Everything was going fine: the usual experience with Phi, rather slow to get started then, when once afloat, making steady progress so that it all seemed easy enough. And then I came up against 5dn. Having thought for a good while I abandoned myself to every variety of aids, still without success. After about half an hour I left it and returned about three hours later, when the answer was obvious. How often this happens. Of course ‘forbidding’ wasn’t a rather dodgy indicator of the omission of something; all perfectly sound.
Month: January 2016
Guardian Cryptic 26775 Otterden
(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.) Found this easy enough to start … Read more >>
Guardian Cryptic 26775 with Picture Quiz
(Please post comments on ONLY the picture quiz hereinbelow. To post comments on the crossword puzzle, please click here.) Found this easy enough to start with, but got held up at the end … Read more >>
Financial Times 15131 by BRADMAN
Standard Bradman fare.
Independent 9120 / Nimrod
As expected, a challenging Nimrod this Thursday with, in our humble opinion, a number of rather over-long, convoluted clues. However, when the true ingenuity of the puzzle was finally revealed, we forgave him. … Read more >>
Guardian Cryptic 26774 by Pasquale
The puzzle may be found at http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/26774.
Financial Times 15,123 – Cincinnus
Monday Prize Crossword / Dec 28, 2015
Wow, if I’m right, this was my first Cincinnus (elsewhere known as Orlando) and how delightful it was!
Financial Times 2015 Christmas Puzzle by Gozo
Financial Times Christmas Crossword Set by Gozo from the Weekend FT of December 19, 2015 In the past I have often skipped unconventional puzzles like this one and, when such puzzles showed up … Read more >>
Guardian 26,773 / Chifonie
I’m in rather grumpy mode this morning: I’m in the minority here, I think, in that I actually pay for the paper – and hence the crossword – and so it was annoying, … Read more >>
Financial Times 15130 by AARDVARK
An enjoyable puzzle. All the solutions are gettable but I thought some of the parsing was quite tricky. Thank you Aardvark.
Independent 9,119 / Dac
It may well be a new year, but some things just don’t change, such as a Dac puzzle appearing in the Independent on a Wednesday. I found this a tad tougher than the … Read more >>
Beelzebub 1347
For me, one aspect of a good clue is when I struggle to solve it and then wonder why afterwards because it seems so obvious and there was no shortage of such occurrences … Read more >>
Inquisitor 1418: It’s a Wrap by Plench
This blog of the Boxing Day puzzle will come out after New Year, but here’s wishing you all a Great New Year of Inquisitorial fun. If it is anything like the year just past … Read more >>
Sloggers & Betters – Macclesfield – Friday 18th / Saturday 19th March 2016
A message from Dean Mayer (Anax/Loroso/Elkamere):
Why this didn’t occur to me before I have no idea, but Macclesfield has a perfect S&B venue in the Snow Goose. It’s a cosy alpine themed café bar on 3 levels. On Friday evening there will be musical entertainment in the form of LeLounge, a chilled out duo featuring Looby & Dave, friends from the covers band I used to be in.
Financial Times 15129 by PABUS
Happy New Year everyone!
First day back at work today, so had to tackle the 100+ e-mails awaiting my return before I could turn my attention to the crossword.