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 8963 / Knut

July 15, 2015 at 10:13 pmJuly 7, 2015 at 7:58 am by Bertandjoyce

What a great puzzle from Knut today – many thanks for the fun. This is a really ingenious construction with many references in both the clues and the entries to the Greek … Read more >>

Guardian Genius 144 by Puck

July 5, 2015 at 12:49 am by Bertandjoyce

The preamble states that: Each clue contains a one word surplus to requirements. The initial letters of these words, in clue order spell out a group, followed by the title of one of … Read more >>

Independent 8958 – Quixote

July 1, 2015 at 7:53 am by Bertandjoyce

Quixote fills Dac’s Wednesday slot this week. We found this a somewhat frustrating but ultimately fairly straightforward solve – frustrating because at first it looked as though there might be a theme, … Read more >>

Independent 8953 / Nimrod

June 25, 2015 at 8:56 pmJune 25, 2015 at 8:08 am by Bertandjoyce

We always look forward to the Thursday Indy puzzle with a certain sense of trepidation, as they have a reputation for being more challenging than the rest of the week. When we … Read more >>

Independent 8948 – Phi

September 27, 2019 at 3:50 pmJune 19, 2015 at 8:02 am by Bertandjoyce

Phi is back to his usual slot this week, and it’s us blogging again! After our last blog which was also a Phi, we checked his own blog about the hidden theme … Read more >>

Independent Saturday Prize Puzzle 8937 / Phi – 6/6/15

September 13, 2019 at 10:27 amJune 13, 2015 at 12:14 am by Bertandjoyce

We were surprised that Phi did not appear on Phiday (5th June), but then he popped up for this Saturday Prize Puzzle. We imagined that there would be a significant reason for … Read more >>

Independent 8939 / Radian

June 9, 2015 at 7:58 am by Bertandjoyce

This is our 200th blog!! (exclamation!) We haven’t blogged a Radian since last September – and this was a reasonably straightforward and enjoyable solve, let down only by the reference to … Read more >>

Independent 8934 / Dac

June 3, 2015 at 8:01 am by Bertandjoyce

Sometimes we want a quick solve because we are so short of time but we end up with a real challenge. On other occasions we want to have our minds stretched but we … Read more >>

Independent 8929 / Tees

May 28, 2015 at 7:50 pmMay 28, 2015 at 7:59 am by Bertandjoyce

We never know whose puzzle we will have to solve on a Thursday. Certain setters send a shiver down your spine, others raise a smile but we are rarely disappointed. Today it’s Tees’ … Read more >>

Independent 8924 / Phi

May 22, 2015 at 6:24 pmMay 22, 2015 at 8:02 am by Bertandjoyce

Phi-day again, and the usual well-crafted puzzle. We always look for a theme or nina in Phi’s puzzles, but initially we couldn’t see either in this one. However, Phi is playing … Read more >>

Independent 8915 / Scorpion

May 12, 2015 at 7:58 am by Bertandjoyce

As soon as we saw that it was Scorpion today, we thought there might be a hidden theme. When we started looking at the clues, it was clear that there was a … Read more >>

Independent 8907 / Donk

May 9, 2015 at 1:00 am by Bertandjoyce

It’s a Donk – at long last! Checking through our posts, it’s over a year since we had the pleasure of blogging a Donk. When we were away in February we missed Donk’s puzzle … Read more >>

Independent 8910 / Dac

May 6, 2015 at 9:16 pmMay 6, 2015 at 7:58 am by Bertandjoyce

Another excellent puzzle from Dac. What more can we say that hasn’t already been said? The puzzle features two brilliantly portrayed fictional characters from a few years ago – the memories came … Read more >>

Independent 8905 / Hob

April 30, 2015 at 2:25 pmApril 30, 2015 at 8:05 am by Bertandjoyce

An intriguing puzzle from Hob today. It was only when writing up the blog that we realised there was a theme…. But the thematic references are in the clues, not the … Read more >>

Independent 8900 / Alchemi

April 24, 2015 at 8:07 am by Bertandjoyce

Well, it’s not Phiday this week!! But it is a 200th anniversary which Alchemi is celebrating in this puzzle. We haven’t blogged an Alchemi before, and this was a good themed challenge, although … Read more >>