Year: 2017

Guardian Cryptic 27,132 by Sphinx

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The first Sphinx puzzle I’ve seen, and a bit of a mixed bag. Mostly clever with some obscure words and some awkward parsing. Favourites were 20ac and 8dn. Thanks, Sphinx

Edit: since blogging, the online version of the puzzle has added [italics mine]:

“Special instructions: Having solved this puzzle, tonight’s episode of ‘Inside No 9’ on BBC2 at 10pm would interest you”

The episode is titled ‘The Riddle of the Sphinx’, and involves a cryptic setter and a woman named Nina… [BBC link] [Fifteensquared post]

Second Edit: [Link to a separate post with spoilers for the TV episode]

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Inside No 9 – 28/2/17

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I have received the following from Alan Conner (the blue italics are my additions):

“A quick heads-up to say that there’s a programme on BBC Two tomorrow (28/2/17 at 10pm) which I suspect will be of interest to all people 225. It’s a one-off episode of Inside No 9 (a 30 minute dark comedy): the lead character is a cryptic setter (Professor Squires) who is visited by a woman called Nina, and the whole thing is based around a puzzle. (Disclosure: I feature briefly and needlessly in the credits as “crossword consultant” or similar.)” 

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Quiptic 902/Pan

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I liked this Quiptic from Pan, but found it tricky in places.       Abbreviations cd  cryptic definition dd  double definition (xxxx)*  anagram anagrind = anagram indicator [x]  letter(s) removed definitions are … Read more >>

Everyman 3,671

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Perhaps a little more tricky than your average Everyman but still a pleasure to solve. If Pierre had covered this puzzle he would have had his customary ‘bird’ link but I’m sure you … Read more >>

AZED No 2,332 Plain

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All present and correct.  I found this very pleasurable, not the hardest AZED but a nicely consistent level of difficulty from the start to the finish.  Thank you Azed.

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Guardian 27,124 / Boatman

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A clever and entertaining puzzle with some excellent clues, rather let down for me by bad rubric… The rubric, after replacing the numbers with their answers, read: Seven theme clues require ALBPHABETISING THREE … Read more >>

Guardian 27,129 – Qaos

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Good fun from Qaos (with reservations on a couple of clues). As almost always with this setter we have a “ghost theme” in the solutions… … in this case John le Carré’s novel … Read more >>