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.
Financial Times 18,041 by BOBCAT
Bobcat is today’s setter.
Enigmatic Variations No. 1691: Column 1 by Shark
Shark is giving us a bit of a clue that COLUMN 1 might contain some useful information!…
Independent 12,030 by Eccles
Our regular Wednesday fun from Eccles.
Cryptic crossword No 29,682 by Tramp
An enjoyable puzzle with some tricky surfaces. My favourites were 27ac, 4dn, 5dn, 6dn, 14dn, and 18dn. Thanks to Tramp.
Financial Times 18,040 by MONK
Fewer clues, no less fun from Monk
Inquisitor 1904: Hotpot by Tack
A warm welcome to Tack. (That may of course get warmer or cooler as the puzzle progresses.)
Preamble: Solutions are to be entered jigsaw fashion, wherever they will go. A word of at least three letters must be removed from clues before solving. Omitted words hint at a series of successful plays first performed in the theatre in 1983, forming a pattern which the clue order must follow. Otherwise, clues are ordered alphabetically by their solutions.
Guardian 29,681 – Philistine
Thanks to Philistine for another quality puzzle. I got through this quite quickly, but some of the wordplay took a bit of working out.
Independent 12,029 by Twin
Twin fills the Tuesday slot this week.
Financial Times 18,039 by SLORMGORM
I am filling in for scchua today, on a tricky-in-places assignment from Slormgorm.