Never knowingly undersolved
This was a challenge and a half! The preamble gave some hint of the challenge to come when it told us that: All but seven clues contain a redundant letter. … Read more >>
A steady solve this morning, with some lovely surfaces from Jason.
It seems that Eimi wants to make a point to all us pedants who endlessly carp on about less than 50% checking: more than 57% of the answers are of this type, which is clearly of no concern to him.
Two other things struck me about this offering from Eimi: the apparently large number of full anagrams (seven I think), and what Brian Greer once referred to in his excellent crossword articles in the Times of the late 90s as something whose exact name I can’t remember, but it was typically apposite and referred to anagrams which hit you in the face and can be nothing but anagrams (‘Paint Lucy’, ‘Canopus’, ‘Dench loafs’). Which is not to say that I found it easy: as you’d expect Eimi has included various references to a world that is less well-known to me than to him, and occasionally some rather good clues (I’d have liked the RSC one if it had been printed properly).
In my blog of the last Imogen puzzle a month ago, I commented that it was rather less of a challenge than usual and that some of the clues were rather bland. Not … Read more >>
Provis’s turn to provide our Quiptic diversion.
I enjoyed this one from Vigo. She’s put together a tidy puzzle in the old Monday style. Some very good surface readings. A bit heavy on charades and insertions, but for a crossword … Read more >>
Ran into a few unfamiliar terms, but got there in the end. Favourite clues 20ac, 26ac and 16dn – thanks, Rufus.
I found this Azed carte-blanche variant (a “jigsaw”) in which clues are given in alphabetical order of answers rather difficult — mainly, because I pecked at it sporadically throughout the week without a concerted burst … Read more >>
Jack provides the puzzle for my biannual Genius blog We were told that ten solutions contain a slice of 2, not included in the wordplay of their clues. The first clue … Read more >>
Thanks to Poins for an enjoyable Sunday puzzle. Definitions are underlined in the clues. Across 1 Stop in cobbled side street (6) DESIST : Anagram of(cobbled) SIDE + ST(abbrev. for “street”). 4 Indifferent … Read more >>
Charades and insertions mostly this morning from Everyman. Which for an entry-level puzzle is fair enough. But only one full anagram, cluing a word I could only vaguely remember. Abbreviations … Read more >>
Another fine puzzle from Paul, with perhaps more obscure words than usual.
Presumably this is my comeuppance for recently suggesting that Saturdays were getting easier. We have an unusual grid stuffed with a great number of very unfamiliar terms, at least to me. There’s a … Read more >>
In a crescendo of coincidence, or a planned plethora(?), Serpent/Jack has had four puzzles out in the last month or so, across four different outlets – a Saturday Indie, which I also had the … Read more >>
It is customary to close the working week with a puzzle from Phi, and this week is no exception to that. I found this to be towards the easier end of the Phi … Read more >>