Independent on Sunday 907 by Quixote
Solving time: 22 mins. Pleasing fare, as always. * = anagram ACROSS 7 HE PA(R)IN Friendly wordplay for a word unfamiliar to me (but it’s in the Concise OED). A compound occurring in … Read more >>
Guardian 24,121/Quantum – hoist?
I’ve blogged Quantum 3 or 4 times before, and I think I have been fairly mild with my criticism in each case. I don’t really enjoy solving a Quantum crossword, especially a waorkaday … Read more >>
Independent 6464 by Punk
A fine puzzle by this talented setter. Solving time: 31 mins * = anagram < = reversed ACROSS 1 BO W-W(O)W www = world wide web = net BO = … Read more >>
Financial Times 12,492 by Cinephile
Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of June 23, 2007 A tiny bit of a theme here: beheading for crimes against the state. For me this puzzle proved a little easier than most … Read more >>
Financial Times 12501/Io
IO was another new name to me until I checked the Setters page here and found that he is also Nimrod and Enigmatist, which explained a lot. Unusual to see a preamble in … Read more >>
Independent 6463/Dac
A rushed puzzle today which is still unfinished. I have not worked out 18dn or 21ac, I suspect if I got either I’d get the other but I thought I’d get the post … Read more >>
Guardian 24120/Logodaedalus – no downside
No wordplay quibbles but there are a couple of loose definitions that dictionaries probably support but felt a bit unsatisfying while solving (see 15A, 17A, 21D). Two across anagrams got me started here … Read more >>
Guardian 24,119, Chifonie: Looni Tones
Fairly standard daily fare, a sprinkling of anagrams, a few stretched definitions for me, but I’ve learnt that it’s risky to cast such aspersions without a dictionary. Theme? Well, there was a band … Read more >>
Independent 6462/Virgilius
Easier-than-usual puzzle from Virgilius but with another clever bit of grid trickery – every down clue (except 9D, which reveals the theme) is a reversal of its (180 degree) symmetrical opposite . Of … Read more >>
If you want fast solving times you need to start young…
My three-month old son Dylan helping me with last Saturday’s Indie crossword.
Independent 6461/Hypnos
Across 6 BORIS – SIR + OB =< 7 RETICENT – CITE <= in RENT 10 HOGWEED – ((L)OW HEDGE)* 13 DOWAGER – “DO WAGER” 14 STAGE FRIGHT – Cryptic definition 20 CARAMEL … Read more >>
Guardian 24118/Arachne
Solving time approx. 15 mins. I think this is the second time I’ve blogged an Arachne puzzle on a Monday. As in the last one, the surface readings are all good, and most … Read more >>
Private Eye/Cyclops 342
The Eye Crossword normally takes every opportunity to be rude, funny, and disrespectful to authority, just like the magazine. Often there are references to in-jokes, magazine nicknames, fictitious Eye columnists etc. that mean … Read more >>
Starting Today – the Cyclops crossword in Private Eye.
From today we will be blogging the Cyclops puzzles that appear in Private Eye magazine. This represents a shift from our current policy of covering puzzles that appear in national newspapers but it’s … Read more >>
Guardian Genius 48 – Monk
When Neil asked for someone to blog this one, I had just printed it out, so I readily volunteered, having to date completed all the Geniuses I have attempted, most of them without … Read more >>