Guardian 23,967 / Pasquale – ceci n’est pas facile
Solving time 13:30 Quite tricky this one – partly because of 22,11,12 which I didn’t get until many checking letters were in place – “C _ C _ / N _ _ _ … Read more >>
Independent 6315 / Phi A Pleasant Stroll
Solving Time: 19 minutes When you are under the weather, the last thing you need is a nasty ferocious puzzle to make you feel worse. Phi’s puzzle breezed in and contained lots of … Read more >>
Guardian 23,972, Gordius. + KNOT LIT.
An appropriately knotty puzzle that left me defeated by two clues, offers welcome. A good range of treatments, with several homophonic puns, a nice spoonerism and a punctutation mark as well as the … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 882 by Quixote – long phrase held me up
Top half much harder than bottom half for me, especially because the long phrase in 11 across was new to me. Solving time, 25 mins * = anagram ACROSS 1 IN CUB A … Read more >>
Inquisitor #1 – Message from Loda
Just as we start a new year and begin to write about this puzzle every week, the Indie Weekend mag puzzle changes its name! It turns out that this is the second name change. … Read more >>
Guardian 23971/Araucaria – Hello again Sherlock
Solving time 16:10 Conan Doyle must be second only to Shakespeare in having his work used in thematic crosswords. This one contains four 15-letter Sherlock Holmes stories. I didn’t spot the theme right … Read more >>
Independent 6314 by Punk – lots of invention
This is only the second puzzle by Punk in the Indy, packed with cryptic definitions and imaginative clueing. I noticed that Eimi, commenting on this site some time ago, said he was not … Read more >>
Independent 6313/Dac – Mr Wednesday
Across 1 C,ROT,ON – I’d not heard of this before and “heralds” had me puzzled for a while but once I’d got C?O?O? the wordplay became more obvious. 9 (LIVE)*,ED – cleverly worded. … Read more >>
Guardian 23,970/Rover
Rover has presented us with a good mix of clues, many of which use clever wordplay. I solved this crossword very quickly (less than five minutes), but didn’t always know at first reading … Read more >>
Independent 6312 by Virgilius – themed as always
I found this tough, though guessing the theme when I solved straightaway the very first clue (BROWSER) which was a hidden. Grid filled with words associated with computers. Some very inventive clueing, as I … Read more >>
Guardian 23,969/Shed – Guardian keeping it in the family
Following yesterday’s puzzle by Audreus, we are today presented by one compiled by Audreus’s son. This was a similar kind of challenge, with a few unusual words which were attainable through working out … Read more >>
Independent 6311/Hypnos
Solving time: 6:44 Apologies for the today’s brevity. There’s one clue I don’t understand (8d). Across 9 BEER AND SKITTLES; [moder]N in (LIKE BEST TRADES)* 10 LAUNDERER (cryptic definition) 14 TIC-TAC (cryptic definition) … Read more >>
Guardian 23968/Audreus – queenly
I think this is the first time we’ve encountered Audreus – at least lately. Or at least first time I have on a Monday which is typically Rufus’s slot. I found myself filling … Read more >>
Azed 1805
A relatively easy Azed to finish the year. Quite a few tough words, and many that were new to me, but I was able to fill them in without checking the dictionary as … Read more >>
Everyman 3144/Dec 31 – Rechabite and fescue
Lots of black in this grid, but nonetheless a fair puzzle (good percentage of checked letters) and 28 clues with a couple of words that had me scouring Chambers (though hardly as much … Read more >>