Never knowingly undersolved
An entertaining puzzle with a not-too-difficult-to-spot theme. Across the middle of the grid is the phrase POLES APART, which separates 6 across answers, all of which are poles of some description: NORTH/SOUTH, POSITIVE/NEGATIVE … Read more >>
Solving time: 19:10 This should have been a fast time, as I spotted half the theme straight away from 17ac (TIGON). Unfortunately I then displayed immense slowness in various places, especially 2dn and … Read more >>
A slightly harder than usual Rufus puzzle. I’m mystified by a couple of wordplays (8A and 12A) still. One weakfish cryptic def (1D) but a couple of hard clever clues as well. Across … Read more >>
Fairly easy start to the week although I’d never heard of 18A before. Across 9 (WE TRAIN)* 11 BOO,T(otall)Y – nice surface reading here. 12 SPEED<,PACE 13 (TESS IN PR)* – I’ve always … Read more >>
The blog for this puzzle will be appearing soon…
The grid is almost 90 degree symmetrical: would be if 3D and 15D were both 15 letter lights. And we encounter Orlando Di LASSO again. I searched high and low for a Scots, … Read more >>
One of the last names you expect to see above a puzzle on a Saturday is Mr Tuesday himself, Virgilius. Not that I’m complaining. This was definitely easier than usual for a Saturday … Read more >>
Good fare from Phi with some excellent clues but with a couple of gaps in the word play and one clue not solved until I check in TEA just before submitting this! Across … Read more >>
Adamant seems to be a faithful adherent of the FT’s general style and tone, and this was solid enough fare . A couple of answers (2d, 28a) were new (for me at least) … Read more >>
This was a real fun puzzle, I thought. Solving time: 3 hrs 45 mins The preamble said (with words in capitals the unclued answers that appeared in the grid). 36 (SEXIST) 18 (LANGUAGE) … Read more >>
Maybe it’s jet-lag but I found it pretty hard to get into this puzzle. I wonder whether the NINA in the first column of unches is intentional or just my feverish jet-lagged brain. … Read more >>
I mentioned last week that, in the paper’s relaunch, they’d moved the puzzle away from the penultimate page. Well, there must have been a problem or two, because, this week, if you go … Read more >>
There are few perks associated with this role, but it’s a real pleasure to comment on a brilliant puzzle every now and then and today is one of those days. Nestor is one … Read more >>
A good, not too difficult puzzle from Pasquale, with two long double-entry clues of 24 letters each making up the perimeter. Both were very clever anag + lits, but such clues present an … Read more >>
Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of June 2, 2007 This puzzle struck me as a classic Cincinnus, fairly easy but very elegant. Across 1. APPENDIX. Figure it out; it’s lovely. 5, 26. … Read more >>