Financial Times 13,215 / Falcon
Many witty clues with nice surfaces today. I found this pleasant and not too tough. Favourites: APPENDIX, ACACIA. Across 1 CUT A DASH CUT (canal, as a verb in the wordplay) + D … Read more >>
Month: October 2009
Guardian 24,838 (Pasquale)
Fairly straightforward for a Friday. Across clue no. here comment here 1 PAGEANT: AGE in PANT (huff and puff) 5 PLONKER: PLONK (wine) + ER (half of beER) 9 ROOST: ROO (Australian animal) … Read more >>
Inquisitor 146 – Mean – what do you think? – by Lato
It was quite difficult to make progress at first, but the “extra letters in wordplay” phrase started to emerge from CIANS suggesting “politicians”, and QUISLING as a possible unclued answer. Looking up “politicians” … Read more >>
Independent 7,182 by Nimrod
Well I never, a Nimrod that I could actually solve! And very good it was too. There are a couple of references in 10 and 12ac that I couldn't quite explain, but no … Read more >>
Guardian 24837 / Logodaedalus
We got through this very fast indeed – I don’t think there’s much that should have caused problems. The surface readings are very nice throughout. Across 8. ACHILLES CHILL in SEA = “tide” … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,214/Viking
Much like yesterday, a mish-mash of the hackneyed and the hand-crafted. There seemed to be a plethora of “remove a letter” devices today (e.g. 15A, 24A, 28A, 3D, 22D, 25D). Across 1 OVERWROUGHT … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 1027 by Quixote – 18 Oct 2009
Like last week, I found this harder than usual from Quixote, not that the clues were more difficult but some of the words were less familiar. Enjoyable solve as always, solving time, 30 … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,205 – Crux
Monday Prize Crossword on 12 October 2009 dd = double definition cd = cryptic definition rev = reversed or reversal ins = insertion cha = charade ha = hidden answer *(fodder) = anagram … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,204 by Cincinnus
Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of October 10 Cincinnus keeps coming with great clues; witness 1A, 9A, 13A, 2D and 6D. But there is one clue, 11D, whose wordplay I do not … Read more >>
Guardian 24,836 – Paul
Across 8. MAKE LOVE. M(AKEL(a))OVE. 9. PRISE. “PRIZE”. 10. FISH. (thie)FISH(opeless). 11. BANANA SKIN. BA(NANA)SKIN. Baskin Robbins is a chain of ice cream sellers. 12. STABLE. double def. 14. CHIPMUNK. CHIP + “MONK”. … Read more >>
Independent 7181/Dac
I was slowed by two words of which I’ve never heard, one of which I can find in no English dictionary; and there’s one more I’m not very comfortable with. Otherwise (at least) … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,213 / Dogberry
This was one for those who don’t like cryptic definitions (there weren’t any) or double definitions (only one). Some very good surfaces and misdirection but I had a feeling of déjà vu with … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,212 / Dante
As usual with this setter, some nice cryptic definitions. 14dn fooled me for a while, but of course is obvious in retrospect. It felt to me that this puzzle had a few too … Read more >>
Independent 7,180/Virgilius
As sometimes happens with Virgilius’ themed puzzles, I managed to get through this without fully understanding some of the connected answers. Probably me being a dunce, but I don’t quite get the links … Read more >>
Guardian 24,835 – Puck, the Magic Dragon
dd = double definition cd = cryptic definition rev = reversed or reversal ins = insertion cha = charade ha = hidden answer *(fodder) = anagram Quite a challenging set of clues with … Read more >>