Guardian 24,716 – Brummie
* = anagram < = reversed “” = homophone d.d. = double definition c.d. = cryptic definition Across 8. AL JOLSON. JLOALSO* + N 9. TINGE. GET* around IN. 11. OXFORD CLAY. OX … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,093 / Monk
A tough, but generally fair, puzzle from Monk today. I was held up briefly by entering a wrong (but I thought justifiable) answer at 8d which meant that 10a was not as obvious … Read more >>
Independent 7060/Virgilius
Initially I thought that Virgilius had referred so frequently to Roman numerals that this was in some way the theme, but perhaps it’s just that in the Across clues he’s fitted many numbers … Read more >>
Guardian 24,715 – Chifonie
dd = double definition cd = cryptic definition rev = reversed or reversal ins = insertion cha = charade ha = hidden answer *(fodder) = anagram Thank you, Eileen for so ably filling … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,092 /Dante
Rufus’s alter ego sets a puzzle to his usual standard: enjoyable, if not difficult, with clean concise clues and plenty of amusing cryptic definitions. Across 1 FEATHERS *(HERE FAST) 5 SCALED dd 9 … Read more >>
Independent 7059 / Morph
Some very amusing clues from Morph today in a puzzle which was most enjoyable. I’m not sure I have fully understood two clues (13a and 19a) and would welcome any enlightenment that others … Read more >>
Guardian 24,714/Rufus
Very straightforward fare from Rufus today, with the usual smattering of cryptic definitions, but also quite a few anagrams to get things going. My knowledge of classical mythology was stretched by 12ac. Key: … Read more >>
Guardian Genius 71 by Enigmatist
This was a entertaining, but aggressive crossword that took longer than it should have because I had the wrong answer at 18d (KEG) for a while. I thought to begin with that 18d was … Read more >>
Everyman Crossword No. 3269 (May 24)
I enjoyed doing this none-too-difficult puzzle. Across 1 BOTTOM – triple definitions: Weaver (character in Shakespeare’s MND), backside, foot (the lowest point) 5 DOG STAR – Also known as Sirius (which I first … Read more >>
Azed 1930 – computing in Scotland and India
Somewhat of a Compu-Indo-Scots vocabulary this week. I did this rather fast (for me!) at an airport lounge… guessed some answers from the definition in several cases and left the wordplay for later. … Read more >>
Beelzebub 1,005 (24/05/09)
*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition. Quite tough going this week but I got there, albeit lacking explanations for a couple (14 and 4, for which I’ve reproduced the wordplay here). … Read more >>
Guardian 24,707 (Sat 23 May)/Araucaria – To a T
Solving time: 10:27 This grid is normally a stinker (it has twelve 9-letter words each with only four checked letters and its four quarters are connected by just a single square each at … Read more >>
Independent 7057/Phi
I made a rather slow start on this typically pleasant Phi crossword, but when I saw that it was all As in the top unches and Zs at the bottom things became easier. … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,089 / Sleuth
A generous helping of long anagrams and letter picking clues in this puzzle. There is also a ‘dense’ mini-theme going on (7D, 8D, 9D). Good stuff overall except that the clue surfaces felt … Read more >>
Guardian 24,712 / Araucaria
Mostly very doable, but with a few tough ones and a couple I don’t quite understand. The excellent charade in 21a, 1d, 2d is particularly noteworthy 🙂 Across 1. SECATEURS SEC = “Little … Read more >>