The regular monthly puzzle based on topical events. Find it to solve online at ft.com/crossword
Everyman 4,100
A pleasant crossword this week from Everyman. No great problems and any (only very occasional and slight) grumble is mentioned in the blog. Nearly 30% of the answers are four-letter words, which are often (but not in this case) tricky; not perhaps the best of grids.
Definitions in crimson, underlined. Indicators (homophones, of which there were more than usual, reversals, anagrams, first letters, juxtapositions, etc.) in italics. Anagrams indicated *(like this) or (like this)*. Link-words in green.
Azed 2761
A plain crossword from Azed this week.
Listener No 4866, “It’s Not Involved”, A Setter’s Blog by Quinapalus
Plato chose a convenient spot for his Academy, about half-way between the main railway and long-distance coach stations in Athens. The area is now a park with, like a lot of ancient sites, not much to see apart from a few stones on the ground. There’s a small ‘Digital Museum’ nearby which unfortunately I did not have time to visit.
Independent 12,051 by Tyrus
Oh! What fun for a Saturday.
Quick Cryptic 60 by Chandler
This week’s 11 x 11 crossword from the Guardian, intended to teach cryptic crosswords, found here
Private Eye (Cyclops / 804) – Depleted Barrel
The Barrel is Depleted –
Guardian Saturday Prize Crossword 29,697 by Kite (17 May 2025)

In a slice of serendipitous symmetry, this week’s prize puzzle from Kite is the one accidentally (and momentarily) published four weeks ago, instead of the Easter Special, in my last blog slot…to some consternation amongst the late/early birds and Anitipodeans, although I slept through that event and didn’t download or solve it at the time…
Listener No 4866 It’s Not Involved by Quinapalus
Quinapalus gives us seven lines of preamble.
Financial Times 18,061 by JULIUS
An interesting puzzle from JULIUS this Friday.
Guardian 29,702 – Pangakupu
A double bill today for Pangakupu here and his alter ego Phi in the Independent. I haven’t tried the latter yet, but this one was fairly gentle, I thought. Thanks to Pangakupu.
Independent 12050 / Phi
It’s a Friday in the Independent cryptic crossword series, so unsurprisingly we have a puzzle from Phi to soleve.
Guardian Cryptic 29701 Fed
Thank you to Fed. Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Independent 12,049 by Knut
Our Thursday challenge this week is from Knut.
Financial Times 18,060 by XELA
Xela is today's compiler.