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 25,365 / Rufus

July 4, 2011 at 9:00 am by Eileen

I think this was perhaps just a little trickier than your average Rufus but there’s the usual mix of witty cryptic definitions and clever anagrams – and I wish I could think of … Read more >>

Guardian 25,361 / Brendan

June 29, 2011 at 9:38 pmJune 29, 2011 at 8:23 am by Eileen

I was thinking it was a while since we had a Brendan puzzle, so I was very pleased to see his name on this one. Unusually, his last offering told us, ‘There is … Read more >>

Guardian 25,356 / Gordius

June 23, 2011 at 9:14 am by Eileen

I seem to have spent almost as much time trying – unsuccessfully – to come up with a preamble for this puzzle as I did in solving it. I’ll just say that I … Read more >>

Guardian Prize 25,346 / Pasquale

June 18, 2011 at 8:20 amJune 18, 2011 at 12:02 am by Eileen

An entertaining puzzle from Pasquale, in which we were told that six solutions were undefined in their clues, with five lying within the bounds of the sixth. I think non-UK residents might have … Read more >>

Guardian 25,351 / Tramp

June 17, 2011 at 10:31 amJune 17, 2011 at 9:39 am by Eileen

I’ve been looking forward to Tramp’s second Guardian cryptic, having blogged his début Fawlty Towers-themed puzzle, so I was very pleased to land this one, too. I didn’t detect a theme this time … Read more >>

Guardian 25,344 / Gordius

June 9, 2011 at 9:43 am by Eileen

Rather surprisingly, it’s me for the second time this week. I was asked to stand in – it’s not that I put in a special request for a Gordius! 😉 Across 8 BEDSTRAW: … Read more >>

Guardian 25,341 / Rufus

June 6, 2011 at 12:53 pmJune 6, 2011 at 9:03 am by Eileen

Monday morning and a fairly typical Rufus, I think, although the cryptic definitions are perhaps slightly less cryptic than usual and some double definitions are rather similar in meaning – but the surfaces … Read more >>

Guardian 25,337 / Crucible

June 1, 2011 at 11:39 amJune 1, 2011 at 9:29 am by Eileen

I was delighted to see Crucible’s name on this puzzle and I was not disappointed. His crosswords often have a theme and here we have a nice cheerful one, with no obscurities, I … Read more >>

Guardian Prize 25,328 / Enigmatist

May 28, 2011 at 8:27 amMay 28, 2011 at 12:02 am by Eileen

Enigmatist kindly dropped in to give us a start the day before this puzzle came out, by telling us that it was solvable but we might need a diary. This, together with the … Read more >>

Guardian 25,332 / Philistine

May 26, 2011 at 9:26 am by Eileen

Philistine hasn’t yet got a profile on the Guardian website, let alone made it to Michael Curl’s ‘Who’s Who’, so I think we can take it that s/he is a new setter. This … Read more >>

Guardian 25,327 / Pasquale

May 20, 2011 at 10:56 pmMay 20, 2011 at 9:57 am by Eileen

A fairly gentle puzzle from Pasquale to round off a week of good puzzles: nothing too controversial or obscure, I think, with a nice mix of clue types and a few smiles along … Read more >>

Guardian 25,317 / Rufus

May 9, 2011 at 9:45 amMay 9, 2011 at 9:08 am by Eileen

This is a classic Rufus puzzle, I think. All the hallmarks are there – succinct, witty cluing, clever anagrams [8ac, for instance] superb surfaces … There are rather more anagrams and fewer cryptic … Read more >>

Guardian Prize 25,310 / Crucible

May 7, 2011 at 12:02 am by Eileen

When I opened my paper and saw the name of one of my favourite setters on the puzzle, my heart leapt – only to plummet a few minutes later, before I had even … Read more >>

Guardian 25,313 / Orlando

May 4, 2011 at 10:43 amMay 4, 2011 at 9:34 am by Eileen

There’s lots of fun in this characteristically witty, elegant and well-clued puzzle from Orlando – nothing too complicated but highly entertaining and enjoyable. Many thanks, Orlando. Across 1 MAGIC LANTERN: anagram [dicky] of … Read more >>

Guardian 25,308 / Tramp

April 28, 2011 at 11:53 am by Eileen

I am pretty sure this is the first appearance of a Tramp cryptic crossword. I remembered seeing his name on a Genius puzzle earlier in the year and, after some research on this … Read more >>