A gentler start to this week, with favourites 15ac and 18dn. Thanks to Chifonie
Year: 2018
Independent 9890/Vigo
A well-crafted and relatively straightforward puzzle from Vigo to get the Indy week started. Abbreviations cd cryptic definition dd double definition cad clue as definition (xxxx)* anagram anagrind = … Read more >>
Guardian Quiptic 971 Carpathian
Thanks Carpathian for an enjoyable start to the week. Definitions are underlined in the clues. Across 1 Pocket found in short jeans, perhaps (7) TROUSER : “trousers”(an example of which are;perhaps “jeans”) minus … Read more >>
Cyclops 627 – Coital Hotbed Simmers…
A relatively quick solve – for your correspondent at least – with this fortnight’s Cyclops…but plenty to enjoy along the way… 8A was a bit of a write-in first up – clever surface … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 1,478 by Loglady
An unfamiliar name for me, and a trawl of the 152 archives suggests this to be a debut from Loglady, in which case welcome! We can never rule out an established setter in … Read more >>
AZED 2,401
Another plain Azed this week, all good as usual. Thank you Azed.
Everyman 3,740
The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/everyman/3740.
Guardian 27,537 / Philistine
I was delighted to find one of my top favourites’ name on this Prize puzzle. As regular readers know, my solving method is, boringly, to go through the clues strictly in order but, when … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No.1334 – Creativity by Tigga
‘The grid presents two works of CREATIVITY (unclued) which solvers must complete. The authors of both must be highlighted in the completed grid (a total of 22 letters). Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”
Independent 9,889 by Wiglaf
It looks like I’ve previously covered just one Wiglaf puzzle, and apparently found it tough going. Perhaps feeling a little daunted, then, I made a slow start this time, but patiently picked off … Read more >>
Financial Times 15,891 by REDSHANK
Just returned from work related travel so had to do the blog hurriedly. Thanks Redshank for a good workout. And to Geoff, for helping with getting this across the finish line.
Independent 9,888 by Phi
One of Phi’s more intractable puzzles, it seemed to me. The difficulty with his clueing, even though it is almost universally sound, excellent and imaginative, is that — as Carol Vorderman used to say on Countdown with respect to the numbers games when a contestant chose four large numbers — there are so many ways to go. The clues, although simple enough after the event, often have many possiblities. No doubt this is deliberate. It certainly is more fun than those clues where you say ‘well it must be that, but …’
Definitions underlined, in maroon [I must have done something wrong since they’re not in maroon. Never mind]. Anagram indicators in italics.
Guardian Cryptic 27,542 by Qaos
Fun and not too tricky, with some lovely surfaces
Independent 9887 / Hoskins
Bertandjoyce are somewhere along Hadrian’s Wall at the moment so I have the opportunity to cover a Hoskins puzzle. There was one of his trademarks, ‘Her Maj’, as part of the wordplay in … Read more >>
Financial Times 15,890 by WANDERER
An almost perfect offering from Wanderer…