Oh, hullo, it’s Hamilton again…
Guardian 28,023 / Qaos
Hurrah on two counts from me today: a puzzle from one of my favourite setters and I managed to see the theme – although it would have been quite hard to miss. I … Read more >>
Year: 2020
Inquisitor 1627: Tourist Information by Harribobs
Tourist Information by Harribobs Answers to asterisked clues are entered normally; all others must be cycled on entry. Four answers are members of a group of seven seasoned travellers, and are clued by … Read more >>
Guardian Quiptic 1051 Matilda
Thanks Matilda for a fun Quiptic. Definitions are underlined in the clues. Across 1 Know-how that hurts in the media (7) PROWESS : OW!(exclamation when something hurts one/That hurts!) contained in(in) PRESS(the media, … Read more >>
Independent 10,368 by Vigo
A nice straightforward puzzle for the first Monday of the new year. My fellow bloggers have commented before that Vigo’s puzzles are good examples for beginners who want to learn how this cryptic … Read more >>
Financial Times 16,366 by ZAMORCA
Some Monday morning fun with ZAMORCA… Some nice clues here, with a lack of straight double definitions, and some great surfaces. Some of the parsing was a bit fiddly, but enjoyable nonetheless. Thanks … Read more >>
Guardian Cryptic 28,022 by Vulcan
A very pleasant Monday solve – favourites were 1ac, 9ac, 5dn, 13dn, and 21dn. Thanks to Vulcan for the puzzle.
Cyclops 667 – Happy (Blended) Families
My turn to blog the annual treat of the Cyclops Christmas Special – but maybe I shouldn’t have got rid of my stack of 2019 issues so early!… Recent Christmas specials have used … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 1,558 by Peter
The puzzle can be found here. Hi all. A bit of an education for me today although not one which detained me past morning break. I needed to unscramble a few unknown words … Read more >>
AZED 2,481
A relatively straightforward plain puzzle this week from Azed.
Everyman 3,820
The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/everyman/3820. Everyman seems to be settling into a generally straightforward style, with the trademark pairing of long answers. ACROSS 1 YOU DON’T SAY Liberal excluded from US … Read more >>
Azed 2480 – Little Extras
This is the annual Christmas Competition Puzzle where solvers were given two weeks for submission, hence the delay in publishing the blog. The preamble stated: Ten thematic clues are without … Read more >>
Guardian Genius 198 by Picaroon
Instructions Crossing solutions to the clues clash in eight of the squares. The correct letters to enter in the puzzle spell out, in grid order top to bottom, a name connected with the … Read more >>
Independent 10,367 by Wiglaf
The puzzle can be found here. Hello and Happy New Year. I hope you enjoyed the festive period whether or not you spent it in festive fashion (I did and didn’t, respectively) and … Read more >>
Guardian Prize 28,015 / Paul
It fell to Paul to round off the year with a Prize puzzle that I enjoyed solving, apart from one or two quibbles. I think if there were no name on the puzzle … Read more >>