Everyman 3147/Jan 21 – Newton’s cradle
I had no idea that the mesmerizing 5 silver balls swinging back and forth on my desk was called a Newton’s cradle (17A). Across 3 DAY TRIPPE,R – (pity padre)* followed by R … Read more >>
Azed 1808 – Pearst off
My first Azed. Definitely hard work: I invested at least 3 hours total. The vast majority of words I had to extract from Chambers. Azed’s saving grace is meticulous clueing – and, in … Read more >>
Independent 6322/Nimrod – Tuning in…
A bit easier than last week’s Nimrod I think but there were still a few I didn’t understand. I’m obviously not tuned in to the Nimrodian frequency at the moment but that didn’t … Read more >>
Guardian 23,979/Araucaria (Sat 20 Jan) – The Day Of Wrath
Solving time: 20:01. One mistake (2dn) so the last 3 of those minutes were wasted! I know the Guardian allows its setters much more licence than most publications (and that some setters are … Read more >>
Independent 6327/Phi – Three times a lady
Solving time: 6:37 Welcome relief after a half-hour struggle with Scorpion yesterday: I much preferred this to the last Phi puzzle I blogged (6288). The antipodean flavour to the top left (OTAGO and … Read more >>
Guardian 23,984/Chifonie – inspired by beached containers??
My first entry to this blog related to a Chifonie puzzle, so my heart sank at first when I saw that I would be solving another one today. However, this one is a … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 884 by Quixote – Easy
This puzzle reminded me of a year or two back when I thought the Quixote Sunday puzzle was pitched at an easier level than the daily Indy one. Would have been even quicker … Read more >>
Inquisitor #3 – CAST ASIDE by Phi
(an anonymous puzzle in the paper, but the setter has already been identified elsewhere) Solving time: ages Found this one really tough – maybe the “blogger’s curse” (anything you have to write about … Read more >>
Independent 6326 by Scorpion – Very, very tough
Scorpion is, I find, the hardest of the Indy setters and this puzzle was no exception. There were some novel approaches and some areas I am not entirely sure of all the reasoning. These … Read more >>
Independent npower juice Environmental Crossword/Eimi
Solving time : 10 minutes or so. The obvious theme of this puzzle made a few of the answers very easy to fill in. This sponsored puzzle is printed on a green background … Read more >>
Guardian 23983/Araucaria – Notes from the Underground
A puzzle about the tube from Araucaria that probably could be done on the tube. Not all the lines showed up but at least my favorite did (the District, which is what I … Read more >>
Independent 6325 by Dac – Tough and top quality
This had all I’ve come to expect from Dac. Excellent flowing surface readings, clever misdirection, a very satisfying solve, with all understood in the end. A bit tougher than usual, maybe partly because … Read more >>
Guardian 23,982, Auster: What’s up Doc?
A puzzle with an overt theme, rather than one to be deduced, which gives a good illustration of the many different uses of ‘doctor’ in a puzzle. All the across clues and a … Read more >>
Guardian 23981/Gordius
After two weeks away from the UK with no daily crosswords I found this one a real struggle after the halfway mark. A few obscure words and some weak devices left me having … Read more >>
Independent 6324 / Virgilius – Hello Sailor!
Solving time: 26 minutes A nautical theme for today’s puzzle with lots of linked answers and clues. This was very much a puzzle of 10 minutes of staring blankly, followed by 16 of furious … Read more >>