Never knowingly undersolved
For some reason I found this harder going than usual for a Rufus, with the bottom half causing the most trouble. The grid doesn’t help: with no answers longer than nine letters it’s … Read more >>
I’m always delighted to see Crucible’s name on a puzzle, especially when I’m down to blog it. I’m always delighted to see Crucible’s name on a puzzle, especially when it’s a Prize. So … Read more >>
It’s always a pleasure to see Tramp’s name on a puzzle, but I was worried when I found it took me a while to make any progress. Fortunately I managed it in the … Read more >>
(Please click here for this same blog but with a picture quiz added. Please do NOT post hereinbelow any comment relating to the picture quiz. Thank you.) There’s a nina in the grid, … Read more >>
The puzzle may be found at http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/26319. This went fairly quickly for me, despite some references that I did now know in 11A (ARCHIVOLTS) and 18D (ketamine). Mainly because of the former, the … Read more >>
A friendly grid and impeccable cluing, as ever from this setter, are a great help with several less familiar words in this puzzle from Shed, who, for me, doesn’t appear often enough. When … Read more >>
Bonjour! I liked this Quiptic: one or two tricky clues to parse, but once you’d reached base camp, the rest was all there to be worked out and the summit was attainable. Just … Read more >>
Good stuff from Rufus today, with the usual cryptic/double defs and nautical references. I particularly liked the definitions in 13ac, 25ac, 16dn and 17dn.
We found this quite hard – generally inventive and enjoyable, although there were a few clues that let it down for me. I’ve mentioned those below, but there were some stand-out excellent clues … Read more >>
Not easy, even with the (excellent) long clues falling quite early on, and a lot to like. I could mention almost every clue – lots of deceptive surfaces and definitions, and clever little tricks. Top three favourites: 27ac, 4dn and possibly 20dn…
A strange mixture of clues from Boatman today – some very obvious from either defintion or wordplay, some a lot trickier, an outrageous lift-and-separate that I’m not at all keen on but I’m … Read more >>
Well its Paul so we expect a bit of rudeness and lots of playful word play.
The puzzle may be found at http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/26312. I found this a pleasing mid-level puzzle notable for its cryptic definitions, which are backed up by wordpaly. Across 7,16down. Dramatist can’t reintegrate plays (7,8) TERENCE … Read more >>
The third outing in the Quiptic slot for Provis, whose identity remains a closely guarded secret.
Another fairly typical Monday 5dn of nifty anagrams and double and cryptic [some more than others] definitions, with, characteristically, some nautical terms for good measure. Thank you, Rufus, for a pleasant start to … Read more >>