Andrew

I started off on Everyman in The Observer, and began solving Azed while I was a student at Cambridge (reading maths) shortly after it started. I do the Guardian puzzle most days and others sporadically. In real life I work as a software developer (still in Cambridge), and for non-crossword recreation play the piano and am involved in amateur theatre.

Azed 2704

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A slightly unusual grid, with 90-degree symmetry, and a large cross of bars in the centre that might have tended to break the puzzle into isolated corners, but Azed has avoided this with … Read more >>

Guardian 29,352 – Picaroon

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Picaroon regains his missing O after last week for a typically enjoyable puzzle that I found mostly quite straightforward, though with a couple of less-familiar words to keep the brain cells working. Thanks … Read more >>

Guardian 29,343 – Paul

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Another puzzle from Paul with several interlinked cues, which becomes easier once you find the thematic link… … in this case, POND LIFE, whose clue I solved by working back from some of … Read more >>

Guardian 29,329 – Vlad

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Quite a tough one from Vlad today. There were a few answers that I guessed from the definition, hoping that I’d be able to work out the parsing when writing the blog. Fortunately … Read more >>

Azed 2698

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Slightly harder than some recent Plains, I thought, but not too many problems. Thanks to Azed.   Across 1 UMBRELLA‑STAND Bit of hall furniture? Broken tumblers land around one (13, 2 words)A in … Read more >>

Guardian 29,313 – Vlad

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A tough challenge, as we expect from this setter, with some tricky parsing to work out. All fair, though, and satisfying to finish. Thanks to Vlad.   Across 9 SEX WORKER IT professional? … Read more >>

Guardian 29,306 – Tramp

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A nicely-pitched puzzle with not too many difficulties, but one or two parsings that took a while to work out. Thanks to Tramp.   Across 1 SOLDERING IRONS They join old singer when … Read more >>