I found this trickier than the Monk puzzles I have blogged recently. Sometimes I was fooled by the definitions, sometimes it was convoluted constructions, other times unfamiliar words. In the end they were all solveable/guessable which is how it should be. Thanks Monk for another super puzzle.
Month: August 2016
Independent 9,323 by Dac
I hope this means that Dac is becoming restored to his former health, because he has appeared today and also last week. I was under the impression that he had been unwell and was now only going to be doing every other week. If that was wrong then I’m sure everyone welcomes him back with open arms.
After a crossword last week that was arguably one of Dac’s less imaginative and elegant productions (that at least was the verdict of some of those posting here) he is right back to form: smooth surfaces and the whole thing satisfactory and (apart perhaps from 23ac) uncontroversial. The only thing militating against the surfaces is the unusually large number (for Dac) of clues that cross-reference some other clue.
Definitions underlined and in maroon.
Guardian Cryptic 26,977 by Paul
The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/26977.
Inquisitor 1452: Intended by Ifor
Due to Holy Ghost’s holidays and a swap of blogging duties this week and next week, I find myself blogging an Ifor Inquisitor for the second time in a few weeks. Not that … Read more >>
Guardian 26,976 / Arachne
Teachers here are going back after the holidays for a Teacher Day and I no longer have to! 😉 And what better way to celebrate, than with a puzzle from Arachne? This is … Read more >>
Independent 9322 / Kairos
Well – a nostalgic theme from Kairos today. This brought back memories of ‘Children’s Favourites’ from the 1950s – a ‘cumulative’ song recorded by Burl Ives which regularly featured on the programme. Click … Read more >>
Financial Time 15332 Jason
(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.) It wasn’t plain sailing at the start, … Read more >>
Financial Times 15332 with Picture Quiz
(Please post comments on ONLY the picture quiz hereinbelow. To post comments on the crossword puzzle, please click here.) It wasn’t plain sailing at the start, but I finally finished it. Thanks to Jason. Definitions … Read more >>
Independent 9,321 by Lohengrin
I found this difficult in places and finished it in a stop/start fashion.
Guardian Quiptic 876/Pan
Very good Quiptic from Pan for our bank holiday entertainment – or at least for those of us who are enjoying a bank holiday today. Abbreviations cd cryptic definition … Read more >>
Guardian Cryptic 26,975 by Rufus
Smooth sailing, with some nice surfaces and favourites 21ac, 22ac and 5dn. Thanks, Rufus
Cyclops 580: J-exit / resignation honours
After a momentous few weeks of Brexit, political resignations and shenanigans (et tu Gové?!), and Cameron’s lavender list, the 15×15 world has been rocked by its own J-exit – the resignation of JetDoc from the Cyclops blog. … Read more >>
Everyman 3,646
Sunday afternoon and Everyman in the pub after reading the Observer.
The Guardian (Letters, 26-08-2016) – I Haven’t A Clue
Those of you who have a subscription to The Guardian may have noticed that there were, on Saturday and before, quite a few letters from readers about the level of the newspaper’s cryptic crosswords. As … Read more >>
Azed 2307
An Azed plain puzzle this week, but it wasn’t all plain sailing for me. When it comes to languages, I am much more comfortable with computer languages than I am … Read more >>