Never knowingly undersolved
A sound Monday puzzle in the usual Raich style. Several that I found difficult to parse, and one I can’t parse at all. Abbreviations cd cryptic definition dd double definition … Read more >>
A rare uninterrupted single-session solve for me, though the amount of scribbles on my paper suggest it was no walkover. Chambers got a fair bit of use to finish off the last quarter … Read more >>
Quite a straightforward exercise in using Chambers (aka TBRB). I got hung up though for ages on the SW corner since I had confidently entered GRINS instead of GIRNS for 32A.
The puzzle may be found at http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/everyman/3585.
Don’t quite know what to make of this one. Certainly more difficult than the usual IoS offering. There’s one I can’t quite see. Abbreviations cd cryptic definition dd double definition (xxxx)* … Read more >>
Sat at the cricket between innings and whilst a light drizzle prevents play the perfect time to do a crossword. Klingsor comes in to bowl ….. Some quite interesting clues for Klingsor too … Read more >>
Preambles of blogs on Shed puzzles often include the words ‘welcome return’ or some such expression. It’s six months since we had Shed in the Prize slot. I remember how years [and I … Read more >>
Words to be removed from each clue and latent letters to be removed from each answer. Nothing like a straight cryptic crossword! And a name to find too – who is the Pine … Read more >>
Phi has not in my opinion shone quite so brightly this week as he usually does. It seems to me that several of the definitions, both of the answers and within the wordplay, are rather tenuous, although no doubt people will explain how I am missing things.
I took a long time to finish the NW corner; Rienzi was slow to appear, even though Phi gave us plenty of help by defining it as a German opera, which immediately cut out more than half of them. 12ac was apparently unsound, but more likely never properly understood, and the double definition at 8dn was also a problem. When I gave up and went to aids my Chambers Crossword Dictionary didn’t help: Bradford may have been better.
Once again I get to blog a Picaroon puzzle – and I’m still not complaining! Lots of innovative and witty clues, as usual, with lovely surfaces throughout, making a most enjoyable and amusing … Read more >>
Magwitch gives us company this Friday morning – with a challenge filled with straightforward elegant cluing as has come to be expected of her. Quite a lot easier compared to her earlier grids so an excellent opportunity for newbies at the FT to get familiar with the solving experience. Thanks Magwitch !
We always look forward to the Thursday Indy puzzle with a certain sense of trepidation, as they have a reputation for being more challenging than the rest of the week. When we … Read more >>
A very pleasant crossword, fair throughout and with two outstanding clues. Thanks, Redshank.
Found this tricky, and at several points it felt quite a slog. I did particularly like 1dn and 13dn.
Monday Prize Crossword / Jun 15, 2015
Mostly Crux as we know him (elegantly clued, thoughtful etc) but …..