Financial Times 13,263 / Styx
A nice puzzle that started comfortably but posed some difficulty at the end, with 6A taking up the max. time and I’m still not sure if it’s right. I enjoyed solving on the … Read more >>
Guardian 24,886 / Brendan
diagacht has web access problems today but has supplied the following analysis without a preamble. Across 8 CALABASH: A LAB (a little dog) in CASH (rhino) 9 HARTE: ART in HE (not sure … Read more >>
Inquisitor 154 – X by Phi
Phi is one of the more prolific setters with his puzzles appearing in a wide range of publications. There is always something different about his puzzles and this was no exception. We were … Read more >>
Independent 7226 by Mass (Sat 12 Dec 2009)
Solving time: about 45 late night minutes Mass has usually been a very difficult setter for me – never quite sure why. I was going to say that this has a lot of … Read more >>
Independent 7,230/Nimrod
Apologies for the brevity/lateness here. Work Xmas party last night, so I solved this one with a belting hangover on the bus 2 hours late for work and am still playing catch-up. Good … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,262/Orense
A bit of a doddle today, but with some fun elements – and a few items that piqued my quibblesome side this morning. Across 9 ORIGINATE – I + GIN (“mother’s ruin”) in … Read more >>
Guardian 24885 / Chifonie
Quite a tough puzzle today, I thought, with a few words I wasn’t familiar with – these were all quite guessable from the clues though. Across 1. PESTERED P = “Penny” + (STEERED)* … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 1035 by Quixote – 13 Dec 2009
Solving time, 18 mins * = anagram < = reversed ACROSS 7 A L (L ERG) IST 9 ASS ET silly (noun) 11 DEVONSHIRE CREAM (over merchandise)* 12 PURL(O)IN 13 ILL EG AL(Capone) … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,253 – Dante
Monday Prize Crossword on 7 December 2009 Another painless start to the FT week with Dante’s slick surfaces. ACROSS 1 HUDSON *(hounds) 4 SCRAMBLE dd 10 DELIRIOUS Ins of RIO (Brazilian city) in … Read more >>
Beelzebub 1,032 (29/11/09)
A quickish blog, as various factors have led to my falling a little way behind with solving Beelzebub. I’ll use this week to play catchup and then hopefully normal service can be resumed. … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,261 / Satori
A few weeks ago we had the last Taupi in the Guardian. Now we are told that this is Satori’s final puzzle. It is a fitting tribute to the talents of the late … Read more >>
Guardian 24,884 / Paul
A fun puzzle from Paul – not one of his more difficult ones [more than the usual quota of straight charades, I think] – with an entertaining theme. Some nice clues, as usual … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,252 by Cincinnus
Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of December 5 I was warned that submission dates might vary from the norm over the holidays but I still managed to be late with this blog. … Read more >>
Independent 7229/Dac
As always Dac’s clues are simple and elegant and have lovely surfaces. Time after time the immediate reaction is to say how lucky he’s been that everything has fallen out so neatly. But … Read more >>
Independent 7,228 by Virgilius
If I were to choose a title for this puzzle it would be “Bottoms Up” – partly for thematic reasons, but also because that’s how the answers fell in today. The bottom half … Read more >>