I’ve always liked redshanks, pretty and raucous little lakeshore potterers that they are, and I’m a big fan of Redshanks, too – and this minor masterpiece is one of his very best. I got off to a flying start before running into a thicket of intricate cluing, innovative mechanisms and double-jointed definitions. The attention to detail is superb.

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I’m not very good at spotting ninas but these days the name of the game seems to be  ‘Spot the error’.  However, Araucaria is not noted for either and I found this an enjoyable puzzle which almost complied with its own mini-theme at 1ac, etc – with one or two clues to make you think a bit more: fun to do – many thanks, Araucaria.

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It is Thursday today so any number of different compilers can by lying in wait for one, although Nestor has always featured prominently in my Thursday blogging slots.

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Monday Prize Crossword/Sep 3

Sometimes it’s D-Day (i.e. Dante), sometimes it’s C-Day. C stands for Crux, a setter with a love for good surfaces. This particular puzzle which can be found here , was one that I experienced as considerably harder than usual. Perhaps, it was just me (I had even trouble to finish that week’s Everyman). Even though I had the answers, I couldn’t fully explain 16ac and 7d. Luckily I had the opportunity (Anax’s birthday bash) to ask the almighty [yes, right in front of me, I saw him solving a Nimrod puzzle within about 20 minutes!] Andy Wallace to help me. And there’s one clue (19d) that I probably did understand when solving the crossword, but cannot parse anymore. Ah well, we all get older and we know what that can do to the brain and/or one’s memory ……. 

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Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of September 1, 2012

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