The Telegraph Cross Atlantic Crosswords 1

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Happy Shrove Tuesday – or as many might know it better, Pancake Day. I always associate Pancake Day with a strange thing: my dad standing by the stovetop. It was an unusual sight as my mother is the superior chef, but he’d produce dozens of glorious crepes for us children to inhale. And now there’s Cross Atlantic, too. It is that rare treat: a new puzzle, to be published every weekend and daily online, in our own Telegraph, a newspaper that knows a thing or two about the genre, having delivered its first crossword to readers almost a century ago, years before Fleet Street rivals cottoned on. The name of the new game gives a hint of its origins: American crosswords whose clues engagingly blend wordplay, odd definitions, colloquialisms, general knowledge and current affairs, stretching and testing the brain without the forbidding challenge that the cryptic grid presents to the uninitiated (and which, in the 1940s, prompted Bletchley Park to use the Telegraph crossword as a test to recruit new code-breakers). Some of the puzzles we’ve been running at The Telegraph have been around for decades and decades. Our world famous Cryptic Crossword, for example, is known for playing a crucial part in World War II. In 1942, it was used to test the wits of the fastest solvers in the country, which led to the best of them being invited to work as code-breakers at Bletchley Park. Even with our long history of puzzling, we’re dedicated to giving you new and exciting puzzles. This is where Cross Atlantic comes in. This year, I’m already trying to be better about my eating habits, so I’ve not got a whole lot to give up. Although I might try my hand at my dad’s pancake recipe, just to keep the tradition going. At least that’s what I’m going to tell my trainer. Here, says The Telegraph’s Dan Silver, in charge of the new project, is a game that will give the successful solver that small yet potent glow of pride in their achievement, while being fun and accessible, too. It will not require being steeped in the lore of the game, but will plumb the depths of recall and knowledge, and hopefully do you a bit of good along the way.

Importantly, even though our Cross Atlantics look like American-style puzzles, the clues and answers are as British as it gets. You won’t be expected to know your FDA from your NBA, or your FBI from your CSI. It’s no coincidence that this rugby-themed puzzle is appearing on the same day as the Superbowl, after all. The machine room at Bletchley Park, where Britain’s WWII code-breakers worked to decipher Nazi messages Showcase your puzzling prowess by building daily streaks for finishing your favourite games. You'll also be able to earn fun achievements by reaching milestones and taking on new brain-teasers. As is the case when solving any cryptic crossword, remember one thing: the first meaning that springs to mind is generally not the one that’s needed.The Telegraph has launched its first new flagship crossword in almost 15 years, taking inspiration from across the Atlantic, with a distinctly British twist. Inside the Puzzles app, you'll find daily games that fit every schedule and level of ability. Get your mind whirring every morning with the Mini Crossword - a puzzle you can solve in a matter of minutes (or less). Pit your wits against our characterful Cross Atlantic, a US-style crossword with bags of British intelligence. Or put your number skills to the ultimate test, in the form of our fearsome Killer Sudoku.

Another regular feature in Terrell’s armoury is using one or two clues that rely on initial letters to find the answer:

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That’s not to say that the puzzles are free of subtlety and nuance. In probably my favourite clue today, some lateral thinking is required: We’ve been working with academics and scientists to identify the behaviour that promotes brain health,’ says Silver. Telegraph Puzzles Editor Chris Lancaster notes that research suggests solving is ‘good for exercising your brain. Puzzles probably can’t stop the onset of dementia, but keeping mentally active may contribute to people being affected only later, or more slowly.’ A happy distraction that may actually be good for you: what’s not to like? Of course, while Cross Atlantic looks across the ocean for inspiration, it is resolutely British in the detail of its clues and solutions, exploring our culture, language, general knowledge and mores. This is a crossword, says Silver, ‘wearing a bowler hat, carrying a briefcase, with a rolled-up umbrella under its arm. It has a British accent. All of the references are British.’ Assembled by the country’s best compilers, it will have, he says, ‘a real British twist, with that sense of fun and character’. No other British newspaper regularly offers anything like it. Dan Silver: “This is an American-style crossword but wearing a bowler hat, carrying a briefcase, with a rolled up umbrella under its arm, and a British accent.” Terrell has set more than 500 Telegraph Cryptics, in addition to having almost 150 Toughies published under his pseudonym of Beam (a synonym for “ray”, as in a ray of sunlight). This makes him one of our most experienced compilers, as well as one of the most distinctive. Whereas most of us mere mortals (myself included) are more than content with simply writing cryptic clues that work, Terrell sets himself a number of self-limiting challenges, each of which is evident in today’s crossword. If you need help with the latest puzzle open: NYT Mini Crossword Nov 26 2023, go to the link. Older puzzle solutions for the mini can be found here.

With the new puzzle joining a stable of games from the ‘Mini’ – a new 5x5 crossword – to the Toughie – an established super-hard cryptic – there will be something for everyone, expert or dabbler. The beginner may find themselves hooked and stay on, trying out ever-harder puzzles. The genius of Cross Atlantic is the diversity in its clues which, while never formally cryptic, will get readers thinking laterally. ‘As one does to an unfit boiler’ runs one in the opening puzzle. I won’t tell you the answer, but it’s a play on words that gets the mind moving just as far and fast as any Toughie, yet which everyone will know. Our Cross Atlantics are particularly friendly to solvers, as they feature more topical references than our other puzzles, and are created in a more compact style. This means that solving just a handful of clues will give you hints to help you find other answers, and can help get you out of a jam. If only Ellie and Joel’s journey was as simple. And this process of creation won’t stop with Cross Atlantic. Rather, it will be the first in a production line that should see a new puzzle or game delivered every six months or so. ‘It’s a whole new area of game development,’ says Silver. ‘We’re already working on next year’s candidates. Who knows where this goes?’ Mini Crossword 74 Today’s compiler, Russell Henwood, often produces Minis where the first and last across entries are linked; hopefully, this piece of information will help you see the light in today’s puzzle. Par solving time: 100 seconds Toughie Crossword 3,003 Today’s Toughie contains a couple of more obscure words and occasionally intricate wordplay, but should still be on the accessible side. Par solving time: 40 minutesIn case you’re not familiar with the basic story of The Last of Us, it’s an emotionally driven story about a young girl and a man caught in a zombie apocalypse. If that sounds familiar, yes, all this has been done before. There are plenty of horror films and television shows that explore the journeys of survivors following an apocalyptic event, from George A Romero’s Night of the Living Dead to recent series such as The Walking Dead. The Telegraph’s General Manager of Puzzles and Games, Dan Silver says: “This is an American-style crossword but wearing a bowler hat, carrying a briefcase, with a rolled up umbrella under its arm, and a British accent. All of the references and cultural touchstones are hand-tooled to delight homegrown crossword fans.” Assembled by the country’s best compilers it will have, he says “a real British twist, with that sense of fun and character”. Two other new puzzles are also joining the digital collection: an all-new, entry level Mini Crossword, and the existing print favourite logic puzzle, Killer Sudoku. These join PlusWord, a newly created puzzle from The Telegraph which was launched earlier this year and combines the challenge of a crossword with online word-finding games. No matter which puzzle you decide to play, you’ll be able to enjoy it at its absolute best. Because as well as being beautifully designed, you won't find a single advert in the Puzzles app. So, that’s the “short” covered. But what about the “blue”? Well, typically, one or more clues in any puzzle by Terrell wouldn’t feel out of place in a Carry On film, if read in a certain way. Try the following for size:

You can expect some of the answers of today’s Cross Atlantic to relate to the countries within the Six Nations. The theme is signposted quite clearly; straight off the bat (to use a non-rugby sporting phrase), you might notice the following clue: What makes The Last of Us different, however, is that Ellie, the young girl, and Joel, the adult accompanying her, aren’t related. They are strangers at the beginning of the story, and the tale revolves around them growing closer and trusting each other after the devastating circumstances that have brought them together. Though the apocalypse is the set dressing, it’s that dynamic that pushed The Last of Us to be considered among the best games ever. One thing you shouldn’t give up on, however, is today’s Cross Atlantic. It’s themed around Shrove Tuesday and pancakes, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble getting a head start on some of the clues. I won’t spoil it any further, as some of you have personal best times to consider; however you should keep an eye out for some ingredients mentioned in creative ways. Video games are a passion of mine, so much so that it was my entire career before choosing to write about puzzles. This means I’m particularly delighted that The Last of Us show from HBO is making some waves. The game has been such a success that it made it to the small screen, and so we mark that success today with our very own tribute. In today’s Cross Atlantic crossword you’ll be able to spot some The Last of Us themed clues and answers. If you’re not familiar with the game or the TV series, don’t fret; the puzzle can be solved by anyone, whether they know of the franchise or not.

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There’s a little something for everyone, no matter what your skill level or how much time you have; our Mini Crossword and PlusWord should only take a couple of minutes of your time each day. For too long, people have considered games to be filled with needless violence or boring stories, when that’s simply a common misconception. The televised The Last of Us is a great demonstration of gaming’s worth as a medium for art and world-building. So far the show has been very faithful to the game. People who’d never think to turn on a PlayStation (or indeed any games console) are loving the series, and it’s scoring highly with critics and audiences alike. Despite an accusation thrown at me by a colleague just now, “short and occasionally slightly blue” isn’t a description of a certain well-known royal’s frostbite. Rather, it’s a pretty accurate précis of today’s Cryptic Crossword, which bears the hallmarks of one of our regular Thursday compilers: Ray Terrell.