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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 1564: Soft Tube by Schadenfreude

Wed October 24, 2018 at 7:57 amWed October 24, 2018 at 12:00 am by HolyGhost

Sch… is never away long – it seems like one in every 8 to 10 puzzles is his.   Preamble: Two letters must be removed from the answers in each row and column … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 10 Comments

Inquisitor 1560: Phase Shift by Phi

Wed September 26, 2018 at 12:00 am by HolyGhost

The umpteenth Inquisitor from Phi …   Preamble: The key phases of the moon here are 1st Quarter, 3rd Quarter and Full. 4-, 8- and 12-letter entries suffer a Phase Shift: the wordplay … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 17 Comments

Inquisitor 1556: Pause for Thought by The Ace of Hearts

Wed August 29, 2018 at 12:00 am by HolyGhost

The second Inquisitor from The Ace of Hearts, and the first was a ‘Letters Latent’ too.   Preamble: Seven clues are normal but their answers must be entered thematically. From the answer to … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 13 Comments

Inquisitor 1552: Floors by eXtent

Sat August 25, 2018 at 12:51 pmWed August 1, 2018 at 12:00 am by HolyGhost

The fourth Inquisitor offered jointly by eXt(ternal + Serp)ent.   Preamble: Each clue contains a misprint of one letter; the pairs of incorrect and correct letters, in clue order, spell out four lines … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 9 Comments

Inquisitor 1548: Round Robbin’ by Ifor

Wed July 4, 2018 at 12:00 am by HolyGhost

Ifor usually presents us with challenging puzzles. This was no exception.   Preamble: Clues are presented in alphabetical order of their answers, which must be entered normally and where they will fit. When … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 24 Comments

Inquisitor 1544: Tina Turner (Not) by Serpent

Wed June 6, 2018 at 12:00 am by HolyGhost

We get an Inquisitor puzzle from Serpent about twice a year, sometimes quite hard, often quite fun.   Preamble: Four symmetrically-placed across clues have standard wordplay and definitions. In each of the remaining … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 11 Comments

Inquisitor 1540: Hand Out by Nitsy

Wed May 9, 2018 at 1:02 pmWed May 9, 2018 at 12:00 am by HolyGhost

Two previous Inquisitor puzzles have had the byline Nitsy … but they were in 2007 & 2009 – that’s certainly a while back.   Preamble: Thirteen clues contain no definitions: the answers to … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 11 Comments

Inquisitor 1536: Exits by Schadenfreude

Wed April 11, 2018 at 12:00 am by HolyGhost

Schadenfreude shows up here about every couple of months.   Preamble: Seven of a set of ten are to appear clockwise in the perimeter. The initial letters of single words to be removed … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 13 Comments

Inquisitor 1532: Change of Entry by eXternal

Wed May 30, 2018 at 5:29 pmWed March 14, 2018 at 12:00 am by HolyGhost

A puzzle by eXternal … but not Clue Two IV (yet).   Preamble: Single letter clashes occur in six cells and each should be resolved in favour of a third letter to make … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 9 Comments

Inquisitor 1528: Seven Shaded Shapes by Pointer

Wed February 14, 2018 at 12:00 am by HolyGhost

Haven’t blogged a puzzle by Pointer before.   Preamble: In the spirit of the theme, the seven shaded shapes should be carefully cut out from the filled grid, leaving holes, and assembled to … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 12 Comments

Inquisitor 1524: Across and Down by Ifor

Wed January 17, 2018 at 11:52 amWed January 17, 2018 at 12:00 am by HolyGhost

My first puzzle by Ifor to blog since April Fool’s Day, though there were three others later in 2017.   Preamble: Eight across clues include an extra word containing only one letter not … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 9 Comments

Inquisitor index: 2018

Tue April 8, 2025 at 12:24 pmMon January 1, 2018 at 1:23 am by HolyGhost

Puzzles 1524 – 1575

Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor Index

Inquisitor 1520: NOTCH by Encota

Wed December 20, 2017 at 11:55 amWed December 20, 2017 at 12:00 am by HolyGhost

I initially thought that this was Encota‘s debut in this series, but I checked and saw that his/her first Inquisitor puzzle was published early last September.   Preamble: In 32 clues the wordplay … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 19 Comments

Inquisitor 1516: One in Pieces by eXtent

Wed November 22, 2017 at 12:00 am by HolyGhost

eXtent makes a welcome return.   Preamble: Each grid contains two unclued entries identifying a theme (6,8); the fifth unclued entry indicates a thematic relationship. Eight clues lack definitions; their answers are thematic … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 10 Comments

Inquisitor 1511: Optical Illusion by Radler

Wed October 18, 2017 at 12:00 am by HolyGhost

I recall that Radler‘s previous puzzle about collective nouns involved a lot of cold-solving, and to cap it all I highlighted the wrong cells in the grid to form SKEIN. Let’s see what … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 14 Comments
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