Pete Maclean

For the first time since I started blogging I had a clue that I could not solve! See 17 across. There are others that I do not completely understand and a couple that … Read more >>

Across 1. VERBATIM – anagram (terribly) of BRAVE + TIM (little chap) 6. CUCKOO – double definition 9. SPRUCE – double definition 10. NO LONGER – anagram of GO ON LNER. LNER was … Read more >>

Following two Weekend FT puzzles that I fairly sailed through, Mudd gave me a bit of a challenge with this one. As usual, it was a satisfying challenge. I did however fail to … Read more >>

I believe this is the first Bradman puzzle I have attempted. It took me a while — longer than I would generally want to spend on a daily puzzle — perhaps because I … Read more >>

For the second week in a row, I completed the FT Weekend puzzle very quickly. In this week’s case, it helped that all the words are common — or at least ones I … Read more >>

This is one of those characteristic Cinephile puzzles with a theme that carries through the longest entries and into a few of the short ones. Spot the theme quickly as I did and … Read more >>

Yet another beauty from Cincinnus. This one had several words/terms that I did not know but they all proved fairly easy to figure out. My favourite clues are 12A, 24A and 25A. Across … Read more >>

I quickly finished the left half of the grid. It then took me a couple of days before I got a good start on the right side. Once I did, I finished it … Read more >>

Tougher than usual Cincinnus perhaps with some challenging clues (for me 1A, 1D, 17D and 25D) and a couple of beauties (28A, 15D). Across 1. LOBELIAS – ELIA (essayist) in LOBS (throws). It … Read more >>

Actually for me the difficulty of this puzzle was fairly average, leavened a bit by a typical kind of Cinephile theme, fiends. I have enjoyed puzzles by John Graham (Cinephile/Araucaria) for many years … Read more >>

Another beauty from Cincinnus. Across 1. ARTIST – anagram of TRAITS with slightly cryptic definition 4. SCOTTIES – SCOT + TIES 9. CIGAR – C.I. + GAR (fish) 10 BANKROLLS – BANK on … Read more >>

Mudd provided what proved to be the hardest, longest-time-to-solve puzzle I have done in a considerable time. There were several clues that I completed only thanks to my dictionary. I like a good … Read more >>

Another elegant puzzle from Cincinnus that I found a bit more difficult than most of his. Across 1. TERMINALLY – TALLY about ERMIN[e] 7. SURE – S[nake] + URE, the Ure being a … Read more >>

Across 1. BACKFIRE – BACK + FIRE 5. ARCTIC – C in ARTIC (artic being an abbreviation of articulated lorry) 9. PECTORAL – anagram of CLEOPATR. One of the breast anagram indicators I’ve … Read more >>

Are you impressed with Cincinnus? I am more and more mightily impressed with Cincinnus. I find my view of various compilers being deepened and refined by the task of blogging their puzzles. What … Read more >>