Archive

ACROSS 1 One close to Sun’s lawyers strands a reporter initially at sea BARNARDS STAR BAR (STRANDS A R}* 10 Octahedral crystal, a chunk with end broken off ALUM A LUM[p] 11 High … Read more >>

A bumper number of clues to tackle this week, but I seemed to make very swift progress. An all-but-unaided finish in the end, just pulling out the Big Red Book to check entries … Read more >>

ACROSS 1 Hairy fawn, mostly alert after one intrudes CRINIGEROUS I in CRINGE ROUS[e] 11 Expel judge from tournament contest OUST [j]OUST 12 US politician recalled reduction in grievance VEEP PEEV[e]< 13 Jazz … Read more >>

This week we have an auspicious puzzle number of 1,111, and a helpfully Ninafied grid to match. At 1ac we have FOUR-EYES followed by, well, four Is, while along the bottom row we … Read more >>

ACROSS 1 Court giving year to unscrupulous character    CHANCERY CHANCER + Y 6 Pound snatched by poor, that’s clear   BALD L in BAD 9 Religious adherent following two lines of St … Read more >>

A very tough solve this week – I very quickly found myself reaching for various solving aids in attempt to get this one done. The explanations for couple of clues still elude me, … Read more >>

Exellent brain exercise as always   ACROSS 1  Herbaceous plant showing dark spot? Always one    MACLEAYA MACLE AY A  macle is a dark spot in a crystal 6  Mordant and reprehensible  BASE … Read more >>

A relatively swift, but not unenjoyable, solve this week. Not an unaided finish though, as I did have to check a few unfamiliar terms and senses in the book before entry, for example … Read more >>

All done except explanation for 5 down … are assi supports?   ACROSS 1   (Print expert getting trophy working with page? Right) TYPOGRAPHER  (TROPHY PAGE R)* 10 (Independent article about one man … Read more >>

A pretty tough week, judging by the number of entries I had to check before entry, and the little bit of cheating I had to do to finish off the NW corner. There … Read more >>

Another tough call this week from the prince of the fallen angels   Across 1  Painter’s coloured in nonsense BOSCH    C in BOSH 6  Newspaper’s to follow the crowd RAGTAG    RAG+TAG … Read more >>

Of the last two weeks’ Beelzebub puzzles, I think I got lucky, having struggled to get anywhere with 1,102, and having raced through this one unaided. *=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double … Read more >>

Across 1       How youth get carried away? There’s benefit around new theatre SNAKEBOARDS N in SAKE  + BOARDS  (not in Chambers) 11     Supporting beam, very much  still alive … Read more >>

This one, though not unduly tough, kept me busy for some time as I picked at it over the course of the week. I think this is the highest number of clues I’ve … Read more >>

? This puzzle is cleverly and wittily misleading in places such as 25down ( )* = anagram    [ ] = omitted    < = reversed Across 2 Crises? Energy and information used … Read more >>