simonbyc

After an initial and generally unsuccessful dalliance with Guardian cryptics nearer the start of the millennium, I somehow forgot about them until the latter half of 2025. When I discovered the Graun has its archive online, and with a handy 'check' feature, I threw myself back in, determined to master the art of solving. Ably assisted by the 225 bloggers, and with (gradually decreasing) use of the check button and other aids, I've been keeping up with the new puzzles and working my way backwards through the archive. It's going... OK. Aside from crosswords I do 'computer stuff' for a living and enjoy good whisky, long distance running, and herding (fostering) cats.

Private Eye (Cyclops / 828) Harsh Hyena

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I found this a bit tougher to get into than previous outings, but once I got going the answers and parsings materialised fairly quickly – sometimes even in the opposite order. I second-guessed myself a bit with 26d especially the parsing but now I’ve written it out I think it’s a nice clue/device.

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Private Eye (Cyclops / 824) Topless Harem

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When I solved this I expected to be complaining here about the lack of references to a certain recently-arrested “man in his sixties from Norfolk”, but indeed a week is a long time in politics – in that time Peter Mandelson, the Prince of Darkness himself has also been assisting the police with their enquiries.

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