Inquisitor Review of 2024-25 by Nimrod

Sun January 18, 2026 at 12:00 amSat December 27, 2025 at 8:18 am by Admin

Inquisitor Review of 2024-25 by Nimrod

Festive greetings to everyone from us all in the IQ solving team. As ever, many thanks to all the setters for another year of top puzzles: I hope that you all enjoyed them as much as we did.

A Trivial Pursuit – VII

As an indicator of the changing balance of themes, here’s the usual breakdown in the (approximate) style of Trivial Pursuit categories, last year’s and the previous year’s counts in brackets:

• History & Geography8 (5,10)

• Film & TV6 (6,6)

• Sport & Leisure3 (6,4)

• Music & the Arts9 (9,3)

• Science & Nature3 (8,4)

• Literature13 (11,11)

• Lifestyle7 (6,8)

• Logic3 (1,5)

In May 2026, I’ll have been doing this job for fifteen years, a job that I said I’d initially do until a suitable replacement for my friend Mike Laws could be found (I presume they’ve stopped looking now). What keeps me going, other than being a voracious crossword solver, is the amount of curious information that is discovered when solving an Inquisitor submission. This year, for example, I learned about the huskies that delivered vital medical supplies to an isolated town in Alaska; the sad stories involving the Gashlycrumb Tinies; the extraordinary placement of SS Warrimoo with respect to seasonality and hemispheres; the design of the Falkirk Wheel; the Pack Horse Library Project of the Great Depression; and the comedic attempts of the Australian military to regulate the emu population.

Unofficial awards:

Puzzle Title of the Year – Dyno-Rod by Triton (a puzzle about the TV quiz Blockbusters)

Penny Drop Moment of the Year – Stage Presence by Arcadia (finding the Elephant in the Room);

Audacity Award – Christmas-time at Hook-a-Gate by Pomfret Cake (hiding three of the Yule Lads in non-grid locations)

Requiescat in pace

2025 could hardly have rivalled 2024 in terms of the number of crossword friends to whom we said farewell. But we did, in January, publish Woodcuts [LINK], the last Inquisitor from Dysart, Andy Stewart, who died late last year. In the same month we also lost Paul Facey-Hunter, whom Guardian solvers will remember as Puck; in the FT he was Wanderer; and in the Independent, he went under the pseudonym Hob, the identity he used for his only Inquisitor, Keep Recycling, in 2019 [LINK].

Statistically …

The times, they are a-changin’. I’ve already put together a schedule for 2026. I see seven new names on the roster, beating the six (Luxor, Henri, Pandiculator, Tack, Twin and Pomfret Cake) who debuted in 2025. Ruli was not, as you’ll now know, a new setter – that was Ifor after being At-Bashed. There were thirty-five different compiler names this year (one more than 2024), including two collaborating teams (Eclogue, eXtent), a total of 36 different setters.

Voting’s Open

I invite you all to register your favourite puzzles of 2025. As usual, a handy list (and bracketed memory jogs) follows, with the team’s average difficulty ratings appended as asterisks in each bunch of five. Of course, each puzzle has a full blog on Fifteen Squared.

2024 PUZZLES
21/12/24	1887	Song 2 (“Fairytale of New York”)	eXtent**
28/12/24	1888	Pictures at an Exhibition (Mondrian’s Composition A)	Harribobs**
2025 PUZZLES
04/01/25	1889	Hero Worship (“The Organisation of Idolatry”)	Chalicea*
11/01/25	1890	Nonconformist (Gobbledygook)	Hedge-sparrow**
18/01/25	1891	Very Difficult Times (V-ILL-AGES)	Pointer***
25/01/25	1892	Woodcuts (The Cherry Orchard)	Dysart**
01/02/25	1893	Team Effort (Diphtheria antitoxin)	Luxor**
08/02/25	1894	In the Groove (The Chase)	Kruger*
15/02/25	1895	Neck Rub (Necker cube)	Ifor**
22/02/25	1896	Alphabets (The Gashlycrumb Tinies)	Phi*
01/03/25	1897	An Inspector Calls (Blofeld actors)	Eclogue*
08/03/25	1898	Border (“Never the twain …”)	eXternal**
15/03/25	1899	Pride … (Then Fall Caesar)	Nimrod**
22/03/25	1900	Nine in One Hundred (Double Insulated)	PINK***
29/03/25	1901	What’s My Line (Steve Jobs)	Henri**
05/04/25	1902	Solar (“You’re Fired”)	Karla**
12/04/25	1903	Lines (Dateline, centuries)	Pandiculator**
19/04/25	1904	Hotpot (Crucible Theatre, snooker)	Tack**
26/04/25	1905	Rounders (“The Circle Game”)	Ifor**
03/05/25	1906	Missing in Action (Emu War)	Serpent**
10/05/25	1907	16 Words (Weasel words)	Nathan Panning**
17/05/25	1908	Labor Works (Honorificabilitudinitatibus)	Twin**
24/05/25	1909	Find the Title (All’s Well that Ends Well)	Phi*
31/05/25	1910	Dead-letter Drop (IQ 1910)	Kruger***
07/06/25	1911	Yobs (“Whatcha gonna do …”)	Chalicea*
14/06/25	1912	Absences (Cluedo)	Skylark**
21/06/25	1913	What Goes Around (the Falkirk Wheel)	Charybdis***
28/06/25	1914	Construction Site (Pyramid Stage)	Luxor**
05/07/25	1915	Circle Line/Central Line (Polygonal Numbers)	Cranberry**
12/07/25	1916	Workout (Tom Stoppard)	Poat**
19/07/25	1917	By-blow (At-Bash)	Ruli (aka Ifor)**
26/07/25	1918	Taken for a Ride (Packhorse Librarians)	Vismut**
02/08/25	1919	V&A All Gas and Gaiters)	Eclogue**
09/08/25	1920	Sunken Island (The Invisible Man)	The Ace of Hearts**
16/08/25	1921	Friends of Mine (7 Dwarves)	Kruger**
23/08/25	1922	Stage Presence (Pepper’s Ghost)	Arcadia**
30/08/25	1923	Parallels (Miss Marple’s Tuesday Night Club)	Apt**
06/09/25	1924	Sausage Competition II (Banger Racing)	eXternal**
13/09/25	1925	Long Division (The Severn Wash)	Check**
20/09/25	1926	Encyclopaedia (“Lydia the Tattooed Lady”	Kirsanov**
27/09/25	1927	Line Management (Stockton & Darlington 200)	Phi**
04/10/25	1928	Dyno-Rod (Let’s Play Blockbusters)	Triton**
11/10/25	1929	The Party’s Over (Cold blancmange)	Ifor**
18/10/25	1930	Mistaken Identity (Lindow Woman)	Radler**
25/10/25	1931	Take Your Partners (The Waltz King)	Nimrod**
01/11/25	1932	Linked (“Only Connect”)	Chalicea*
08/11/25	1933	Runtime (Speedbird)	Serpent***
15/11/25	1934	No Matter How (As … as …)	Kruger**
22/11/25	1935	Your Move (Westworld)	Ploy**
29/11/25	1936	Advent Calendar (We Wish You …)	Phi**
06/12/25	1937	Made in Britain (Rubber Soul)	Encota**
13/12/25	1938	Christmas-time at Hook-a-Gate (Yule Lads)	Pomfret Cake***

The rules:

1 You have six points to distribute to a minimum of threepuzzles from 2025, including the end-of-2024 puzzles Song 2 by eXtent (1887) and Pictures at an Exhibition by Harribobs (1888), but excluding Close Quarters by Vagans (1939) and Chocolate Time by eXternal (1940).

2 You may allocate no more than three points to your top puzzle. If you are unable to decide between two or more puzzles, you may use half points (but no other fractions, please!).

3 Please register your vote in any of the following ways: publicly on the thread below; or privately by emailing me at nimrod1@jetdoc.co.uk or via Bluesky (@enigmatistelgar.bsky.social).

4 Compilers may not vote for their own puzzles or puzzles which they have jointly compiled.

5 Example, using my own vote:

2 pts: 1888 Pictures at an Exhibition by Harribobs

1928 Dyno-Rod by Triton

1 pt: 1922 Stage Presence by Arcadia

1938 Christmas-Time at Hook-a-Gate by Pomfret Cake

Please use the above format, with puzzle numbers, when voting.

6 Deadline for votes: 23:59 on January 17th.

Acknowledgments

People without whom this job would be very difficult, and with whom it is always a pleasure: Jane, Helen, Richard and David (the Inquisitor solving team); and Mike & Stuart (who make the weekly puzzle look lovely on the page). As well as the usual thanks this year, I send commiserations to kenmac/“Admin”, who is laid up with a little bit of a sore leg.

To all of them, to the compilers – and to you, the solvers, I wish a peaceful, prosperous and healthy 2026.

John

21 comments on “Inquisitor Review of 2024-25 by Nimrod”

icm

#1 - Sat 27th Dec 25, 10:20

I had a “short list” of over 20 this year. Such a consistently high standard again. Looking back at my notes, the only – and recurring – criticism turns out to be “nice, but too easy”! Which probably reflects a disappointment when finishing something enjoyable. Still, there were plenty of others where “too easy” definitely not applicable.

Thank you to all setters, to bloggers, and commenters.

In the end, I had to be ruthless – my scores:

1 point each:

1888 Pictures at an Exhibition by Harribobs
1899 Pride… by Nimrod
1900 Nine in One Hundred by PINK
1910 Dead-letter Drop by Kruger
1916 Workout by Poat
1922 Stage Presence by Arcadia
Rob T / Henri

#2 - Sat 27th Dec 25, 16:12

A fabulous year for IQ puzzles!

2 points each to:
1887 Song 2 by eXtent
1904 Hotpot by Tack

1 point each to:
1903 Lines by Pandiculator
1928 Dyno-Rod by Triton

Thanks, John and team
Alan B

#3 - Sun 28th Dec 25, 11:18

In another very good year for my favourite crossword I have plumped for the following six puzzles as the ones that I have rated best for their choice of theme, their construction and the quality of their clues.

1 point each for
1893 Team Effort by Luxor
1898 Border by eXternal
1899 Pride by Nimrod
1913 What Goes Around by Charybdis
1918 Taken for a Ride by Vismut
1922 Stage Presence by Arcadia

Thanks to John and his team and to all setters who have contributed a superb set of puzzles.
Andrew Robinson

#4 - Mon 29th Dec 25, 10:20

I have only started doing the Inquisitor in the past 2 years and I have been blown away by the quality. Trying to pick favourites is just so hard and seems almost disrespectful to those I don’t pick.

I have not visited this site often but have always been impressed and thankful when I do. For now, I just wanted to express such gratitude, even if I can’t complete the choices.
Sagittarius

#5 - Mon 29th Dec 25, 14:56

As Mrs Malaprop knew, comparisons are odorous (no doubt someone has done, or will do, an Inquisitor celebrating her). I have enjoyed all the Inquisitors and have mostly solved most of them, which feels as it should be. Voting as follows.
3 points (so my puzzle of the year) 1888 by Harribobs; just so clever to imitate a Mondrian picture, even though I didn’t see its full glory at the time.
2 points (at the other end of the year) 1938 by Pomfret Gate; not only introducing some unconventional Christmas guests, but brilliantly exploiting their disruptive behaviours, even though again I didn’t find the three really rogue Yule Boys
1 point – 1905 by Ifor; I love a subversive puzzle, and will never again hear Joni Mitchell’s fine song without picturing a revolving cruet stand.

of course, to all settlers, bloggers and commenters, especially Nimrod for his oversight and for sending me a puzzle I had missed over August bank holiday.
Neil Hunter

#6 - Tue 30th Dec 25, 13:03

Here are six I noted down over the year as being particularly to my taste (it may be that, subconsciously, I’ve neglected more recent entries because I already had a good handful). One point each to:

1887: Song2 by eXtent
1902: Solar by Karla
1906: Missing in Action by Serpent
1910: Dead-letter Drop by Kruger
1912: Absences by Skylark
1922: Stage Presence by Arcadia

Thanks to all setters for a terrific year, to the bloggers for filling in the (many) gaps; and to Nimrod for presiding.
Cillagoose

#7 - Tue 30th Dec 25, 19:41

One point each;
1887 Song 2
1888 Pictures at an Exhibition
1891 Very Difficult Times
1904 Hotpot
1913 What Goes Round
1922 Stage Presence
cranberryfez

#8 - Wed 31st Dec 25, 10:19

Another super year of IQs – consistently good stuff, so like icm I had a ‘short’list of nearly half the puzzles! Many thanks to all setters, bloggers, commenters and of course JH & team. Given the difficulty in choosing, 1 pt to each of:

1887 Song 2 by eXtent
1903 Lines by Pandiculator
1904 Hotpot by Tack
1922 Stage Presence by Arcadia
1924 Sausage Competition II by eXternal
1933 Runtime by Serpent

Thanks again & HNY!
Jon MacToon

#9 - Thu 1st Jan 26, 01:49

I particularly enjoyed the challenges that taught me something new and unexpected – so 3 points to 1913 (an evocative puzzle that was also fun to do); 2 points to 1918 (a great story); and a point to 1929 (wonderfully trivial but oddly unforgettable). I missed a few due to some off the grid travel, but thoroughly enjoyed almost all the challenges and was delighted to get 10/10 on a few occasions. Looking forward to spending my Saturdays in 2026 having my grey cells put through their paces by your ingenious team. Cheers, Jon.
HolyGhost

#10 - Fri 2nd Jan 26, 11:27

I added the points I’d awarded week by week throughout the year and I had six puzzles summing to 9. So I deducted ½pt from each to arrive at:

1½: #1898 Border by eXternal
1½: #1913 What Goes Around by Charybdis
1: #1888 Pictures at an Exhibition by Harribobs
1: #1902 Solar by Karla
½: #1887 Song 2 by eXtent
½: #1912 Absences by Skylark
Helen Ougham

#11 - Fri 2nd Jan 26, 16:44

As always, it’s been a real privilege to be a member of the Inquisitor test-solving team. There were so many great puzzles this year that it’s almost impossible to choose, but I’ve followed my usual practice of allocating one vote to each of my favourites:

1899 Pride by Nimrod
1915 Circle Line / Central Line by Cranberry
1928 Dyno-Rod by Triton
1900 Nine in One Hundred by PINK
1906 Missing in Action by Serpent
1938 Christmas-Time at Hook-a-Gate by Pomfret Cake
– with a special thanks to Pomfret Cake for providing a penny-drop moment which was also, for me, a real laugh-out-loud moment.
ChrisJ

#12 - Mon 5th Jan 26, 16:28

Another brilliant year with very few vexing puzzles. Impossible to choose a handful of course but here goes:
2 points to 1888 by Harribobs (Pictures at an Exhibition) because it was so bloody hard and so the satisfaction when completing it was all the greater.
2 points to 1938 by Pomfret Cake (Christmas-Time at Hook-a-Gate) because of the elegance of the puzzle and the ingenuity in hiding 3 of the Yule Lads.
1 point to 1899 by Nimrod (Pride) for hiding all of the conspirators in the grid – amazing.
1 point to 1918 by Vismut (Taken for a ride) because of the educational aspects and the quality of the puzzle.
Thanks to all setters and bloggers.
duncanshiell

#13 - Mon 12th Jan 26, 08:58

It’s always very difficult to select favourites from such a wide range of interesting and challenging puzzles. I like puzzles that tell a story and paint a picture so I have gone for

2 points: 1888 – Pictures at an Exhibiiton
2 points: 1913 – What Goes Around
2 points: 1933 – Runtime
kenmac

#14 - Mon 12th Jan 26, 19:09

I’m sure this gets harder every year.

One point each to the following six:
Inquisitor 1919: V&A? by Eclogue
Inquisitor 1935: Your Move by Ploy
Inquisitor 1903: Lines by Pandiculator
Inquisitor 1899: Pride… by Nimrod
Inquisitor 1915: Circle Line/Central Line by Cranberry
Inquisitor 1929: The Party’s Over by Ifor
Bertandjoyce

#15 - Mon 12th Jan 26, 20:00

Joyce here.

It’s always difficult to choose – so many good ones.

2 pts 1904 Hotpot by Tack
1 pt 1895 Neck Rub by Ifor
1pt 1922 Stage Presence by Arcadia
1pt 1918 Taken for a Ride by Vismut
1pt 1938 Hook a Gate by Pomfret Cake
David Mark Thomas

#16 - Thu 15th Jan 26, 11:52

1888 – Harribobs – 3
1906 – Serpent – 2
1903 – Pandiculator – 1
Bertandjoyce

#17 - Thu 15th Jan 26, 17:52

Bert here
I always find this so difficult because I enjoy (almost) all the IQs and always admire the ingenuity of the setters in hiding the theme, regardless of how obscure it is.
However – today’s choice is:
1.5 points to 1904: Hotpot by Tack
1.5 points to 1938: Christmas-time at Hook-a-Gate by Pomfret Cake
1 point to 1933: Runtime by Serpent
1 point to 1934: Advent Calendar by Phi
0.5 point to 1921: Friends of Mine by Kruger
0.5 point to 1930: Mistaken Identity by Radler
(tomorrow’s choice might well be different!)
Herb

#18 - Fri 16th Jan 26, 20:15

Another very enjoyable year, in which I didn’t miss a single Inquisitor! Choosing was very hard but somehow I forced myself. And for the first time I got it down to a simple 3-level podium:

3 pts: 1888 Pictures at an Exhibition by Harribobs
2 pts: 1933 Runtime by Serpent
1 pt: 1915 Circle Line/Central Line by Cranberry
Richard

#19 - Fri 16th Jan 26, 23:16

One to each of:
1888 Pictures at an Exhibition by Harribobs
1906 Missing in Action by Serpent
1908 Labor Works by Twin
1924 Sausage Competition by External
1936 Advent Calendar by Phi
1937 Made in Britain by Encota
Kippax

#20 - Fri 16th Jan 26, 23:28

1 point to each of:

1887 extent
1902 karla
1903 pandiculator
1904 tack (only finished this one last week and very glad I did)
1912 skylark
1930 radler

Thanks to all setters!
Terrier

#21 - Sat 17th Jan 26, 21:27

2 points:

1888 Pictures at an Exhibition (not the first time Harribobs has set my POTY)

1 point each:

1904 Hotpot by Tack
1916 Workout by Poat (sadly topical now)
1922 Stage Presence by Arcadia
1928 Dyno-Rod by Triton

Another great set of puzzles with an extraordinary variety of themes. Thanks to all concerned.

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