Azed 1799
Azed – A brief introduction If you regularly finish the puzzles in the “dailies” and fancy a new challenge then a barred crossword like Azed (or Beelzebub in the Independent and Mephisto in … Read more >>
Observer 3138/Everyman – The Cs have it
Seems like the theme might have been words starting with C given the high proportion (CHERISHED, CARPETBAGGERS, CROWN, CHILE PINE, CHESS, CHRISTABEL, CONFIDENT). Quite an accessible puzzle with generally sensible surfaces (except for … Read more >>
Independent 6269 by Merlin – Hard to smoke out that Frenchman (and an error!)
This was really tough. Merlin has a monthly slot in the Indy. As a solver who tackles the Times Listener Crossword every week, Merlin is familiar to me in that context also as … Read more >>
Guardian 23927/Paul – dem bones
A nice thematic puzzle about bones…. Across 1 VAC, ATE – A brief holiday is a vac(ation) and Ate was the Greek goddess of blind folly and delusion. 9 OTIS – “Mr Redding” … Read more >>
Independent 6274/Phi
Solving time : 30 minutes. In many ways a typical Phi puzzle, very fair. The clues that marred this puzzle for me were a couple of cryptic definitions that I didn’t feel worked … Read more >>
Guardian 23,932 by Shed
Some nice touches and some tough clues here – 8ac and 18ac took some thought. This Guardian grid pattern’s not the easiest, with no first letters for more than half the words, and eight with … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 875 by Quixote Tricky in places
Some tricky clues – solving time 22 mins. Hope setters are not paid by clue, just 24 in the puzzle. ACROSS 5 GRIN AND BEAR IT anagram of “Britain – danger” with the … Read more >>
Independent 6273/Mass – Painful for me
Something of a bruising encounter for me and I’m still licking the wounds. I find Mass puzzles very tough – enjoyable, but tough. Matters weren’t helped by getting 19A and 22a wrong and … Read more >>
Guardian 23931/Quantum – easy top half
Solving time – approx 12 mins. I got three of the four perimeter 15-letter entries straight away and had the top half finished in under 3 minutes, then lost a bit of momentum … Read more >>
Coming Soon – Azed
From this weekend, we will be covering the Azed puzzles that appear in the Observer. Reviews will appear each Sunday, which is the day after the official closing date for the prize draw. … Read more >>
Independent 6272/Dac – easy but nice
Independent 6272/Dac – easy but nice Solved in 5:05. Got a reasonable start with 5A and then the easy anag at 5D. Should really have had 1A first time for a sub-5 clocking, … Read more >>
Guardian 23,930 by Chifonie – Uninspiring stuff
Solving time – 10-12 minutes This is my first entry in this blog, and also the first time in a while that I have come across Chifonie. I am not terribly impressed. I … Read more >>
Independent 6271 – Making Sense of Virgilius
Solving Time: 18 minutes After yesterday’s enjoyable Tees puzzle, the momentum of the excellence of the recent Indy puzzles continued with today’s puzzle by Virgilius, although the brilliance of most of the puzzle … Read more >>
Guardian 23929/Paul — 24ac?
Solving time : 20-60 minutes (see below). I spent a lot of time looking at this on the bus but at the end of a 40 minute journey I had just a few … Read more >>
Independent 6270/Tees – The Two Ronnies
Solving time: 7:45 I really liked this puzzle on the theme of 11s (coincidentally the first clue I solved), though I wonder if I have missed some of the thematic references. A very … Read more >>