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 25,902 / Araucaria

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Typical Araucaria fare today, with familiar ploys which will tickle or exasperate, depending on your predilections. Needless to say, I loved it. Across 1 Call boy’s takeover HIJACK HI [call ] + JACK … Read more >>

Guardian 25,892 / Rufus

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Back to normal Monday with a Rufus puzzle, with perhaps fewer cryptic definitions than we sometimes have. There were some very neat anagrams, I thought, and some nice surfaces, as always. Many thanks, … Read more >>

Guardian 25,883 / Araucaria

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A real tour de force from Araucaria – one of those puzzles that make your heart sink, when you see so many clues depending on others, especially 10 and 14. At first sight, … Read more >>

Guardian 25.868 / Rufus

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I found this a rather trickier Rufus than usual. There are some really nice clues, with the usual smooth-as-silk surfaces, my favourites being 12, 13 and 14ac and 15 and 18dn, along with … Read more >>

Guardian Prize 25,861 / Araucaria

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Another beautifully cut and polished gem from Araucaria. On Monday, Hugh Stephenson’s Crossword Update gave a link to this photograph, taken last week by Steve Caplin, of Araucaria ‘playing’ with his Scrabble tiles. … Read more >>

Araucaria Newsnight crossword

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In response to a request in General Discussion, a blog of the puzzle, available here that Araucaria wrote for Tuesday evening’s ‘Newsnight’, in which he appeared. If you missed the programme, it can … Read more >>

Guardian 25,864 / Paul

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Not a lot of joy here for me today, with a theme in which I have little interest – but I’m glad to say that I did not resort to Google, except to … Read more >>

Guardian 25,859 / Brummie

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An interesting and entertaining puzzle from Brummie, which turned out to be more straightforward than it looked at first sight.  There are some clever and amusing surfaces, some of which may be a … Read more >>

Guardian 25,854 / Arachne

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What a treat, at the end of a week of excellent puzzles, to get a lovely puzzle from Arachne! Not quite such a tussle as it often is but full of the characteristic … Read more >>

Guardian 25,844 / Chifonie

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It’s Chifonie, rather than Rufus, who’s providing today’s customary ‘gentle start’ to the week, with plenty of anagrams and charades but no cryptic definitions, as far as I can see  – and a … Read more >>