Never knowingly undersolved
A pretty fiendish puzzle. Trying circumstances for me, 10 minutes on a crowded tube followed by 20 over lunch approx, but I found this one very tough going, with a lot of quite advanced tricks. Vocab … Read more >>
Solving time: an hour or so Approached with trepidation, having downed a convivial pint or two with Ploy at Sloggers and Betters 2, but also having missed the final step in his “Travelling … Read more >>
I don’t think I’ve come across Arachne before, but I enjoyed the puzzle. The clues were mostly fair, although some were quite tricky and four living people – all politicians – appeared in … Read more >>
It’s celebrated in the first clue. Some unfamiliar words made it a little harder than sometimes for me. Congrats to Quixote on reaching this landmark. If an anorak wishes to probe why the … Read more >>
After a long day at work documenting code I just wasn’t ready for a Nimrod puzzle. It finally defeated me a few minutes ago when I used TEA to check the last but … Read more >>
Just some quick notes about this puzzle written up a day after I solved (and re-solved!) the puzzle. Quite a few clever Pauline (not Paulene!) fun and games. Some post-post editing thanks to … Read more >>
Quite a cavalier sort of solve with this one – a few clues filled in without completely understanding them, anagrams guess-timated rather than properly worked out – but luckily no mistakes. Would have … Read more >>
Done in a slightly distracted fashion as I was in a soft play centre for children with half an eye on a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old. Slick as ever from Virgilius without a … Read more >>
Solving time: 30’ Quite a few whimsical and cryptic allusions. I didn’t really enjoy this puzzle but probably because I’m a bit burnt out having just done The Times as well (“it’s not … Read more >>
Solving time: 13 minutes A straightforward start to the week from one of the masters of the cryptic definition. Nothing too troublesome, although a tiny grumble for the purists might be he use … Read more >>
We would like to start including the Financial Times puzzles in this blog. The FT puzzle is set by many of the same people that also set the Independent and Guardian crosswords, and … Read more >>
A, pleasant, excellently crafted, puzzle a little on the easy side of average for me. Solving time: 14 mins * =anagram ACROSS 5 MAGICIAN GI in maniac* Joe is US usage … Read more >>
Solving time: 15’ Rather fast solve for me… nothing really held me up with the long clues falling almost on first read. I think this means that I’m no longer an Everyman GREENHORN. … Read more >>
Solving time: About 20 mins for all but 19dn and 23ac. One other mistake (16dn). A porcellanous theme this week, featuring Crown Derby, Royal Worcester, Wedgwood, Spode and Minton. Not exactly my specialist … Read more >>
Solving time 14:05 Punk is also Paul in the Guardian, where I sometimes think he takes the odd liberty too many. Not in this puzzle – I can find nothing to quibble about, … Read more >>