Never knowingly undersolved
This was another eclectic offering from Araucaria, with its mix of literary allusions, foreign language, science and geography, all interwoven with the main theme. We were told that the four entries were unoficially … Read more >>
A bright and breezy puzzle for a bright and breezy morning. Nothing too fiendish: a bucketload of anagrams, plus one outstanding cryptic definition. ACROSS 1. FISH AND CHIPS Anagram of F(ine) spinach dish … Read more >>
Monday Prize Crossword from the FT of Monday May 9 Typically clever stuff from Crux. However, I’m not sure I have all of the wordplay in 16 down. Across 1 BUCHAREST *(A BUTCHER’S) 6 … Read more >>
Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of May 7 Here’s a typically strong puzzle from Mudd with a good variety of clues. My faves are 27A (KRAKATOA), 3D (HEADSTONE) and 22D (LATER). Across … Read more >>
An enjoyable crossword from Aardvark today, just a nice level of difficulty for a midweek solve and blog. I can’t get a cast iron explanation for 20dn, can anyone do better? Hold mouse … Read more >>
On the radio this morning was the information that Mahler died 100 years ago today, so I expected to find some recognition of this in the Indy crossword, and one of the rare occasions … Read more >>
A tough but very entertaining puzzle from Puck with a couple of cleverly intertwined themes and some very involved wordplay (one of those where you think “this could have been a prize puzzle”). … Read more >>
I have started a new thread for this because people may not notice just another comment appended to the existing one. Directions for getting to The Ship & Shovell: from Charing Cross tube … Read more >>
I must admit to having a soft spot for Samuel’s puzzles, so I was quite looking forward to this. Seventeen clues have a misprint in the definition, correct letters spelling an instruction about … Read more >>
My first FT blog was a PHSSTHPOK, so I’ve come full circle. But this was slightly more difficult than the first. But got there in the end, after correcting a spelling error in … Read more >>
Help! Well Quixote did say yesterday to expect a harder thematic soon. As per usual there’s 1 I can’t really parse so help would be appreciated. So here we are with Scorpion and … Read more >>
It is always a pleasure solving a puzzle by Paul; and blogging one is even more so. I had quite a few laughs weaving through the clues, challenging but very fair and sometimes … Read more >>
No Rufus today, but to replace him we have an (as ever) excellent puzzle from Orlando. There are some lovely clues here. Across 1. EXHIBIT EX = “Former” + H = “husband” + … Read more >>
I see Orlando’s on double duty today, having also set the Guardian Cryptic. This was a sound puzzle, but there were a number of pieces of quite tricky wordplay which I’m guessing would … Read more >>
*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, CD=cryptic def, DD=double def, sp=spoonerism According the online message, this was a puzzle from a UK v USA cryptic competition. There may have a nod to this in the … Read more >>