Orense is today’s FT compiler.
Independent 10,067 / Phi
True to form, Phi brings another string of mid-week puzzles to a close. I found this to be at the easier end of the Phi spectrum in terms of difficulty and solved it … Read more >>
Guardian 27,720 – Imogen
A few easier clues got me started, but generally I found this pretty hard. As one expects from Imogen, it’s all clearly and fairly clued in retrospect, though I have a couple of … Read more >>
Independent 10066 / Gila
Gila provides a typical Thursday puzzle – slightly tricky in places This was a fairly steady solve, but not very quick. There seemed to be quite a lot of wordplays … Read more >>
Financial Times 16,057 by Goliath
Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of January 5, 2019
Financial Times 16,066 by CHALMIE
Sorry this is so late. I completely forgot it was my turn to write the blog.
Independent 10,065 by Monk
After a run of Monk’s crosswords always being blogged by me, there has been a long gap since I had the pleasure. This is because (being so difficult?) he seems to confine himself almost completely nowadays to the Saturday Prize Puzzle.
Actually I’m not sure it really was much of a pleasure. It was remarkably difficult and it took me ages to do all but two (one of which is I now see the unconvincing homophone I had rejected), and there were some very difficult clues, with rare words and not always convincing (to me, at any rate) equivalences of words. Some years ago I used to look out for Monk crosswords because they were so good. Perhaps I’ve changed over the years.
Definitions in maroon, underlined. Anagram indicators in italics (not many of these, which partly explains the difficulty).
Guardian Cryptic 27,719 by Picaroon
A tour de force from Picaroon.
Inquisitor 1576: YNTHFYHFTTF HTTL by Schadenfreude
As trailed by Nimrod in his review of last year, we are kicking off this year with a puzzle from Schadenfreude. The last time I saw a title like that was about a … Read more >>
Financial Times 16,065 by PETO
Today’s usual FT blogger is away so I’m standing in.
Independent 10,064 by Vigo
It’s been nearly two years since we had the pleasure of blogging a Vigo puzzle.
Guardian Cryptic 27,718 by Qaos
The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/27718.
Guardian 27,717 / Brendan
Brendan again on a Monday – Hurrah! A very clever puzzle, whose theme [which didn’t become completely apparent until near the end of the solve] is hinted at in 10ac. In … Read more >>
Independent 10,063 by Tees
A fairly straightforward Monday puzzle, except . . . NOTE: In the original published version of this puzzle, there appears to be an error in the clue for 20d – more details below. For technical … Read more >>
Financial Times 16,064 by SLEUTH
SLEUTH starts off the week with a great puzzle!