kenmac

In early 2022 I took over administration for this site. Born 1954. I've been fascinated by cryptic crosswords since childhood. My mother used to attempt the Daily Mail cryptic every day but I don't remember her ever finishing one. Then, when I started working, a colleague would bring in The Telegraph every day. It wasn't till my daughter started to get interested, when I bought her a "how to" book that I realized that the definition is "always" the first word (or words) or the last word (or words) of the clue. In 2000 I discovered the, then, Independent Weekend Crossword (now Inquisitor) and later Enigmatic Variations and The Listener. I solve The Inquisitor most weeks and won the Champagne once. In 2005 I achieved an ambition by having a barred crossword published in The Independent using the pseudonym Cayenne. Then I had another one in 2015 in collaboration with Anax. This was Inquisitor 1839.

Inquisitor 1795: Come Into Force by Apt

Tue March 28, 2023 at 6:26 pmTue March 28, 2023 at 10:00 am by kenmac

Come Into Force by Apt A letter must be inserted into all down and most across clues before solving. In down clues these give the first of five sentences of a statement. In … Read more >>

Inquisitor 1791: Seesaw by Kruger

Tue February 28, 2023 at 11:44 amTue February 28, 2023 at 10:00 am by kenmac

Seesaw by Kruger

Independent 11,342 by Phi

Fri February 17, 2023 at 9:14 amFri February 17, 2023 at 8:00 am by kenmac

Standing in for BertandJoyce while they’re enjoying a holiday.

Gaufrid/Dad

Sun July 30, 2023 at 12:55 pmSat February 4, 2023 at 12:02 am by kenmac

Gaufrid in 1950 Gaufrid in 1993 Gaufrid – October 2018. Most probably the last photo taken of him. (https://www.fifteensquared.net/2023/01/23/gaufrid-rip/) Dear Fifteen Squarers We are completely and utterly flabbergasted at all the heartfelt condolences … Read more >>

Inquisitor 1787: Moggie by Chalicea

Tue January 31, 2023 at 11:30 amTue January 31, 2023 at 10:00 am by kenmac

Moggie by Chalicea 14 supposedly said “13 46”. An extra letter in addition to those needed for the solution is produced in 24 clues. These letters, in clue order, give an instruction … Read more >>

Gaufrid – RIP

Sun July 30, 2023 at 12:55 pmMon January 23, 2023 at 3:43 pm by kenmac

Gaufrid – RIP I learned earlier today that Geoff Moss (aka Gaufrid) died last week. Most of you will know that Gaufrid was the custodian of Fifteensquared for around thirteen years before he … Read more >>

Crossword Masterclasses – a message from Boatman

Mon January 23, 2023 at 3:44 pmMon January 9, 2023 at 2:25 pm by kenmac

Crossword Masterclass in Sussex for Aspiring Setters and Advanced Solvers My next in-person masterclass will take place in April. The contents of the class will be the same as usual, split into two … Read more >>

Guardian Crossword stats – 2022

Sat January 14, 2023 at 12:41 amFri January 6, 2023 at 2:16 pm by kenmac

Posted on behalf of Mitz When I produced my summary of the Guardian crossword statistics in 2021 I talked about the bonanza of records – well, 2022 has not seen quite as many … Read more >>

Inquisitor 1783: Retrospective by Ploy

Fri January 6, 2023 at 12:55 amTue January 3, 2023 at 10:00 am by kenmac

Retrospective by Ploy In six clues, a word has been acted on by either of two straight-line occurrences of a word which will appear in the grid. The action must be undone before … Read more >>

General Discussion

Sat February 3, 2024 at 9:51 pmTue December 13, 2022 at 11:37 pm by kenmac

This page is for the discussion of general crossword related matters and other topics of interest. Comments posted before 22/08/2022 can be found here. This post is now closed. New comments can be … Read more >>

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year …

Fri January 6, 2023 at 12:51 amSun December 11, 2022 at 12:00 am by kenmac

… and any other appropriate greetings too numerous to list. As 2022 nears its end, I’d like to thank my team of faithful bloggers who all do a tremendous job of keeping an … Read more >>

Inquisitor 1779: Dreamworks by Ifor

Tue December 6, 2022 at 11:56 amTue December 6, 2022 at 10:00 am by kenmac

Dreamworks by Ifor Cells containing a forename and surname (6,6); and a mythical creature (8); must be separately connected, the first group by 12 straight lines and the second by a closed curve. … Read more >>

Inquisitor 1775: The Haunted Crypt by Vagans

Tue November 8, 2022 at 10:00 am by kenmac

The Haunted Crypt by Vagans Vagans invites you to a Hallowe’en tour of the Haunted Crypt of St Something-in-the-Wardrobe. The key marks the entrance: go north and follow the rooms round clockwise. Ghouls … Read more >>

S&B puzzle availability

Thu November 3, 2022 at 4:15 pmMon October 31, 2022 at 2:33 pm by kenmac

Hi all, It was great to meet so many from the Fifteensquared community over the weekend in York. A good time was had by all. As they become available, I’ll post a link … Read more >>

225 30 by Egbert

Mon October 31, 2022 at 5:14 pmMon October 31, 2022 at 2:25 pm by kenmac

Egbert seems to specialise in providing fun and relatively gentle crosswords for the well established annual Sloggers and Betters do in York. This year the title is 225 30 which clearly has a … Read more >>