Guardian 24902 / Bonxie
A mixed puzzle, which unfortunately exemplifies why recently I’ve only been doing puzzles from my favourite setters when they come up in the Guardian – there are some excellent clues, but enough dodgy … Read more >>
Inquisitor 157: Subtitle by Ikela
Is there a conspiracy? My turn to blog and there’s no magazine, again! Still, thanks to a fellow blogger, I appropriated a copy. 🙂 Though I don’t feel I can submit my entry since … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,277 / Bradman
This was something of a rope-a-dope experience for me, as I played Foreman to Bradman’s Ali. After charging through the first half – thinking the setter to be unusually tame today – I toiled … Read more >>
Independent 7,247/Punk
Nice to get a Punk puzzle for my first blog of 2010. I found this on the easier side as Thursdays go, though none the less enjoyable for it. A very good spread … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,268 / Cinephile
Christmas Prize Puzzle on 24 December. “Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the grid. Geographic isometry the Reverend had hid.” Thematic clues are denoted below as “grid entry {correspondingly-clued city/country}”. Of … Read more >>
Independent 7,243 by Virgilius (Saturday Prize Puzzle, 02/01/10)
A very enjoyable puzzle from Virgilius. For my own part, found this to be one of the easiest Saturday puzzles I can remember, finishing unaided in roughly 20 minutes – although I don’t … Read more >>
Guardian 24,901 / Brendan
I’ve been very fortunate today – one of my favourite setters, who did not disappoint, giving us a pleasant literary theme, that was not too dominant, with some deft interlinking and flawless cluing, … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations 894 Gas Control by Shark
Oddly, I had just completed a Shark puzzle in Magpie before downloading the EV and discovering that it too was a Shark. I found the Magpie puzzle relatively easy but this one proved … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 1038 by Quixote – 3 Jan 2010
There is something to look for here, referred to after the clue explanations, solving time 22 mins. * = anagram < = reversed ACROSS 7 REMITTANCE (Meter it can)* 9 UREA hidden 10 … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,276 / Cinephile
On the first pass through the clues, with only a few entries in the grid, I thought this one was going to be difficult. On the contrary, it turned out to be quite … Read more >>
Guardian 24,900 – Gordius
Gordius is not one of my favouruite setters, and this puzzle has done nothing to change my opinion. There’s nothing seriously wrong with it, I suppose, but just a few clues that have … Read more >>
Independent 7246/Dac
As always with Dac, a whole lot of transparently simple and elegant clues that leave one (me, at any rate) wondering how it was that they ever presented any problem. Yet some of … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,269 – Falcon
Monday Prize Crossword on 28 December 2009 Falcon gave me cause for pause with three new words I have never heard of. Otherwise, not too difficult for an FT week-opener. ACROSS 1 SUPPER … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,275 / Jason
Happy New Year to all! Some interesting clues from Jason today, but as usual, I’m afraid, also a few that didn’t quite seem to work. Across 9 INSTANTER STAN (Laurel of Laurel and … Read more >>
Independent 7245 by Merlin
An excellent themed puzzle from Merlin, quite hard, solving time 38 mins. * = anagram < = reversed ACROSS 1 CUD DIE A horse, like many of the across answers 4 C (dUCK) … Read more >>