Ciaran McNulty

An auspicious puzzle number to start the week with.  Very satisfactory Monday fare, with a couple of puzzlers but no real complaints and a lot of enjoyment!  I especially liked 15ac, I’m not … Read more >>

Very enjoyable today,  quite a few c.d.s which seems to be a Gordius trait. d.d. = Double definition c.d. = Cryptic definition “” = homophone * = anagram Across 1. ACCRETION. AC(C. + … Read more >>

Quite easy for a thursday I thought, but I was left with a couple of quibbles and uncertainties. These were balanced by the highly enjoyable 9ac, 11ac and 25ac. dd = double definition … Read more >>

(x) = removed (X) = inserted * = anagram < = reversed Across 1. COMPREHENSIBLE. COM(mon) + PREHENSI(B.)LE. 9. LYRICAL. (ju)LI(an)CLARY*.  Fantastic. 10. DEBAUCH. (H CUBED + A)*.  I liked the use of … Read more >>

Apologies for being a bit later than normal, I didn’t get a chance to look at today’s puzzle until around lunch.  Lots of cryptic definitions today. (X) = inserted (x) = removed c.d. … Read more >>

This blog was accidentally published early – apologies if it looked a little incomplete! A really enjoyable puzzle, with a few very closely interwoven themes/clues that kept me going. ” = homophone < … Read more >>

An interesting theme today, and luckily for me something I managed to guess early on – I suspect it’d be somewhat impenetrable if you can’t guess what BG stands for (I’ve assumed British … Read more >>

As easy as you’d expect on a Monday except for a few horticultural clues that were completely out of my areas of expertise, which had to wait until I had most of the … Read more >>

Straightforward for a friday but very pleasing with a nice agricultural theme. dd = double definition * = anagram “” = homophone (X) = inserted (x) = deleted << = reversed Across 7. … Read more >>

My first Saturday crossword and it was an Araucaria so I was a bit intimidated, but managed ok.  It took just over an hour to fill out most of the grid, then the … Read more >>

Puck seems to be in a thirsty, miserable mood, with a number of references to drinking / being drunk as well as depression in the clues. Quite a few tricky ones today, I … Read more >>

I’ve started to dread seeing Gordius’s name when it’s my turn to blog.  As one of the harder Guardian setters I often find his puzzles impenetrable, unlike Araucaria who I tend to regard … Read more >>

Another toughie from Paul.  The theme was enjoyable for a film buff, but a few clues didn’t quite sound right for me. The only solution I couldn’t explain was 22D, but the answer … Read more >>

I sometimes get psyched out when I can’t get 1A easily, so I took a little while to get started today.  Ploughed through most of the puzzle once I got going but took … Read more >>