Never knowingly undersolved
There are some nice clues in this crossword, but also a few that I’m not comfortable with, as will be clear from the blog.
Definitions in crimson, underlined. Indicators (anagram, reversal, homophone etc) in italics. Anagrams indicated like *(this) or (this)*
The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/everyman/3916.
The Observer crossword from Oct 24, 2021
A generally smooth offering from Everyman, with not much to frighten the horses.
Another Sunday offering from Everyman that I think will please beginners and less experienced solvers. I’m sure they’ll tell us if not. The trademark clues this week are the rhyming couplet PITTER-PATTER and … Read more >>
There are several features of ‘the new Everyman’: rhyming answers (although I always have trouble finding these — Quito – Cointreau?), the ‘Primarily’ clue, which always provides a nice easy way in, the clues to these (as here) often being very clever, the reference to Everyman as ‘me’ which so far as I can see always appears quietly somewhere (in 12ac this time), and possibly others. Within these restrictions we are usually nowadays given a sound crossword. My criticisms below tend to be very minor. One might carp about the fact that there are as many as three (I think) reversals of the whole thing.
Definitions in crimson, underlined. Indicators (hidden, reversal, homophone, etc) in italics. Anagrams indicated (like this)* or *(this).
The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/everyman/3912.
The Observer crossword from Sept 26, 2021
Apart from one or two things a solid crossword, not too hard for those learning the game.
Another pleasing Sunday offering from Everyman, somewhat marred by a lack of editing leading to a clue having to be corrected after publication (on the website, at least). Abbreviations cd cryptic definition … Read more >>
The problem with the current Everyman crosswords is that their difficulty varies so. There are some easy enough clues, of which many are quite good I think, but one or two really difficult ones. The aim, surely, is to have some sort of a gateway crossword which encourages new setters (yes I mean solvers, silly mistake, thanks Michelle@3) , and in its present form the Everyman crossword fails to do so, I should have thought. I’m not a fast solver at all, but the old Everyman used to take me about 20 minutes. This one so far (and I seem to have solved it and spent much time on the blog, but there is still quite a bit of tidying up remaining) has taken me about 2½ hours. If I weren’t doing the blog I’d probably have taken approaching an hour if I wanted, as I do (unlike most speed solvers), to be sure of the parsing at all stages.
Definitions in crimson, underlined. Indicators (anagrams, hidden, reversal etc.) in italics.
The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/everyman/3908.
The Observer crossword from Aug 29, 2021
A well-constructed puzzle from Everyman this week, which I enjoyed solving and blogging. Abbreviations cd cryptic definition dd double definition cad clue as definition (xxxx)* anagram anagrind = anagram indicator [x] letter(s) … Read more >>
All was pretty straightforward and it seemed that this was another crossword from Everyman that maintained the recent good standard. But, although they were both quite sound, I took absolutely ages on a pair of clues that I just couldn’t do. One of them was fine really, and I kicked myself afterwards; the other was rather obscure I thought; if an answer is going to be an obscure word, then in my opinion the clue should be pretty straightforward. This one wasn’t. Thank goodness I eventually got there.
Definitions in crimson, underlined. Indicators (anagrams, hidden, reversal, etc) in italics. Anagrams indicated *(like this} or (like this)*
The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/everyman/3904.
The Observer crossword from Aug 1, 2021