A plain Azed that relies less on Scots and archaic terms than I’ve become used to.
Azed
Azed 2638
Thanks to Azed Across 1 SPRINGAL Drinks knocked back, including round, in early youth (8)RING (round) in reverse of LAPS – “early” means it’s an archaic word 7 IDLE Eric, maybe, not … Read more >>
Azed No. 2,637 Plain – Competition Puzzle
Apart from the problem (so far as I can see) with 29dn, this is a good example of the elegant clueing that we have come to associate with Azed. I sometimes grumble about his surfaces (what does 20ac for example actually mean?), but he does produce these things week after week, not to say a whole lot of clue-judging and regular specials, and he generally does try hard to get decent surfaces; there are as always some lovely clues (like 30ac and 27dn).
Definitions underlined in crimson. Anagram indicators in italics.
Azed 2636
It’s the Azed Christmas special this week. There was quite a lengthy preamble explaining what solvers were asked to do and stating that some entries would not be found in … Read more >>
Azed No. 2,635 Plain
I finally managed to acquire a copy of Chambers Dictionary (2016), which made completing this puzzle immeasurably easier . . .
Azed No. 2,634 Plain – Competition Puzzle
A slow burner for me.
Azed 2633
A higher-than-usual proportion of unfamiliar words in this one, I think, which tends to increase the difficulty. A satisfying challenge as always – thanks to Azed. Across 1 U-SHAPED Scottish expert bagging … Read more >>
Azed No. 2,632 Plain
A nice plain from Azed with the usual sound clues. In one or two places I’m a bit doubtful but that’s very possibly me. In his latest slip he mentions that some people find the 11×13 grid (as here) often a bit easier to solve that the usual 12×12.
I used to blog Azed’s crosswords some years ago and seem to remember making the same remark then: the actual wordplay is usually fairly simple; the difficulty lies in the extraordinary words, which I have usually not explained.
Definitions underlined in crimson. Anagram indicators in italics.
Azed No. 2,631 Plain
A straightforward plain puzzle from Azed this week, with just one clue leaving me a little baffled.
Azed 2630
The first Azed puzzle of the month is usually a competition puzzle. Sometimes it is also presented in a non-standard format. Today we have what many consider to be the most difficult variation … Read more >>
Azed No. 2,629 Plain
This is my first outing blogging the venerable Azed.
Azed No. 2,628 Plain
An accessible plain puzzle from Azed.
Azed 2627
A reasonably testing Azed, though sound and clear in retrospect as usual. I have a minor quibble about the definition in 24d, but that might be my ignorance. Thanks to Azed. Across … Read more >>
Azed No. 2,626 Plain
An eclectic selection of words in this week’s puzzle.
Azed No. 2,625 Plain – Competition Puzzle
A 13 x 11 grid for this month’s competition puzzle.