Eileen

I’ve been doing cryptic crosswords since university days, learning how with a group of friends in coffee breaks. The Guardian crossword has been part of my life for most of the time since. Since retiring from teaching (originally Classics and, subsequently, when that was dropped from the curriculum, mostly English and History), having serendipitously stumbled on 15², I discovered that I could get the Indy and FT puzzles online and so I now add those, when they are set by my favourite compilers. Occasionally, I try the Genius and have even submitted a few. (Some years ago, I won a Collins dictionary in the Guardian Prize lottery, which established it as my referred reference.) I don’t take note of solving times: I enjoy taking time savouring the construction and particularly the surface of clues and always feel slightly disappointed when I finish too quickly. My one regret is my complete failure to enthuse any member of my family with cryptic crosswords.

Guardian Prize 26,723 / Puck

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What a super puzzle! – and one most worthy of the Prize slot. I found it a challenge but an absorbing one – I was never completely stuck and the clues unravelled at a very … Read more >>

Guardian 26,721 / Paul

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An enjoyable puzzle from Paul, with precise cluing, which helped with a couple of less well known words, and some amusing wordplay and surfaces. The theme is the eight Ivy League Universities – … Read more >>

Guardian 26,714 / Screw

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After Crucible’s toughie yesterday, today it’s the Turn of the Screw – another tough challenge. I thoroughly enjoyed this puzzle, which is full of inventive cluing and really innovative definitions, with lots of … Read more >>

Guardian Prize 26,699 / Brummie

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The Special Instructions read, ‘Solutions to four across and four down clues require a letter to be changed before entry in the grid. All these eight entries are of a kind’. Brummie’s puzzles … Read more >>

Guardian 26,701 / Chifonie

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A straightforward puzzle from Chifonie, with elegant cluing and surfaces throughout and some inventive definitions. Thank you, Chifonie – I enjoyed it. Across 1 Declared a vicar initially made a mistake (7) AVERRED … Read more >>

Guardian 26,691 / Arachne

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This is beginning to be embarrassing – my third consecutive Arachne blog. [It’s a good job my fellow-bloggers know how our rota works and that there’s no chicanery on my part.] It’s difficult … Read more >>

Guardian 26,684 / Picaroon

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Another gem of a puzzle from Picaroon, with his characteristic ingenious cluing and witty misdirection, along with excellent surfaces throughout. Most enjoyable – many thanks to Picaroon for providing such a good start … Read more >>

Guardian 26,677 / Vlad

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After a week totally away from crosswords – many thanks to Gaufrid for standing in for me last Monday – it was a bit of a shock to see Vlad’s name on this … Read more >>

Guardian 26,661 / Orlando

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Hurrah! – Orlando returns to the cryptic slot after an absence of almost seven months and I’m lucky enough to be the blogger. Much of this was pretty straightforward, but with Orlando’s characteristic … Read more >>

Guardian Prize 26,651 / Paul

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Paul once again for the Prize puzzle – and a fairly straightforward one, too, I thought. I think the general consensus is that we should no longer expect the Prize crossword to be … Read more >>

Guardian 26,654 / Philistine

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Another box of delights from Philistine, brimming with witty surfaces and ingenious wordplay, and producing a number of ahas and chortles along the way. Many thanks, Philistine, for a lot of fun to … Read more >>