shuchi

A very fine crossword that I wish I could have solved and relished at a more leisurely pace – I’m late with the blog and have rushed through! Alberich is at his best … Read more >>

A crossword with the upper half considerably easier than the lower, with 14, 21d and 22d taking time/research to fill in. Three easy hidden words gave a good start and many fine clues … Read more >>

This was a gentle ride with a few pleasant pauses to smile, my picks of the day being 12a, 25a. Across 1 CABOTAGE CAGE (confined space) around (BOAT)*. A new word for me. … Read more >>

Pretty neat clues from Flimsy, as if in defiance to the dominant “ruinous” imagery of their surfaces – several clues talk of rot and decay, spoiling and perishing. A niggle or two over … Read more >>

A puzzle with moments of ease as well as perplexities, which dissolve happily when the penny drops. A few words learnt today thanks to 14a and 20d. A wide range of knowledge domains … Read more >>

The usual Alberich brilliance with great clue surfaces. No single clear favourite today but a lot of all-round goodness. The easy long entries at 3d, 6d got me off to a quick start … Read more >>

A straightforward solve with some fine clues, my favourites being 26A and 5D. I’m not sure of 28A – there is either an error with my answer or with the clue. Across 1 … Read more >>

I had mixed feelings about this puzzle. Liked some clues such as 17a, 16d, found others a bit shaky. Across 1,5 PERSIAN CARPET (APPRENTICES A[lways] R[eady])*; “principal always ready” = A R? Hmmm … Read more >>

Nice and simple with many clues solved in the first pass. The rest fell smoothly as well with some lookups mostly in the top-right corner. An enjoyable puzzle; my only gripe is with … Read more >>

Prize puzzle from the FT of December 31, 2010 An end of year surprise – prize puzzle on a Friday. The clue for 19D sums it up for me. Liked many clues such … Read more >>

A gentle, entertaining puzzle with high number of double definition clues, many that we need to “lift and separate” to read the definitions independently (27A, 5D). The bottom half of the grid makes … Read more >>

A challenging puzzle at many levels for me: words I didn’t know, devious wordplay. The SW corner was specially tricky, I have a couple of explanations pending and your inputs are very welcome. … Read more >>

An uncomplicated, enjoyable grid. I am a fan of the way Bradman constructs fresh and elegant clue surfaces with even basic wordplay, such as 21a and 2d. My favourites today are 26a, 3d. … Read more >>

Some nice misdirection made this puzzle tougher than it appeared on first sight. I opened with the top-left and slowed down at the bottom-right, with 23a and 23d causing me more trouble than … Read more >>

Probably an easy ride for someone who’s well up on alcoholic drinks. Given my modest knowledge of the subject, I had a bit of a struggle with some of the answers but the … Read more >>