Enigmatic Variations No. 854 – Threesome by Ploy
I think Ploy must have a fetish for anagrams, or at least that’s the way it seemed to me when I was solving this puzzle. However, having said that, there were some pleasing surfaces, … Read more >>
FT 13,035/Bradman
A well-balanced smattering of general knowledge categories (and at the Trivial Pursuit, rather than Mastermind, level). A couple of Oxbridge college names cropped up early on while solving, which lured me briefly into … Read more >>
Independent 7,002/Nestor
I found this pretty tough going, though Thursdays are generally the hardest weekday. I made a flying start with some of the across clues, but then slowed up, mainly because I thought that … Read more >>
Guardian 24,657 – Paul
Quite easy for a thursday I thought, but I was left with a couple of quibbles and uncertainties. These were balanced by the highly enjoyable 9ac, 11ac and 25ac. dd = double definition … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 997 by Quixote (22 Mar 2009)
Some excellent misdirection in the definition parts in this puzzle. Solving time, 22 mins. * = anagram ACROSS 1 CHEESY Double definition, Leicester being a type of cheese. Clue wording clearly pointing to … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,026 – Falcon
Monday Prize Crossword on 16 March 2009 dd = double definition cd = cryptic definition rev = reversed or reversal ins = insertion cha = charade ha = hidden answer *(fodder) = anagram … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,025 / Cincinnus
Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of March 14 Cincinnus gives us some particularly splendid double definitions this week (20D, 24D) and a generally excellent puzzle as usual. Across 1. DOCTOR – CT … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,034 / Cinephile
A belligerent puzzle from Cinephile today or, perhaps, not so much a puzzle as a lesson in military history. This post is a little later than usual because I have been trying, unsuccessfully, … Read more >>
Independent 7001/Dac
Everything typically elegant and natural today. Across 1 FEAT HERB RAINED — One of the signs of a good charade clue is that the long word is split into components that are not … Read more >>
Guardian 24656 / Brendan
A fun puzzle from Brendan with a theme of name changes. I’m afraid I’m not likely to be able to update this post with any corrections until much later today. Across 8. SIDE … Read more >>
Independent 7,000 by Virgilius
*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition. I had noticed that number 7,000 was on its way, and wondered what to expect. What we got was a typically strong Virgilius puzzle, with … Read more >>
Guardian 24,655 – Araucaria
dd = double definition cd = cryptic definition rev = reversed or reversal ins = insertion cha = charade ha = hidden answer *(fodder) = anagram In another private crossword group that I … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,033 / Neo
Although these clues were not difficult, a number of them had admirably smooth surfaces. Dumas and Shakespeare turn up a few different times, but probably not enough to count as a theme. Across … Read more >>
Azed 1921 – Tips for Eightsome Reels
This is one of the easiest of the regular Azed specials for me – even though this explanation may sound complicated. Each answer can be entered in 16 different ways, which sounds difficult. … Read more >>
Independent 6999 by Glow-worm
*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, CD=cryptic def I found this a nicely balanced puzzle, challenging without being too difficult and having a good mix of clues. Across 1 Requiescat: (quiet acres)* – quite a … Read more >>