Andrew's avatarAndrew

I started off on Everyman in The Observer, and began solving Azed while I was a student at Cambridge (reading maths) shortly after it started. I do the Guardian puzzle most days and others sporadically. In real life I work as a software developer (still in Cambridge), and for non-crossword recreation play the piano and am involved in amateur theatre.

Azed 2555

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I usually manage to solve plain Azeds in a single sitting, but with this one I ground to a halt after getting about ten answers in, so I had a break, and when … Read more >>

Guardian 28,461 – Imogen

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For no particularly good reason I made a slow start on this one, but I found myself working from the bottom up, and then everything went (more or less) smoothly. Thanks to Imogen. … Read more >>

Guardian 28,454 – Vlad

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I found the top half of this rather easier than the bottom, helped by a strange coincidence, and some helpful anagrams. No theme or Nina that I can see, but I could be … Read more >>

Guardian 28,445 – Imogen

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Quite a tricky one from Imogen today, with several clues where some perhaps slightly obscure general knowledge is necessary for a full understanding. Thanks to Imogen.   Across 1 POUTING Looking offended by … Read more >>

Guardian 28,438 – Picaroon

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A little literary knowledge needed for this one, but otherwise reasonably straightforward, and with the usual great style that we know from this setter. Thanks to Picaroon.   Across 1 LAY GREAT STORE BY Value … Read more >>

Guardian 28,431 – Puck

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I see this is my 800th blog for Fifteensquared, and Puck has provided a tough challenge for me to celebrate it. There’s a sporty theme running through the clues, but fortunately for me … Read more >>

Azed 2549

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I found this not too hard, though somewhat less easy to decode in detail, not helped by an initial wrong guess at 32a. I believe there’s a small slip in 20a, but otherwise … Read more >>

Guardian 28,424 – Nutmeg

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I blogged Nutmeg’s previous puzzle, and said then that was “a nice mixture of easy clues to get me started and some chewier ones that took a bit of teasing out”, and this … Read more >>

Guardian 28,417 – Pan

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A brief but enjoyable diversion from Pan this morning, suitable for those who like “a gentle start to the week”; or even one for “beginners and those in a hurry” (I suspect Anto … Read more >>

Guardian 28,401 – Brummie

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Mostly straightforward stuff from Brummie today, though I was held up for a while in the NW corner. We have an impressive array of circus acts, with SWORD SWALLOWER, LION TAMER, TRICK CYCLIST, … Read more >>

Guardian 28,394 – Brendan

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A typically clever puzzle from Brendan, with almost every clue containing “part” … … and in the two that don’t (10a and 17a) PART is, er, part of the answer. A bit of … Read more >>

Azed 2543

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The grid seemed to be almost divided in half diagonally by a long chain of bars; I filled in the NE half quite quickly but took rather longer over the SW. All successfully … Read more >>