Posted by Admin on 31st January 2011
Don Manley is giving a presentation on ‘How to solve cryptic crosswords’ in Oxford on Saturday 26th March. Details of the event are given below.
Posted in Announcements | 1 Comment »
Posted by nmsindy on 31st January 2011
This is, I think, a new pseudonym for the Indy so maybe a new setter. If so, welcome! Quite a difficult puzzle, I found, solving time 43 mins, but I got there in the end.
Posted in Independent | 13 Comments »
Posted by duncanshiell on 31st January 2011
This was a fairly standard puzzle from Rufus that will no doubt divide the solving community along the usual lines.
Posted in Guardian | 41 Comments »
Posted by PeterO on 31st January 2011
I was feeling particularly leaden, and made heavy weather of solving this, but in writing it up there does not seem to be anything to struggle over: mostly straightforward charades and envelopes. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Guardian Quiptic | 9 Comments »
Posted by beermagnet on 31st January 2011
Posted in Private Eye/Cyclops | 5 Comments »
Posted by Jed on 30th January 2011
Beelzebub has certainly thrown down the gauntlet with this cruciverbal challenge
Posted in Beelzebub | No Comments »
Posted by Uncle Yap on 30th January 2011
Another quality work from the Don with a rich variety of cryptic devices, each crafted well and creatively. I do, however, have one teeny-weeny quibble. Dr Brian Skinner, my crossword moderator, would never allow me to use the same device more than once in a puzzle; he calls it inelegant. Here we see one for I used in 21A and 4D and son for S in 12D and 20D. Otherwise, a very entertaining 30 minutes like Hancock’s Half Hour (anyone still remember those pre-tv days?).
Posted in Independent | 2 Comments »
Posted by Andrew on 30th January 2011
I found this one of the hardest Azed plain puzzles for a long time, with, I think, a higher-than-average proportion of obscure words. I ended up with some rather tedious dictionary-searching to get the last few answers, and also to confirm out a lot of the explanations. I can’t fully explain 12dn – help needed! Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Azed | 5 Comments »
Posted by PeterO on 30th January 2011
A few mild obscurities, perhaps, but plenty of smooth surfaces. Thanks to The Trafites and to PeeDee for the tools to help create this blog. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Everyman | 8 Comments »
Posted by jetdoc on 29th January 2011
What a lovely day! Many posts will be posted and many photos uploaded. For now, having returned home, let us thank Peter (Kathryn’s Dad) and Eileen for their magnificent effort. Lots more to follow…
Posted in Announcements | 37 Comments »
Posted by Dave Hennings on 29th January 2011
Typical!! One of my (two) New Year resolutions is to adopt the practice of giving the full clues in my EV blogs. And what happens? I get landed with a puzzle that has 63 of them! Having moaned that, it turned out not to be too difficult once I’d decided how to highlight the definition part of each clue and what tricks I could use in writing the blog. So here it is.
Posted in Enigmatic Variations | No Comments »
Posted by twencelas on 29th January 2011
Welcome to my first blog of the Independent’s Saturday prize crossword. A very enjoyable puzzle from Nestor – not too taxing, but not without some head scratching (most notably explaining 4dn). A bit of a cycling theme to boot. Also, a blessed relief, for my first blog of this puzzle, in so much as the clues were n’t too complex.
Posted in Independent | 12 Comments »
Posted by PeeDee on 29th January 2011
Another good puzzle, not easy, but all there to be found if you look. I thought the construction of the clues was very tight indeed, only 5dn giving me any doubts, but this may just be down to my poor musical knowledge.
Posted in Guardian | 31 Comments »
Posted by RatkojaRiku on 28th January 2011
After spending a week struggling with crosswords of all descriptions and from numerous sources, and having difficulty unpicking wordplay even when I had the solution before me, Phi’s puzzle felt like a breath of fresh air this morning: standard fare, in other words, the standard in question being Phi’s unfailingly high standard.
Posted in Independent | 10 Comments »
Posted by shuchi on 28th January 2011
I had mixed feelings about this puzzle. Liked some clues such as 17a, 16d, found others a bit shaky.
Posted in FT | 8 Comments »