A fun challenge from MUDD to finish my last blog for 2022.
Independent 11,299 by Bluebird
Bluebird makes a rare appearance this Thursday.
Financial Times 17,291 by GURNEY
Gurney has a rare Thursday outing.
Guardian Cryptic 28,953 by Paul
I’m standing in for SCCHUA as part of the holiday covers so bear with me – not done a Guardian blog for a while
Enigmatic Variations No.1570 – Scratching the Surface by Cranberry
“Clues are listed in conventional order. All bars touching the perimeter (SCRATCHING THE SURFACE, say) are provided. Locations of further bars, displaying 180° symmetry, are to be deduced (but need not be entered). Ten clues contain single extra words. For each of these, one or two letters (not aways consecutive), as indicated by the extra word, must be removed from the defined answer before jumbling the remainder to make the thematic grid entry. All other clues lead to the answer plus one extra letter. In order, these spell out the theme. Enumerations refer to unmodified answers.”
Independent 11,298 / Twin
Our Wednesday entertainment has been provided by Twin today, a compiler whose work I have neither solved nor blogged until today. There was a lot to get one’s teeth into today, as the … Read more >>
Financial Times 17,290 by SLORMGORM
A rare departure from Mondays for Slormgorm today.
Guardian Cryptic 28,952 by Boatman
The puzze may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/28952.
Inquisitor 1782: Seasonally Appropriate by Plench
We are present once more at the scene of a misdemeanour. After completion of the grid, a crime takes place. Solvers must remove the content of nine cells, leaving relevant words behind, to … Read more >>
Guardian 28,951 / Picaroon
A highly entertaining offering from Picaroon, with a playful theme and lots of interesting references. Following my usual practice of working my way through the clues in order, I was about three quarters … Read more >>
Independent 11297 / Hoskins
Hoskins is the setter for the Tuesday Independent this week. I had noticed MARX and BROTHERS in the grid, but hadn’t looked much beyond that until I remembered that Tuesday … Read more >>
Financial Times 17,289 by BUCCANEER
A remarkably good puzzle today from Buccaneer . . .
Guardian Cryptic 28,950 by Qaos
A lot of clever clueing and not too tricky to solve. I liked 15ac, 5dn, 7dn, 23dn, and especially 22ac. Thanks to Qaos for the puzzle
Quiptic 1,206 by Pasquale
Quiptic fun from Pasquale for Boxing Day.
Independent 11,296 by Grecian
We are standing in for NealH today. Neal – we hope you are having an enjoyable time away.
Grecian provides our first post-Christmas challenge today.