Archive

As usual rich vocabulary and diverse clue styles… love the original word in 23d … grrrr   ( )* = anagram       { }  =  omitted      < = reversed … Read more >>

A satisfying Sunday puzzle as always. With a bit of patience I managed all but one entry (4dn) before reaching for help. I think I’ve explained everything this week, but do ask if … Read more >>

Pretty smooth run this week   ACROSS 1 Support given to cut in board game gets opposing current BACKDRAUGHT      BACK + DRAUGHT{S} 10 Commotion – flight has one falling out STIR  … Read more >>

A top quality puzzle of medium difficulty this week, I found. Just one question from me at 10dn, which is a shame because I’ve a feeling it’s the best clue here. *=anag, []=dropped, … Read more >>

ACROSS 1 Most of peers into suppressing attitude that’s plain PRAIRIE     AIR in PRIE{S} 7 Article not seen in best funerary venture CREM      CRE{A}M 11 Continues to study, skipping … Read more >>

A rare occasion where I can explain every clue, I think. Not to suggest that this was easy, rather it was classic Beelzebub, I thought. *=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition. … Read more >>

Could not have got poet at 23a without recourse to google. Indian word in 3d is spelt differently in Chambers. 8d was a very hard nut to crack.   ACROSS 4  Bard’s not … Read more >>

A solve of two halves for me this week, comprised of a first session where I made very slow progress and solved only a handful, followed a few days later by a second … Read more >>

Never a week goes by without this setter coming up with some extraordinary stuff – like 1ac   ACROSS 1  Kitchen wizard, say, to try something hard    SPELL BAKER    tichy 10 … Read more >>

A very tough puzzle that had me pecking away at it for most of the week, though it was very satisfying when I did manage to work things out! There were a lot … Read more >>

Pretty straightforward this week. Some very clever surface readings eg 28 and 31 across.   ACROSS 1  Fools rolled back ceiling formerly blocking the light  STARPROOF  PRATS< ROOF 11 Old colleague mostly satisfied … Read more >>

A fairly tough week, I found. Completed this in several bouts over the course of the week, finally hitting the books in order to get the puzzle blogged today. I can’t quite see … Read more >>

Splendid smorgasbord of diverse clues   ACROSS 1 Job with difficulty put on at end    POSTFIX POST FIX 6 Rebel leader beginning to trash bank when retreating    TYLER T RELY< 11 … Read more >>

Probably around the middle of the Beelzebub spectrum in terms of hardness this week. Steady progress for me, though with the crossing pair of 12ac and 11dn proving particularly elusive. Still, everything seems … Read more >>