Guardian Quiptic

It might have been post-Crimbo lethargy on my part, but I found this hard going in places, with some convoluted clues and a term I’d never heard of before. However, there were some … Read more >>

There are a few seasonal answers in this otherwise very ordinary crossword. As with the previous Moley puzzle that I reviewed, there are several extra words thrown in purely for the surface reading. … Read more >>

Some pretty straightforward cluing from Mr.  Putnam today – it was only my fuzziness after a poor night’s sleep that prevented me seeing most of them on the first run through.  The anagrams … Read more >>

A grid with a fair number of unchecked first letters, but straightforward clue construction overcame that potential hazard. ACROSS 8 MEMSAHIB Charade of MEMSA – anagram (‘possibly’) of ‘Emmas’ – + HI (‘greeting’) … Read more >>

A pleasing puzzle from Hectence, with a couple of very clever clues as well as some tricky ones. Well, I found them tricky, but that could be because I stayed up far too … Read more >>

An entertaining puzzle from Pan, with some delightful surfaces and a variety of resources. ACROSS 1. ARMISTICE Charade of AR(ab) + I(n) C(harge) in an anagram of *TIMES 6.  CREAM Charade of E(xtasis)=’drug’ … Read more >>

No problems with today’s offering from Arachne.  My favourite clue was 9 across. All definitions given are from Chambers 11th Edition or the Oxford Dictionary of English. Most of the standard abbreviations used … Read more >>

I found this one more difficult than many a Guardian Cryptic. Several of the entries seemed at first to have far too much clue for the answer, which is generally a sign that … Read more >>

Orlando isn’t a regular setter of the Quiptic (this is his first outing this year as far as I can see), but he has produced a most enjoyable and accessible puzzle for us … Read more >>

When I noticed that this puzzle had yet to be reviewed, I put this together hastily.  Several of the clues seemed to have words added solely for the surface reading, and the missing … Read more >>

Another relatively straightforward solve.  I did need the checking letters to get 11 across, an author that I had heard of but was not one that readily came to mind.  Apart from that … Read more >>

I found the bottom half of this puzzle went smoothly, but the top half was more challenging. Most of the clues are of exemplary Ximenean form, with clear dictionary definitions; the relatively few … Read more >>

A straightforward Quiptic this week, with a number of tried and trusted devices, and very few less-known words. A good one for a beginner, my only quibble being 25ac., which I’m not sure … Read more >>

I thought this was a sound puzzle for those at the start of their cryptic solving careers. Some straightforward solves to get you going with some crossing letters, and then the rest falling … Read more >>

A relatively straightforward solve for my first review on this site.  Not one of my favourite puzzles, but only one or two minor niggles. All definitions given are from Chambers 11th Edition.  Most … Read more >>