Independent 6607/Dac
Across 1 PACK, L in CAB (all reversed) – the BLACKCAP is a small songbird. 9 INDI[-a]’S,POSITION – I found this very tough and only got the answer by finding a word that … Read more >>
Month: December 2007
Financial Times 12,636 by Mudd
Last week we had an unusually difficult puzzle by Cincinnus. This week we have an unusually easy one by Mudd. Across 7. OBITUARY – anagram of TO BURY I A 8. DECAMP – … Read more >>
Guardian 24263 / Gordius An odd puzzle
Solving time: 28 minutes (with help from Chambers and TEA) Over the past few months I have really come to appreciate Gordius puzzles, plenty of wit, some topical stuff and a dash of … Read more >>
Independent 6606/Virgilius
Excellent puzzle as per. Any theme is lost on me although the grid suggests one. Across 9 IMMORAL — MM in I+ORAL — good surface though exam is often a giveaway. 11 CAPRICE … Read more >>
Guardian 24262/Rufus – and more cryptic defs…
A surfeit of cryptic definitions today which isn’t of course out of character for Rufus. It’s tempered by several well crafted clues though so a smile or two were produced. Across 9 TALL … Read more >>
Independent 6605 (Morph) – Some Excellent Cryptic Definitions
This was a satisfying mix of relatively easy and difficult clues. Of particular note were 5 down, 13 across and 25 across, all of which had clever cryptic definitions. Across 1 Uzbekistan: (bet … Read more >>
Cryptic crosswords article
There’s an article on cryptic crosswords and the competition they face from <affects disdainful look> Sudoku in the Independent today: http://news.independent.co.uk/media/article3255986.ece It’s a bit depressing really.
Private Eye/Cyclops 354 – Held up by a no. 10 screw
Because I have some trouble using the “less than” sign to indicate reversals in these blogs I noticed that unusually there were no reversals in this crossword. No totally straight Cryptic Defs either. … Read more >>
Guardian 24,255 (Sat 8 Dec)/Araucaria – Coined words
Solving time: 21:45, one missing (17ac) Across clues had wordplay leading to the defined answer minus a coin. The (normal) down clues weren’t too bad though so this wasn’t much more difficult than … Read more >>
Independent 6603/Phi
I found this unusually difficult for Phi, but perhaps that’s just because of my own incompetence. Certainly several clues that eluded me at first were simple enough when the answer eventually came. No … Read more >>
Independent 6598/Bannsider
A very good (and tough in places) puzzle with an unusual theme: the top and bottom rows read OUR COUNTRY WEE ONE ENGLAND NIL. See 21a for a full explanation as to what … Read more >>
Inquisitor 49 – CHANGING PLACES by Loda
Good Crossword by Loda! Ten countries with new names had to be written as their old names in the grid, and ten old names had to be substituted for their new names before the clues … Read more >>
Guardian 24260/Brendan – The Sound of Musicians
I always feel more intelligent after solving a Brendan puzzle — I think it’s because he is fair, challenging and there’s a clever nina or theme which is always gratifying to identify. Anyway, … Read more >>
Guardian 24,259 Paul : If it wisnae for your Wellies, where wud you be ?
Apologies for lateness – wrote a whole entry this morning and lost it. Baaad IT bloke – didn’t save my work as I went along. In the end – really quite a straight … Read more >>
Independent 6602/Nimrod
This is the first puzzle I’ve solved in what has so far been a pretty miserable week, with myself and MrsD both laid low with a virus and our 8 month old son … Read more >>