Guardian 24356/Rufus
I managed to solve this puzzle comfortably on the bus back home this morning. It’s a forty minute journey though I spent much of the time looking out of the window at the … Read more >>
Crossword No 6700 by Al
*=anag, <=reversed, [] =dropped I’ve not come across this compiler before, so wasn’t sure what to expect. It was a good, although not horrendously difficult puzzle with some excellent attempts at deception. The … Read more >>
Guardian 24,349 (Sat 29 Mar)/Paul – Que? Serah, Serah?
Solving time: 10:30 This puzzle contained several long phrases spanning multiple clues which can make things difficult, but some of the longer ones in this were very straightforward so it was a quickish … Read more >>
Independent 6698/Phi
This took a little longer than usual because so far as I could see there were some rather unusual words and meanings, and I also got one answer wrong, which threw me for … Read more >>
Independent 6693/Scorpion
This seemed quite a bit easier than previous Scorpion puzzles but still provided lots to chew over. I liked 23a and the definition in 17d is excellent. Across 5 MIR[-ror],AGE 10 UNION CARD … Read more >>
Guardian 24354/Rover
A straightforward puzzle with, and I apoligise for becoming boring on this, too many cryptic definitions. Most of the omitted answers were, for me, common words with good word play but please do … Read more >>
Financial Times 12,733 (Orense)
Across 1 NEEDLEWORK: NEEDLE (niggle) + WORK (operation) 7 COVE: most of a COVE(N) 9 CHIC: H (hotel) in CI (channel islands) + C (west of Cuba, i.e. first letter) 10 CASHIERING: anagram … Read more >>
Independent 6697 by Bannsider
A very tough puzzle by Bannsider. Solving time, 64 mins. Tremendous rigour and invention in clueing. Just two that I do not fully understand, though I got them from definitions and crossing letters. … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 946 by Quixote (30 Mar 2008)
Solving time, 24 mins. * = anagram < = reversed ACROSS 1 DEB T OR 4 M ERIN O 8 VICIOUS CIRCLE 10 BRA (w) N 11 SERBO-CROAT (a rector sob)* 12 WO … Read more >>
Financial Times 12,732 (Phssthpok)
This was by no means easy, with some unusual words, and some unsolved wordplay. Across 1 MULLIGATAWNY: MULL (warm) + I + GA (empty guava) + TAWNY (owl) 10 INDORSE: anagram of RIDES … Read more >>
Guardian Genius 57: Arachne — home economics
There were three kinds of clue here: 13 were ‘beset by inflation’ — they each included an extra letter. 13 were ‘beset by recession’ — a character string (not necessarily a whole word) … Read more >>
Guardian 24,353 Paul – Torture : 1970’s Style
Satisfyingly diverse bunch of words here and some great wordplay. Paul’s clues are short and without a wasted word – like Bach to Araucaria’s Mozart . A few straight anagrams made it easier … Read more >>
Financial Times 12,722 by Mudd
Here’s what I like: a puzzle that is challenging but so good I finished it fairly easily. For all that, I fail to fully understand 7D. Across 1. SPECIMEN – S (small) + … Read more >>
Financial Times 12,731 (Dogberry)
Having recently blogged a SHED puzzle from the Guardian, this DOGBERRY was also very enjoyable. Across 1 MUSTER: ER after MUST 4 CHAMPION: H in CAMPION 9 HERNIA: IN reversed in HERA 10 … Read more >>
Guardian 24352/Orlando – Mungo Jerry?
Not as hard as the last Orlando I had to blog though had to guess at a couple of defs. Please enlighten. Seemed more than average anagram count which probably explains why I … Read more >>