Never knowingly undersolved
Solving time: 45’ I found this enjoyable though slow going because Paul’s wordplay is often subtle and surprising and he certainly likes subtraction clues. I got the boxer theme first and then the … Read more >>
Having just returned from a trip working away I thought I had remembered which puzzle I was meant to be blogging today. Once I got to the newsagent’s I had doubts and decided … Read more >>
If I was asked what type of clues I’d like to see outlawed, it would definitely be homophones. There is an outrageous (in my opinion at least) example of this at 8dn, unless … Read more >>
It’s more the Indy’s kind of thing, but I’ve started looking for a themed message, especially in these puzzles with unchecked squares around the perimeter. From the top left I came up with BASES … Read more >>
Listener solvers will recognise the pseudonym but I think this is the first Glow-worm puzzle to appear in the Independent since we started this blog. I found it pretty easy but good fun … Read more >>
Solving time: 30 minutes More ingenious clues from Nestor here, making a puzzle I found very hard – I suspect others who struggled more than me on other Nestors will have beaten me … Read more >>
Far ranging puzzle: from ENFIELD to the ACROPOLIS. I also learnt that under the Mersey there are several tunnels, and I thought the only way cross the Mersey was via ferry, a la … Read more >>
Solving time: 10:57 When I started doing the Guardian I wasn’t so keen on Paul’s puzzles, simply because I wasn’t used to the more liberal style. Now I’m more familiar with Guardianese he’s … Read more >>
Once I worked out the theme of this crossword, I rattled through it at a fair rate of knots, and completed all bar 4 clues in about half an hour. Then I got … Read more >>
As with my last review of a Nimrod puzzle there were a few clues in this that I didn’t understand so I’m obviously still having problems tuning in. To be fair, I don’t … Read more >>
A couple of racy clues and American states. Unrelated. I found myself solving many of the clues from the definition and struggling to work out the wordplay while writing these notes – I … Read more >>
I found this one fairly straightforward. Solving time: 14 mins * = anagram ACROSS 5 TEMP O RISE 7 CROW D Murder is a collective word for crows. 10 ANNE LI (51) DAN … Read more >>
This is Punk’s third puzzle in the Indy. He’s Paul in the Guardian, who I’ve heard praised a lot, but he’s said to be hard, and he also sets in the Times. So I approached … Read more >>
We’re looking for another Independent crossword solver to join our team. You’ll need to be able to post once a week (on any weekday as we have a rota which changes each week) … Read more >>
What makes a good anagram indicator? This puzzle combines what, to me, are some excellent anagrinds and some weaker ones, so I thought I’d set out my own personal likes and dislikes. “At … Read more >>