Never knowingly undersolved
Gosh that was hard. Usually with a clue, you know more or less where you stand: you just have to make an anagram of certain obvious letters, or jiggle about with the letters … Read more >>
Non-prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of April 19, 2020
A fab puzzle, and not an easy one. Thank you Gaff. The anniversary in the title is of Alfred Hitchcock’s death. See Stephen’s comment @4 for some pointers. ACROSS 1 SESAME Oil man … Read more >>
It’s Boatman providing the mid-week challenge on another wet morning – we’d got quite unused to those. I found this generally straightforward to solve but I need help with the parsing of 5dn. … Read more >>
It’s Eccles again today – we’re in for a fun solve! ….and we weren’t disappointed. As usual, some great surfaces and several big smiles. 17ac was a new word for us but with … Read more >>
Atrica, of whose work I have little experience to date, has provided us with a themed treat to delight us this Tuesday. My apologies for posting the blog so late. I found this … Read more >>
Two’s Company by P I N K The initially-filled grid contains only one letter (say X) that appears exactly twice. Solvers must select from each clue a letter separated by one other … Read more >>
A brisk solve, squarely in the FT Tuesday tradition. Chalmie gives us a neatly-themed puzzle this morning. Very satisfying. Thanks to him. ACROSS 1 CRICKET Painfully twist alien insect (7) CRICK (‘painfully twist’) … Read more >>
A quick start with the longer clues all falling early, then got stuck for a while in the North-West. Favourites were 13ac, 17ac, 1dn, 2dn, 15dn, and 18dn. Thanks Pasquale
Thanks to Matilda. Definitions are underlined in the clues. Across 1 Shed first tear in court over writing (6) SCRIPT : 1st letter of(… first) “Shed” + [RIP(to tear away forcibly) contained in(in) … Read more >>
It’s nearly two years to the day since I last blogged a Gila puzzle. He (at least I think it’s a he) has produced a pleasing, Monday-style, nothing-to-frighten-the-horses cryptic here, with some thoughtfully … Read more >>
A gentle ARMONIE eases us into another week of lockdown… Mostly plain sailing* here though 4d was a new one for me. Also, in 15d, I’d never come across “gated” in that sense … Read more >>
My previous Monday blog was of Matilda’s first Cryptic, and now Carpathian makes the same step up from the Quiptic. This puzzle could easily have been a Quiptic, with lots of helpful anagrams … Read more >>
The puzzle can be found here.
Hi all, I hope you are well. Unlimited thanks to the ghastly twerp Hoskins for today’s 5d entertainment.
The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/everyman/3836. That slipped down easily, with the pair of double T long lights, and a particularly good crop of &lits. ACROSS 1 TONGUE TWISTER Tricky phrase that … Read more >>