Never knowingly undersolved
It’s a year since John died. For some years his brother, Stephen, has set a cryptic quiz and donated the proceeds to various charities. This year, and partly in John’s memory, the chosen charity is Medicin sans Frontieres.
Solvers who would like to sample a different version of the Graham wit are invited to download the puzzle and make a small donation here.
Well, this was a pleasant surprise! When I saw Araucaria’s name on the website I first assumed it must be another Guardian cock-up, but the puzzle itself proved (happily) otherwise. Another surprise was … Read more >>
A spectacular tribute puzzle from Io. This puzzle was accidentally omitted from the FT website on the day of publication. If you missed this one then I recommend having a go. download the PDF here.
A first solo Inquisitor offering from Ilver, but already known to us as one of the triumvirate Rasputin. Wordplay in twenty-seven clues gives rise to single extra letters, in order giving an … Read more >>
Nutmeg two days running, now there’s a turn-up for the books. To me this one seemed a little more inventive than yesterday’s Quiptic but not much harder. In fact, subjectively, they both appeared … Read more >>
We found this quite a tricky solve and there are a couple of clues (2d and 29ac) which we hope others will be able to explain for us. As a keen baker, Joyce … Read more >>
(Please click here for this same blog but with a picture quiz added. Please do NOT post hereinbelow any comment relating to the picture quiz. Thank you.) A straightforward puzzle, thanks to Armonie. … Read more >>
(Please post comments on ONLY the picture quiz hereinbelow. To post comments on the crossword puzzle, please click here.) A straightforward puzzle, thanks to Armonie. Definitions are underlined in the clues. Across 1 A … Read more >>
It’s now past ten of the clock. The fact that I normally have the Quiptic blog out early, being a lark rather than an owl, tells you how I found this one. So … Read more >>
With only five entries after my first, very quick, pass through the clues I thought this one might take a lot longer than it actually did. Fortunately two of these entries were 1dn … Read more >>
The puzzle may be found at http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/26425.
I thought I was going to comment what a very easy Cyclops this was, having finished it in around 5 minutes, well within the space of three bus stops… apart from 10a, which … Read more >>
Another Poins for me this week, making that six in a row. Poor chap must be getting fed up with me. This one was pitched at a fairly standard IoS level, though I … Read more >>
A standard and typically sound and pleasant Plain from Azed this week. Most of the clues allow a very straightforward and brief parsing. One or two of his ways are a bit beyond me, and 8dn is completely beyond me, but I trust someone will explain.
As usual I won’t trouble you with explanations of the rare words: they are all there in Chambers.
Definitions underlined.
Everyman is my usual gentle warm-up early on a Sunday morning before moving on to the likes of Azed, Inquisitor and Beelzebub and today was no exception. Nothing held me up for long … Read more >>