Independent 6268/Nimrod – Frankly, my dear, I stalled on 5 down
Solving time: 11:05 Not the easiest, but I think I made a bit of a meal of some of this, although there were a few difficult words. Nimrod continues a recent theme of … Read more >>
Guardian 23,926 by Logodaedalus
Pretty straightforward, took four to five tube stops (10-12 mins). ACROSS 9 ABODE. AB + ode – has anyone had to use the abbreviation for Able Seaman outside crossword-land? Sailor can also give ‘tar’ … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 874 by Quixote Easy and good
I found this very easy, solved in 13 mins. Typical Quixote style, light in cultural references, homing in on the everyday experience of the solver.Simple constructions with, I think, just three complete anagrams. … Read more >>
Independent 6267 by Phi – Typical high quality puzzle, average in difficulty
Everything perfectly constructed, wording to set you off on the wrong track at first in some cases. Solved in 18 mins – about average for me for a Phi Indy. ACROSS 7 PRINT … Read more >>
Guardian 23925/Orlando
Solving time – 11:17 Would have been about three minutes quicker but I got stuck on 1ac(!) and 2dn – from the checking letters I saw SANG FROID, which I knew didn’t make … Read more >>
Guardian 23924/Araucaria – no cross-references!
Solving time: Bits and pieces in about 1h For the first time in my (limited) Araucarian experience, nary a cross-referenced clue. Not much need for a dictionary either: though 14D, while making some … Read more >>
Independent 6266/Dac
Across 1 PAD,U,A – accomodation=”pad” 4 CHE in BUT, RED – Nice clue for beginners: Che (Guevara) is the crossword solver’s favourite revolutionary and a communist is almost always “red”. 9 CH, APTER … Read more >>
Bunthorne book
Message from Dave Tilley: I am delighted to announce that the proposed collection of Bunthorne puzzles will be available within two or three weeks. Thanks to the very kind support of the Guardian … Read more >>
Guardian 23923/Brendan — Spot the theme
Solving time : about 20 minutes. I noticed before writing this that Virgilius appears in the Independent today and that there is, as usual, a theme. Well, this puzzle from Virgilius’s alter ego … Read more >>
Independent 6264/Monk — two bad bus journeys’ worth
Solving time : yonks, bits of two 40 minute bus journeys with interruptions This is a delayed post due to problems uploading the review last night, Neil stepping in when I didn’t appear. … Read more >>
Independent 6265/Virgilius
Solving time: 11:30 First step: have a look at the grid. Notice that starting at the black cross next to 12, and emerging at the other side in the one next to 22, … Read more >>
Guardian 23922/Rufus – cliched but clean
Solving time: 16’ Mixture of clichéd crossword idioms and some clever wordplay. As usual, not a shaky surface in sight. Apologies for not posting this yesterday – there’s a complicated story involving Geneva, … Read more >>
Independent 6264/Monk – Tough for a Monday.
A superb offering from Monk, one of my favourite setters. This was fairly easy in parts (I did half of it in about 15 minutes) but the NE corner was fiendishly difficult. Tough … Read more >>
Everyman 3136/Gently bestial
Solving time: probably 35’ total with lots of interruptions Everyman grew up in the post-war Observer as Ximenes’s relatively easy puzzle. His guidelines (as I just learned in his “Art of the Crossword”) … Read more >>
Independent 6257/Scorpion – a tough workout
Solving time 15:40 I like to see Scorpion puzzles, and I’m pleased to be writing the first Scorpion posting here on “225” – here’s why. From time to time, would-be setters send me … Read more >>