Toughie No 538 by Myops
Hints and tips by Tilsit
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ***
The Friday Challenge this week comes from Myops and as usual with his puzzles, I found it quite a tough challenge and if I am honest, not as enjoyable as the other puzzles this week. I did wonder whether we would be treated to something appropriate for the day, but it was not to be. There is a mini-theme and a sort of Nina related to 5 down in the grid.
There are some nice clues and clever constructions, but whether I am feeling a bit drained from my recent exertions and a bit all puzzled out (you’ll get to see why on BBC4 in September!), but I just found it difficult to tune in to this puzzle. I think I’ll have to spend time wrestling with the Wee Stinker puzzle to get inside Myops’ mind a little.
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53.741224-2.014475
Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2581
A full review by Crypticsue
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
This crossword is a very good example of why Gnomethang and I have this complicated weekend-puzzle-blogging schedule – neither of us wanted to miss the opportunity to review such wonderful cryptics with all the clever clues and wonderful wordplay. Thanks once again to Virgilius for another Sunday treat – definitely the highlight of the cryptic solving week.
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51.1958040.746005
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26515
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
We have a fairly standard Giovanni puzzle today. Let us know how you got on with it in a comment.
If you want to see an answer just highlight the space between the brackets under the relevant clue.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26510
A full review by Gnomethang
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
We have another very entertaining puzzle from Cephas this week, all his trademaerks are there. I found this fun to solve and not too tricky apart from forgetting the fruit of the hawthorn AGAIN!
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51.3807220.529774
Toughie No 537 by Shamus
Hints and tips by Bufo
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ****
I was excited to hear on Capital Radio this morning that Beyoncé is to work with Big Dave. Then I was disappointed to find out that it’s not our Big Dave. Maybe that’s why I made somewhat heavy weather of this puzzle. I’m not sure that I fully understood all the clues but it was an enjoyable puzzle and fair enough.
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52.949204-1.143925
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26514
Hints and tips by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
This looks like a second consecutive Thursday puzzle by Ray T. Single word clues in the Quick crossword and single word answers in both puzzles are usually a good indication. What is missing is the occasional risqué clue!
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52.08391-2.27358
Toughie No 536 by Micawber
Anticipation is Half the Fun
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment *****
The ability to find out on-line the identity of the Toughie setter the evening before publication is excellent, particularly when it allows one to look forward to a puzzle by the wonderful Micawber. I enjoyed this immensely when I solved it and just as much again when I wrote the review. Let us know what you thought of it in a comment and please remember to grade it for enjoyment by clicking on one of the stars below.
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Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26513
Hints and tips by Pommers
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Apologies for being a little late this morning but there has been something of a panic in the pommers household! I got the clues for this last night but not the grid. Telegraph puzzles wouldn’t let me in this morning so I started trying to solve it ‘cold’! Managed about half before Gnomethang came to the rescue so many thanks to him! I’d never have got some of these without the checking letters. Then to cap it all I lost my internet connection for about half an hour!
The usual excellent Wednesday puzzle (presumably from Jay) which I can’t say I’ve done justice to because of the problems.
I’m sure you will enjoy it more than I did – think I’ll go for a lie down now!
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Toughie No 535 by Warbler
Have a drink on me!
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
I noticed while solving this puzzle that the answers included a number of alcoholic drinks, but failed, until it was pointed out, to notice that they were all around the periphery of the puzzle, hence the clue for 4 down.
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52.08391-2.27358
Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26512
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Libellule is once more enmeshed in work problems so you’ve got me again today. I suspect (though as usual on Tuesdays I’m not sure) that this is a Shamus puzzle [ Shamus has let us know that it is not one of his – see comment #1 – so it’s down to the Mysteron ] which looked as though it was going to be a pangram (specially after I’d got 13a and 20a) but just missed out. It does have a large number of anagrams (I always think that there are too many if I have to take my socks off to count them!) and the grid is very “cornery”. Let us know what you thought in a comment.
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