Financial Times 13,329 / Armonie
I breezed through three-quarters of this puzzle in five or ten minutes, then got stuck for a while on the last four or five clues. I am still not sure of 25 down. … Read more >>
Independent 7,299/Radian
Seems to have been a while since I blogged a Radian puzzle, so nice of him to pop up. There’s a good ornithological theme to this one, with references in many clues and … Read more >>
Guardian 24953 – Gordius
Another mixed bag of goodies from Gordius with many standard devices and some not-so-standard devices like 10A and 19D. Quite challenging overall and entertaining in parts – don’t we all snicker after solving … Read more >>
Independent 7298 by Eimi
*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, CD=cryptic def, DD=double def, sp=spoonerism It’s probably a first for me to be blogging the same compiler two Mondays running. This one seems to be timed to coincide with … Read more >>
Guardian 24,952 – Rufus
The usual gentle start to the week with Rufus. There are only five cryptic definitions in this puzzle, which I think is less than the average, though I was fooled for a while … Read more >>
Everyman No. 3309 (28th February).
Lorraine: Loved this weeks crossword as I did it really fast, which gives me the illusion that I am highly intelligent (Hee Hee) 🙂 Hope you all like the new format of including … Read more >>
Azed 1970 – Plain
A reasonably difficult puzzle for me, taking about an hour, with Chambers used a lot. I think part of the difficulty was not getting 1A or 13D quickly. Azed seems to have errred … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations 903: Crews by Piccadilly
Piccadilly has set puzzles for all the series, although the last five years has seen him (Mick Willey) setting for Enigmatic Variations. He is also that rare beast, someone who sets both word … Read more >>
Guardian 24,945 (Sat 27 Feb)/Araucaria – Eton mess
Solving time: Fail. The theme here was American states, of which there are an impressive 12 in the grid (plus references to more in the clues), but this was easy to spot and … Read more >>
Guardian 24,950 / Arachne
Lots to enjoy in this crossword, I thought – in particular some good anagrams. I think it should have all been pretty straightforward, except for perhaps 19 across (which I really liked, though) … Read more >>
Independent 7296 by Phi
Usual excellent puzzle from Phi, solving time 32 mins. * = anagram < = reversed Themed, NW corner I found the hardest. ACROSS 1 LAM Back Theme of the puzzle, was 4A (MEATS) … Read more >>
Beelzebub 1,045 (28/02/10)
A tough week, I found, so no danger of getting far without Chambers. Still an enjoyable challenge as always. *=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition. Across 1 SCOTCH MIST – SCOT … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,326 / Bradman
As always, an entertaining, challenging puzzle from Bradman. Required plenty of research/help to get this finished. Some lovely clues in here, and one that I cannot fully explain (24A). Across 1 MADAME ME … Read more >>
Inquisitor 1114 – Two Dozen by Loda
We found this a very interesting and entertaining crossword. I (Hi) found it easy to start, but difficult to finish – the opposite of my normal experience! Twelve across clues had to be … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,325 / Aardvark
A well-crafted tour through a variety of avenues of general knowledge today. We seem to cover everything from military history to folklore and geology, by way of a healthy dose of geography along … Read more >>