Everyman 3328
Goodness me! This one was a toughie by Everyman standards with some less common abbreviations creeping in (RR for Bishop rather than B for example), and some less common knowledge required (including in … Read more >>
Guardian 25,059 (Sat 10 Jul)/Araucaria – Storm in a teacup
A gentler offering than usual for Araucaria, I thought, although some familiarity with Shakespeare’s The Tempest helped since several of its characters appeared as clue answers. There may well be further references that … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations 922: Works by Oxymoron
Here we are with Oxymoron again (Schadenfreude’s EV pseudonym). A pretty straightforward puzzle this time: eight clues with an extra word with first and last letters spelling out a hint, and the barred-off … Read more >>
Beelzebub 1,064 (11/07/10)
Another relatively swift solve for me this week, with only 2dn forcing me to turn to Chambers in the hope that there wouldn’t be too many entries in there beginning with those six … Read more >>
Independent 7,410 by Phi
I don’t tend to time these things, but this can’t have taken more than a few minutes. Definitely at the easier end of the Phi spectrum, but no less entertaining for that, with … Read more >>
Guardian 25,064 / Araucaria
I thought that this was going to be relatively easy today having entered quite a few answers during the first pass through the clues. However, the remainder of the puzzle proved problematic in … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,439 / Viking
This was a pretty gentle, pleasant offering from Viking with plenty of starter clues (17A, 23A, etc.) to give you a foothold in the puzzle. The vocabulary was on the easy side too … Read more >>
Independent Prize Puzzle 7405 by Tyrus – Saturday 10 July 2010
As I don’t solve the Independent blocked crossword on a regular basis, Tyrus is a new name to me. A bit of research on Fifteensquared however shows that he is also Lato, a … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,438 – Orense
One of those puzzles where I found the longer answers came very readily, which provided a solid skeleton from which to flesh out the rest without too much anguish. Didn’t (or still don’t) … Read more >>
Independent 7,409/Anax
Don’t think I’ve had to blog an Anax before, but I’ve been a fan of his puzzles since his arrival on the Indy scene round about this time last year. This kept up … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 1065 by Quixote – 11 July 2010
Another gentle puzzle that was well suited to a pub-based solve. Didn’t know ‘shooting brake’ but the anagram was clear enough and didn’t suggest anything else. Always nice to learn something from a … Read more >>
Guardian 25,063 – Rover
A second posthumous puzzle from Rover, and once again, sadly, not one that I can be enthusiastic about. 4dn stands out as a very nice clue, but the rest is rather 6dn, and … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,429 – Dante
Monday Prize Crossword on 5 July 2010 Another Monday, another gentle way to start the FT week with Dante, maestro of the slick and the smooth ACROSS 1 BRAZIL BRA (supporter) ZIL (rev … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,428 by Cincinnus
Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of July 3 Oh, I do so like dodos playing an old record (14A), some fine sashimi (15D) and the simple but elegant ally who keeps his … Read more >>
Inquisitor 1133 – Right(?) by Lato
The preamble told us that single extra letters indicated by wordplay in 25 clues spell out part of a quotation whose missing ingredients are exemplified in the 10 thematic answers. In the prevailing … Read more >>