A fun solve with a number of tricky parsings. Many favourites including 13ac, 18ac, 26ac, 30ac, 1dn, 2dn, and 23dn. Thanks to Picaroon for the puzzle.
Independent 11340 / Eccles
Eccles makes his fortnightly Wednesday appearance today. Eccles rarely, if ever, has a message or a theme in his puzzles. He just presents well crafted clues with the odd quirk … Read more >>
Inquisitor 1789: Capsized by Artix
Fresh from his triumph as most popular Inquisitor setter in 2022, Artix gives us a new puzzle. The preamble was quite complicated, as follows: Solvers must erase the contents of … Read more >>
Guardian 28,993 – Pasquale
Pasquale’s second appearance in two days, after yesterday’s Quiptic. This was (of course) harder than that one, but still quite gentle, though, as often with this setter, including a couple of possibly unfamiliar … Read more >>
Independent 11339 / Alchemi
Alchemi is the setter of the Independent Tuesday puzzle last week. As it is Tuesday, it must be theme day. It’s also Valentine’s Day but that might be too obvious a … Read more >>
Financial Times 17,332 by AARDVARK
I have been laid up with a cold the past few days, but I think I pierced the fog sufficiently to explain today’s very diverting Aardvark.
Azed No. 2,642 Plain – Competition Puzzle
A plain 12 x 12 puzzle for this month’s competition.
Quiptic 1,213 by Pasquale
An excellent Quiptic from one of our most experienced setters.
Independent 11,338 by Filbert
Monday and regular setter Filbert once more to strike fear into the heart of unwary bloggers
Financial Times 17,331 by SLORMGORM
SLORMGORM provides our Monday morning puzzle for the first time in a while…
Guardian Cryptic 28,992 by Vulcan
Typical Monday fare from Vulcan
Cyclops 746 – Browbeaten Scapegoat
Cyclops seems to be a bit down-in-the-dumps this fortnight…
Everyman 3,981/5 February
Another pleasing puzzle from Everyman for our Sunday entertainment, with a good variety of eminently gettable GK required for the solve and the usual trademark solutions on display. Abbreviations cd cryptic definition dd … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 1720 Hippogryph
Thank you to Hippogryph. Definitions are underlined in the clues. Across 8/9. So, these tenors transformed Madchester band (3,5,5) THE STONE ROSES : Anagram of(… transformed) SO, THESE TENORS. 10. Fundamentally, rock and … Read more >>
Independent No. 11,337 by Bluth
Good morning solvers. Firstly, a big thank you to mc_rapper67 for passing on his Saturday Indy slot to me. It’s a very big pair of metaphorical shoes to fill.
Thanks to Bluth for this lovely puzzle. Typically for them there’s a few quite oblique cryptic references to navigate, and one that I still can’t convincingly parse. Overall though, there was enough to make it a challenge, but still pleasant enough for a bleary-eyed Saturday morning.
Definition (surface) words are underlined in the clues.