All four of my periodic blogs have converged on this weekend…good job I haven’t got a lot of other things to do, or places to be!…
Private Eye/Cyclops
Private Eye (Cyclops / 674) Quarantine Crisis
A fairly standard Eye this time. Enjoyable but not difficult. Whistled through solving this. Only 4 unsolved after the first pass and the whole thing wrapped up in under half an hour including … Read more >>
Cyclops 673 – Commerce Adrift
After a week of lockdown, and seemingly no respite in sight, it is reassuring to be able to dip into crosswords, or any other diversionary activity, to get one’s mind off things…that is … Read more >>
Private Eye (Cyclops/672) Upfront Whopper
A much more accessible puzzle this time. Nothing here to trouble us much. Almost a record solve with only 3 left to do after the first pass and they were scattered around so … Read more >>
Cyclops 671 – Extempore Leadership
An irreverent Cyclopsean bimble through the corridors of power and a smattering of Lower 6th Common Room smuttery…all is well with the world!… Bit of a rush to get this out due to … Read more >>
Private Eye ( Cyclops/670 ) Continental Deterrent
A tougher crossword this time – least ways that’s the way I found it. It has some top-notch clues and it was worth re-reading them to do this blog. When I started solving … Read more >>
Cyclops 669 – Disregard Witness
Some fairly standard Cyclops-ean fare this fortnight – an enjoyable, if not too taxing solve… My solving copy doesn’t have any particular notes – I think I made fairly steady progress, although writing … Read more >>
Private Eye ( Cyclops/668 ) Kinky Fatwa
A mixed bag of difficulty here.
Cyclops 667 – Happy (Blended) Families
My turn to blog the annual treat of the Cyclops Christmas Special – but maybe I shouldn’t have got rid of my stack of 2019 issues so early!… Recent Christmas specials have used … Read more >>
Cyclops 666 – Polarised Referendum
Given that this is Cyclops #666, and it was published in the issue dated Friday 13th, I expected something a bit, well, ‘beastlier’…but, apart from several mentions of Trump and Boris (and one … Read more >>
Private Eye (Cyclops/665) Offensive Utterance
One of those Eye puzzles that I found difficult to finish despite getting most of it early on. In my notes I marked 16 as solved on first reading. 1d was a lovely … Read more >>
Cyclops 664 – Electioneering Prowess
Electioneering Prowess – that’s what it is all about, for the next few weeks… And the first clue/entry, 7A RECTUM, obviously sums up Cyclops’ feelings about politicians, and their choice of vocal organs. … Read more >>
Private Eye (Cyclops /663) Outlook: Rancid
A reasonably swift solve for this Eye puzzle I nearly managed my first ever “complete on first pass” but it was not to be. ( I define the end of the first pass … Read more >>
Cyclops 662 – Sweet-Talk the Commons
In theory, this should have been the last Cyclops before the B-word fright-mare of Halloween… …and there are a few references in clues and solutions – ‘remoaner’/BELLYACHER, ‘Dominic’ sticking his nose in, and … Read more >>
Private Eye (Cyclops/661) Apeman Politics
This one took somewhat longer than usual but I think that was just me having an off day. Less than half done after an uncharacteristically long 30 minute first pass. It didn’t start … Read more >>