nmsindy

This puzzle appeared only on the paper’s website – the previous day’s Virgilius was reprinted in the paper. I found it very hard, but got there in the end – solving time 70 … Read more >>

This appeared in the IoS on the day that Don Manley’s guide to cryptic crosswords was given out free with the paper. I thought perhaps some of those new solvers might turn to … Read more >>

Unusual for Phi to appear other than on a Friday. Not sure if this means some themed puzzle is planned for this Friday 6 June. This I found very well put together as … Read more >>

With Listener puzzle 4000 due this year (20 September to be exact) we should not forget Quixote has less than a year to make the 1000. If my calculations are correct this is … Read more >>

Solving time, 22 mins. * = anagram < = reversal ACROSS 5 A WARD’S Maybe not exclusively an urban district, but usually so. 7 SLE EVE (eve Els)< If golfer Ernie Els could … Read more >>

An excellent themed puzzle by Radian, timed, I expect, to coincide with Sebastian Faulks’ new James Bond book on the centenary of Ian Fleming’s birth, I think.    I got the theme almost instantly … Read more >>

Quite easy, I found, solving time 13 mins. * = anagram ACROSS 5 STAIRCASE (car seat is)* 7 FINE R Sharpness of pencils 9 S (P) INNER Not a doctor in the medical … Read more >>

Enjoyable puzzle, that I found easier than usual, solving time 15 mins. * = anagram < = reversed ACROSS 1 RUM PUS sup< 5 SABO TAG E (ASBO)* 9 FORTUNE COOKIE (I reckon … Read more >>

A fairly straightforward puzzle by Phi, I found – solving time, 16 mins * = anagram < = reversed 1 SHOPPING LIST A second meaning for each of the words. 9 O SA … Read more >>

I found this much tougher than usual from Quixote. Solving time, 43 mins. * = anagram < = reversed ACROSS 1 ME A LIE Very inventive. 5 CRACK UP Double definition 9 STEW … Read more >>

Solving time, 17 mins * = anagram < = reversed ACROSS 8 CHAT EAU (water in French) 9 A (GAIN) ST ST = saint = good person 10 O N ICE 11 DISFAVOUR … Read more >>

I found this a very unusual crossword, much tougher than usual (perhaps scheduled because of the Bank Holiday).    I spent 47 mins at it, but did not solve it, not getting 23 ac … Read more >>

I found this very easy, solving time 12 mins * = anagram < = reversed ACROSS 1 POLISH Double definition 4 ACC R EDIT 9 ERR AND S 11 (C) UMBRIAN 12 GO … Read more >>

Another excellent themed puzzle from Virgilius, the theme becoming apparent to me only quite late on. The middle row is PARTS OF SPEECH and every row, sometimes in one word, sometimes reading across … Read more >>

As usual, an excellent puzzle from the ever-reliable Phi. Solving time, 21 mins. * = anagram < = reversed ACROSS 1 (PIPPED) (AT THE POST) Tempted at first by the 15 letters after … Read more >>