FT 12,479/Aardvark O Picasso Embargo Duomo
Solving time : about 30 mins with phone calls interrupting This is my first FT blog. All week the FT online site has been one day behind with the crossword and I was … Read more >>
neildubya
Financial Times 12478/Jason
A very enjoyable puzzle from Jason with a few top-notch clues and a couple of nice ideas. Not too tricky either. Across 9 (CHESS I TRY)* 12 ETERNAL – I don’t think I’ve … Read more >>
Independent 6440/Nimrod
Spot the Nina time – take a peek down the left- and right-hand sides of the grid. Across 1 VEND – I hope I’ve understand this correctly: SALSA appears in the completed grid … Read more >>
Guardian 24096/Auster
This wasn’t too tricky but there were a few answers that I don’t fully understand – explanations/corrections welcome. Across 1 RAIN in B(offin)S 4 (SOME BEDS)* – deceptive surface reading. 9 OPT in … Read more >>
Financial Times 12476/Highlander – Gentle start
We start our FT blogging with a nice and easy puzzle from Highlander. I’m not the world’s quickest solver but I think I managed this in something like 7-8 minutes. I haven’t commented … Read more >>
Starting today – the Financial Times crossword
From today, we shall be blogging the Financial Times puzzles. We may not be able to cover every day of the week as we don’t yet have enough volunteers but hopefully this will … Read more >>
Independent 6430/Merlin – Sticky ends.
Last Saturday’s Monk puzzle was difficult enough but I thought this offering from Merlin was even tougher. This was mainly due to the theme of the puzzle – all but two of the … Read more >>
Independent 6433/Dac
Across 1 R,(A DIPS)* 4 I,MIT(t) in SCAR – excellent &lit clue. 9 (A SLAVONIC VIRTUE)* 11 SHELLAC – tricky one this, and a guess for me. SHELLAC is a US word meaning … Read more >>
Independent 6424/Monk
Superb but very tough puzzle from Monk. The bottom right-hand corner caused me all sorts of problems (especially 22A, 20D and 23D) and the top-left was any easier. I’m still not sure about … Read more >>
Independent 6428/Math
Across 10 ORATE – the muse for love poetry is Erato so you switch the E and O round to get ORATE. 12 EARLY BIRD – I didn’t know what an “archaeopteryx” was … Read more >>
Independent 6421/Dac
Quite a cavalier sort of solve with this one – a few clues filled in without completely understanding them, anagrams guess-timated rather than properly worked out – but luckily no mistakes. Would have … Read more >>
Situations Vacant: Financial Times solvers
We would like to start including the Financial Times puzzles in this blog. The FT puzzle is set by many of the same people that also set the Independent and Guardian crosswords, and … Read more >>
Independent 6414/Virgilius – 10A-y
Another very entertaining puzzle from Virgilius. No theme that I could see, unless it’s very subtle or I’m very slow today. Either is equally possible. Across 1 SECOND INCOM(e),MAN,D 9 (GOOD LINER)* – … Read more >>
Independent 6406/Phi
This seemed like a harder-than-usual effort from Phi, although no less entertaining for that. It got me wondering about the Saturday slot of the Indie puzzle though: does a setter who usually sets … Read more >>
Independent 6407/Tees
I thought this was tough in places but lots of fun, with the sort of pop culture theme we only see in the Independent crossword. Not sure about 8D though so suggestions welcome. … Read more >>