Independent 9098 by Phi

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To finish this crossword I used aids. Usually when I do so I regret it afterwards, feeling that the answer really should have been clear, but in this case there was no self-reproach since the words were so unusual that despite some help from the wordplay they would probably still be empty spaces. None of the answers at 4ac, 12ac, 4dn, 6dn or 7dn are in Chambers Crossword Dictionary (2006) and only 4dn and 7dn are in Bradford’s (2006). So far as I can see, anyway.

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Financial Times 15111 by CINCINNUS

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A rarely seen setter on a Friday, Cincinnus gives us a straightforward challenge with just a touch of some unusual words to keep things interesting. Clean, unambiguous cluing meant that the parsing was a breeze. 14ac and 30ac were new words for me, both of which were “getable” from the clue.

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Guardian 26,751 / Paul

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A lovely puzzle from Paul, ingenious and witty, with a most congenial, for me,  mini-theme. It caused a fair bit of head-scratching: several answers were inspired guesses, leading to relieved ‘ahas’ when the parsing … Read more >>

Guardian 26,749 – Brummie

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An enjoyable puzzle from Brummie with some helpful anagrams to get things going. Thanks to the setter. Getting 12a and 22a early on led me to the theme of Andy Warhol and his … Read more >>