A clever puzzle from Wanderer today, bending a single word to maximum effort. Thanks for the treat, Wanderer .
That’s the last blog of the year for me – Wish everyone here and visiting, a phenomenal 2020 up ahead.
Guardian 28,013 / Qaos
For one reason or another the scheduled blogger has not turned up today so I am a last minute stand-in. Qaos always has a theme and today it is 10ac plus the first … Read more >>
Independent 10,359 / Serpent
Serpent has provided the first post-Christmas cruciverbal teaser for anyone sufficiently recovered from yesterday’s excesses to want to give the old grey matter a workout. I think that this was too intensive a … Read more >>
Financial Times 16,358 / Julius
Apologies for the late appearance of this post. Due to the nature of this puzzle, the blogging utility that Grant uses to prepare his blogs would not work. He then had problems with … Read more >>
Inquisitor 1625: Rush by Vismut
This is Vismut’s third Inquisitor puzzle. I’ve blogged each of the previous two and have commented both times that there was a lot of thematic material involved. This is also the case in … Read more >>
Independent 10,358 by Radian
My apologies for slight lateness today: computer problems and I’ve had to use an old version of the software I normally use for my blogs. Let’s hope it’s working all right (at this stage, before I click the ‘Publish’ button, everything looks fine) and the various things I’ve tried to do (like underlining the definition, which should be in maroon) appear as they should. Anagram indicators in italics.
An excellent crossword from Radian. All the clues run smoothly, with nice surfaces, and there are no wasted words so far as I can see.
Guardian Cryptic 28,012 by Nutmeg
An entertaining puzzle as usual from Nutmeg, but where’s the Christmas puzzle this year?
Financial Times 16,350 by Alberich
Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of December 14, 2019
Financial Times 16,357 by ARMONIE
Bit of a challenge from Armonie this morning Sorry for the late post. While solving the clues was not too hard (though I couldn’t parse ORDINAL (now fixed – thanks Jon Delfin@1)) … … Read more >>
Quiptic 1,049 by Hectence
Another excellent Quiptic from Hectence today. There’s a wide variety of clue constructions, including many old favourite tricks, but nothing too obscure; the surfaces are very good too. If you’re trying to introduce … Read more >>
Independent 10,357/Poins
Indy aficionados will be more used to seeing Poins producing the Independent on Sunday puzzle, but he’s brought us the Monday one this week. It took a bit of teasing out, I can … Read more >>
Guardian Cryptic 28,011 by Brendan
The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/28011. A pleasant surprise, as Brendan has been offering just one puzzle a month recently. As announced in 17A, the THEME is THE RAINBOW, and, sure enough, … Read more >>
Cyclops 666 – Polarised Referendum
Given that this is Cyclops #666, and it was published in the issue dated Friday 13th, I expected something a bit, well, ‘beastlier’…but, apart from several mentions of Trump and Boris (and one … Read more >>
Everyman 3,818/15 December
Everyman continues to produce generally pleasing puzzles within the remit of being accessible and without obscurities. In my opinion, his/her crosswords are let down sometimes by looseness of cluing and clunkiness of surface. … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 1556 Wire
Thanks to Wire for an enjoyable crossword. Definitions are underlined in the clues. Across 9 One who reprimands Mark goes very pale (9) ALABASTER : A(article for one in number) + “lambaster”(a reprimander/a … Read more >>