Fifteensquared – Page 1599 – Never knowingly undersolved

Guardian 24510/Arachne

Fri October 3, 2008 at 5:15 pmFri October 3, 2008 at 11:58 am by mhl

Is is just me being dense, or was this rather difficult today? I could do with some help with explaining 18d (HACKSAW). That said, there are lots of marvellous surface readings here (too … Read more >>

Independent 6854/Phi

Fri October 3, 2008 at 11:24 am by neildubya

I found this much tougher than most Phi puzzles and two clues (18 and 22) had me completely stumped as the wordplay in each of them led to an answer that didn’t really … Read more >>

Independent 6849/Nestor (Prize puzzle 27-09-08)

Fri October 3, 2008 at 10:33 am by neildubya

I enjoyed this one a great deal. I had the grid filled in reasonably quickly but then had to go over half a dozen or so clues where I’d filled in the answer … Read more >>

Independent 6853 by Punk

Thu October 2, 2008 at 11:25 am by nmsindy

Pleasing puzzle from this imaginative setter which I found on the easy side, but made one mistake – thank’s for explaining it below, Geoff. * = anagram 1 SMELLING SALTS Tip-top double definition … Read more >>

FT, 12,888, set by Jason, October 2, 2008

Thu October 2, 2008 at 10:11 am by Octofem

It’s a fair cop! Theme of ‘places of confinement’ today, but a light-hearted puzzle in spite of its subject. ACROSS 1. PRISON – ( p-<no sir – the theme of the puzzle and … Read more >>

Independent on Sunday 972 by Quixote (28 Sep 2008)

Thu October 2, 2008 at 10:00 am by nmsindy

Note that in (another) relaunch, the crossword has moved back towards the end of the main paper p. 101 of 104 in my edition. Solving time, 17 mins. * = anagram < = … Read more >>

Guardian 24,509 (Shed)

Thu October 2, 2008 at 8:36 am by diagacht

Across 1 FORGERY: ER in F ORGY 5 RUSSIFY: reversed and hidden in rockY FISSURe 10 VICE: double definition 11 CARCINOGEN: anagram of CIGaR ONE CAN without an ‘a’ (wanting) 12 GANNET: ANN … Read more >>

Financial Times 12,878 by Mudd

Thu October 2, 2008 at 5:19 pmThu October 2, 2008 at 4:19 am by Pete Maclean

Mudd gave us a few sterling clues in this puzzle (2D, 18D, 26D), one that I think is weak (19D). Across 1. WOMBAT – TAB (bill) + MOW (cut) all backwards 4. BLACKOUT … Read more >>

Financial Times 12,879 – Falcon

Thu October 2, 2008 at 12:02 am by Uncle Yap

From Monday Prize Puzzle on 22 September 2008 dd = double definition cd = cryptic definition rev = reversed or reversal ins = insertion cha = charade ha = hidden answer *(fodder) = … Read more >>

Independent 6,852/Dac

Wed October 1, 2008 at 12:55 pm by Ali

Great stuff as ever from Dac. Lots of nice clues with great surface readings, and all of them fair. Across 1 REBUSES – RE,BUSES – Easy enough, but as neat a surface reading … Read more >>

FINANCIAL TIMES 12,887 by GOZO

Thu October 2, 2008 at 7:46 pmWed October 1, 2008 at 10:41 am by Gaufrid

It wasn’t too difficult to spot this week’s theme! (as if we haven’t seen enough water this summer 🙂 A couple of the rivers are a little obscure but easy enough to determine … Read more >>

Guardian 24,508/Boatman

Wed October 1, 2008 at 9:27 amWed October 1, 2008 at 8:52 am by Andrew

Boatman is a name I’m not familiar with – maybe a new addition to the Guardian stable? As a result I had no idea what to expect from this puzzle, but it turned … Read more >>

Independent 6851/Radian

Tue September 30, 2008 at 12:34 pm by John

I have only recently become aware of Radian, which suggests that he hasn’t been around for long. But with this crossword I had no feeling that he was in any way a novice: … Read more >>

Financial Times 12886 / Quark

Tue September 30, 2008 at 8:56 am by C G Rishikesh

The puzzle didn’t pose much difficulty. For me the bottom left corner was the last to fall. Across 1 NICETIES – nice,ties 5 RUSTIC – (citrus)* 10 PENAL – pen,a,l 11 OVERDRAWN – two def. – In the online version, there … Read more >>

Guardian 24,507 – Paul

Tue September 30, 2008 at 7:34 am by Uncle Yap

dd = double definition cd = cryptic definition rev = reversed or reversal ins = insertion cha = charade ha = hidden answer *(fodder) = anagram I am so fortunate to have landed … Read more >>