A new proprietor, a new interactive interface, but the same reliable Azed. It feels as if there are fewer familiar words than usual, but despite that I managed to fill the grid fairly quickly. On the other hand, some of the parsing was a bit tricky, with 32 down proving elusive until the 11th hour. Thanks to Azed for the puzzle, and best wishes to those attending the lunch in Oxford today yesterday, which I’m I was sadly unable to attend on this occasion.
Everyman 4,097/27 April
New owner, same crossword, same setter … a big day for The Observer, but what looks like for now the same Everyman crossword that has been in the paper for the last 80 years, compiled by a number of setters but always intended as a tractable Sunday cryptic. Who knows if things will change, but for now let’s see what this week’s puzzle had to offer.
Independent on Sunday 1836 Filbert
Thank you Filbert. Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Guardian Genius 262 by Enigmatist
Just like London buses…you wait ages (since 2018!) for an Enigmatist to blog, and then three come along in a row – two recent Grauniad Saturday Prize puzzles, and now Genius 262…
Independent 12,033 by Liari
My first blog of a puzzle my Liari as we go into the May day bank holiday weekend.
Quick Cryptic 57 by Pasquale
This week’s 11 x 11 crossword from the Guardian, intended to teach cryptic crosswords, found here
Prize crossword No 29,679 by Vlad
Some tricky parsings in this week’s Prize from Vlad.
Listener 4863: The Green Grass Don by Smudge
A very warm welcome back to Smudge, who we’ve not seen at the Listener since 4388 and 4503! But we have a confession to make …
Financial Times 18,042 by ZAMORCA
Sorry, gentle solvers, you get me blogging three days in a row…
Independent 12,032 / Phi
Phi has brought yet another suite of mid-week puzzles to an end.
Cryptic crossword No 29,684 by Soup
The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/29684.
Guardian Easter Special Prize Cryptic Crossword No 29,673 set by Maskarade (19 April 2025)
They say that ‘all good things come to those who wait‘ and, after nearly four years and 46 Saturday Prize Grauniad blogs, I finally get to be on duty for an Easter Bank Holiday special! In recent years this has become pretty much the exclusive domain of Maskarade, who specialises in thematic jumbos/double grids, often with ‘jigsaw’ clues…and this one is no exception…
Crosswords for Nottingham S&B 7th June
We have previously organised blogging puzzles that setters have submitted for a number of S&B get togethers. Once again we have a small team who have offered to help.
Guardian 29,683 / Paul
Quite a tricky offering from Paul this morning.
Independent 12031 / Dalibor
Dalibor, a pseudonym of Sil van der Hoek, last set an Independent crossword in December 2021, although he has featured on this site more recently than that with puzzles for the October Sloggers and Betters gatherings in York in October 2023 and October 2024.