neildubya

Across 1 K in (PEARLS)*,R – SPARKLER. Got this straight off, and all of the other thematic answers followed soon after. 10/5 (LAND)* in ROMANCE – ROMAN CANDLE. The last thematic answer I … Read more >>

Across 1 hidden reversed in “BritiSH CASt” – Hans SACHS is a character in Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg and, I was surprised to discover, an actual real life person. 4 KEW,IS in … Read more >>

Across 8 PEN,PUS,HER – I don’t understand what “Caribbean estate” is and how it links to PEN, if at all. 9 NO,TED – “observed” is the definition, the rest of the clue is … Read more >>

More thematic wizardry from my favourite compiler: spot the colours in 6 across clues. Across 1 BROWN-NOSED – little bit of politics from Virgilius there. 6 PS,ST 10 TOT in LIES – LITOTES … Read more >>

I think I made very heavy weather of this as, looking back at the answers now, there’s not too much there that should have given me problems; the notable exceptions being 12A and … Read more >>

Cryptic crossword setters often borrow terminology from the world of 2D so a bridge-themed puzzle seems very appropriate. This cleverly constructed grid contains NORTH SOUTH EAST WEST in the places you would expect … Read more >>

Across 6 EVA< in STS – “Mrs Peron” made this a very easy clue but “bars” was an ambiguous definition in the phrase “street’s bars”. 9 REC,(PIE)* 10 U,N in NEARED 11 IF … Read more >>

Very Nimrod. I’m fairly sure all the answers are right but I have my doubts about 8A and 4D is still a mystery to me. Across 1 CHIMER – which is a type … Read more >>

Just spotted the Nina in this puzzle – look at the unchecked letters around the perimeter (the left-hand side doesn’t work properly because it needs a three-letters rather than four). Across 5 BORE … Read more >>

This was a “solved-before-the-bus-came-along” puzzle for me so much of the wordplay went by in a bit of a blur, although I knew I would get the opportunity to look at it all … Read more >>

One of the easier puzzles from this usually tough compiler. I filled in a surprising number of answers using definitions and/or checking letters so it was the only when I came to write … Read more >>

Apologies for the delay in posting this – I solved the puzzle but then didn’t get a chance to blog it. This is the first Saturday crossword from Math, and it has a … Read more >>

Across 1/4 EXTRAORDINARY RENDITION – “assembled” led me down an anagram-related garden path for a while, until I realised the clue was a sort of cryptic definition, with a surface reading designed to … Read more >>