Never knowingly undersolved
*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, CD=cryptic def, DD=double def, sp=spoonerism This was similar to a Christmas puzzle a couple of years ago where the setter uses lots of his fellow compilers as either solutions … Read more >>
A bit of a Grauniad glitch meant that the online version was late in appearing, but it all seems to be sorted out now. I found this a bit more difficult than some … Read more >>
Lorraine: Straight forward again this week apart from 8 down (Obregon), I could not find any reference to this artist in any books I own so had to get Nick to google it … Read more >>
As always Azed produces a top-class grid, with four words crossing it completely and two more almost doing so. As a result, of course, there are many words that need a painstaking hunt … Read more >>
This is still one of my perhaps two favourite crosswords, the other being Inquisitor, also in the Independent the day before. Beelzebub seems to hit the perfect balance between challenging and eminently solvable, … Read more >>
I didn’t know whether to expect a tricky puzzle from MynoT, or an easy one. He seems to be a setter who can produce varying levels of difficulty but, this being EV, I’ll … Read more >>
Solving time: 19 mins I found this the hardest prize puzzle for some time (the recent Jumbo excepted) & really struggled to get started. The inclusion of three foreign language classical arias was … Read more >>
A couple of words where I felt no hint of guilt in using the aids: HAEREMAI (obviously familiar to Phi but not perhaps to people outside New Zealand) and MEERSCHAUM, and one more … Read more >>
As usual, a really top quality puzzle from Brendan – great surface readings and some surprising wordplay. Thanks to IanN14 for pointing out the theme of U.S. presidents, Franklin PIERCE, Abraham LINCOLN, Andrew … Read more >>
*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition. This week’s answers seemed to go in fairly steadily, albeit with a certain amount of "research" needed to shed light on some of the more … Read more >>
Solid, satisfying challenge from Alberich as always. Clarifications needed for 18A, 29A. // Updated with clarifications. Thanks to Gaufrid. Across 9 GUATEMALA (MET AUG)< A LA (city) 10 ABUSE AE (Scots word for … Read more >>
Superb stuff from Phi as usual. Impeccable clues and a nice theme with a bit of work needed to fill in the middle five rows. I thought it was quite dificult enough without the … Read more >>
Across 1 TARIFF – RA(<) in tiff. 4 AT RANDOM – Rand in atom. Thank god for an accurate definition “indiscriminately”. My current peeve of the month is people wh;ve started using the … Read more >>
An interesting theme today, I quite like having unclued elements when it’s clear which clues they apply to! The old crossword staple of flower=river is used to good effect too. Across 1. SIDESHOW. … Read more >>
I found this one a pretty tough challenge, but was very pleased to get there in the end after a slow start. There are some really nice clueing devices here, though a few … Read more >>