Beelzebub

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 >>

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 >>