It’s Monday and once more it’s cheeky chappie Hoskins.
Guardian Cryptic 27,143 by Rufus
The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/27143.
Independent on Sunday 1,411 by Poins
An enjoyable start to a Sunday morning. Thank you Poins.
AZED 2,334
The usual good-quality Azed competition puzzle: everything seems to be soundly clued.
Definitions underlined and in maroon.
In the preamble it says ‘NB Competition clues submitted should begin with an appropriate letter so as to complete a hidden message‘. I spent ages trying to find this hidden message.
Everyman 3,673
A nina in an Everyman? Well possibly.
Independent crossword 9488 by Morph
A Morph puzzle as spring threatens to spring forth after another ridiculously mild winter. First of all I must congratulate Morph for mentioning the town I grew up in a clue. There was … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1267: Half by Steve
As John Cleese once warbled in a Monty Python sketch: ‘Fiddle-de-dum, fiddle-di-dee, Eric the half-a-bee’… Steve seems to be challenging us to solve or find HALF a something in this EV…Eric the half-an-EV? … Read more >>
Guardian Prize 27,136 by Philistine
A very enjoyable puzzle that was not as difficult as it first appeared. In the end I think I spent as much time trying to find the reason to choose between the two possible orientations as I did solving the puzzle in the first place. Thank you Philistine
Financial Times 15,494 by CHALMIE
A masterclass from Chalmie this Friday morning.
Independent 9487 / Phi
This is my regular once in four weeks Friday and not surprisingly I find a puzzle by Phi I think this is just a standard puzzle free from ninas, themes, … Read more >>
Guardian Cryptic 27,141 by Pasquale
The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/27141.
Independent 9,486 by Punk
As I said once when posting a remark about a Mudd puzzle in the FT, we don’t appreciate this setter enough. This puzzle contains a whole lot of utterly good, straightforward clues with sensible surfaces and no straining involved. I suppose that if you’re being picky there are rather a lot of full or almost full anagrams, but they’re all clued quite naturally.
Definitions underlined and in maroon.
Guardian 27,140 / Puck
Puck doesn’t get much more Puckish than this – a fun puzzle from start to finish. Apart from saying that this was what you might call a 23dn puzzle, I’ll resist the temptation … Read more >>
Financial Times 15,493 by JULIUS
4,20 for a tough puzzle…
Financial Times 15,484 – Falcon
Monday Prize Crossword / Feb 27, 2017
Monday puzzles are usually easy and this one was no exception.