2015 – Page 90 – Fifteensquared

Guardian Prize 26,465 by Paul

January 17, 2015 at 10:01 amJanuary 17, 2015 at 12:00 am by PeeDee

Good fun yet again from Paul.

Enigmatic Variations No.1155 – Reductions by Oxymoron

January 17, 2015 at 1:59 amJanuary 17, 2015 at 12:00 am by Mister Sting

Oxymoron gives some hints about the possible construction of the puzzle here, by calling it REDUCTIONS, and telling us in the preamble of “a shortage of space” and “clashes”, and warning us that the number of cells given in grid entries may not be the number of letters in answers to clues.

All well and good. That still leaves a lot of questions.

Guardian 26,470 – Crucible

January 16, 2015 at 8:59 pmJanuary 16, 2015 at 10:02 am by Andrew

For some reason I found this a bit of a slog while I was solving it, but looking back I see that there’s a nice variety of clues and lots to admire. There … Read more >>

Independent 8816 / Phi

May 3, 2019 at 10:12 amJanuary 16, 2015 at 7:15 am by Bertandjoyce

A very special thank you to Phi for this puzzle! We have been blogging now for almost 2 years and this is our 178th post. It will however be one that we will never forget. … Read more >>

Financial Times 14,830 by MAGWITCH

January 17, 2015 at 5:07 amJanuary 16, 2015 at 5:45 am by Turbolegs

Magwitch, this Friday at long last ! She brings this work week to a close with a gentle and relatively straightforward challenge, which in keeping with her inimitable style, has several smooth and clean surfaces with a whiff of inventive constructions.

Independent 8,815 by Nimrod

January 15, 2015 at 10:19 pmJanuary 15, 2015 at 11:05 am by John

What you always get with Nimrod, although I must admit that I tend not to do his crosswords nowadays since they are so difficult and I also usually end up being a bit irritated by something, but this time I had to see it through: quite extraordinarily difficult, for some reason, but some imaginative and brilliant clues.

This puzzle had a rather strange grid, which suggests that it was like this for a reason, but that reason is beyond me. Perhaps it was just because Nimrod didn’t want to go down the evil path of having less than 50% checking.

Definitions underlined.

Financial Times no.14,829 by Flimsy

January 15, 2015 at 10:28 am by Ringo

No complaints, but not much to shout about, either: a bit of a ho-hum solve for me, all in all, redeemed in part by fuss-free clueing and some nice surfaces.

Guardian Cryptic 26469 Paul

January 15, 2015 at 4:08 pmJanuary 15, 2015 at 7:20 am by scchua

(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.) About midway in difficulty level for a … Read more >>

Guardian Cryptic 26469 with Picture Quiz

January 15, 2015 at 4:13 pmJanuary 15, 2015 at 7:00 am by scchua

(Please post comments on ONLY the picture quiz hereinbelow. To post comments on the crossword puzzle, please click here.) About midway in difficulty level for a Paul puzzle, I thought. Thanks to Paul. Definitions … Read more >>

Financial Times 14,820 – Falcon

January 15, 2015 at 12:05 am by Sil

Monday Prize Crossword/Jan 5 Excellent crossword from Falcon that I found a bit more challenging than his average output (including the Observer’s Everyman). Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate. Across 1 STAND … Read more >>

Financial Times 14,819 by Mudd

January 15, 2015 at 12:01 am by Pete Maclean

Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of January 3, 2015 I found this puzzle easy but good. My top clues are 1a (GRASSHOPPER) and 16d (NICOTINE). ACROSS 1 Right to punch one buying … Read more >>

Financial Times 14,828 by ALBERICH

January 15, 2015 at 8:35 amJanuary 14, 2015 at 11:14 am by PeeDee

I have blogged a few Alberich puzzles now and they have been consistently good, this one no exception. Thanks Alberich.

Independent 8814 / Dac

January 14, 2015 at 7:30 am by duncanshiell

This was another enjoyable puzzle from Dac. I wondered if this was going to be a pangram but I think we are a W and a Z short. When I … Read more >>

Guardian 26,468 by Chifonie

January 14, 2015 at 4:28 pmJanuary 14, 2015 at 1:33 am by PeterO

The puzzle may be found at http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/26468.

Inquisitor 1367: Shortness of Clues by Schadenfreude

January 14, 2015 at 12:01 am by kenmac

Preamble: To compensate for the loss of half of the clues, the editor has inserted (in an appropriate order) an extra letter in each of the remaining clues (most of which didn’t make … Read more >>