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HolyGhost

Started on cryptic crosswords as a late teenager and completed the Times daily until the Independent started. (Didn't do the crossword - just stopped reading the Times.) Often tackled the Independent weekend magazine crossword in the early and late 1990s (spent mid-90s in Bruxelles), and then most of them since moving out of London in summer 2000. I must say that my forays into the Listener used to prove more satisfying (except the number ones) - estimate 98% successful - but usually don't have enough discretionary time for both. Now that the Listener and the Inquisitor seem pretty level I rarely stray from tackling only the latter.

Inquisitor 1453: Downtime by Quixote

Wed September 7, 2016 at 12:00 am by HolyGhost

An Inquisitor puzzle from Quixote for the first time in 6 years.   Preamble: Across clues and answers are normal. Type 1 Down clues have an extra letter added to the wordplay; their … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 10 Comments

Inquisitor 1448: The Enemy’s Gift? by Poat

Mon August 8, 2016 at 11:41 amWed August 3, 2016 at 12:00 am by HolyGhost

Haven’t seen Poat for a long time – early last year in fact. (And that after a break of 6 years.)   Preamble: Wordplay in eight clues leads to the answer (which is … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 10 Comments

Inquisitor 1444: OURS by Eclogue

Wed July 6, 2016 at 5:03 pmWed July 6, 2016 at 12:00 am by HolyGhost

An Eclogue puzzle – something to look forward to.   Preamble: In clue order, corrections to definition misprints give a quotation completed by the thematic puzzle title. The name of the work from … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 14 Comments

Inquisitor 1440: Prove it by Schadenfreude

Wed June 8, 2016 at 12:00 am by HolyGhost

It’s not that long ago that I blogged a Schadenfreude puzzle – remember Lucy?   Preamble: The four unclued entries are synonymous. Corrections to single-letter misprints in the definition part of each clue … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 7 Comments

Inquisitor 1436: My Diet by Gila

Wed May 11, 2016 at 11:19 amWed May 11, 2016 at 12:00 am by HolyGhost

Before we start, a brief message from the editor:   Hi all, sorry for hijacking the thread. Just to say … 14 across in Samuel’s IQ1437 puzzle, published last Saturday, omitted the word … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 13 Comments

Inquisitor 1432: Female Quartet by Schadenfreude

Wed April 13, 2016 at 12:00 am by HolyGhost

Back to normal (I hope). After last week’s monster, and the confused endgame after a tough solve the week before, a puzzle from Schadenfreude – always firm but fair – is a welcome … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 20 Comments

Inquisitor 1428: Small-coal by Phi

Wed March 16, 2016 at 12:00 am by HolyGhost

A long & seemingly complicated preamble for this puzzle from Phi, his second of the year. (No offence was intended when I omitted to count the ones he set prior to the renaming … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 15 Comments

Inquisitor 1424: Dickens by Shark

Tue April 5, 2016 at 3:21 pmWed February 17, 2016 at 12:00 am by HolyGhost

By my reckoning, Inquisitor 1431 will appear on Easter Saturday in the final print edition of the Independent – kenmac is scheduled to do the honours with the blog. To support the case … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 9 Comments

Inquisitor 1420: Coming Through by Phi

Wed January 20, 2016 at 12:00 am by HolyGhost

The second puzzle of the year, and another prolific IQ setter – Phi, current runner-up to Sch … you know who.   Preamble: Apart from 1ac and 18 (normal), each clue is actually … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 7 Comments

Inquisitor index: 2016

Tue April 8, 2025 at 12:23 pmFri January 1, 2016 at 1:23 am by HolyGhost

Puzzles 1419 – 1471

Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor Index

Inquisitor 1416: Can Henry? by Kruger

Wed December 23, 2015 at 12:00 am by HolyGhost

A carte blanche grid, so no bars and no numbers, but at least the clues have length indications and are in normal order. However, two entries are unclued, and there are a few … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 21 Comments

Inquisitor 1412: The Great Divide by Wan

Sat November 28, 2015 at 4:56 pmWed November 25, 2015 at 12:00 am by HolyGhost

Seen Wan here a couple of times before, most recently on the Pennine Way (“Pub Crawl”). First noted the asymmetric grid … more often a positive indicator of a puzzle than a negative … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 18 Comments

Inquisitor 1408: Assumptions by Radler

Wed October 28, 2015 at 12:00 am by HolyGhost

We’ve seen Radler about once a year since his debut in 2013 (theme: QUARKs).   Preamble: Eight clues lead to answers that are the wrong size: they must be used to fill the … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 9 Comments

Inquisitor 1404: Rise and Fall by Nutmeg

Sat October 3, 2015 at 3:30 pmWed September 30, 2015 at 12:01 am by HolyGhost

I have a soft spot for Nutmeg‘s puzzles; typical clues are polished gems.   Preamble: Down answers are entered with one letter out of place, that letter being moved to the shaded upper/lower … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 10 Comments

Inquisitor 1400: Beat the Clock by Nimrod

Wed September 2, 2015 at 12:01 am by HolyGhost

Nimrod‘s bagging #1400 with his 13th Inquisitor – unlucky for some? Hope not.   Preamble: Corrections to single-letter misprints in the definition part of each down clue in order hint at Theme A. … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 13 Comments
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