Friday 23rd-Sunday 25th October 2026
Inquisitor 1968: Undercover Interpreter by eXternal
Second or third puzzle of the year from eXternal – calendar year & IQ year aren’t perfectly aligned.
Guardian Cryptic crossword No 30,064 by Brummie
Thanks to Brummie for a fun puzzle with some tricky cluing. My favourites were 11ac, 12ac, 18ac, and 20dn.
Independent 12,413 by Dalibor
A Dalibor puzzle today – this will be quite a challenge!
Financial Times 18,431 by GOZO
I am filling in for scchua today. Fortunately, the assignment from Gozo was not too taxing.
Spectator 2759: Morning Exercise
An amusing diversion from Fieldfare.
Financial Times 18,430 by MUDD
MUDD kicks off the week…
Independent 12,412 by Brunel
I enjoyed this puzzle hugely.
Guardian 30,063: Alia
A good puzzle for those that like an easy Monday, with quite a few write-ins, but all nicely clued. There’s an error in one clue that may be updated at some point (and has been). Thanks to Alia.
Financial Times 18,429 by Guy
Puzzle from the Weekend FT of July 18, 2026
Guardian Quiptic 1,391/Pangakupu
Always a pleasure to see Pangakupu in the Quiptic slot.
Independent on Sunday 1,899 by Filbert
Another immaculate Sunday puzzle from Filbert.
Everyman 4,160
As we nowadays expect from Everyman, a sound and pleasant crossword. How Everyman manages week after week to produce a grid with all those things (highlighted) in it I don’t know.
Definitions in crimson, underlined. Indicators (homophone, hidden, containment, anagram, juxtaposition, etc) in italics. Anagrams indicated *(like this) or (like this)*. Link-words in green.
Gemelo 40
Gemelo gives us a special puzzle this week where, for 12 entries, we have to put the opposite of the clue answer into the grid.
Independent 12,411 by Longitude
Longitude provides this Saturday’s brain-teaser – this is the third Indy puzzle by this relatively new setter, and the first we have blogged.
Guardian Quick Cryptic 120 by Ludwig
This week’s 11 x 11 crossword from the Guardian intended to teach cryptic crosswords, found here