Never knowingly undersolved
*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, CD=cryptic def, DD=double def An enjoyable puzzle which was just challenging enough for a Monday morning. The only one I didn’t follow was 20 down, which still doesn’t make … Read more >>
A difficult enough puzzle anyway, made more so by the fact that the clues for 23 and 24 down were transposed in the version printed in The Observer (and of course in the … Read more >>
Across 1 STEFFI GRAF – F in STEFI (anag. of ‘set if’, ‘tight’ being the anag. signal), G (good), RAF (service) 6 ITCH – (b) ITCH 10 ABSCOND – AB (sailor, from able-bodied sailor), … Read more >>
*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition. Fairly straightforward this week, with very few sticking points and nothing that really needs explaining. Enjoyable all the same, and there are some cracking words … Read more >>
Solving time: 16 mins A rare appearance for Biggles, and possibly a first in the lifetime of this blog. I believe this pseudonym is a conglomeration of the four setters that feature in … Read more >>
*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition. A very quick solve indeed, although I had to think about a couple of them, and ANTONINE was new to me (to my shame, given … Read more >>
Many clues raised a smile (14A, 22A, 27A to name a few). There are a couple of mythological references (Oleander, Atalanta), which have been clued inventively. Alberich is topnotch as ever. Across 1 … Read more >>
I noticed this morning that we didn’t have a blog for yesterday’s puzzle so here is a quick breakdown of the clues. A straightforward puzzle with nothing that needs any specific comment. Across … Read more >>
I’m not sure what to make of this one – mostly quite straightforward and with some nice clues, but a few quibbles too. There are several places where a word in the clue … Read more >>
Initial surprise that the solution to EV862 (which I blogged and submitted) received no correct entry by the closing date!! This was obviously a mistake, with the normal lucky-winner-picker being off sick or … Read more >>
Solving time: maybe 2 hours in several bursts The thematic material in this puzzle was Five words from a quote, plus its author, provided by extra letters in wordplay for all but 7 … Read more >>
Solving time: 30 mins I got on better with this than the previous Tyrus puzzles. Unless I’m being dense there’s no really strong theme. I can’t quite explain 2D. Across 1 HIGH = … Read more >>
Something must have been right with the world this morning because I raced through this in a little over 20 minutes. The same thing happened with Nimrod’s recent Saturday puzzle, all of which … Read more >>
Trying to blog this in record speed this morning as I am on borrowed internet usage and won’t get back to a computer until much later in day. Three clues solved but not … Read more >>
Special puzzle, because of 16 across. Thought it was going to be very difficult when I solved just one clue on first run through, but it became a bit easier after that. Solving … Read more >>