beermagnet – Page 17 – Fifteensquared

Private Eye (Cyclops/563) Xmas Special – Where are they now?

Mon January 4, 2016 at 9:51 pmMon January 4, 2016 at 12:01 am by beermagnet

It’s Christmas and like the strange man at the back of the night bus Cyclops shows us a worryingly large monster. As expected, there is a theme and this is spelt out in the preamble: … Read more >>

Independent 9105 Anax (Sat 19-Dec 2015)

Mon January 4, 2016 at 12:01 am by beermagnet

Another solid puzzle from Anax. This was not as hard as some I have seen from him which is just as well given how busy we all are at the moment. Only 6 answered … Read more >>

Private Eye / Cyclops 561 – Transcend Presidency

Mon December 7, 2015 at 12:01 am by beermagnet

Not what I would call an outstanding puzzle though there are some excellent surface readings in the clues I did the wrong thing by solving this crossword a week ago soon after the mag arrived, … Read more >>

Independent 9075 Nestor (Sat 14-Nov 2015)

Sat November 21, 2015 at 11:13 amSat November 21, 2015 at 12:01 am by beermagnet

I was thankful when I saw a Nestor arrive for my turn blogging. Always a pleasure and there were some very nice surface readings in these clues I had 13 in after the “first … Read more >>

Private Eye / Cyclops 559 – Shabby Diplomat

Mon November 9, 2015 at 12:01 am by beermagnet

This puzzle was not a hard as some Eye grids of late, till the last few – notably those <50% checked lights. Particularly fine smut in clue for 15A Across 1 SKIMPY … Read more >>

Independent 9045 Tees (Sat 10-Oct 2015)

Sat October 17, 2015 at 8:47 amSat October 17, 2015 at 12:01 am by beermagnet

This was a crossword of two halves After my “first pass” I had the entire left hand side complete but not the central down 5D and only a scattering in the right hand side. Indeed … Read more >>

Private Eye / Cyclops 557 – Etonian Lenin

Mon October 12, 2015 at 12:01 am by beermagnet

Cyclops is on a run of quite tough Eye crosswords lately. This is another that took me a fair while to solve. I had more than half the grid filled on the first pass, … Read more >>

Private Eye / Cyclops 555 – Vulgar Role Model

Mon September 14, 2015 at 7:07 amMon September 14, 2015 at 12:01 am by beermagnet

This seemed tougher than many Eye grids of late. I certainly had trouble getting started – I read all the way down to 24A before finding the first answer, and after the “first … Read more >>

Independent 9015 Scorpion (Sat 05-Sep 2015)

Sun September 13, 2015 at 12:03 amSat September 12, 2015 at 12:01 am by beermagnet

When I first saw the grid I thought there would be a Nina message on the perimeter somehow. This grid is surely crying out for it. But no, forget the perimeter this is … Read more >>

Private Eye / Cyclops 553 – Daft Squib

Mon August 17, 2015 at 12:01 am by beermagnet

Cyclops includes a couple of topical references to the current Labour Party leadership contest (9/4) and has put Andy Burnham squarely in the centre ground at 15. I had a curious conversation with … Read more >>

Independent 8985 Sat 01-Aug-2015 Monk

Fri November 8, 2019 at 9:59 amSat August 8, 2015 at 12:01 am by beermagnet

I was very glad when I found it was Monk today as he is one of my favourite setters. Last time I blogged a Monk puzzle in the Prize slot back in May … Read more >>

Private Eye / Cyclops 551 – Brandish spider

Mon July 20, 2015 at 12:01 am by beermagnet

Well over half this puzzle was filled-in by the end of the first pass. I got going again with DISGRACED at 10 which I considered earlier but couldn’t see where the S came from, but … Read more >>

Independent 8955 Sat 27-June-2015 Tyrus

Wed July 8, 2015 at 10:32 amSat July 4, 2015 at 12:01 am by beermagnet

Something very fishy about this crossword. Very fishy indeed. I think we should call in the Feds to find out what’s going on because it looks like someone has ended up sleeping with the … Read more >>

Private Eye/Cyclops 549 The Urban Turban

Mon June 22, 2015 at 12:01 am by beermagnet

Whistled through this one quickly getting over half in on the first pass and dealing with the remainder without too much fuss, until stuck trying to work out how the wordplay of 11A could possibly … Read more >>

Independent 8925 Sat 23-May-2015 Monk

Wed July 8, 2015 at 10:40 amSat May 30, 2015 at 12:01 am by beermagnet

I was glad when I found it was Monk today as he is one of my favourite setters. But this feeling changed as I discovered how tricky this one was. I had read all the … Read more >>