Guardian 25,279 / Araucaria
There’s quite a bit of cross-referencing in this puzzle and there were two or three instances where it took me a while to see the parsing, so several real penny-dropping moments today. There’s … Read more >>
Independent 7,624/Tees
Two tricky ones on the trot for me. I thought this was every bit as tough as last Friday’s Red Nose Day offering, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t need … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,650 / Aardvark
As good an Aardvark as I can recall. Plenty of imaginative and diligent clueing ideas, including a salutary reminder to us all (at 6D) that a clue doesn’t have to be fiendishly technical … Read more >>
Guardian 25,278 – Chifonie
I seem to get be getting all the Chifonies lately, and this is another fairly typical specimen, with a large proportion of charade clues, though I found it if anything slightly harder than … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,641 / Crux
Prize Puzzle from the Monday March 14 FT This was a treat. If you missed this last week, go back and give it a go (without peeking below, of course). There’s plenty of … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,640 by Mudd
Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of March 12 I polished off most of this puzzle fairly quickly but for 23A (TELEVISE) I had to resort to a pattern-look-up utility! It’s a fine … Read more >>
Financial Tines 13,649 by GAFF
This is my first blog of GAFF, and I’m afraid it has defeated me, there are two answers I can’t really explain at all. So, any help from the wise would be appreciated. Nevertheless … Read more >>
Independent 7623/Dac
Nothing special from Dac today. Normally when one says this one means that it is mediocre, with nothing remarkably good about it. In this case it simply means that the crossword is well up … Read more >>
Guardian 25,277 by Bonxie
A brief offering, mainly because I started out with yesterday’s crossword by mistake! Across 1,23. Pick off reptile hiding in French 9 (6,5) CULLEN SKINK Charade of CULL (‘pick off’) + EN (‘in … Read more >>
Inquisitor 1168: Initial letters by Schadenfreude
A bit more difficult than some recent puzzles … not made easier by my going away for a weekend’s walking with no Chambers and only a rather dated Collins that I found in … Read more >>
Cryptic Crossword Solving Trials at the University of Buckingham
I have received a request for volunteers from Kathryn Friedlander ….. A number of you may remember the cryptic crossword survey which we ran at Easter last year. In total we have about … Read more >>
Independent 7622 by Mordred
It’s Tuesday, it’s the Independent so it must be theme day. Well if there is one I can’t see it, seems to be a vanilla crossword. Mordred returns to test us today and … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,648 / Gurney
A fairly easy puzzle today frrom Gurney. No special comments; the clues I liked best were the simplest ones, e.g. 31 across, perhaps because the surfaces of some of the others felt a … Read more >>
Guardian 25276 Orlando – French street-walker in Pakistan?
A very pleasant solve and a good morning’s entertainment ACROSS 1 ALL OF ME ME is the abbreviation for the state of Maine 5 SCREW UP dd when you tighten a screw cap … Read more >>
Independent 7621 by Crosophile
Some very pleasing clues in what, I think, is Crosophile’s second Indy appearance, solving time 36 mins. No Nina/theme that I have spotted but very happy to be put right if I’ve missed … Read more >>