Independent 8436/Alchemi
I didn’t really enjoy this one as much as I have previous puzzles by Alchemi. I found it a bit clunky, with some dubious cluing and less than elegant surfaces. That could just … Read more >>
Pierre
Independent on Sunday 1234/Poins
I enjoyed this Poins puzzle. Some quite intricate cluing, but all fair. And a bit of bestiality thrown in for good measure. Possibly the reason that the cluing is intricate is the large … Read more >>
Independent 8418/Quixote
Another fine Monday puzzle from Quixote in the usual style, although he does seem to have been rummaging about in his unusual words drawer this morning. There’s one I’m not entirely sure about. … Read more >>
Everyman 3495/29 September 2013
One or two little niggles when I was writing up the blog, but overall another sound as a pound Sunday puzzle from Everyman. Abbreviations cd cryptic definition dd double … Read more >>
Guardian Quiptic 724/Pan
Well done to Pan – this Quiptic hit the spot, for me at least. Clear cluing, no obscurities, friendly grid and nothing to frighten the children (well, maybe apart from 23dn …) … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 1230/Nitsy
Can’t remember seeing a Nitsy puzzle for ages. Took me a while to get into it, mainly because I hadn’t done one of his for a long time and I always take a … Read more >>
Independent 8400/eimi
Someone was remarking the other week that we hadn’t seen an eimi puzzle for ages. This was a good ‘un, but those sleepwalking into it and expecting the usual easyish Monday morning fare … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 1229/Poins
The trickiest IoS I’ve blogged for a bit. Poins has given us a well-constructed, but tough-in-places puzzle this morning. Among the solutions, there was one word I vaguely knew and one that I … Read more >>
Everyman 3491/1 September
Another fine Sunday crossword from Everyman. Just one clue this morning where I had to rack my brains a bit to discover the parsing. Abbreviations cd cryptic definition dd … Read more >>
Guardian Quiptic 720/ Nutmeg
It’s a Quiptic, Jim, but not as we know it … At least that’s what I thought, but you will no doubt put me right. It’s a generally sound puzzle throughout from Nutmeg, … Read more >>
Guardian Quiptic 719/Pan
A fine puzzle from Pan. Full of charades, anagrams, hidden answers and insertions, with nary a cryptic or double definition in sight (well, maybe just one …) Just what a Quiptic should be. … Read more >>
Independent 8382/Quixote
Another sound as a pound Quixote Monday offering. When I’m trying to persuade friends to get beyond the ‘Oh, I can’t do cryptics’ stage and have a go, I always recommend Quixote on … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 1226/Commoner
It’s the first time I’ve blogged a Commoner puzzle, although I think he has had a few published in the IoS before. I really enjoyed this one: there was some quite complicated wordplay, … Read more >>
Everyman 3487/4 August
Another fine puzzle from Everyman to accompany the Sunday morning coffee. Not so many anagrams as normal, and no old films today; but a nod to the cinema nonetheless. Abbreviations … Read more >>
Guardian Quiptic 716/Hectence
I enjoyed solving and blogging Hectence’s puzzle this morning, but I fancy the target audience might have found it a bit of a struggle. There were some excellent surfaces, but often, in my … Read more >>