) will be overly familiar with 20a’s definition. Still, it’s all fair – and fun. Over to you.
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31167
Hints and Tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** Enjoyment ***
A pleasant puzzle which shouldn’t cause too many problems. Thanks to our setter.
Continue reading “DT 31167”
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BD Rating – Difficulty **/*** Enjoyment ****
Good morning everyone, and welcome to the Wednesday back-pager blog. I found today’s crossword to be a notch or two more difficult than yesterday’s, with the NW corner being the last to fall. There was much to enjoy and admire, with my favourites being 2d, 8d and 24a. There is also an excellent six-word pun in the Quick crossword. Many thanks to today’s setter.
Sunday Toughie No 211 by Light
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 8th February 2026 Continue reading “Sunday Toughie 211 (Review)”
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This puzzle was published on 8th February 2026
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. A lovely and splendid puzzle from Dada this Sunday that I enjoyed solving and subsequently writing a full review of the same for your kind perusal and valuable feedback. Continue reading “ST 3355 (Full Review)”
