FINANCIAL TIMES 12,853 by VIKING
It’s now well past 7pm and the scheduled blogger hasn’t put in an appearance so here is a substitute. As this has been prepared in some haste there are not many comments. . … Read more >>
Independent 6,818/Phi
A mercifully gentle end to a tough week. There were one or two answers I wasn’t immediately sure about, but solid clueing as always from Phi. Across 1 SACK – Straight DD to … Read more >>
Independent 6813/Nimrod
I somehow managed to finish this, despite the half dozen or so clues that I filled in without really knowing why. Offers of enlightenment gratefully received. Across 1/4 IN POLE POSITION – I … Read more >>
Guardian 24,474/Gordius
I don’t much like this grid, with its four almost-isolated corners. Luckily there were enough easyish clues in each corner to get me going, though the SE corner held me up for a … Read more >>
Inquisitor 85 LOTTERY by Schadenfreude
Good stuff from Schadenfreude. Educational too! I spotted BARTHOLOMEW and hence the theme for the “complete set” early which made it fairly simple to fill in the most of the lights. The exception was … Read more >>
Independent 6817 by Tees
This was very tough indeed. I found the NW quadrant absolutely fiendish, but got there in the end. Solving time, 67 minutes. As in previous puzzles by Tees, this draws on very wide … Read more >>
Financial Times No. 12,852 Set by FLIMSY, August 21, 2008
I have to say I found this a boring puzzle with some clues so obvious that I yawned. 6d made me think for a while, and 13a held me up until I remembered … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 966 by Quixote (17 Aug 2008)
I found this on the easy side – solving time, 11 mins. * = anagram < = reversed ACROSS 1 WOLF RAM 5 C (HIS) EL(l) his = the man’s prison room = … Read more >>
Guardian 24,473 – Paul
dd = double definition cd = cryptic definition rev = reversed or reversal ins = insertion cha = charade ha = hidden answer *(fodder) = anagram Another delightful assigment as I get to … Read more >>
Financial Times 12,842 by Cinephile
Here’s a Cinephile puzzle with a non-cryptic theme – synonyms of “crazy”. While it has a few fine clues (I like 12A, 14A and 27A), it also has a one that I do … Read more >>
Financial Times 12,843 – Falcon
From Monday Prize Crossword – 11 August 2008 dd = double definition cd = cryptic definition rev = reversed or reversal ins = insertion cha = charade ha = hidden answer *(fodder) = … Read more >>
Independent 6816/Dac
Across 1 BE in (ANIMAL)* – LIMA BEAN. 10 MIDDLE-AGE SPREAD – I can’t decide if this is a cryptic definition or if there’s some aspect of the wordplay that I’m missing because … Read more >>
FINANCIAL TIMES 12,851 by CINEPHILE
A tricky one from Araucaria in the Guardian yesterday and a similar offering from Cinephile in today’s FT. There was a gentle hint at the beginning that ‘the works are similar’ which helped … Read more >>
Guardian 24,472/Logodaedalus
A fairly enjoyable puzzle. The wording of some of the clues seemed a little odd to me. Across 7 BANDAGES BAND(AGE)S 9 OPORTO O(PORT)O 10 SKIN S+KIN = HIDE 11 ELEMENTARY cryptic def. … Read more >>
Independent 6815/Morph
This took ages — Morph seems to be getting very difficult nowadays. This wasn’t helped by the fact that there were some answers that appear a bit tenuous, although it’s more likely that … Read more >>