Financial Times 14324 Armonie
A relaxing start to the FT week. Thanks to Armonie. Definitions are underlined in the clues. [[The pictures at the bottom have unidentified links to the puzzle. Please enclose any comments on them … Read more >>
Month: May 2013
Independent 8305 / Scorpion
I suspect that this puzzle will be loved by some, but will receive mixed reviews from others. It will all depend on your view of the theme. I blogged the … Read more >>
Guardian 25,959 by Shed
Not an easy puzzle from one of the John’s and as can be expected, some very devious devices. Surprisingly, the longest answer took me the shortest time. All I did was look at … Read more >>
Guardian Quiptic 706 / Nutmeg
Nutmeg always sets an enjoyable puzzle, but like most of her previous puzzles this one is, peerhaps, a liitle too difficult for a Quiptic. Most of the definitions given are from Chambers 12th … Read more >>
Guardian 25,958 / Rufus
An even more Rufusian Rufus than usual, if such a thing is possible, with, by my count, 7 cryptic definitions, 8 double definitions and 9 straight anagrams. A few nice moments along the … Read more >>
Independent no. 8304 by Quixote
Another Bank Holiday and it’s not raining, cold wind again today. As expected it’s Quixote in his every other week slot, relatively easy I felt with more cryptic defs than I would normally … Read more >>
Private Eye / Cyclops 495 – My kingdom for a horse
An entertaining puzzle from Cyclops that brightened up a dull Thursday morning commute … … stuck in traffic on the M25 (it never stays stationary quite long enough for a proper snooze). There … Read more >>
Beelzebub 1,211
This seemed a very tough week for me, though on blogging I’m not sure why, as everything seems to make sense. I suspect it was a combination of some tough vocabulary plus a … Read more >>
Everyman No. 3476 (19th May)
Lorraine: Good morning to you all. Yet another fine crossword from Everyman, some wonderful clues this week I feel. Not happy with 17ac, as not using punctuation always throws me. I know it is … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 1213 Poins
This was just about the difficulty, perhaps a bit more, for an easygoing Sunday cryptic. Thanks to Poins. Definitions are underlined in the clues. [[The pictures at the bottom have unidentified links to … Read more >>
Azed 2137/’Spot the Theme’
Usually when I blog an Azed puzzle everything is straightforward enough — do the puzzle, do the blog by Monday evening and schedule it for appearance the following Sunday. This one was different: … Read more >>
Independent 8297 by Monk (Sat 18-05-2013)
Always a pleasure to tackle a Monk puzzle, but I had particular trouble finishing the last few in this puzzle … … especially in the top left corner. 1A and the 1D linked … Read more >>
Guardian 25,951 / Crucible
Not long after Araucaria’s Wagner / Verdi themed bank holiday special, we have a high quality Wagner / Poulenc themed puzzle from Crucible, timed close to the 200th anniversary of Wagner’s birth, which … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations 1069: Greetings … and Farewell from Rustic
Little did I realise when I wrote my last fifteensquared blog that I would be blogging another Rustic puzzle this month as well … for all the wrong reasons. Sadly, James Leonard, Rustic … Read more >>
Financial Times 14,321 by Bradman
A really tricky puzzle today Across 1 GINGER beer GIN (drink) GERM (beginning) minus M (maiden) 4 BRACED prepared BRA (support) CE (church) [fun]D 8 HAMMOCK to lie in … Read more >>