Never knowingly undersolved
Well-phrased wordplay and clues on the whole. I struggled with several, to my mind, esoteric refs (SQUEERS, OSBERT, TREVELYAN) but I’m sure someone better educated (in Britain!) than myself would not have been … Read more >>
I found this a very tough puzzle, esp the lower half but also the long 20-letter phrase in the top half which was new to me. But I got there in the end … Read more >>
A little harder than usual from Quixote, I found. Solving time, 31 mins. Notes on some clues below – happy to explain others if asked. ACROSS 6 S (last letter of chips) CUP … Read more >>
A fairly routine puzzle from Mudd here. I completed it fairly quickly because I found the clues for the three long answers easy. Still, 11A and 5D took some puzzling over. Across 9. … Read more >>
Blimey, that was tough! It didn’t help that I’m nursing a hangover from last night (beer tasting event) but I think I’d have struggled anyway. Took about 45 minutes, but I had to … Read more >>
One of Dac’s easier puzzles I think, but none the worse for that. Consistently excellent clueing as usual. Across 1 DOMINICANS. The islanders and the monks. 9 AMOROSO, which is both a lover … Read more >>
An absolutely superb Brendan. Many of the clues were outstanding, in fact the weaker ones were the thematic clues. The theme was a rambling one connecting John DONNE (10) and Ernest HEMINGWAY (14) … Read more >>
Another thematic tour-de-force from Virgilius; this time almost every clue or answer has a royal flavour to it. Across 8 BALMORALS – which is a type of brimless cap. I think I half-remembered that … Read more >>
As Bob Marley used to sing, though I don’t think that’s what he put in his cylinders. That one at 8down’s my favourite cryptic definition in a mixed bag. Overall, though I think the best clues are … Read more >>
Initially I thought this was going to be very easy. I got through most of the clues fairly quickly but then got hopelessly stuck on 8 across, 25 across and 24 down, some … Read more >>
Solving time 47:10, with one clue left (which I eventually got while writing this blog entry). This one was split roughly half and half between entries using familiar vocabulary and those that had … Read more >>
Solving time: Gave up on 10ac and 7dn after 18 mins, with 9dn also wrong. A horsey theme this week, with THE SPORT OF KINGS and HUNTING WITH DOGS forming the outer columns. … Read more >>
This post is a short guide to Independent and FT cryptic crosswords for those trying them out in their new free online forms. It’s particularly directed at any US-based solvers who haven’t seen … Read more >>
Pirouetting into sight today is Phi with a puzzle containing some well-known (and not so well-known) ballets. Solving time: 20 Minutes, (plus a couple of Google checks for titles). Very enjoyable with the … Read more >>
Easier than it looked at first glance. Some nice clues, with concise and convincing surfaces. One or two slightly loose definitions, but I guess you can put that down to 8down! ACROSS: 1. RE(COR)D. … Read more >>