A very gentle offering for this Monday morning – I found it pretty much a write-in, with only a couple of clues needing more than a few seconds’ thought. Thanks to Vulcan.
Independent 12,292 by Hubble
A Monday challenge from Hubble.
Financial Times 18,307 by MUDD
MUDD kicks off the week…
Financial Times 18,306 by Zamorca
Puzzle from the Weekend FT of February 28, 2026
Guardian Quiptic 1,371/Chandler
It’s spring (meteorologically, at least) and Chandler springs into action with a fine crossword for new and improving solvers.
Independent on Sunday 1,879 by Filbert
Another excellent Sunday outing with Filbert.
Financial Times Sunday 134 – News by Leonidas
An excellent topically themed puzzle from Leonidas. Find it to solve online or download and print at ft.com/crossword
Everyman 4,140
A pleasant Everyman, not too difficult; sound so far as I can see, except for one minor thing that’s mentioned in the blog. There are the usual Everyman trademarks: the first letters &lit, the rhyming pair, the self-referential clue. Maybe some others but I can’t see them.
Definitions in crimson, underlined. Indicators (homophone, hidden, containment, anagram, juxtaposition, etc) in italics. Anagrams indicated *(like this) or (like this)*. Link-words in green.
Guardian Genius 272 – Qaos
The instructions seemed reasonably straightforward:
A turtle starts on a perimeter cell and moves forward cell by cell. If it lands on an L, it turns 90 degrees anticlockwise; if an R, 90 degrees clockwise; otherwise it continues in the same direction.
One word in each clue must be removed before solving; in clue order, these words’ first letters provide an extra instruction.
When the turtle exits the grid after making at least one turn, its path has traced what letter?
Gemelo No. 25 – plain
Gemelo educates and entertains.
Independent 12,291 by Wiglaf
Wiglaf provides the Saturday challenge this week….
Guardian Quick Cryptic 100 by Pangakupu
This week’s 11 x 11 crossword from the Guardian intended to teach cryptic crosswords, found here
Guardian Saturday Prize Crossword 29,936 by Imogen (21 February 2026)
Imogen gives your blogger a fairly tough workout with this Prize-slot puzzle – which it seems is also my first chance to blog an Imogen…
Private Eye (Cyclops / 824) Topless Harem
When I solved this I expected to be complaining here about the lack of references to a certain recently-arrested “man in his sixties from Norfolk”, but indeed a week is a long time in politics – in that time Peter Mandelson, the Prince of Darkness himself has also been assisting the police with their enquiries.