“The two unclued entries comprise a duo and an alternative rendering; ALL THAT must be completed by filling the empty cell. Four of the duo’s works, treated in accordance with the rendering, appear symmetrically in the grid, and must be highlighted along with the completion (34 cells in total). Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”
Independent on Sunday 1,610 by Tees
The puzzle can be found here. Hello and a very Happy New Year to you all. Tees is back doing what he does best – unless, of course, he does other things … Read more >>
Azed No. 2,533 Plain
A very pleasing selection of unusual words, with one fiendish clue and one rather puzzling one. Thank you Azed. ACROSS 1 SLANTINGWAYS Way t’ inn glass is swirled round obliquely (12) anagram (is … Read more >>
Guardian Genius no.210 by Soup
Well, this was a real Genius puzzle. We knew we were in for a serious challenge this month when we read (or tried to read) the preamble: Tjyuffo tpmvujpot nvtu cf fodjqifsfe cfgpsf … Read more >>
Everyman 3,872
The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/everyman/3872. When this blog comes out, we will be in the New Year, so let us hope for something a little better (can’t get much worse). Everyman, … Read more >>
Azed No. 2,532 ‘Presents Round the Tree’
Azed’s Christmas special… … I wasn’t sure, even with two weeks to solve this, that I was going to complete this puzzle (and I’m not 100% sure I have done – see 11 … Read more >>
Independent 10,678 by Raich (Saturday Puzzle 2 January 2021)
Raich is a fairly prolific, and long-standing, Indy and IOS setter, but this is the first of his Indys I have blogged – although I did cover a couple of his Enigmatic Variations barred/thematic puzzles, way back in 2011 and beyond!
Guardian Saturday Puzzle 28,326 / Picaroon
Picaroon rounds off the year of Saturday crosswords with a puzzle that initially baffled me more than most of you, I suspect. The Special instructions were: ‘Wordplay in all but one of the … Read more >>
Guardian Cryptic 28331 Brendan
Thanks to Brendan. Definitions are underlined in the clues. Across 8. Semi-human creature Greek character encountered in youth (8) MINOTAUR : TAU(nineteenth character in the Greek alphabet) contained in(encountered in) MINOR(a youth/person under … Read more >>
Independent 10,677 by Phi
Here’s the latest from Phi, who continues to produce enjoyable puzzles every week. The clues range from fairly straightforward to quite tricky, with a good range of clue types and surprisingly few anagrams. … Read more >>
Inquisitor index: 2021
Puzzles 1680 – 1731
Independent 10,676 by Morph
Wow – we have the honour of blogging a Morph puzzle on the last day of the year! We always relish Morph’s puzzles for their topical themes and brilliant clues, but this really … Read more >>
Financial Times 16,672 by WANDERER
Wanderer makes a rare Thursday appearance. This was a typically challenging Wanderer puzzle, which may have a theme, but I can't see it. There were some very interesting devices used her that are … Read more >>
Guardian Cryptic 28,330 by Paul
The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/28330. The theme is worn on the sleeve: ‘champions’ appears in several clues, and is fairly clearly soccer-related. It turns out that the reference is to UEFA … Read more >>
Financial Times 16,664 by Mudd
Non-prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of December 19, 2020 This puzzle was a very unusual one for me in that there was one clue that I was completely unable to explain, 3dn … Read more >>