Never knowingly undersolved
I’ve just come back from a holiday in the Highlands, and as expected have to thank Eileen and Manehi for standing in for me. What I didn’t expect was to be blogging on … Read more >>
A fun challenge from BUCCANEER to round up the week.
Wordplay in each of fifteen clues yields an extra letter that is not entered in the grid. In clue order, these letters give the start of a quotation from a poem (in ODQ and associated with ABSOLUTELY NOTHING) and the initials of its source. The third line of this quotation suggests how twelve answers are to be thematically treated before entry. Lengths in brackets refer to grid entries while word counts refer to original answers. Chambers Dictionary (2016) and ODQ7 are recommended; 21 is in Collins.
I enjoyed the theme for this bumper double-grid bank holiday alphabetical jigsaw puzzle from Maskarade, and it’s another impressive bit of grid construction. The theme was given names: one of each pair of … Read more >>
Methuselah makes his roughly monthly appearance today – we’re in for a treat.
A tricky slow solve today, with favourites 20ac, 23ac, 14dn, and especially 2dn, 21dn and 25dn. Thanks to Brendan.
Moo returns to the Thursday slot.
Non-prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of August 27, 2022
Hippogryph is occupying today’s slot. It is the first puzzle by this compiler that I have solved and blogged, and I can see that only two puzzles by him or her have been … Read more >>
An enjoyable puzzle; not too hard, not too easy. Thank you Guy.
Oops! Sorry the blog is late, I wrote this up first ting and then forgot to hit the “Publish” button at the end. I am on holiday now, I cam answer queries but complicated corrections to the blog may have to wait until I can get to real computer rather than phone.
Apologies for the delay in getting this published, but I am on holiday in Morocco and had problems connecting to the wifi.
Mixed Doubles by Kruger Clues are given in pairs and their non-overlapping constituents (two definitions and two sets of wordplay) can appear in any order. Eight answers are thematically linked and must … Read more >>
I think this is my first blog of an Atrica puzzle even though the setter first appeared nearly three years ago. Recently, I have been blogging puzzles ripe for a … Read more >>
Well, I found this rather hard sledding, for some reason, with a variety of elaborate constructions on some clues, and a couple of inventive surprises, mentioned below, but overall an enjoyable challenge nonetheless. I am not sure that I quite explained 6D. Note the ninas TAILS and CLAWS down around the center column; is this a Bobcat trademark? (I am a newbie on the FT scene.) As always, I welcome comments and elucidations.
The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/28855.