Independent 6419 by Hypnos
A, pleasant, excellently crafted, puzzle a little on the easy side of average for me. Solving time: 14 mins * =anagram ACROSS 5 MAGICIAN GI in maniac* Joe is US usage … Read more >>
Everyman 3162/no longer a greenhorn
Solving time: 15’ Rather fast solve for me… nothing really held me up with the long clues falling almost on first read. I think this means that I’m no longer an Everyman GREENHORN. … Read more >>
Guardian 24,069 (Sat 5 May)/Araucaria – China, see
Solving time: About 20 mins for all but 19dn and 23ac. One other mistake (16dn). A porcellanous theme this week, featuring Crown Derby, Royal Worcester, Wedgwood, Spode and Minton. Not exactly my specialist … Read more >>
Independent 6412 / Punk – tough but very good
Solving time 14:05 Punk is also Paul in the Guardian, where I sometimes think he takes the odd liberty too many. Not in this puzzle – I can find nothing to quibble about, … Read more >>
Inquisitor 18 by Dysart ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY!
I thought this was an excellent puzzle from Dysart who debuted in the Listener last year and has since appeared twice in the Indy, this being the second one, and also very recently … Read more >>
Guardian 24074 / Araucaria – Doubling Up
Solving time: 27 minutes It is lovely to be able to blog the doyen of crossword setters, but we get off to the wrong start with the grid design. I really dislike this … Read more >>
Independent 6417 by Phi
After yesterday’s super-difficult puzzle by Nestor, a straightforward one to follow – such alternation is a good policy if it is intended. Solving time: 10 mins (compared with yesterday’s 71) * = anagram … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 899 by Quixote
Solving time: 15 mins * = anagram ACROSS 1 BACK Pleasing double definition 10 LIME (RICK) S 11 Don’t cast a CLOUT till May is out. Old proverb re clothes. Puzzle is first … Read more >>
Independent 6416 by Nestor – very tough, very original
Nestor (Kea to Listener solvers) is a very gifted setter. This was a very hard puzzle and I do have some doubts, set out below. I’ll edit to include any corrections received. (All … Read more >>
Guardian 24,073: et tu, Gordius?
Then fall, Tony! Thrice hath the crowd asked Caesar to stay, but… That’s showbiz! Maybe Blair will follow his old mate Clinton and set a special crossword? ( http://www.nytimes.com/ref/crosswords/clintonpuz.html ) if you haven’t seen it). I … Read more >>
Guardian 24072/Paul
Solving time: approx. 20 mins Paul’s normally pretty tricky, but this one was quite easy and I should have finished much faster. A good percentage of the acrosses went in straight away, as … Read more >>
Independent 6415/Dac
A puzzle of two halves for me today. About half of it went in very quickly indeed, then I stalled. Returning through the day whenever I had a few minutes I picked off … Read more >>
Independent 6414/Virgilius – 10A-y
Another very entertaining puzzle from Virgilius. No theme that I could see, unless it’s very subtle or I’m very slow today. Either is equally possible. Across 1 SECOND INCOM(e),MAN,D 9 (GOOD LINER)* – … Read more >>
Guardian 24,071/Brendan – “almost” easy
In my mind, while solving this puzzle, I was thinking that this preamble would say how easy this crossword was, then I came across a word I didn’t know, but was able … Read more >>
Independent 6413/Mass
I felt slightly short-changed by this puzzle but that’s probably just because of the grid! Hardly seemed worth going for the full 15×15 with only 3 white squares in the left and right … Read more >>