Private Eye/Cyclops 418 – Awful, awful, awful
After last week’s triple “percent” wordplay, this week we have “awful” used as an anagrind in three different clues. So I’m afraid it walked into that blog title. Blam! But it was quite … Read more >>
Azed 1983
A relatively easy Azed this week – I managed to solve most of it without aids, with only the SW corner causing some difficulties. I can’t fully explain 18ac, and there seems to … Read more >>
Guardian Genius 83 / Araucaria
We found it tough to get going with this puzzle, but once we’d got the theme of 7-letter characters from Shakespeare, and, I’m afraid to say, resorted to using Wikipedia’s lists from A … Read more >>
Everyman 3322
Nothing much objectionable here, but certainly not an easy one with some slightly more obscure words/phrases and once or twice I ended up knowing that it must be this set of letters, but … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations 916 / MynoT
I don’t know what has happened to the scheduled blogger so here is my belated analysis of this puzzle. The note on my copy indicates that I found it hard and the degree … Read more >>
Guardian 25,023 (Sat 29 May)/Paul – Teamwork
Solving time: 9 mins This was a puzzle not of four quarters but two halves: I solved very few answers (only six or so) in the first five minutes before spotting the theme … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,403 / Loroso
The second Loroso puzzle to appear in FT, and the first I’m blogging about – welcome to the setter who’s better known in these parts as Anax. Loroso treats us to novel tricks … Read more >>
Guardian 25,028 / Brendan
Extremely clever as always from Brendan. 12 especially made me smile. Across 9 NASTINESS N[ew] + ASTI=an Italian wine region + NESS=head 11 WHITE WHIT=a little bit + E[uropean] 12 GARDENERS (enraged)* + … Read more >>
Independent 7374/Phi
The usual nice cryptic from Phi, with some very good clues as always. One which utterly defeats me, but which people will I’m sure fall over themselves to explain. As for a Nina, the … Read more >>
Independent 7373 by Tyrus
Quite a hard puzzle as one expects from Tyrus, with a theme exemplified by 8 down (an answer I worked out only quite late on) and some other entries and wording used in … Read more >>
Independent 7369 (Sat 29 May) by Klingsor – an orgy of Wagner
This puzzle made a nice coincidental side dish for Stephen Fry’s excellent program (3 days to watch as I write this, if you missed it) on Wagner. Klingsor is an evil magician in … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 1059 by Quixote 30th May 2010
Blimmin’ ‘eck this were tough. We limped to just short of the finishing line, failing to get 12 across and 11 down – comments welcome as ever. Didn’t enjoy this as much as … Read more >>
Guardian 25,027 / Paul
It’s always a pleasure to do a post here about one of Paul’s puzzles. Some excellent clues here, my favourites are hopefully obvious from the post below. I didn’t find this too difficult … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,402 / Styx – “Won’t Get Fooled Again”?
There seemed to be an abundance of straightforward yet original devices in this puzzle, which is not always an easy combination of traits to achieve. The SW corner proved by far the trickiest … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,393 – Falcon
Monday Prize Crossword on 24 May 2010 A week-opener with some obscure and unusual terms and names but otherwise quite easily solved. ACROSS 1 STAFFA Cha of Staff (pole or rod) + A … Read more >>