Independent 6929 by Dac
New Year’s Eve puzzle by Dac (appeared in the paper but not on the website apparently). Solving time, 28 mins. * = anagram < = reversed ACROSS 1 RING OUT T(HE) OLD “Wring … Read more >>
Month: December 2008
Independent – Review of 2008
The Indy under its editor, Eimi, who took over early in 2006, continued in 2008 its pattern of puzzles, many of which have themes and/or Ninas. A Nina is a hidden message in … Read more >>
Guardian 24584 / Enigmatist
This was rather tough going until we got the Hogmanay message around the outside (FOR THE SAKE OF AULD LANG SYNE), but good fun nonetheless. There are a few bits of devious wordplay … Read more >>
Financial Times 12,963 by Cinephile
What better way to end the year than with a Cinephile? Perhaps by not having the solution printed on the same page (with the number for tomorrow’s puzzle rather than yesterday’s)! Methinks someone … Read more >>
Independent 6,928/Glow-Worm
Good stuff from Glow-Worm, whose recent Listener puzzle is still on my to-do pile. There’s a mini theme here, with 4 answers contaning the word PLUS and a further reference at 1A. I … Read more >>
Guardian 24,583 – Brendan
dd = double definition cd = cryptic definition rev = reversed or reversal ins = insertion cha = charade ha = hidden answer *(fodder) = anagram What a lovely puzzle. It was so … Read more >>
Financial Times 12962 / Jason
Two words (12a, 17d) were new to me but both were easily obtainable from wordplay. Across 1. TEST CASE – test, case (A kind of break up and defining that is not quite satisfactory.) … Read more >>
Independent 6927 by Punk
*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone An enjoyable puzzle with a good mix of clues. The only one I didn’t follow was 21 down. Across 1 Attache: Cryptic def (attache case). 5 Sampler: S[titches] + … Read more >>
Guardian No 24,582 / Araucaria
What a treat! I have been so looking forward to my first Araucaria blog but didn’t expect to get it on a Monday. [That’s not to say I wouldn’t have been glad to … Read more >>
Independent 6,925/Radian
Happy Boxing Day y’all. I found some of this quite tough, possibly because I initially got 5D wrong and am unsure on a few others. Some nice clues though from a new-ish setter … Read more >>
Inquisitor 103 – The Top Ten by Charybdis
Solvers were told that nine clue-answers had to be jumbled to form new real-word grid entries. We were also told that the first letters of these nine clues would spell a word, referred … Read more >>
Independent 6921 by Nestor – 20/12/2008
This was the first Saturday Indy that I have attempted and so I cannot say how it compares with the usual fare. I found most of it easy, with nearly 90% of the … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 984 by Quixote (21 Dec 2008)
Christmas puzzle, with one 47-letter answer over 5 normal grid entries – this made it a more difficult puzzle than usual from Quixote, but I was eventually able to work it out as … Read more >>
Financial Times 12,951 – Alberich
MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEARMonday FT Prize Crossword on 15 December 2008dd = double definitioncd = cryptic definitionrev = reversed or reversalins = insertioncha = charadeha = hidden answer*(fodder) = anagram … Read more >>
Financial Times 12,950 by Cinephile
FT Weekend prize puzzle from December 13 I found this a nicely challenging puzzle although I was left with three clues whose wordplay I did not initially understand. Since the deadline for entries … Read more >>