Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26137
Hints and tips by Libellule
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment **
Well its Thursday again, and after I had finished this, I thought I would be be repeating my views of last week. But after I had written the blog I thought it was not as bad as I originally thought. Mind you that doesn’t make it particularly good. One problem I had was the lack of variety, how many rats, steamships, first letters, last letters etc. did you find? Ho hum.
As usual please leave a comment if you feel that you want to contribute to the discussion about todays crossword.
Continue reading “DT 26137”
Toughie No 284 by Micawber
Tempus Fugit
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment *****
If a decree were to be issued from the Telegraph command bunker, saying that in future all Toughies would be compiled by a single one of the current setters, then I would opt for Micawber. He produces challenging puzzles with excellent cluing, he doesn’t need to resort to lots of obscure words, but most of all, he consistently makes me laugh. I enjoyed solving this one so much that I was sorry when I, eventually, finished – but I was cheered by the prospect of having to go through all the clues again to write the review.
Please leave a comment to let us know what you thought of it!
Continue reading “Toughie 284”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26136
Hints and tips by Big Dave
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Although I found this a bit on the easy side, it was nevertheless a very enjoyable puzzle – presumably from Jay, our newly installed Wednesday Wizard.
If you were wondering where Tilsit is today, he’s taking a short break in Amsterdam. According to his Facebook entry, last night he stuffed his face with a fab Italian meal and is now chilling with coffee and crosswords.
Leave a comment telling us what you thought. You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.
Continue reading “DT 26136”
Toughie No 283 by Warbler
The most fiendishly difficult daily puzzle emanating from Fleet Street?
(source – The Daily Telegraph)
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
From time to time the Toughie turns out to be easier than the daily cryptic, and today’s puzzle would seem to be one of them. I’m sure some of you may disagree, and I will be delighted to hear from you especially if you can identify why and/or where.
You can add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.
Continue reading “Toughie 283”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26135
Hints and tips by Gazza
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ***
We have a good work-out today (or perhaps it’s just that my brain is getting sluggish in the Arctic winter that we’re having!). As I write I see that Clued Up is showing five stars for difficulty for this one – I wouldn’t go that far, but I think that it is a bit trickier than we’re used to on a Tuesday.
We love to get your comments, so especially if you’ve never left one before, now is the time to introduce yourself – we promise not to bite!
For new readers, the answer for each clue is hidden between the curly brackets beneath the relevant clue – just drag your cursor through the white space between the brackets if you want to see it.
Continue reading “DT 26135”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26134
Hints and tips by Rishi
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
A crossword that is mostly easy but also with some half-a-dozen clues which may hold you up for some minutes until you see light. Among the last to go in were 23a, 28a and 31a and 8d, 16d, 18d, 21d and 27d. Do enter a comment to say if one man’s poison was another man’s (or woman’s) meat.
Those who come here after having got the answers may find them superfluous. Those who come here for the answers they have not, may appreciate some hints that will help them to derive them themselves. That is why the solutions are whitened (not whitewashed!). Please drag your mouse over the space between the curly brackets so the answers may come in blue.
You can add your assessment of the puzzle by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.
Continue reading “DT 26134”
Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2517
A full analysis by Peter Biddlecombe
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment *****
A pretty straightforward puzzle this one – with one setter’s slip that’s already been acknowledged. Now that Sunday solvers are used to a different style of puzzle, I wonder whether the difficulty level might be increased just a bit?
Continue reading “ST 2517”
Toughie No 282 by Notabilis
Only one man found it easy?
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
After a run of tough Friday puzzles (and similar scattered over the holiday period) this was some respite for a rather tired brain, and a very nice mix of straightforward clues interspersed with a handful of cleverly constructed teasers.
How easy? Well, we don’t give times here, so can we measure in mugs of coffee? Great – thanks! This was half a mugful and the dregs were still hot enough to drink by the time I reached an inexplicable block at 25d (which is ridiculous when you see how easy it actually is; it’s just that Notabilis has disguised it brilliantly). On first pass I had about half of the acrosses in, which helped me to around two thirds of the downs, and most of the first-pass hurdles were then dealt with quickly.
As ever, my favourite clues are in blue.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought. You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.
Continue reading “Toughie 282”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26132
Hints and tips by Gazza
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
We have another enjoyable puzzle from Giovanni today, which I found a bit more difficult than usual, but not quite up to the 4 stars level. How did you find it?, how did it compare with yesterday’s?, is it the hardest of the week? – your comments, as always, are welcome and appreciated.
If you want to see an answer drag your cursor through the space between the brackets underneath the relevant clue.
Continue reading “DT 26132”
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26127
A full analysis by Big Dave
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
A relatively straightforward Prize puzzle which, for once, is not a pangram.
Continue reading “DT 26127”