Posted by nmsindy on 31st December 2011
As in previous years, since 15 sq began in 2006, I’m posting an annual review for the Indy cryptic puzzles (including IoS) giving average solving times for puzzles for each setter. As before, I emphasise that I do not approach these puzzles in ‘race-the-clock’ mode but nonetheless find it of interest to compare how difficult the various setters are. Also there is no correlation (direct or inverse!) between time needed to solve a puzzle and enjoyment derived from it.
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Posted in Independent | 3 Comments »
Posted by duncanshiell on 31st December 2011
There were a few mini themes running through this enjoyable puzzle which was two letters short of a pangram. I can’t see a W or a Q.
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Posted in Independent | 8 Comments »
Posted by mc_rapper67 on 31st December 2011
A shorter (and less complicated!) preamble than some recent EVs – each clue giving an extra letter, which would spell out an instruction to apply to all answers before entry.
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Posted in Enigmatic Variations | 6 Comments »
Posted by shuchi on 30th December 2011
From mathematics to religion to slang, Bradman draws from a breadth of topics to craft his clues today. I’m happy to have this puzzle to blog as my last post of 2011. Happy New Year, everyone.
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Posted in FT | 6 Comments »
Posted by Eileen on 30th December 2011
A pleasant Araucaria puzzle for my last blog of the year, which was less taxing than it first appeared, since the gateway clue at 5ac was pretty straightforward. There are a number of old favourite clues / devices here.
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Posted in Guardian | 23 Comments »
Posted by RatkojaRiku on 30th December 2011
Like many readers, I have been pigging out on crosswords as well as on turkey and mince pies over the past week, with so many Christmas specials to get my teeth into. Why is it that we just don’t know when to stop eating, drinking or solving? As such, my
thanks go to Phi for a more doable than average puzzle today, which served as a kind of cruciverbal hair of the dog for me this morning.
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Posted in Independent | 7 Comments »
Posted by Pete Maclean on 30th December 2011
Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of December 17
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Posted in FT | 4 Comments »
Posted by Ali on 29th December 2011
This was very good stuff from the Tees-er, but far from easy. Experience of solving IQs and the odd Listener definitely helped me piece together a few of these, though I’m struggling with one or two!
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Posted in Independent | 12 Comments »
Posted by Gaufrid on 29th December 2011
… I would like to extend my thanks to all those involved with Fifteensquared and to the crossword community in general.
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Posted in Announcements | 16 Comments »
Posted by duncanshiell on 29th December 2011
I have come across Sleuth more often as his alter ego, Hypnos, in the Independent, where I have always enjoyed his crosswords.
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Posted in FT | 5 Comments »
Posted by Andrew on 29th December 2011
Logodaedalus makes only rare appearances in the Guardian – his last puzzle was in July (he also appears as a setter of the Quiptic under his real name of Don Putnam). This one is typical of his style – very easy indeed, with a lot of obvious anagrams, and a tendency for words in the clue to appear unchanged in the answers. This would be a good introductory puzzle for beginners, but for anyone else it’s very lean fare.
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Posted in Guardian | 25 Comments »
Posted by Sil van den Hoek on 29th December 2011
Monday Prize Puzzle/Dec 19
This was a Dante crossword full of cryptic and double definitions.
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Posted in FT | 5 Comments »
Posted by PeeDee on 28th December 2011
A good straightford offering from Cinephile today, not too easy but not really that hard either.
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Posted in FT | 3 Comments »
Posted by John on 28th December 2011
Crosophile has produced a very rare Wednesday crossword because Dac is having a well-earned rest, perhaps. I found this a little harder than the setter with whom I am always happiest, and no doubt the answers I am lost on will be explained, but there are still some very nice clues here. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Independent | 19 Comments »
Posted by manehi on 28th December 2011
This looked quite tricky at first but once the theme became clear it all began to fall into place.
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Posted in Guardian | 29 Comments »