This was largely a gentle puzzle with lots of clues and no long answers.
Financial Times 17,988 by Leonidas
Puzzle from the Weekend FT of March 1, 2025
Financial Times Sunday 82 – News by Neo
The monthly puzzle inspired by topical events. Find it to solve online or download and print at ft.com/crossword, or via the FT smartphone app.
Guardian Quiptic 1,319/Anto
The editor continues to give Anto the gig for producing Quiptics, and while he has his fan club, commenters here have often indicated that he might not be the best choice for the … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 1,827 by Filbert
Filbert again in his Sunday slot
Everyman 4,088 by Everyman
Everyman seems to have listened to us, or at any rate to someone, because this is a more straightforward crossword than some of his earlier ones. No major criticisms: perhaps the surfaces could sometimes have been honed a bit, but generally I think it’s pretty good and sound.
Definitions underlined in crimson. Indicators (anagram, hidden, homophone, missing letter, etc) in italics. Anagrams indicated (like this)* or *(like this). Link-words in green.
Guardian Genius 260 – Karla
“Each across clue contains a word that must be removed before solving. The first and last letters from these words, in clue order, explain changes required, to varying degrees of effect, in all … Read more >>
Azed 2749
Azed reaches a major milestone in his setting career today. We have a plain puzzle from last Sunday to consider first in this blog.
Independent 11,979 by Stamp
First time I have had to blog a puzzle by Stamp and I wondered what I might be in for.
Since their first puzzle about 2 years ago they have always had something more to offer, in terms of a theme of the day etc.
(I’ll stay tight-lipped about whether I managed to solve the previous puzzles I attempted. I recall some have been on the hard side for me.)
Quick Cryptic 48 by Maskarade
This week’s 11 x 11 crossword from the Guardian, intended to teach cryptic crosswords, found here
Private Eye (Cyclops / 798) Old School Principle
A nice solid puzzle in this issue.
Not too hard, except for the last clue – funny how it’s always the last clue solved that’s tricksiest.
Most was filled in on the first pass, but a couple resisted till the end.
Guardian Saturday Prize Crossword 29,625 by Enigmatist (22 February 2025)
Last week Eileen wrote of the ‘delight’ of landing an Arachne puzzle to blog, ‘especially on a Saturday, when there’s more time to savour it‘. This week it was more like the dread in the pit of the stomach on finding one has an Enigmatist! But at least it is a Saturday, so I should have plenty of time to struggle through it…
Listener 4854 Pickle by Skylark
It was good to see Skylark again, one of the very few lady setters. Literary themes are one of her specialities and we were going to be hunting for a book title in … Read more >>
Guardian 29,630 / Brockwell
It’s over a year since I last blogged a puzzle by Brockwell, so I was very pleased to see his name this morning. There’s a nicely varied set of clues, with neat constructions … Read more >>
Financial Times 17,987 by ZAMORCA
A fun puzzle from ZAMORCA today. Thanks to the setter for dishing out a treat.