Inquisitor 123 – Whereabouts by Lato
Solving time: about two hours This was an interesting geographical challenge, with just about the right amount of work for me remaining to be done after the grid was nearly completed from plain … Read more >>
Beelzebub 1,003 (10/05/09)
*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition. I found this unusually tough this week, but no less enjoyable for it. There’s at least of couple of lovely long anagrams which I particularly … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,077 / Flimsy
Good puzzle, tough in places with some word meanings new to me. Found 27A, 16D particularly interesting. Across 9 INHERITOR IN (RHETORIC – C)* 10 AGUES A(-r)GUES 11 UNTRUTH (-p)UNT (bet) RUTH (girl) … Read more >>
Guardian 24,700 / Arachne
I found this mostly quite easy (especially in comparison to Arachne’s recent Monday puzzle), though with a few slight obscurities that I needed to check. Several very nice clues where the cryptic structure … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations 861 — Hellish Rate by Samuel
Quite a tough EV from Samuel, certainly somewhat tougher, for me, than his Listener puzzles I have solved. Although I had plenty of extra letters and I could make out FRIEDRICH I still … Read more >>
Independent 7,045/Phi
Quick, early one from me today as I’m flying off to Denmark for the weekend. Phi back to his usual Friday slot after a couple of weeks elsewhere, and up to his usual … Read more >>
Independent 7,044 by Math
*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition. Math is another setter whose puzzles I’ve never happened to blog before. I found this one inventive, and quite challenging in places. There’s a couple … Read more >>
Independent 7040 (Sat 9 May) – Tyrus
Solving time: about an hour, mixed with TV watching (ironically …) This is the third Tyrus puzzle I’ve tried in the Indie and the first I’ve finished unaided, but I still found it … Read more >>
Guardian 24,699 (Araucaria)
Fairly straightforward. You might even say it’s a complete state! Across 7 APPRAISAL: (RA (arist) + IS) in APPAL 8 NIPPY: double definition 9 DRESS CODE: (S (Scotland) + CO (Cobalt)) in DRESDE(n) … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 1004 by Quixote (10 May 2009)
Solving time, 16 mins * = anagram < = reversed ACROSS 1 B(L)OG 3 AP PETITE pa< 8 DE C ODES ed< 10 (win)TER MINI 11 SUNDAY LUNCH (Lucy had nuns)* 14 (b)ARMY … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,076/Mudd – Squeal Like a Pig
Slim-pickings for the anagram fiends from Mudd today, but a liberal smattering of compounds and double definitions. Across1 DECOCT – Dec + Oct.4 SPIFFING – s + piff[l]ing.9 MONKEY – Mon (three calendar … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,066 by Mudd
Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of May 2 A good challenge from Mudd. 18D took me a while. And I do not understand the wordplay in 21A. Across 1. MAIDEN – AID … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,067 – Dante
Monday Prize Crossword on 4 May 2009 dd = double definition cd = cryptic definition rev = reversed or reversal ins = insertion cha = charade ha = hidden answer *(fodder) = anagram … Read more >>
Independent 7043/Dac
Dac as usual shows his mastery. One or two things I’m not quite sure about but it’s more likely to be me than him. Across 1 SCRAPHEAP — (car)* in (shape)* {dum}p — … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,075 / Gozo
I am trying to compose myself so that I can write a short composition about sixteen composers (or twenty two if you include the various possibilities for 11 and 12). Despite having a … Read more >>