Beelzebub

An excellent puzzle as usual         Across 1 Quiet – that’s our team’s appearing between rugby posts HUSH quiet US (our team) in HH (rugby posts) 4 Immobility’s associated with … Read more >>

This was a particularly challenging week, I found. In fact it’s rare that I’m completely beaten by a clue even as I blog the puzzle, but two have come along at once. At … Read more >>

A real challenge as usual         Across 1 I don’t want computers, no kidding! TAKE IT FROM ME dd! 10 Urges Government to invest in – say Society EGGS G … Read more >>

A pretty stiff challenge this week, with plenty of unfamiliar words. I was grateful for the extended deadline, as it gave a couple more days to complete the puzzle and blog. *=anag, []=dropped, … Read more >>

Fiendishly difficult – hidden festive greeting given after the answers         ‘Where letters clash, enter both (Across then Down) to get our wish for you’ Across 1 Crazy with rage? … Read more >>

A pretty tough week, though everything fell into place in the end. I think I’ve explained everything, but must admit that Chambers got quite a thumbing whilst blogging! *=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic … Read more >>

Plenty to test your wits in here         Across 1 Defender found round rear of park changed opinion BACKTRACKED BACK defender [par]K in TRACED found 12 Sick sailor aboard naval … Read more >>

After a fairly brisk start, this became quite a tough puzzle for me. Still, the usual top qualty crossword with lots of interesting words. *=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition. Across … Read more >>

A real vocabulary enhancer       Across 1 Like grapevines, possibly making four figures FRUGIFEROUS (fruit-bearing) (FOUR FIGURES)* 10 Top money secured by expert ACME  M (money) in ACE (expert) 11 Horse … Read more >>

Quite a tough week, with lots of good vocabulary to discover. Perhaps a grid we haven’t seen before, as I don’t remember ever blogging a Beelzebub with quite so many across clues. *=anag, … Read more >>

Another fiendishly clever challenge       Across 1 Sensitive plant, one very demure, retiring MIMOSA (sensitive plant) A  (one) SO (very) MIM (demure) < (retiring) 5 Phone working two ways when fixed … Read more >>

A fairly tough week here, I think. I made a reasonably sprightly start, but soon had to reach for the dictionary. There are some cracking words in there, all the same. 14dn has … Read more >>

Fiendishly challenging       Across 1 Got on without last of stage make-up FARD (make-up) [stag]E from FARED (got on) 6 Thin bit of vaulting in moulded steel SVELTE (thin) V[aulting] in … Read more >>

This was an interesting solve. I started off very smoothly indeed, thinking this would be an “easy” week, but ground to a halt about halfway through, and eventually had to adopt a very … Read more >>

Easier end of the Beelzebub spectrum but still a satisfying challenge       Across 1 Not entirely direct about direct debit’s former function STEDDE (function obs) DD (direct debit) in STEE[r] (direct) … Read more >>