Inquisitor 1331: Operation by Kruger
Preamble: Clues are presented in alphabetical order of their answers, word lengths referring to the space allocated to them. The operation of one of the two unclued entries (2 words) has had an … Read more >>
Month: May 2014
Financial Times 14614 Gaff
A puzzle celebrating the 6oth anniversary of an event that took place on 6 May. The key clues are 1 across and 17 across, 19 down. Besides the clues that reference 17, 19, … Read more >>
Independent 8,598 / Scorpion
It hadn’t fallen to me to blog a Scorpion puzzle for quite some time, so I attacked this one with gusto. A quick glance through the clues reveals that there is a theme … Read more >>
Guardian Cryptic N° 26,252 by Pasquale
The puzzle may be found at http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/26252. I found this a roller-coaster: the first pass produced very little, then once I had found an entry point at 25A, things proceeded smoothly until a … Read more >>
Guardian 26,251 / Rufus
The familiar Monday Rufus mix of anagrams and double and cryptic definitions – perhaps rather more of the latter than usual. Thanks to him and a happy Bank Holiday to those who are … Read more >>
Independent 8597/Quixote
Perhaps it’s because it’s a bank holiday puzzle, perhaps I’m just being a bit lethargic, but I found this tricky. A couple of less common words (which is normal for Quixote); a good … Read more >>
Guardian Quiptic 755 / Orlando
I would say that this is probably an ideal Quiptic. Nothing too complicated or obscure but smooth surfaces and an enjoyable solve. I commend in particular the excellent 8dn. . Across 1 As … Read more >>
Beelzebub 1,260
Another solve of two halves for me, almost literally. I made steady progress in the pub on Sunday evening, but returned home with pretty much exactly 50% of the grid filled, in particular … Read more >>
Azed 2186/over the top
Relatively gentle for an Azed (i.e. I solved it in about an hour which is fast for me). A couple of uncharacteristic errors — incorrect enumeration at 31A and bad anagram fodder at … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 1262/Hypnos (27 April)
I thought this was a fine Hypnos puzzle in the expected IoS style – in other words, reasonably tractable. That said, I struggled in the SW corner for a good while, before 12dn … Read more >>
Everyman N° 3,525
The puzzle may be found at http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/everyman/3525. Everyman is branching out – last week a Nina, here a mini-theme, if two Tolkien clues (and maybe in 12A a third, at a pinch) counts … Read more >>
Guardian Genius 130 by Qaos
The preamble to Genius 130 states: “Before being entered in the grid, six solutions must undergo 24 down 9, while another six must undergo 26 15. In the process only valid words may … Read more >>
Independent Crossword 8590 by Nimrod (26-04-2014)
A second consecutive duel with Nimrod – oh dear I’m going to need my grey cells. Not as fearsome as some of his offerings, in my opinion to complete the entries. Explaining the … Read more >>
Guardian prize 26,244 / Paul
In view of the comments that have been made for quite a while now, I’m not going to say that this was quite straightforward ‘for a Prize puzzle’, because it seems to be … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1118: t20, the Setter’s View
[I am posting this blog on behalf of Oyler, the setter of t20.] Wedlock + Witrush = Duckworth-Lewis When Chris was appointed editor of EV, I, along with many others, emailed him offering … Read more >>