Independent 7,278 by Phi
All very good as usual. I enjoyed the four long entries around the perimeter, the solving of each one in turn greatly helping to fill another quarter of the grid. My one slip … Read more >>
Month: February 2010
Inquisitor 1111: First XV by Eddie
When I learned that The Inquisitor numbers were changing to what they would have been if they had gone sequentially from 1, I wondered if the editor had something up his sleeve for … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,307 /Hamilton
My first encounter with Hamilton, although our search archive suggests that he/she has appeared at least a couple of times before in previous months (perhaps Gaufrid can induct Hamilton into our setters’ Roll … Read more >>
Independent 7277 by Punk
A joy to solve from this talented setter, showing puzzles don’t have to be hard to be good. Maybe because I saw quite a few of the answers from the definitions and emerging … Read more >>
New Guardian Website
For those of you who have tried to print today’s puzzle and have just got a grey block where the grid should be there is a solution. You need to set your browser so … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 1043 by Quixote – 7 Feb 2010
Post-revelry solve, so slightly longer than it should have been really, about 25 minutes. Very happy to be joining the blogging team having been long-time readers! Highlights for us were 6 and 8 … Read more >>
Guardian 24931 / Paul
A very enjoyable crossword from Paul, with nothing too tricky, I think, unless the few themed answers were unfamiliar to you. (They helped a lot in our case.) Across 1. CHOWDER CHOW = … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,298 – Crux
Monday Prize Crossword on 1 February 2010 Interesting week-opener from Crux; simple yet varied. I learn a new word at 14 Across plus a new fact (aren’t we cruciverbalists all full of trivia?) … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,297 by Cincinnus
Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of January 30 Another beauty from Cincinnus and one that I found easy. 2D should be a classic while 23A, 26A, 29A and 3D are also gems … Read more >>
Guardian 24,930 / Brendan
I don’t know how many times I’ve read comments like, ‘How does he [Brendan / Virgilius] keep doing it? I’m always afraid I’m going to miss the theme in a Brendan puzzle but … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,306 / Cinephile
Yesterday it was P (in the Guardian), today it is O for a word having the same meaning wherever it appears in the clues. After the party we have the opera (usually it … Read more >>
Independent 7276/Dac
As usual, what can one say, apart from perfect smooth surfaces and hardly anything to whine about? Dac’s crosswords never have those rough edges where words like ‘of’, ‘with’ and ‘by’ are used … Read more >>
Independent 7,275/Virgilius
Another very impressive themed puzzle from Virgilius. Took me a while to spot what was going on and I found the bottom half tougher than the top, but once I’d twigged the drinks-related … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,305 / Armonie
As usual, Armonie’s clues are impeccably written: clean and concise, with smooth surface readings. I found myself wishing, though, for a surprise or two. A few too many of these seemed to be … Read more >>
Guardian 24929 – Araucaria’s Party Time
Another well crafted puzzle themed on P, which I fortuitously happened to cotton on from the very beginning. As usual, The Master led us all on a fun chase … nothing too convoluted … Read more >>