Never knowingly undersolved
Paul sets the midweek challenge with a fairly straightforward puzzle, where the solve was helped by several long phrases in the answers. As always, my heart sank to see the number of composite … Read more >>
Kruger is a regular setter of Inquisitor puzzles, with several offerings to his name this year. Today’s preamble read: Before entry, answers to eleven clues should be modified to depict ways that would … Read more >>
An enjoyable solve, with many tricky clues that look much simpler in hindsight. Favourites 19ac, 15dn, 20dn, and 23dn. Thanks to Nutmeg
Knut entertains us today in the Independent. Tuesday is theme day in the Independent and there is no doubt about today’s theme as Knut takes us through some of the … Read more >>
This offering from Neo ranges from straightforward to quite challenging . . .
A nice plain from Azed with the usual sound clues. In one or two places I’m a bit doubtful but that’s very possibly me. In his latest slip he mentions that some people find the 11×13 grid (as here) often a bit easier to solve that the usual 12×12.
I used to blog Azed’s crosswords some years ago and seem to remember making the same remark then: the actual wordplay is usually fairly simple; the difficulty lies in the extraordinary words, which I have usually not explained.
Definitions underlined in crimson. Anagram indicators in italics.
My first opportunity to blog a Bartland Quiptic. I’m a fan already. I thought this was thoughtfully constructed, with the beginner and improving solver clearly in mind. It conforms to what for me … Read more >>
Carpathian is originally, and still more often seen as, a setter of the Quiptic, and this could easily have fitted in that slot. Still, a nicely-constructed puzzle, suitable for those that like a … Read more >>
Hoskins has the Monday Indy puzzle for us. What will he provide for us this morning? A straightforward enough puzzle, as it turns out, but we have a theme, which is unusual: there … Read more >>
GURNEY starts the week off…
The main pages of Private Eye are getting a bit depressing what with all the useless, arrogant, bullying politicians, all the scandals that are never properly addressed by the compliant media, and the … Read more >>
As always, a carefully constructed and entertaining puzzle from Tees. A few UK references that might have held up overseas solvers, and a sprinkling of French knowledge required; but other than that, my … Read more >>
Once more unto the Everyman dear friends
Yes, we are back again. No complaints though as we have a Tyrus puzzle today .
An excellent prize puzzle from Tramp: lots of amusingly misleading definitions and one stand-out brilliant clue for me. Thank you, Tramp! (The stand-out clue for me was YELLOW GARDEN SPIDER – see below.) … Read more >>