Financial Times 12494/Crux – Not quite an 1A 27A.
Another FT, another new name for me. I really enjoyed this one – lots of excellent clues and just the right amount of difficulty. Across 1 (PUT ONE’S HAND)* – nice anagram and … Read more >>
neildubya
Everyman 3168
Not too taxing and therefore perfect for a Sunday morning, especially if Saturday night went on too long and you’re in desperate need of a 23A or similar restorative. Across 8 AIR<,LAND in … Read more >>
Financial Times 12489/Gozo
Good fun, and reasonably easy although 15A and 4D held me up a bit for reasons explained below. I didn’t realise the FT had so many setters on their team; as well as … Read more >>
Independent 6450/Virgilius – Pole to Pole
An entertaining puzzle with a not-too-difficult-to-spot theme. Across the middle of the grid is the phrase POLES APART, which separates 6 across answers, all of which are poles of some description: NORTH/SOUTH, POSITIVE/NEGATIVE … Read more >>
Independent 6449/Glow-worm
Fairly easy start to the week although I’d never heard of 18A before. Across 9 (WE TRAIN)* 11 BOO,T(otall)Y – nice surface reading here. 12 SPEED<,PACE 13 (TESS IN PR)* – I’ve always … Read more >>
Guardian – Saturday June 9th
The blog for this puzzle will be appearing soon…
Independent 6442/Virgilius – Cornered.
One of the last names you expect to see above a puzzle on a Saturday is Mr Tuesday himself, Virgilius. Not that I’m complaining. This was definitely easier than usual for a Saturday … Read more >>
Financial Times 12483/Cinephile
Pretty tough. I haven’t got a convincing answer for 14D, I can’t work out the wordplay for the long clue and I needed Google to get 15D. Across 1 S.E,WAGE – overseas solvers … Read more >>
Coming Soon – New Premises
The crossword solving blog currently here will soon be moving here. As they say, watch this space.
Guardian 24101/Shed
Very enjoyable puzzle from Shed. As you’ll see, there were a few bits and pieces I wasn’t sure about but was still able to make educated guesses thanks to some excellent clueing. Across … Read more >>
FT 12,482/Quark – chaussez les étriers
Solving time : 21 mins approx Solving this crossword at 6pm here in San Francisco was interrupted by, of all things, a Scottish pipe and drum band playing outside my window. Across 1,4 … Read more >>
Independent 6443/Mass
The last time I blogged a Mass puzzle I introduced it thus: “A compiler I usually struggle with but not on this occasion. There are some very nice clues in this but a … Read more >>
Everyman 3166
This would have been a pretty quick solve were it not for 5D; I also hesitated for a while over 19D as I didn’t fully understand the clue. Across 1 AB,DUCT – “seaman” … Read more >>
Independent 6436/Nimrod – on Nimrod and others…
An appropriately timed and themed crossword as the date of publication (June 2nd) was the 150th anniversary of 28A’s birth. It’s also fitting that Nimrod (Enigmatist in the Guardian) should be the compiler … Read more >>
Independent 6441 by Phi
A pleasing puzzle from Phi, with a couple of good arts and literature references. Some very nice, very wry cryptic defs. Across 7 KEEP OFF THE GRASS Witty cryptic definition. 9 LEGIT Double … Read more >>