Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26637
Hints and tips by Libellule
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
An ideal introduction for new cryptic solvers from Rufus today. Fun but not too difficult.
Tag: Telegraph
ST 2602 (Hints)
Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2602 (Hints)
Hints and tips by Big Dave
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As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, I will select a few of the better clues and provide hints for them.
DT 26636 (Hints)
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26636 (Hints)
Big Dave’s Saturday Crossword Club
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As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, I will select an assortment of clues, including some of the more difficult ones, and provide hints for them.
Toughie 618
Toughie No 618 by Firefly
Crossword TV by Tilsit and Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from the Calder Valley! I’m demob-happy and off on my jollies to the Lakes tomorrow, and as I have to run around getting things sorted out for me to thrive up there, today’s blog will be a two-hander with BD helping out with the Downs. Thanks to our host for helping out when I realised there aren’t enough hours in the day.
Today we have a puzzle from Firefly which is similar to one I set in the NTSPP puzzle slot a while back in that it is based on a type of puzzle called Theme and Variations, where there is a theme, often not to be found in the puzzle and then a number of answers that relate to the theme in different ways, which means there’s usually no definition in those clues. These require a little solving readjustment as the clue as a whole is actually either made up of indications. And so it is here today with Firefly’s enjoyable puzzle which has eight answers where as you solve it you will find there are four that are one interpretation of the theme and the remainder another. I did spend a bit of time trying to put the answers into pairs as I solved them, but realised I wasn’t barking up quite the right tree.
ST 2601
Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2601
A full review by Crypticsue
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ***
After two weeks of puzzles with messages and themes, Virgilius returns to a straightforward yet beautifully crafted example of a Sunday prize puzzle. Didn’t take me long but I did enjoy myself, my top favourite being 19d although my ‘also-rans’ are highlighted in blue too.
DT 26635
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26635
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Today we have the usual entertaining puzzle from Giovanni (I presume, although it’s a bit low on the trademark religious references and the answer to 1a could conceivably be a hint to a different setter). Let us know how you liked it in a comment.
If my hints leave you frustrated and you still need to see an answer just highlight the space between the brackets under the relevant clue.
DT 26630
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26630
A full review by Big Dave (and mainly Prolixic but not Gnomethang)
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Toughie 617
Toughie No 617 by Shamus
Hints and tips by Bufo
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
This week I wasn’t on the setter’s wavelength and so struggled more than I should have done.
DT 26634
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26634
Hints and tips by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
The long-awaited Thursday puzzle from Ray T has arrived – enjoy (I certainly did).
Toughie 616
Toughie No 616 by Excalibur
Rubber Chicken’s on The Menu
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment **
What a difference 24 hours makes. Yesterday I had a superb cryptic puzzle to blog and today I have a Toughie which (how can I say this without offending?) lacks sparkle. You may agree or you may have found it dazzling and stimulating – in either case give us your view in a comment.