Beelzebub 1,023 (27/09/09)
I managed almost all of this without opening a dictionary, but a handful of clues put up a fight to the end. Perhaps it was just the constant feline harassment I was having … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 881 – Stomach by Kea
Completing this puzzle was not helped by the enumeration being incorrect in 13a and 19a and, unless I have got something seriously wrong, by the preamble referring to “a famous artist or performer” … Read more >>
Guardian 24,815 (Sat 26 Sep)/Araucaria – The avians have landed
Solving time: 14 mins The bottom left here took me as long as the rest of the puzzle. There was a birdy theme alluded to by 1ac (ORNITHOLOGIST), with MACAW and SWIFT appearing … Read more >>
Independent 7165 by Phi
Unusual one, this. When I saw the small number of cells around the perimeter and the unusual grid (with 360 degree symmetry, I think), I thought ‘Nina’, but the only one I can … Read more >>
Guardian 24,820 / Araucaria
A nice challenge from Araucaria today, with almost entirely Ximenean clueing. I was particularly pleased to be able get the Shakespearian references in 1ac and 9ac without assistance. Key: * = anagram dd … Read more >>
Independent 7160 (Saturday Prize Puzzle – 26 September) by Nimrod
This is the second successive Nimrod puzzle that I have blogged for Saturday Independents, so I guess I knew what to expect in terms of both general knowledge and difficulty. Both were at … Read more >>
Inquisitor 143 – PRIMARY REFERENCE by Samuel
Samuel’s first puzzle as an Inquisitor, but he’s a setter familiar to Listener solvers, notably with #3975 and more recently with #4038. Twelve thematic clues are of the “Definition & Letter-Mixture” sort. In … Read more >>
Independent 7,164 by Tees
*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition. I don't remember seeing a Tees for a little while, and this was characteristically challenging. I thought the surface readings were particularly strong, though unfortunately … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,196 / Sleuth
Smiffy is away on business and so has missed a pleasant puzzle from Sleuth today. A little tricky in places, with some convoluted wordplay in a few clues, but overall a fair challenge. … Read more >>
Guardian 24,819 (Brendan)
Not a lot of time this morning. 15a, 4d and 19d point to lots of ‘films’. Not sure how the cryptic works with any of them. Across 8 THANKS TO: anagram of THATS … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 1024 by Quixote (27 Sep 2009)
I found this easy, solving time 14 mins * = anagram ACROSS 5 CLOT H 7 (l)OVER BO(L)D 10 STO(p) RAGE 11 REGAT T A (Great)* 12 BROT(HER)S IN ARMS (brainstorms)* 13 HO … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,187 – Dante
Monday Prize Crossword on 21 September 2009 dd = double definition cd = cryptic definition rev = reversed or reversal ins = insertion cha = charade ha = hidden answer *(fodder) = anagram … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,186 by Cincinnus
Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of September 20 Oh, I do like 13A. And 1A and 5D. Thank you, Cincinnus. Had some trouble with 2D and 14D. Across 1. INSATIABLY – anagram … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,195 / Satori
A generally straightforward puzzle today with accurate cluing in most instances though 11a was a little misleading in that ‘grain’ needed to provide ‘crop’ and ‘store’ ‘silo’ whereas a silo is a grain … Read more >>
Guardian 24818 / Paul
Excellent stuff from Paul today; we made steady progress through this last night and completed it without having to look anything up, so I think the difficulty’s about right. My particular favourite is … Read more >>