Guardian 24,066, Chifonie: My life as a dog
‘The dog for me’ (6dn)… well, I don’t think Chifonie’s an Afghan, so it probably had to be setter, didn’t it! That one was a bit obvious to seasoned hands, but there are some nice clues … Read more >>
Independent 6408 by Virgilius – all the colours
Another excellent themed puzzle by Virgilius – four colours with in many cases linked clues. Solving time: 16 mins * = anagram ACROSS 1 ROSE BUSH Very good 5 JAFFA First letters 10/11/12 … Read more >>
Guardian 24065/Shed – costive and wamble-cropped!
Solving time approx 20 mins. A couple of new words for me (see title) – I hope Shed gets well soon! Otherwise fairly straightforward but I made no more than steady progress. Across … Read more >>
Independent 6407/Tees
I thought this was tough in places but lots of fun, with the sort of pop culture theme we only see in the Independent crossword. Not sure about 8D though so suggestions welcome. … Read more >>
Guardian 24,064/Audreus – not too hard
A very quick solve (app 8 mins). Most of the clues were very straightforward and the wordplay acceptable. There were a few examples of superfluous linkwords placed in the clue to allow the … Read more >>
Azed 1821 – a tough work-out
Solving time: 59 minutes, with Chambers used after about 30. Although I finished up with a slightly quicker time, I think I understand why last week’s commenter Ali said they were finding this … Read more >>
Everyman 3160/quick solve
Solving time: pretty quickly Not sure how long I took to solve this since I was multi-tasking at the time but I don’t recall any untoward hold-ups. In retrospect not much to comment … Read more >>
Guardian 24,057 (Sat 21 Apr)/Araucaria – A hard day’s night
Solving time: 42 mins; one missing (1ac). A common feature of Araucaria’s puzzles is the inclusion of very long phrases spanning multiple clues with very complex wordplay. This week’s complementary phrases were SOMETHING … Read more >>
Guardian 24,062/Arachne – ducks, drakes and a dragon!
Apologies for the lateness and brevity of this post, but I have already blogged a Times and an Inquisitor today, and submitted a puzzle for publication in a charity newspaper, as well as … Read more >>
Independent 6400 / Monk – oho, aha …
Solving time 22:05 I found this very tough, and was grateful for spotting the Nina – palindromes in the unchecked letters on each edge of the grid – DEIFIED, REPAPER, ROTATOR and REVIVER. … Read more >>
Independent 6405/Nimrod
This one was unusually tough for me, though perhaps that’s to be expected on a Friday and from Nimrod. I felt a little short-changed at only having 22 clues, though at least that … Read more >>
Inquisitor #16/Post Lottery by Loda
Solvers’ hint #1: Check the date before tackling a crossword – sometimes it makes the theme blindingly obvious very quickly.Bloggers’ hint #1: If you take your crossword folder on a plane, complete with … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 897 by Quixote
Some seamless joins between definition and wordplay which misled at first. Solving time: 22 mins * = anagram ACROSS 6 PE DAN TIC 9 WI NONA West Indies and anon = soon reversed. … Read more >>
Independent 6404 by Bannsider
I have less time on a Thursday for crosswords and blogging than on other weekdays and I was mildly concerned to see Bannsider’s name at the top today as I’ve found him among … Read more >>
Guardian 24061/Araucaria – Seasonal games
Solving time: 30’ Whew! I almost got blown away by this one. I’m going to say it again: I don’t see how this can be solved on the tube. I realize, having said … Read more >>