Phi on a Saturday?
Month: December 2022
FT Christmas Crossword No 17,286 Set by Gozo
For our second course, we have, as is usual for Christmas, a special puzzle by Gozo, this one a 23-squared grid with half standard clues and half alphabetical. Let us start with the … Read more >>
Financial Times 17,287 by Julius
Weekend puzzle from the FT of December 24, 2022
Independent 11,300 by Nimrod
In a change to the regular Indy schedule, Nimrod steps in to provide our Friday challenge.
Guardian 28,954 – Pasquale
A typically well-crafted puzzle from Pasquale, with a couple of nice “anagram &lit” clues. Thanks to Pasquale, and also to all readers and commenters: see you in 2023. Across 1 PRACTICE It … Read more >>
Financial Times 17,292 by MUDD
A fun challenge from MUDD to finish my last blog for 2022.
Independent 11,299 by Bluebird
Bluebird makes a rare appearance this Thursday.
Financial Times 17,291 by GURNEY
Gurney has a rare Thursday outing.
Guardian Cryptic 28,953 by Paul
I’m standing in for SCCHUA as part of the holiday covers so bear with me – not done a Guardian blog for a while
Enigmatic Variations No.1570 – Scratching the Surface by Cranberry
“Clues are listed in conventional order. All bars touching the perimeter (SCRATCHING THE SURFACE, say) are provided. Locations of further bars, displaying 180° symmetry, are to be deduced (but need not be entered). Ten clues contain single extra words. For each of these, one or two letters (not aways consecutive), as indicated by the extra word, must be removed from the defined answer before jumbling the remainder to make the thematic grid entry. All other clues lead to the answer plus one extra letter. In order, these spell out the theme. Enumerations refer to unmodified answers.”
Independent 11,298 / Twin
Our Wednesday entertainment has been provided by Twin today, a compiler whose work I have neither solved nor blogged until today. There was a lot to get one’s teeth into today, as the … Read more >>
Financial Times 17,290 by SLORMGORM
A rare departure from Mondays for Slormgorm today.
Guardian Cryptic 28,952 by Boatman
The puzze may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/28952.
Inquisitor 1782: Seasonally Appropriate by Plench
We are present once more at the scene of a misdemeanour. After completion of the grid, a crime takes place. Solvers must remove the content of nine cells, leaving relevant words behind, to … Read more >>
Guardian 28,951 / Picaroon
A highly entertaining offering from Picaroon, with a playful theme and lots of interesting references. Following my usual practice of working my way through the clues in order, I was about three quarters … Read more >>