A very gentle offering for this Monday morning – I found it pretty much a write-in, with only a couple of clues needing more than a few seconds’ thought. Thanks to Vulcan.
Andrew
Guardian Genius 272 – Qaos
The instructions seemed reasonably straightforward:
A turtle starts on a perimeter cell and moves forward cell by cell. If it lands on an L, it turns 90 degrees anticlockwise; if an R, 90 degrees clockwise; otherwise it continues in the same direction.
One word in each clue must be removed before solving; in clue order, these words’ first letters provide an extra instruction.
When the turtle exits the grid after making at least one turn, its path has traced what letter?
Guardian 29,941 – Qaos
It’s less than three weeks since the last Qaos puzzle, but I’m always glad to see his name. Thanks to him for this one.
Gemelo 24
Another “constrained” puzzle, where Gemelo has enforced a rule that makes the setting harder for himself without making the solver’s job harder (or easier)…
Guardian 29,934 – Pangakupu
Thanks to Pangakupu for another solid puzzle.
Guardian 29,927 – Carpathian
Carpathian is also a regular setter of the Quiptic and the Quick Cryptic, and there are plenty of clues here that would be suitable for beginners, but all nicely done. Thanks to Carpathian.
Guardian 29,920 – Harpo
Quite a gentle offering today from Harpo (aka Monk in other places) – thanks to him for the entertainment.
Guardian 29,913 – Philistine
A fun puzzle for a chilly Monday from Philistine, with a couple of his trademark lift-and-separate clues, two nice &lits (aka clue-as-definition or all-in one), and one whose definition may prove controversial. (Or maybe not – it’s been changed.) Thanks to Philistine.
Guardian 29,911 – Omnibus
Another puzzle from the mysterious Omnibus, which is speculated to represent a collaboration of setters. I’m afraid I wasn’t too impressed by this one: there are some quite amateurish and inaccurate clues here. Still, thanks to Omnibus.
Guardian 29,904 – Paul
Some tricky clues in this puzzle, including one that I was unable to parse fully. Thanks to Paul.
(This blog was written rather in haste, sp apologies in advance for any errors – I should be able to correct them later today.)
Guardian 29,897 – Philistine
A typically elegant puzzle from Philistine, featuring his trademarks of medical references and lift-and-separate clues. Thanks to Phlistine.
Guardian 29,890 – Ramsay
A new setter, I believe, to (almost) end the year on (1 across is appropriate). It took me a while to get on the right wavelength, and there were a few clues where I got the answer from the definition but struggled to parse the wordplay. There were some easier clues too, with some helpful anagrams, so a very promising debut.
Thanks and welcome to Ramsay
Guardian 29,884 – Alia
A gentle but elegant puzzle to ease into Christmas week. Thanks to Alia, and best wishes of the season to all.
Guardian 29,882 – Kite
Thanks to Kite for a puzzle that was not too tricky for a Friday, helped by …