AARDVARK kicks off the week…
Month: August 2024
Independent 11,812/Coot
Well, that was fun. Hard fun, but fun. I did enjoy the puzzle, mainly for its great surfaces, but it took two goes to finish it off. Some distant, but perfectly fair synonyms … Read more >>
Guardian 29,465 – Dynamo
A new setter today, or at least a new pseudonym. DYNAMO is famously an anagram of MONDAY, which may be significant. This was definitely a Monday-ish puzzle (it would have been a good … Read more >>
RIP – Orlando
RIP – Orlando
Guardian Quiptic 1,291/Chandler
A carefully constructed Quiptic from Chandler for our Sunday morning entertainment. Hits the spot, I think. Abbreviations cd cryptic definition dd double definition cad clue as definition (xxxx)* anagram anagrind = anagram indicator … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 1,799 by Deri
Relative newbie Indy setter Deri returns
Azed 2721
Maybe I’ve only just noticed, but Azed’s crosswords nowadays frequently have two or three subtraction clues, as here. These are often quite difficult, and I didn’t find this crossword all that easy, with so many crazy words that had to be looked up in Chambers. But otherwise it was much as usual, with its sound clueing. The doubts I have expressed below may well be down to me, not to Azed.
Definitions in blue, underlined (the rest of the clues are in crimson). Anagram indicators in italics. Anagrams indicated (like this)* or *(this).
Everyman 4060, Sunday 11 August 2024
What we have come to expect: not perhaps the most exciting surfaces (except for some, particularly 22dn), but plenty of ingenuity shown, and sound clues.
Definitions in crimson, underlined. Indicators (anagram, homophone, hidden, inclusion, etc) in italics. Anagrams indicated (like this)* or *(like this). Link-words in green.
Independent 11,811 by Bluebird
Bluebird provides us with the Saturday challenge this week.
Quick Cryptic 20 by Picaroon
This is the twentieth Guardian Quick Cryptic, a series of 11 x 11 crosswords designed to support beginners learning cryptic crosswords. The whole point of these crosswords is support and encouragement of new solvers, so special rules for these crosswords apply – see here. The puzzle can be found here.
Financial Times 17,811 by Julius
Puzzle from the Weekend FT of August 10, 2024
Guardian Saturday Prize Crossword 29,458 by Picaroon (10 August 2024)
My fourth Picaroon Prize Puzzle blog of 2024…I took a bit of a wrong turn at the start, but it didn’t make a ‘material’ difference to the end result…
Independent 11810 / Phi
We have the usual end to the Independent working week with a puzzle from Phi. Phi liked his ‘container and contents’ clues today. Half of the clues had some form … Read more >>
Guardian 29,463 – Jack
Thanks to Jack for an enjoyable puzzle, with a good range of difficulty in the clues. Like his alter egos Serpent and Basilisk, Jack usually includes a Nina of some kind, and here … Read more >>
Financial Times 17,816 by GAFF
A solid challenge from GAFF this Friday.