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 26,148 / Paul

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[Two blogs of Paul puzzles from me in as many days – but the following was actually written first, being last Saturday’s Prize crossword. It has none of the Pauline schoolboy humour that … Read more >>

Guardian 26,152 / Paul

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A fairly typical Paul puzzle, with some of his trademark schoolboy humour and a mixture of quite straightforward charades and double definitions, together with some more complicated and misleading constructions. An enjoyable solve … Read more >>

Guardian 26,132 / Rufus

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A typical Rufus medley of some nice anagrams, together with the usual sprinkling of double definitions, some of which I thought were rather close in meaning, and cryptic definitions – some more so … Read more >>

Guardian 26,130 / Puck

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Friday the thirteenth but nothing sinister in this basket of fruit [nothing given away, I think – like Brendan’s ‘sense’, on Monday, ‘fruit’ appears throughout the clues] from Puck – just the playful … Read more >>

Guardian 26,109 / Puck

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A typically playful and witty Puck puzzle, with lots of ingenious wordplay and misdirection, together with great surfaces. Many thanks to Puck for a most enjoyable puzzle. [Looking at the top row and … Read more >>

Guardian 26,102 / Rufus

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Those who like Rufus’s puzzles will like this one, with its witty double and cryptic definitions and silky-smooth surfaces – and those who don’t probably won’t! Many thanks, Rufus, for lightening up a … Read more >>

Guardian 26,100 / Brendan

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I’m wondering if this was intended to be one of those Brendan puzzles we occasionally get on a Monday. It was certainly one of the most straightforward of his that I’ve done – … Read more >>

Guardian 26,093 / Arachne

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Yet another box of delights from Arachne, bursting with the wit and ingenuity that make the name on the puzzle almost unnecessary. Laugh out loud moments with 21ac, 22ac and 27ac and 5dn … Read more >>

Guardian 26,086 / Paul

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Paul continues the good crossword week with another fine puzzle, full of smiles and ‘aha’ moments and some really neat cluing – I really enjoyed it. Many thanks, Paul. Across 1 Step down … Read more >>