Archive

Ingenious and inventive       Across 1 Fruit is back with rest, without question SILIQUE (fruit) IS< QU (question) in LIE (rest) 6 Apparently son is determining orbital point APSIS (point in … Read more >>

This generally went quite smoothly, though I did have to check 29ac and 8dn before being confident enough to write them in. A careless slip at 30ac made 27dn unsolvable until my mistake … Read more >>

Slick and smooth like a well-oiled machine       Across 1 Questioning who in French zone will have spirit QUIZZING (questioning) QUI (French for who?) Z (zone) ZING (spirit) 8 Government lawyers … Read more >>

A fair bit tougher than the previous Beelzebub I blogged, and it was quite a wait before the first answer slotted in. There’s quite a lot of anagrammatic material here, which I don’t … Read more >>

Sharp and fiendish fare – can anyone explain 1across?         Across 1 False notions in French article pushing international language IDOLA (fallacies, pl of idolum) 5 English cricketer avoiding an … Read more >>

This was one of those rare occasions where I get to feel smug for finishing an entire Beelzebub without recourse to reference materials or other aids, so it must have been towards the … Read more >>

Satisfying challenge       Across 1 Exemplified corruption of tainted saint INSTANTIATED (TAINTED SAINT)* 10 I settled into army training, becoming this MILITARY I LIT (I settled) in (ARMY)* 11 Imposter’s endless … Read more >>

Pretty much a mid-paced week in terms of difficulty, I think. Lots of unfamiliar terms to work out, so very satisfying to polish off. I think everything made sense, though I’m not 100% … Read more >>

Satisfyingly difficult       Across 1 Solo musical performance secured, involving what? SINGLEHANDED (solo) EH (what) in SING (musical performance) LANDED (secured) 10 Cheerfully melodious’ though not initially involving grand composer UNGRAVELY … Read more >>

The usual high quality Beelzebub puzzle, of medium difficulty I think. Just the one at 28ac that I can’t fully explain. *=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition. Across 1 ASSIST – … Read more >>

Satisfying cerebral exercise         Across 2 First whiskey? Drap curiously put in porridge – odd    STIRRUP DRAM (DRAP)* in STIR (porridge) RUM (odd) 9 Used axe cut centre, note    HEED … Read more >>

A fairly swift solve this week. I had to reach for a thesaurus to fully grasp 23dn, and neither the pasta nor the Italian family at 27ac were familiar, so that one required … Read more >>

Not the toughest Beelzebub but plenty upon which to chew       ACROSS 4 Room to release chain with sailor chasing fish AMBERJACK fish [ch]AMBER sailor JACK 10 Stage performer who’d be … Read more >>

A tough puzzle that had me plugging away at it all week, only just finishing in time to crack on with the following week’s Beelzebub! *=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition. … Read more >>

Excellent. Long perimeter clues particularly nifty and the device used in 18a is classic         ACROSS 1 Computer equipment dances behind tug TRACKERBALLS tug TRACKER dances BALLS 11 The French … Read more >>