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)*
I normally solve the Azed specials quite comfortably but I found this one tough going. Very enjoyable nevertheless. Thank you Azed.
The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/everyman/3916.
I found this Azed harder than usual, probably because there were no 11 or 12 letter words in the grid.
The Observer crossword from Oct 24, 2021
A generally smooth offering from Everyman, with not much to frighten the horses.
A plain Azed puzzle this week. There was the usual mix of unknown, vaguely-known and well known words and phrases in the entries in this puzzle leading to a my … Read more >>
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 >>
The usual weekly fix for the dictionary addict. Thank you Azed.
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).
I don’t even know if I have completed this one right…
As I was writing up this blog, it struck me that most of the parsing of the clues is very straightforward: I think more so than usual. Of course there’s the usual helping … Read more >>
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.
Fewer obscure words than usual this week. Thank you Azed.
A plain Azed with perhaps fewer obscurities than usual.