FT 12,755/ Satori
A rare outing for the full-perimeter (4×15-letter answer) grid. Although that does mean that quickly solving either 1A or 1D offers generous checking and a flying start. Across 1 GENERAL ELECTION – cryptic … Read more >>
Month: April 2008
Independent 6720/Dac
Although there are one or two I’m not sure about, this was not one of Dac’s most difficult. Which doesn’t prevent it from being well up to his usual standard. Is there some … Read more >>
Guardian 24376 Araucaria -“Inconsiderate Service Order”
So glad the luck of the draw gave me this benign but pleasant Araucaria to blog rather than yesterday’s Gordian nightmare. Still short one answer and my explanation of some of the wordplay is … Read more >>
Guardian 24375/Gordius – ance upon a time
This was hard work – with some answers really belonging in an advanced weekend puzzle — I found myself pulling out Chambers more than zero times, which is too many for a daily. … Read more >>
Independent 6719 by Virgilius
Another excellent themed puzzle from Virgilius, the theme becoming apparent to me only quite late on. The middle row is PARTS OF SPEECH and every row, sometimes in one word, sometimes reading across … Read more >>
Independent 6718 by Scorpion
*=anag, []=dropped, <=rev. Very tough puzzle by Scorpion, I thought. There were three I didn’t fully understand. Across 7 Mincer: cryptic definition. 8 Heighten: he + (the gin)* 9 Leo Minor: Odd letters … Read more >>
Financial Times 12,754 / by Jason
After thirty minutes with the puzzle, I didn’t get 21ac and 24ac and 16dn. Any of my readers may please post the answers. Across 1 DESCRIBE – des, crib, E 5 HECTIC – … Read more >>
The blog, yesterday.
Apologies for the problems you all experienced yesterday in trying to reach the blog – it was out of action for pretty much for the whole day. Unfortunately the problem was at the … Read more >>
Guardian 24374 / Auster Holding things together
Solving time: 12 minutes Pleasant thematic start to the week, reminiscent of Altair’s puzzles, for those of an age. A nice puzzle for those wanting to find their way into cryptics and themed … Read more >>
Private Eye/Cyclops 363 – Taboo
Last time I wondered if C had gone a step too far with his capitalisation. This time I wonder if he has gone a C too far. Across 9 PITCH INTO PITCH (NIT)* … Read more >>
Azed blogging vacancy
If you would like to write an Azed report about once a month, there’s a space going – one of our current bloggers wants to drop out. If you’d like to have a … Read more >>
Azed 1873
Solving time: not recorded I can’t remember how long this took or how much I used Chambers. But I made a wrong guess at the first letter of 17D, which suggests that the … Read more >>
Inquisitor 68 – A Very Big Mistake by Kruger
For a blog of the puzzle see Duncan’s comment below. Many thanks Duncan.
Guardian 24,367 (Sat 19 Apr)/Araucaria – Doodah doodah day
Solving time: 11:58 The clueing in this puzzle was more ‘down the line’ than normal for Araucaria, I thought. Nothing too obscure either, although a couple where the wordplay helped me out. 3dn … Read more >>
Independent 6716 by Phi
As usual, an excellent puzzle from the ever-reliable Phi. Solving time, 21 mins. * = anagram < = reversed ACROSS 1 (PIPPED) (AT THE POST) Tempted at first by the 15 letters after … Read more >>