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 26,196 / Boatman

Sat March 8, 2014 at 10:03 amSat March 8, 2014 at 12:02 am by Eileen

This felt rather more like a Prize puzzle than some of those we’ve had lately. It certainly took a little bit longer but I’ll resist saying that it caused me no end of … Read more >>

Guardian 26,198 / Qaos

Tue March 4, 2014 at 10:49 amTue March 4, 2014 at 9:34 am by Eileen

I’m a big fan of Qaos’ puzzles. His first cryptic appeared just over two years ago and I blog once a week, yet this is the first of his to fall to me. … Read more >>

Guardian 26,191 / Brendan

Mon February 24, 2014 at 10:10 amMon February 24, 2014 at 9:24 am by Eileen

It’s a long time since we had a Rufusless Monday: December 9th was the last time Brendan was called up from the bench. If anyone had told me the theme before I began, … Read more >>

Guardian 26,189 / Philistine

Fri February 21, 2014 at 2:23 pmFri February 21, 2014 at 9:29 am by Eileen

I have commented a couple of times already on what a good week we’ve been having for puzzles – not only in the Guardian – and to round it off with one from … Read more >>

Guardian 26,182 / Paul

Thu February 13, 2014 at 10:38 amThu February 13, 2014 at 10:01 am by Eileen

Paul on top form, though not at his most difficult – a very enjoyable puzzle, with some very clever and well-hidden anagrams and several examples of the quirky cluing that we expect from … Read more >>

Guardian Prize 26,172 / Philistine

Sat February 8, 2014 at 12:02 am by Eileen

I’m a great fan of Philistine’s puzzles, so was delighted to see his name on this one and really enjoyed the solve. The key ‘before 9’ was intriguing while working my way through … Read more >>

Guardian 26,175 / Brummie

Wed February 5, 2014 at 9:49 am by Eileen

As is often the case with Brummie’s puzzles, this one turned out to be not so tricky as it looked at first sight. Getting the long answers early on was a big help. … Read more >>

Guardian 26,168 / Gordius

Tue January 28, 2014 at 1:50 pmTue January 28, 2014 at 9:36 am by Eileen

Regular readers will know that seeing Gordius’ name on a puzzle does not make my heart leap and this did little, for me, to lift the gloom of a wet morning. I thought … Read more >>

Guardian 26,161 / Rufus

Mon January 20, 2014 at 11:54 amMon January 20, 2014 at 9:50 am by Eileen

. Thank you, Rufus, for another typically genial introduction to the week Across 1 To fall back, a mistake made by soldiers (7) RELAPSE RE [soldiers] + LAPSE [mistake] 5 Sea mist represented … Read more >>

Guardian 26,159 / Puck

Fri January 17, 2014 at 9:06 am by Eileen

It’s always a delight to find Puck’s name on a puzzle and this one certainly lived up to expectations. Some of the wordplay was characteristically tricky and there were several penny-dropping moments, producing … Read more >>

Guardian Prize 26,148 / Paul

Sat January 11, 2014 at 2:52 pmSat January 11, 2014 at 12:02 am by Eileen

[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

Thu January 9, 2014 at 9:52 amThu January 9, 2014 at 8:53 am by Eileen

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 26,145 / Brummie

Wed January 1, 2014 at 9:01 am by Eileen

A fairly gentle introduction to the New Year from Brummie, with a number of straightforward clues – several of them easy charades – to get / keep you going and a few smiles … Read more >>

Guardian 26,139 / Paul

Tue December 24, 2013 at 8:20 am by Eileen

An enjoyable puzzle, with, thankfully, nothing too tricky – apart from one bit of parsing, which took me a while – for a busy day. There are quite a few anagrams, which is … Read more >>

Guardian 26,132 / Rufus

Mon December 16, 2013 at 11:12 amMon December 16, 2013 at 9:43 am by Eileen

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 >>