Posted by Andrew on 17th May 2012
A second outing for new setter Picaroon (first seen on 16th March), and another entertaining puzzle. He/she seems to have a rather distinctive style, but I can’t quite put my finger on exactly what form this distinctiveness takes. I can’t explain 22dn – no doubt someone will be able to point out the obvious.
Posted in Guardian | 49 Comments »
Posted by PeterO on 16th May 2012
This shows Paul’s characteristic inventiveness in wordplay; fortunately I seem to be close to his wavelength. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Guardian | 27 Comments »
Posted by Uncle Yap on 15th May 2012
Quite a pleasant morning’s workout with a rich variety of devices to tax and tickle the brain.
Posted in Guardian | 30 Comments »
Posted by scchua on 14th May 2012
It’s a regular Monday, in other words, it’s an enjoyable puzzle of dds and cds and anagrams from Rufus. A bit tricky towards the end, in the NW corner, which, for me, took as much time as the other 3. Thanks Rufus. Definitions are underlined in the clues. Each of the pictures at the bottom has a link with the crossword or with the blog.
Posted in Guardian | 39 Comments »
Posted by PeeDee on 12th May 2012
As it was a bank holiday weekend I was really looking forward to another Araucaria special, but sadly it was not to be. This offering was enjoyable enough, though took up rather less time to solve than I had hoped.
Posted in Guardian | 22 Comments »
Posted by Andrew on 11th May 2012
It took me quite a while to make any headway at all on this one, but once I’d got in the swing it eventually yielded with just the right amount of struggle.
Posted in Guardian | 24 Comments »
Posted by manehi on 10th May 2012
Enjoyable crossword with lots of nice surfaces and a clever little theme. Favourite clues: 2,21,22, 14 and 24.
Posted in Guardian | 60 Comments »
Posted by PeterO on 9th May 2012
I put this mostly at the easier end of the spectrum, but none the less pleasing for that; but in reviewing the writeup, I see that I found quite a number of the answers required special comment or explanatory link .
Posted in Guardian | 41 Comments »
Posted by Uncle Yap on 8th May 2012
Quite a stroll in the park for me with nothing seriously amiss nor spectacular. Neat and concise clueing style adopted today with great economy of words with most clues, short, simple and sweet. A good morning’s ramble.
Posted in Guardian | 26 Comments »
Posted by Eileen on 7th May 2012
There are some clever clues here, mixed in with some rather tired ones. Nothing too taxing for a Bank Holiday and several to raise a smile. Thank you, Rufus.
Posted in Guardian | 50 Comments »
Posted by Eileen on 4th May 2012
A rather more straightforward puzzle than usual from Shed, I thought, particularly for a Prize, although there seems to be a consensus that the Saturday puzzles are generally less of a challenge these days. The anagrams seemed to leap out fairly obviously for me – I’m not sure why – and there were some rather obvious charades but there was the inventive cluing we expect from this setter and lots to enjoy and smile at. Thank you, Shed, for the entertainment!
Posted in Guardian | 10 Comments »
Posted by PeterO on 4th May 2012
Arachne is becoming one of the most eagerly-awaited setters in the Guardian stable…
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Guardian | 38 Comments »
Posted by scchua on 3rd May 2012
This was an enjoyable puzzle, not too difficult, with a new word for me, so it was a 14A (which is a word I dislike!). A lot of help from the 3 related clues, which were quite easy to spot. Thank you Pasquale Definitions are underlined in the clues. Each of the pictures at the bottom has an unidentified link to the puzzle.
Posted in Guardian | 28 Comments »
Posted by Eileen on 2nd May 2012
Another fun puzzle from Paul, with amusing surfaces and ingenious cluing – several laugh out loud moments, especially at 11ac. Many thanks, Paul, for the entertainment!
Posted in Guardian | 36 Comments »
Posted by Uncle Yap on 1st May 2012
I cannot really say I enjoyed myself this morning . On my first pass, I only managed 15A in a puzzle mini-themed on something which can be animate or inanimate. Tough and not my cup of tea. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Guardian | 54 Comments »
Posted by Andrew on 30th April 2012
Perhaps not as many cryptic definitions as usual from Rufus today, but lots of double definitions, and quite a few easy anagrams that helped me to get the grid started. 22ac is perhaps slightly obscure, but apart from that this is all nicely straightforward.
Posted in Guardian | 32 Comments »
Posted by mhl on 28th April 2012
I think this was the easiest Saturday crossword we’ve done in quite a while – at least, it was very fast work until the final two clues (15a and 16d), neither of which we knew.
Posted in Guardian | 16 Comments »
Posted by PeterO on 27th April 2012
Posted in Guardian | 43 Comments »
Posted by Eileen on 26th April 2012
A reasonably straightforward puzzle from Araucaria, with a trademark long answer to help things along and some nice constructions to boot. Very enjoyable, I thought.
Posted in Guardian | 29 Comments »
Posted by Andrew on 25th April 2012
Another rather horrible grid, with four semi-isolated quadrants. There were a couple of these last week, where the setters had helpfully split some answers around the quadrants. No such luck here, but instead there are quite a lot of very obvious clues that wouldn’t be out of place in the Quiptic.
Posted in Guardian | 22 Comments »
Posted by Uncle Yap on 24th April 2012
I really enjoyed myself this morning . This has got to be one of the best Paul puzzles … there is sex, there is religion, there is intrigue and there is royalty. Did you hear about the short story contest won by a college student? The rules specified that all the above elements must be present. The winning entry “Jesus Christ! The queen is pregnant and she doesn’t know who the father is” Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Guardian | 37 Comments »
Posted by manehi on 23rd April 2012
Excellent, challenging puzzle from Orlando today. Favourites were 13ac, 24ac and 20dn.
Posted in Guardian | 30 Comments »
Posted by bridgesong on 21st April 2012
This is the second prize puzzle by Paul that has fallen to me to blog in succession, and there are no complaints from me, although I do have a couple of quibbles. This puzzle featured an animal theme, with every clue (and many solutions) having a reference to an animal of some kind, some very ingeniously. I am bothered by 2 down (assuming that I’ve got it right), which strikes me as a very weak clue by Pauline standards.
Posted in Guardian | 17 Comments »
Posted by Eileen on 20th April 2012
I thought this puzzle was great fun – lots of smiles and ‘aha’ moments along the way. Many thanks, Puck, for a very enjoyable and entertaining end to a wet week.
Posted in Guardian | 42 Comments »
Posted by Andrew on 19th April 2012
I learned a couple of new (botanical) words from today’s puzzle. Fortunately, the clues were reasonably easy and, as one would expect from Pasquale, admirably sound. The grid is not one of the Guardian’s best, but the three multi-entry down clues help to even things up in the solver’s favour. Grazie, Don Pasquale.
Posted in Guardian | 29 Comments »