A pangrammatic puzzle for this week’s prize from Qaos.
Azed 2339
Quite an easy one this week (on the Azed scale at least), which I mostly polished off in less than half an hour, apart from one or two stragglers that needed a glance … Read more >>
Year: 2017
Independent on Sunday 1416 Hoskins
This was, I thought, trickier than the usual IoS puzzle. It wouldn’t be out of place as a weekday, or perhaps even a Saturday (when the Indie used to give out prizes) Indie … Read more >>
Everyman 3678/9 April
Another sound Sunday puzzle from Everyman. Abbreviations cd cryptic definition dd double definition (xxxx)* anagram anagrind = anagram indicator [x] letter(s) removed definitions are underlined Across 1 Student pulls back … Read more >>
Independent crossword 9518 by Jambazi
Easter weekend and a puzzle from Jambazi. Whilst I don’t usually look up meanings of setters’ names, for some reason I did today and Jambazi appears to mean bandit in Swahili. I found … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1272: Fugue by Kcit
Oh dear… a musical theme this week: not my forte. I just hoped it wouldn’t be too technical, although the preamble indicated otherwise: The FUGUE’s four-note motif appears four times, entering lower each … Read more >>
York S&B Weekend 27-29th October 2017
A message from John Henderson (Io, Enigmatist, Nimrod et al):
Here’s my annual spring announcement, regarding what will be our fourth autumn S&B weekend get-together in York, proposed dates: Friday evening 27th October to Sunday lunchtime 29th October. Much of what I said last year applies again:
Forthcoming Sloggers & Betters Events
Nottingham – 13th May 2017 London – 16th May 2017 Macclesfield – 7/8th July 2017 Manchester (Inquisitor) – 22nd July 2017 ………….York – 27/29th October 2017
Inquisitor 1500 – Manchester Gathering – 22nd July 2017
08/07/17 – an update from John
All looks to be shaping up nicely for the event. As far as I can make out from postings and replies, our numbers will include all four members of the blogging team (from around 2:30pm), our proof-solving team and over a dozen compilers. With solvers, WAGs and HABs looking to be well-represented, it should be a pleasant mix.
Please follow these instructions:
1 Pre-noon: Buy the i.
2 Noon, enter pub. Grab a pint (or similar), a puzzle (or two) and a name badge.
3 Mingle, engage in solving, banter and revelry.
4 Go to 3.
I have reserved the downstairs area from noon until 7pm. See you there!
A message from John Henderson (Enigmatist):
I’d very much like to invite Inquisitor solvers to The Vine Inn in Kennedy Street in Manchester on July 22nd for a gathering to mark the publication of the 1500th puzzle in the Inquisitor series. As far as I’m aware, it will be the first such celebration of this puzzle which, over the years, has undergone several changes of name (and numbering!). All four of our regular bloggers will be in attendance, together with the members of the checking team and several compilers, so it will be an opportunity for solvers to find out more about behind-the-scenes goings-on.
Independent 9,517 / Phi
Not surprisingly, Good Friday this year is also a Good Phi-day! Like another recent Phi puzzle, this grid also contains a large number of longer entries, all of which were across clues. As … Read more >>
Guardian Cryptic 27,171 by Chifonie
The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/27171.
Financial Times 15,523 by Julius
As this was a jigsaw-type puzzle, I am unable to format this the way that I normally do, as PeeDee’s otherwise excellent blogging interface is not set up to accommodate puzzles like this. … Read more >>
Guardian 27,170 / Paul
Amazingly – for me, anyway – my 500th blog – and a squeaky-clean [as far as I can see] puzzle from Paul. A mixture of some easy clues to keep the ball rolling, … Read more >>
Independent 9516 / Morph
Morph has given us a puzzle of transition today I The clues and the entries move thematically from the icy cold of the pole to the sweltering heat of the equator. … Read more >>