smiffy

A well-balanced mix of tractability and trickiness . I came unstuck in the SW quadrant, due to an over-impulsive stab at 17D, but overall the answers manifested themselves  at a satisfyingly steady and … Read more >>

I found very little to comment on today.  Hope that’s not a Wildean case of “The only thing worse than being talked about, is not…”.  The longer anagrams at 21A and 13D were … Read more >>

There seemed to be an abundance of straightforward yet original devices in this puzzle, which is not always an easy combination of traits to achieve.  The SW corner proved by far the trickiest … Read more >>

A steady and gentle jog-trot today.  No brain-busting vocab requirements, and I think the xwd editor was wise to slot this one into a Thursday, rather than the weekend edition (where Mudd’s more … Read more >>

Much like 1A, this puzzle had a solid enough core but lacked that extra flair and creativity to put it in the running for any major accolades. Across 1 LIVERPOOL – (role old VIP)*- … Read more >>

Having not looked at a crossword for over a week, and with a healthy dollop of jet-lag still floating in my brain, I was hoping for a relatively light workout.  While this was … Read more >>

Plenty of gentle clues, including a slew of hidden answers and double definitions.  But there are also some admirable clue surfaces (I ticked 10A, 18A and 15D), plus the potentially mundane answer at 11D … Read more >>

My second blogging encounter with Orense of late.  Not the most strenuous of workouts, but he’s always a pleasure/never a chore.  Am running late today, so please excuse the skimpy blog. Across 1 … Read more >>

A fairly quick solving time, at least relative to the previous Alberich vs Smiffy head-to-head  form-book.  As usual, plenty of hallmark precision engineering (or should that be precision artistry?) in evidence.  3D, 8D, … Read more >>

Not a particularly tricky (or satisfying) puzzle today. My main gripe being the inundation of mundane [Word A] + [Word B] = [Answer] constructions.  I can’t recall ever seeing another puzzle that contained … Read more >>

A pity that today’s puzzle decided to do an online impersonation of the Scarlet Pimpernel, as it’s worthy of a broader audience than it’ll probably end up receiving.  If anything, some answers in … Read more >>

Another typically solid puzzle from Orense (does anyone know whether the correct pronunciation is O-rense or Oar-ense? I’ve always wondered.).  One answer entered more in hope than expectation at 7D. Across 1 BUFFER … Read more >>

A rather work-a-day puzzle, I fear. 1A provided an easy entry, and then gravity pretty much took care of the remainder.  11A raised a smile, but I was underwhelmed by 18D on a couple … Read more >>

A pretty challenging puzzle, with a rather curiously chosen mini-theme.  My own personal recommendation from the menu would be a No. 5, a No. 11 and a No. 25. Across 1 CAPITALLY – … Read more >>

A well-crafted tour through a variety of avenues of general knowledge today.  We seem to cover everything from military history to folklore and geology, by way of a healthy dose of geography along … Read more >>