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 29,384 / Pangakupu

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Pangakupu fills the Thursday slot this week with an enjoyable challenge. I’ve said in previous blogs that it has taken me a while to get onto Pangakupu’s wavelength. Either I’m getting used to … Read more >>

Guardian 29,377 /Carpathian

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Carpathian continues her travels around the various categories of Guardian puzzle (always welcome in any one of them) and settles today in the Cryptic slot. I’ve had a few days completely away from … Read more >>

Guardian 29,363 / Vulcan

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Vulcan steps into his regular fortnightly Monday slot. A typical Monday medley of anagrams and double and cryptic definitions. I had ticks for the anagrams at 11ac (BEDLINGTON) and 23ac (PLASTICINE), the succinct … Read more >>

Guardian 29,361 / Harpo

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Harpo rounds off the week’s puzzles with an enjoyable challenge. I found this quite tough going but very satisfying to (almost) finish, with some splendid anagrams, ingenious and meticulous cluing and witty surfaces … Read more >>

Guardian 29,354 / Jack

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Looking back on my previous blogs of Jack’s puzzles, I see that I have twice said, ‘A fairly tricky but enjoyable and rewarding challenge, meticulously clued, with excellent surfaces, from Jack’, which once … Read more >>

Guardian 29,347 / Brendan

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It’s Brendan providing our midweek entertainment today. I found the puzzle rather more straightforward than usual for this setter but none the worse for that. We have a thoroughgoing medical theme, skilfully executed, … Read more >>

Guardian 29,340 / Pangakupu

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It’s more than six weeks since Pangakupu’s last appearance – time enough for it to take a few minutes for me to retune to his wavelength. Once started, the answers began to flow, … Read more >>

Guardian Prize 29,332 / Brummie

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Brummie’s appearances are becoming more frequent: this is his fifth puzzle this year and the third Prize one. The blogger, bridgesong, called the previous puzzle ‘an easier than usual prize offering’ and I … Read more >>

Guardian 29,331 / Picaroon

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Picaroon rounds off a week of good puzzles in customary fine style. An enjoyable puzzle, with some chewy clues mixed in with several charades to help things along and some nice references. As … Read more >>

Guardian 29,324 / Brendan

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It’s only a couple of weeks since my last blog of a Brendan puzzle – but I’m certainly not complaining.   We have an interesting and enjoyable theme, introduced in the first clue … Read more >>