Guardian 24,850 / Rover
A rather mixed bag today, with one or two nice clues but also several doubtful double / cryptic definitions and a couple of unusual anagram indicators. Across ! SANDWICH COURSE: double / cryptic … Read more >>
Independent 7195/Phi
The usual very pleasant offering from Phi. One or two I’m not quite clear about, but that will be me not him I’m pretty sure. Across 7 BI(R)D LIME 9 appaREL IS Hard … Read more >>
Inquisitor 148 – POST-MORTEM by Dysart
Four unclued entries, two clued entries and one hidden name are thematically linked, and these last three have to be highlighted (16 cells). Then we have to swap two letters in the grid, … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,226 / Styx
What’s happened to smiffy?! This setter appears to be a new addition to the FT stable so it is a pity that a few errors crept into the puzzle along the way as … Read more >>
Independent 7,194/Eimi
I suspected we might get a Bonfire Night theme today, and this didn’t disappoint. There were plenty of long across answers and anagrams to open up the grid, though I did struggle a … Read more >>
Guardian 24,849 / Crucible
At first I thought Crucible was a new setter, but I see he (?) has appeared a few times, most recently in September this year. Not surprisingly, Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,216 by Cincinnus
Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of October 24 Don’t you love 4D? How about 21 and 24D? Thank you, Cincinnus. Across 1. DABCHICK – BAD backwards + CHICK (young one) 5. WALLOP … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 1028 by Quixote – 25 Oct 2009
This blog is scheduled a week later than normal as the entry date was put back to Wed 4 November because of the postal dispute. I found this a very easy puzzle, 13 … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,217 – Crux
Monday Prize Crossword on 26 October 2009 dd = double definition dud = duplicate definition cd = cryptic definition rev = reversed or reversal ins = insertion cha = charade ha = hidden … Read more >>
Guardian 24,848 – Araucaria
A cracking effort from Araucaria, that left me scratching my head for most of my lunchtime today. There’s often debate about what sort of knowledge is acceptable to assume on the part of … Read more >>
Independent 7193 by Dac
Excellent crossword, as usual, from Dac which I found easy enough, solving time 16 mins. * = anagram < = reversed ACROSS 1 C (AND) ID 5 JEREMIAH Book of the Bible, my … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,225 / Io
It’s been six months to the day since we last saw Io and that is too long. I blogged his last puzzle and my opening comment was “Well, this one was different!” and … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,224 / Armonie
Apologies for the lateness of this one–I wrote out the answers thinking I would have time later in the day to fill in the explanations, and in the event I wasn’t able to … Read more >>
Independent 7,192 by Virgilius
*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition. A bit of an epic challenge this one. The theme is PEOPLE OF NOTE, so we have several composers, and also several US presidents, whose … Read more >>
Guardian 24847 – Bonxie
dd = double definition cd = cryptic definition rev = reversed or reversal ins = insertion cha = charade ha = hidden answer *(fodder) = anagram After Enigmatist’s tough puzzle last week, this … Read more >>