A tricky one from Monk.
Guardian 26,462 by Picaroon
Sorry for the later than usual posting, busy morning at work. Picaroon entertains us today.
Inquisitor 1366: Spot the Difference by Ferret
This blog will be the first one to appear in 2015, so a Happy New Year to all our solvers. We bloggers love to read your comments and appreciate your corrections when we … Read more >>
Independent 8807 / Radian
Radian has produced a puzzle that tests the grey cells today. I may be accused of writing a spoiler in that first sentence today. If so, I apologise if I have … Read more >>
Financial Times No. 14,821 by DANTE
First puzzle in the new year and it is one of my favourite setters.
Guardian 26,461 by Imogen
The puzzle may be found at http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/26461.
Guardian 26,460 / Rufus
Apologies for the late appearance of the blog – I managed to delete it on the point of posting. The first Monday of the year and it’s reassuringly Rufus to ease many people … Read more >>
Guardian Quiptic 790/Nutmeg
It was all there to be found, but in some cases it took a bit of looking for. I enjoyed it, but did the earth move for you, darling? … Read more >>
Independent 8,806 by Eimi
Monday morning and back to work with a rare outing from the editor.
Private Eye/Cyclops 537 Xmas Special Look-a-likey
The usual massive festive grid with a hark-back to some feature or other from the Eye from the previous year – this time, lookalikes. Also, the traditional massive prize for one lucky solver: £250 prize. … Read more >>
Beelzebub 1295
This one struck me as being something of a mixed bag, some very easy clues along with some very unfamiliar answers. Most of the entries I had come across before but some (31ac, … Read more >>
Guardian Genius 138 by Picaroon
A message from Joyce: Before you read the preamble, I would like to apologise for my error in scheduling the date for publication. What I forgot to change was the year. I would like … Read more >>
Everyman 3,560
A steady-as-she-goes Everyman puzzle, with not too much to alarm (or thrill), but a good collection of clues at the shallow end of the pool.
AZED 2,221
Something very odd has happened this week. The paper and originally the website printed a totally irrelevant clue for 20ac, with Azed’s clue provided (hastily?) after a day or two. Also the website had some extraordinary glitches: it put (5) (5) after 25ac, (7) (7) after 18dn, and (6) (6) after 22dn. Also, 10dn was given as (7) instead of (5), and — at any rate by Tuesday — this hadn’t been corrected.
Which didn’t detract from the usual pleasant solving experience. Everything was straightforward enough and it was obvious what the mistakes were. Azed’s clues are in retrospect nearly always easy to solve: they are difficult simply because they use words that are, to say the least, outside one’s normal experience. This doesn’t take away from their quality, though.
As usual some dictionary research will be needed by you, dear reader, if you are to understand eveything about all the clues. I have underlined the definitions.
Independent on Sunday 1297 eXternal
(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.) I found this a bit hard … Read more >>