Guardian

Quite a tough one from Paul today, with some devious constructions that had me worried about whether I’d be able to explain everything. A couple of minor quibbles, but otherwise very enjoyable – … Read more >>

Thanks to Nutmeg for an enjoyable one. Definitions are underlined in the clues. Across 1. Young Bengal tigers skirting lake? They’re used to exercise (6,5) INDIAN CLUBS : [INDIAN CUBS](possibly tiger youngsters from … Read more >>

The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/28353. There is a theme – of course, it’s Qaos – but it was entirely unknown to me, until I discovered it on the Qaos website. It … Read more >>

Vlad sets the challenge this morning, with a puzzle full of typically ingenious clues and witty surfaces, making for a most enjoyable solve. My favourites were 1,15, 11ac, 5dn, 7dn, 12dn and the … Read more >>

A fun crossword from Paul with a theme of capitals, and a nice thematic device… … which is clues of the form, “Capital of Norway twice 14”. 14 is REBUILT so this is … Read more >>

Some easier clues than usual for Paul, though I got a little bit stuck… …having looked for and found some Douglas ADAMS / Hitchhiker’s Guide characters for the theme around 16ac, it took … Read more >>

Boatman gives us a puzzle with a royal flavour, with lots of references to monarchs in the clues. There are also a couple of references to the North, and of his trademark self-references. … Read more >>

A midweek puzzle of midweek difficulty. On my first scan of the clues, I only answered about four of them, but the rest of the puzzle gradually revealed itself. Some of them (DE … Read more >>

The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/28346. A very genial composition from the Don – I found it progressed quite smoothly, with some chuckles on the way. ACROSS 1 ANTILOGARITHMS That moralising upset … Read more >>

It’s Carpathian starting the week with an elegant and well-clued puzzle. Some of the definitions are not the first to spring to mind, which, along with smooth surfaces throughout, made the puzzle  interesting … Read more >>

So far as I can tell, this is the first time that a puzzle by Pan has featured in the Saturday slot. Normally, Pan’s puzzles appear on a Monday and it cannot be … Read more >>

My apologies for a rather later than usual blog. Yesterday, I had the offer of a Covid vaccination first thing this morning – not to be turned down lightly. Fortunately, the puzzle was … Read more >>