Skip to content

Buy Me a Coffee

Fifteensquared

Never knowingly undersolved

  • Home
  • Info
    • Setters
    • Bloggers
    • FAQ
    • Links
    • About Fifteensquared
  • Blogs
    • Enigmatic Variations
    • FT
      • FT Daily Cryptic
      • FT Jumbo
      • FT Sunday
    • Guardian
      • Guardian Genius
      • Guardian Quiptic
      • Quick Cryptic
    • Independent
    • Inquisitor
    • Listener
    • MyCrossword Featured Puzzle
    • Observer
      • Everyman
      • Azed
      • Gemelo
    • Private Eye/Cyclops
    • Spectator
  • Share your thoughts
    • Site Feedback
    • General Discussion
  • Policies
    • Site Policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookies
  • Newbie Corner

Bertandjoyce

There was a tradition in both our families of solving Telegraph concise and cryptic crosswords. During our student days we moved on to the Observer. When we could afford a daily, we enjoyed the Guardian cryptics until the Indy arrived on the scene. Nowadays, Saturdays are not complete without the Inquisitor in the i paper. We never time ourselves but we do feel cheated if we finish quickly and really enjoy seeking out themes and ninas etc. We are now retired and when time allows, we supplement the daily Indy solve with the on-line Guardian cryptic, Genius and the occasional Quiptic. Finding fifteensquared was a revelation – we realised we are not alone in our attempts to stave off Alzheimer’s!

Independent 9370 / Punk

Tue October 25, 2016 at 5:14 pmTue October 25, 2016 at 8:08 am by Bertandjoyce

We’re not giving anything away in the preamble when we state that there was an Olympian theme to the puzzle today.   We may be missing something but the chosen Olympians seem to … Read more >>

Categories Independent 6 Comments

Independent 9365 / Anglio

Wed October 19, 2016 at 8:01 am by Bertandjoyce

Anglio takes over Dac’s mid-week slot this week, and it fell to us to blog his puzzle last month as well. As with last month’s puzzle there were some excellent surfaces and clever … Read more >>

Categories Independent 12 Comments

Independent 9360 / Lohengrin

Thu October 13, 2016 at 8:10 am by Bertandjoyce

This is the first Lohengrin puzzle we have blogged, and it really had the old grey matter whirring! At one point we were so stumped we thought we’d have to give up on … Read more >>

Categories Independent 11 Comments

Independent 9356 / Hob

Sat October 8, 2016 at 8:55 am by Bertandjoyce

Well…… this was a bit of a ‘tour de force’ by Hob. It wasn’t until Joyce came to write up the blog that Bert suddenly worked out the parsing for 24d and 19d. … Read more >>

Categories Independent 4 Comments

Independent 9355 / Phi

Fri October 7, 2016 at 8:11 am by Bertandjoyce

Unfortunately, we didn’t really enjoy this offering from Phi today. When this happens, regardless of the setter, we both try and analyse why – perhaps today it was the fact that some of … Read more >>

Categories Independent 4 Comments

Independent 9346 / Scorpion

Tue September 27, 2016 at 8:01 am by Bertandjoyce

Scorpion seems to have entered a time warp with this puzzle. There have been a few comments recently about reverse solving which thankfully we are more than happy with. There were some solutions here … Read more >>

Categories Independent 6 Comments

Independent 9341 / Anglio

Wed September 21, 2016 at 7:56 pmWed September 21, 2016 at 7:57 am by Bertandjoyce

Once again, it’s Joyce on her own. This time Bert is on a photographic course near Northallerton. Last week he was part of a small group attempting the Three Peak Challenge in Yorkshire. … Read more >>

Categories Independent 17 Comments

Independent 9338 / Monk

Thu September 15, 2016 at 1:32 pmThu September 15, 2016 at 8:07 am by Bertandjoyce

The last Monk puzzle we blogged was back in April. Once we’d sorted out 17d (our LOI) we ended up smiling – always a good way to finish a solve.   The grid screamed … Read more >>

Categories Independent 13 Comments

Independent 9331 / Phi

Fri September 9, 2016 at 7:54 am by Bertandjoyce

Well, a Phi puzzle with a theme that we don’t have to search for this week!   The fact that it involves particle physics meant that several of the eight thematic entries were … Read more >>

Categories Independent 11 Comments

Independent 9326 / Nimrod

Sat September 3, 2016 at 8:18 am by Bertandjoyce

Our last Nimrod blog was back in April. We needed help with one of the parsings then and surprise, surprise we need help again today. There were some long answers which on first … Read more >>

Categories Independent 14 Comments

Independent 9322 / Kairos

Tue August 30, 2016 at 8:05 am by Bertandjoyce

Well – a nostalgic theme from Kairos today. This brought back memories of ‘Children’s Favourites’ from the 1950s – a ‘cumulative’ song recorded by Burl Ives which regularly featured on the programme. Click … Read more >>

Categories Independent 9 Comments

Independent 9317 / Dac

Wed August 24, 2016 at 8:06 am by Bertandjoyce

We look forward to a classic solve when we’re tackling a Wednesday Dac, but unfortunately we found this one a little disappointing. However, we can’t quite put a finger on why we feel … Read more >>

Categories Independent 5 Comments

Independent 9312 / Rodriguez

Thu August 18, 2016 at 8:07 am by Bertandjoyce

An interesting but tricky puzzle from Rodriguez today. We tend to tackle crosswords in numerical order, and we had considerable difficulty with several of the across clues, particularly on the right hand side … Read more >>

Categories Independent 13 Comments

Independent 9307 / Phi

Fri August 12, 2016 at 8:04 am by Bertandjoyce

Well, this really has us puzzled!   As it’s a Phi, we’re sure there is something going on here, but we have no idea what it is. There is a very well-known composer … Read more >>

Categories Independent 12 Comments

Independent 9298 / Radian

Tue August 2, 2016 at 4:39 pmTue August 2, 2016 at 7:51 am by Bertandjoyce

We were more than pleased to see Radian’s name today.   We solved 13d fairly quickly and 9a came soon after. Despite never having read any of the Sherlock Holmes novels or short stories, … Read more >>

Categories Independent 8 Comments
Older posts
Newer posts
← Previous Page1 … Page43 Page44 Page45 … Page62 Next →

Announcements

None at present

Today’s Cryptics

Daily
Financial Times
Guardian
Independent
Sunday
Azed
Everyman
Gemelo

Recent Posts

  • Inquisitor 1957: Seasonal Games by Henri
  • Independent 12,347 by Math
  • Guardian 29,998 / Pasquale
  • Financial Times 18,364 by SLORMGORM
  • Spectator 2748: What’s in a name? – II by Madrigal – placeholder
  • Guardian Cryptic crossword No 29,997 by Dice
  • Financial Times 18,363 by NEO
  • MyCrossword Featured crossword No 10 by Gennaro
  • Independent 12,346 by Bard
  • Financial Times 18,362 by Mudd
  • Financial Times Sunday 143 – World by Gozo
  • Guardian Quiptic 1,380 by Pangakupu
  • Everyman 4.149/26 April
  • Guardian Genius 274 by KGB
  • Gemelo No. 32
  • Independent on Sunday 1888 Filbert
  • Independent 12,345 by Bluebird
  • Guardian Quick Cryptic 109 by Dice
  • Guardian Prize Prize crossword No 29,990 by Brummie
  • Listener 4915 Hark the Herald by Opsimath
  • Guardian Cryptic crossword No 29,995 by Paul
  • Financial Times 18,360 by SOLOMON
  • Independent 12,344 / Phi
  • Guardian 29,994: Tramp
  • Financial Times 18,359 by STEERPIKE

Categories

Site Search

Calendar

May 2026
M T W T F S S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
« Apr    

Archives

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org
© 2026 Fifteensquared • Built with GeneratePress