Independent on Sunday 1019 by Quixote (23 Aug 2009)
Posted by nmsindy on 27th August 2009
I found this very easy, solving time 11 mins.
* = anagram < = reversed
Posted in Independent | No Comments »
Archive for August, 2009
Financial Times 13,151 – Dante
Posted by Uncle Yap on 27th August 2009
Monday Prize Crossword on 17 August 2009
dd = double definition
cd = cryptic definition
rev = reversed or reversal
ins = insertion
cha = charade
ha = hidden answer
*(fodder) = anagram
Posted in FT | No Comments »
Financial Times 13,156 by Cincinnus
Posted by Pete Maclean on 27th August 2009
Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of August 15
I did this puzzle on a flight from London to the US returning from my summer vacation. I found it good as always although I do have a quibble about 19A. My favourite clue is probably 15D.
Posted in FT | 3 Comments »
Discussion Policy
Posted by Gaufrid on 26th August 2009
May I please remind contributors to this site of the Discussion Policy regarding multiple identities. These are not allowed. There have been several cases recently where people have posted comments under different names. Those responsible know who they are, as do I. Please desist otherwise you will either be put under moderation or, for persistent offenders, banned.
Posted in Announcements | No Comments »
Guardian 24,788 – Enigmatist
Posted by Ciaran McNulty on 26th August 2009
OK I have to admit defeat today – I really enjoyed the novelty of the elaborately long down clues but ended up unable to explain 16ac or completely nail 7dn.
Posted in Guardian | 45 Comments »
Independent 7,133 by Dac
Posted by Simon Harris on 26th August 2009
Seamless clueing as always. Mostly straightforward, but there were a few terms, or at least definitions, I wasn’t familiar with. Still, everything came together nicely as expected. I was particularly taken with one or two of the anagrams, e.g. 5dn.
Posted in Independent | 4 Comments »
Financial Times 13,165 / Monk
Posted by Gaufrid on 26th August 2009
A most enjoyable challenge from Monk today though I wasn’t too happy with the clue for 1d which seemed a little lazy. There are many words consisting of only the first seven letters of the alphabet that could be clued this way.
Posted in FT | 4 Comments »
Azed 1,942
Posted by Gaufrid on 25th August 2009
Apologies for the late appearance of this analysis and for the lack of any real comment. I cannot remember too much about this puzzle having completed many more crosswords in the time between solving and writing this post. Had I known I was going to need to stand in at the last moment I would have made some notes whilst solving. All I can say is that, on my copy, I do not have a question mark against any of the clues so there cannot have been anything contentious (not that this is likely with an Azed).
Posted in Azed | 4 Comments »
Financial Times 13,164 / Jason
Posted by Agentzero on 25th August 2009
I had a number of questions or quibbles here.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | GOSSIP-WRITER *(I REPORT SWIGS) |
| 10 | REELING EEL (fish) in RING (bell) |
| 11 | VANILLA AN in VILLA (home in Rome). Vanilla is an orchid extract. |
| 12 | MUSIC MU (Greek character) SIC (thus) |
| 13 | KERCHIEF homophone of “cur chief” (head of scoundrels) |
| 15 | TRANSCRIBE N (name) and CRIB (cheat) in *(TEARS) |
| 16 | UGLY homophone of UGLI |
| 18 | CHER dd |
| 20 | GOOD FOR YOU *(DUO OR GOOFY) |
| 22 | ROCK BASS ROCK (pop) B (beginning to bug) ASS (jenny) |
| 24 | BIG UP BIG (huge) UP (increase). Hmm. I have heard the slang phrase “Big ups to …” generally meaning “kudos to …” I never heard of it being used in the singular. |
| 26 | NARRATE *(RARE ANT) |
| 27 | SUNBURN SUN (star) BURN (to make CD) |
| 28 | TWENTY-TWENTY dd |
| Down | |
| 2 | OPEN SEA *(EUROPEANS minus UR (hesitation)) First time I’ve seen UR rather than ER for hesitation. |
| 3 | SUITCASE SUIT (appropriate) (how are these the same parts of speech?) CASE (cartridge). |
| 4 | PAGE P (quiet) AGE (period). |
| 5 | REVIEW BODY REVIEW (assess) BODY (corpus). IMHO, clues in which a two-word phrase are based on indicators for each of the two words separately generally aren’t that interesting. |
| 6 | TUNIC hidden in PashTUN I Caught |
| 7 | ROLLING [st]ROLLING (promenading when street’s blocked) |
| 8 | DRAMATIC IRONY *(CRY + ADMIRATION) |
| 9 | BARFLY JUMPING I think this is BAR (but) FLY (cunning? more slang?) JUMPING (vaulting). Apparently the practice of jumping up against a wall while wearing a velcro suit. |
| 14 | ORION’S BELT ORION’S (hunter’s) BELT (career, as in to move fast and somewhat wildly). Same comment as re 5 down. |
| 17 | SORBONNE SOR (homophone of SAW = “witnessed”) BONNE (“good,” French) |
| 19 | EXCERPT R (Romeo) in EXCEPT (bar) |
| 21 | YOGHURT *(HOG) in YURT (tent) |
| 23 | BLAME B (second-rate) LAME (golden fabric) |
| 25 | ISN’T I (one) + N (new) in ST (outer parts of “Somerset”) |
Posted in FT | 3 Comments »
Independent 7132 by Punk
Posted by nmsindy on 25th August 2009
A themed puzzle on the punk group SEX PISTOLS (2 down). The associated answers are titles of some of their best-known hits. I found it very tough indeed. Solving time, 70 mins. Perhaps a favourite of the setter’s in the light of his pseudonym.
Posted in Independent | 9 Comments »
Guardian 24,787 – Brendan
Posted by Uncle Yap on 25th August 2009
dd = double definition
cd = cryptic definition
rev = reversed or reversal
ins = insertion
cha = charade
ha = hidden answer
*(fodder) = anagram
Posted in Guardian | 45 Comments »
Independent 7131 by Mordred
Posted by duncanshiell on 24th August 2009
I am standing in today for a regular blogger who is on holiday. I am not a regular Independent solver and my dictionary of choice tends to be Chambers. It is clear however that The Independent uses Collins as its ‘bible’ There were a number of definitions and abbreviations used in this crossword that I confirmed in Collins when I couldn’t find them in Chambers, at least not directly. For example, Hebrew=Israelite, withered=abashed, t=tempo, and definitions of spiritualism and large.
Posted in Independent | 5 Comments »
Guardian 24786 / Chifonie
Posted by mhl on 24th August 2009
I thought this was easier than normal for a Chifonie puzzle, but a good level of difficulty for a Monday and satisfying to solve.
Posted in Guardian | 22 Comments »
Everyman No. 3281 (16th August)
Posted by The Trafites on 23rd August 2009
Lorraine: Yet again an easy crossword this week. I only had
to look up Buffo, and although I knew the word I didn’t know the meaning.
Posted in Everyman | 2 Comments »
Beelzebub 1,017 (16/08/09)
Posted by Simon Harris on 22nd August 2009
A slightly late posting, on account of a fascinating day’s cricket. I can’t quite make the wordplay for 26ac work, if anyone fancies clearing it up for me.
Posted in Beelzebub | 2 Comments »