Telegraph – Big Dave's Crossword Blog

DT 31262

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31262
Hints and Tips by Deansleigh

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BD Rating – Difficulty *  Enjoyment ****

Good morning everyone, and welcome to the midweek back-pager blog.  I must have been on the compiler’s wavelength this morning, because I found today’s puzzle to be fairly gentle for a Wednesday.  Amongst a plethora of excellent clues today, my favourites were 1a, 3d and 11d.  Many thanks to our setter.

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ST 3371 (Full Review)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3371

A full review by Rahmat Ali

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This puzzle was published on 31st May 2026

BD Rating – Difficulty **Enjoyment ****

Greetings from Kolkata. Dada has given us an enjoyable solve this Sunday and now I present to you a full review of his puzzle. Hope to have your valuable feedback and comments. Continue reading “ST 3371 (Full Review)”

Toughie 3701

Toughie No 3701 by Beam
Hints and tips by Whybird

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BD Rating – Difficulty */**   – Enjoyment ****

Well, well!  Another Tuesday appearance for King Concision… You wait ages to blog a Beam puzzle, then two come along (almost) at once.  That’s all to the good as far as I am concerned! We have three six-word clues, and everything else is even more concise. 

I started off at a rate of knots and was starting to wonder whether “Floughie” and “Beam” had ever been linked in a Blog.  I should have known better, and the South-west corner, along with 2d put up a valiant fight, the end result being pretty much spot-on for a Tuesday.  I have ticks all over the place, notably 2d, 15d, 16d, 18d, 21a and 27a, but I’m giving my Gold Star to 12a. Thanks to Beam for a very enjoyable tussle.

Please accept my apologies for the absence of illustrations and the like.  In the short time since competing the puzzle and typing the blog, I’ve started an attack of man-flu or the like, and need to leave it here.

Please let us know how you fared and what you thought of the puzzle. 

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DT 31261

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31261

Hints and tips by Huntsman

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BD Rating – Difficulty * Enjoyment ****

After a reasonably bright start here in Harpenden it has just got very dark & another deluge looks imminent but at least the forecast suggests it will not last too long.

Having been alone in thinking last week’s puzzle didn’t have the feel of an Anthony Plumb production I’m pretty certain this one is one of his and very enjoyable it was too. Maybe a tad trickier than yesterday but there’s not much in it & impeccably clued throughout.

For any seeking a further challenge Ray T (in his no anagrams Beamer guise) is on duty over in t’other place with a very accessible Tuesday Toughie that is well worth a stab at. As ever Whybird will 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.

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Sunday Toughie 228 (Hints)

Sunday Toughie No 228

by Light

 

Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee

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I found Light at the trickier end of the spectrum last night and quite difficult to select hints.

I have hinted half of 28 clues, with a bonus pic at the end.

I hope you find the checkers to solve this puzzle, but I am going out for lunch to celebrate the eve of a significant date for Nick Rhodes
Nick Rhodes - Wikipedia and myself, and nudges will be sparse until later this evening.

Here we go, Folks…

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ST 3372 (Hints)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3372 (Hints)

Hints and tips by Senf

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A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where Summer continues, even though it does not start for another two weeks, with a risk of thunderstorms and tornadoes!

For me, and I stress for me,© Dada very quirkily friendly with some lateral thinking required!  OK all you anagram haters just for you there aren’t any!  Four long uns, one lurker, and three homophones, all in an economically symmetric 28 clues; with 14 hints ‘sprinkled’ throughout the grid you should/might be able to get some of the checkers to enable the solving of the unhinted clues. I hope you have your Crimson Tomes at hand!

Remember that Reading the Hints before commenting can be beneficial!

If it is some time since you read, or if you have never read the instructions in RED below the hints then please consider doing so before commenting today as my electronic blue pencil is at the ready and the Naughty Step is OPEN!

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Toughie 3699

Toughie No 3699 by Karla
Hints and tips by ALP

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BD Rating – Toughie difficulty * Enjoyment ***

Bloggers have to keep their wits about them tackling Karla. Not necessarily because of the wordplay – which is very straightforward today – but because he often hides a subtle Le Carré-flavoured Nina in the grid. Well, I can’t really spot one of those. Perhaps you can? But … there is a four-letter word (plus “set” and, possibly, “it”) running diagonally from the top left corner which, when anagrammed with 1a’s second letter, should/could give you summat. I may, of course, be reaching. I briefly thought, on clocking 14d, that Smiley might be making an appearance, but the last three letters of the crossing 18a don’t quite get you there – unless you play with them. We’ve also got a flurry of names – Enid, Charlie, Juliet, Victor, Seal (possibly), Vogue, Oscar and Cindy – but it’s certainly not a band I recognise! The floor, as ever, is yours.

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