Independent 6532/Monk
A something-for-everyone puzzle from Monk. A few easy clues to get you going, some hard ones to stretch you, a bit of innovation here and there and some good old-fashioned smut. Not forgetting … Read more >>
neildubya
Independent 6536/Punk – All the way home
There’s always lots of fun to be had with a puzzle by Punk (or Paul) and this was no exception. Across 1 POCKET,LL,(AIR)* in BIDS – excellent clue and a toughie to unravel, … Read more >>
Guardian 24191/Gordius
I enjoyed this puzzle very much, with a good mix of clues, and a couple of answers that used words that were new to me. I thought that I had posted this at … Read more >>
Independent 6533/Phi – But it’s not Friday…
Now I know how one of regular commenters felt when we had a puzzle themed around Elvis. According to his Wikipedia entry, Terry 13A was the best-selling UK author in the 1990s and … Read more >>
Beelzebub 917/Phi (09-09-07)
I thought this was pretty tricky but I struggled with all but one of the long answers that form the perimeter of the grid, so that will have prevented me from really getting … Read more >>
Independent 6526/Nimrod
Quite a few long answers in this which made it a fairly quick solve. Naturally, there are a couple of answers which I don’t really understand: 13 and 15A. Oh, and 16D. Across … Read more >>
Independent 6527/Merlin – Wizard!
Superb puzzle but tricky in places and a reminder that Monday is not always easy-day in the Independent. There’s a lot to admire in this but I thought that 1A,10A,20A and 4D were … Read more >>
Guardian 24184/ Rufus Gentle start to the week.
I finished this more swiftly than any other Guardian crossword I have completed, taking 9 minutes. There didn’t seem much to stretch one’s mind, but maybe that’s a good thing for Monday morning. … Read more >>
Guardian 24182/Auster – Strange Fruit
The link for the Across clues is that these are all fruit grown in Australia. Some of them are not at all Pom-friendly, and without the Internet, and especially http://www.campionandcurtis.com/seasonal.html, I would have … Read more >>
Beelzebub 916/Phi (02-09-07)
This was probably one of the easiest advanced puzzles I’ve ever completed but it was a very satisfying solve. I only needed Chambers on a couple of occasions and there were some great … Read more >>
Independent 6520/Nestor (08-09-07)
Across 1 (PTA I CURB SCHOOL)* – CLAUSTROPHOBIC. Easy anagram to spot; it’s always nice to get a long answer quickly as it gives you lots of Down clues to work on. 10 … Read more >>
Guardian 24177 / Araucaria
I enjoyed this crossword, which was on the whole straightforward but with interesting nuggets of information – 8 AC, and some amusing clues – 18Dn. Posted by Simply Simon Peters Across 7 LONG … Read more >>
Independent 6524/Scorpion
Very tough, as we’ve come to expect from Scorpion. I actually managed to fill the grid pretty quickly – about 30 mins – but, as you’ll see from the blog, there was a … Read more >>
On blogging, not blogging and commenting
I thought I’d take this opportunity to address some issues that have come under discussion on the blog recently. Missing/Late Posts There have been a few occasions where we haven’t been able to … Read more >>
Independent 6522/Virgilius – I say nothing (3)
A corking puzzle from Virgilius with a subtle theme, explained in 17A. (The clue in the blog title is, I think, by Enigmatist – but apologies to the setter concerned if I’ve got … Read more >>