Guardian Genius

A message from Joyce: Before you read the preamble, I would like to apologise for my error in scheduling the date for publication. What I forgot to change was the year. I would like … Read more >>

For Genius 136, Puck tells us that “Eight solutions include one or more thematic elements that are absent from their clues. Before submitting your completed entry you must make a single numerical adjustment in … Read more >>

The preamble told us that all solutions are thematic, wholly or in part.  All clues contain normal definitions but, with 18 of them, the wordplay ignores the thematic element.       I … Read more >>

A Genius puzzle by Enigmatist – words to strike fear in a blogger’s heart. Fortunately this turned out to be one of his slightly more merciful offerings, though in traditional style it started … Read more >>

I can usually finish a Genius puzzle in about an hour, 90 minutes at the outside, but this one took nearly a whole morning before the grid was filled, and I had to … Read more >>

We haven’t done the Genius crossword for a while, but this was a very enjoyable one. We found it hard going for the first week or so, but eventually figured out that what … Read more >>

The preamble to Genius 130 states: “Before being entered in the grid, six solutions must undergo 24 down 9, while another six must undergo 26 15. In the process only valid words may … Read more >>

The preamble told us that eleven clues lead to the second part of a thematically related solution, not further defined.  However, the letter counts with these clues refer to the first part of … Read more >>

I had heard in advance that Boatman was to be the setter of this Genius, so I was a little apprehensive about it, as I often find even his regular puzzles quite hard. … Read more >>

The twist in this puzzle was that each clue contained a superfluous word.  The initial letters of these words spell out the opening line of a work, which proved to be a song … Read more >>

Given the “Special instructions: 16 is displayed in all other solutions. All clues lack definitions.” my first step was to look at 16ac but I could not parse the clue other than to … Read more >>

Quite typically, I forgot I was meant to be blogging the Genius puzzle this month, so we solved it in a rush this morning in order to get this post done. This was … Read more >>