Everyman 4,008

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Generally an enjoyable crossword, with one or two very nice clues, but in more places than usual I was a bit doubtful of the parsing. However, this may well be my own failing and no doubt I shall be corrected. I can’t find any rhyming answers but possibly 4dn and 7dn are related since they both refer to parts of the body. One might argue that six double definitions is too many.

Definitions underlined, in crimson. Indicators (reversal, anagram, containment, etc.) in italics. Anagrams shown (like this)* or *(like this). Link-words in green.

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Independent 11,499 by Serpent

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It’s Serpent, so there’s a theme to be spotted.  But I haven’t been able to fathom it.

There always seems to be theme in a Saturday Serpent, though I haven’t looked back to check.  Of course I didn’t remember that there might be a theme, or stumble over it, till after I finished, indeed when I was looking at the completed grid thinking about writing this blog.

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Guardian 29,152 / Paul

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Paul rounds off the week for the second time running, making this my third Paul blog in eight days. An interesting and entertaining puzzle, with some ingenious and amusing constructions. I had ticks … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No.1602 – Birds by Picadilly

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“In eight clues a consecutive group of letters is to be removed, affecting the surface reading. These groups of letters can be rearranged as BIRDS, which are to be inserted into eight normally clued answers to form new words. Numbers in brackets refer to lengths of grid entries. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended; one entry is in Collins.”

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Guardian 29,150 – Vlad

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A stiff challenge, as expected from this setter, with the NW corner holding me up the longest. Thanks to Vlad.   Across 1 WAR BRIDE One becoming union member during dispute (3,5)Cryptic definition … Read more >>