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Inquisitor 1944: Let’s Get Metaphysical by Hawk
Welcome to Hawk – new to the Inquisitor but not to the Listener.
Financial Times 18284 by MUDD
Thank you to Mudd. Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Guardian 29,920 – Harpo
Quite a gentle offering today from Harpo (aka Monk in other places) – thanks to him for the entertainment.
Independent 12,269 by Methuselah
Methuselah provides our Tuesday challenge this week.
Independent 12,268 by Quince
I found this quite a struggle. The compiler is new to me, which usually makes things a little trickier because you're not used to the way they express things.
Guardian Cryptic crossword No 29,919 by Vulcan
Vulcan at his best.
Spectator 2,735
Preamble to this puzzle read: All but one of the unclued lights are of a kind, verifiable in Brewer. The remaining one links the others. Ignore one apostrophe and two accents.
Financial Times 18,283 by ARTEXLEN
ARTEXLEN kicks off the week…
Financial Times 18,282 by Julius
Puzzle from the Weekend FT of January 31, 2026
Financial Times Sunday 130 – World by Sleuth
The first day of February brings the regular geographically themed puzzle from the FT. Find it to solve online or download and print at ft.com/crossword
Guardian Quiptic 1,367/Chandler
A fine Quiptic from Chandler which I think will appeal to newer solvers.
Independent on Sunday 1,875 by Madcap
Madcap rounds off the week.
Everyman 4,136
The usual trademarks of Everyman are in this crossword, which was largely good I think and the one or two places where I am in doubt may be down to me not to Everyman.
Definitions in crimson, underlined. Indicators (homophone, hidden, containment, anagram, juxtaposition, etc) in italics. Anagrams indicated *(like this) or (like this)*. Link-words in green.
Guardian Genius No 271 by Claw
Claw last appeared in the Genius series in August of last year, with a very amusing puzzle based on a Castlemaine XXXX TV advertisement. Other than that, there are no other appearances by Claw that I can find in 2025, but such an accomplished setter must surely have other puzzles published, perhaps using different aliases.
Gemelo 22
Gemelo is settling down into an Observer routine and I am getting onto his wavelength a bit more.