Private Eye (Cyclops/624) Smelly geezer
A tougher crossword this time – that’s what it seemed to me. Solving began with a bang when 1A flew in and way over half the grid was filled on the first pass. … Read more >>
beermagnet
Independent 9853 by Phi (Sat 12-May 2018)
Phi is well known for crosswords with themes … … but I cannot see one here. When I got Karelia and Korngold I thought there might be other twentieth century classical music references … Read more >>
Private Eye (Cyclops / 622) Versace gusset
One of those Eye crossies that was over too soon. Only 5 left to go after the first pass and they were, as usual, up the “top end” – some of the first … Read more >>
Independent 9823 by Nimrod (Sat 7-Apr 2018)
I’m struggling with this month’s Genius by this setter’s Guardian alter-ego – in fact I’ve got hardly anywhere with that. Thank goodness this puzzle wasn’t quite as tricky as that. It was pretty … Read more >>
Private Eye (Cyclops/620) Rescind Break-ups
A quick solve this time which is just as well as I am a bit under the weather (*) Special mention to the wordplay of 17A for giving me a chuckle, and the surface … Read more >>
Independent 9793 by Quaiteaux (Sat 3-Mar 2018)
Very happy to see a Quaiteaux on a Saturday slot and for me to get to blog it. Though there are only a few puzzles by this setter, I remember them. Typically they … Read more >>
Private Eye (Cyclops/618) The Truth in a stupor
I enjoyed solving this, sadly it didn’t last very long. Not only are there only 23 clues due to the grid design, but most of the answers flew in. It was nearly a … Read more >>
Independent 9763 by Tees (Sat 27-Jan 2018)
Looks like the Indy and our fifteensquared rota are aligned and brings a Tees to blog again – suits me. I remember some years ago I found Tees’ puzzles very hard. I know … Read more >>
Private Eye (Cyclops / 616) Inappropriate electorate
This looked small after the gigantic Christmas grid. Thanks to Mike for a spectacluar blog for that last time. This one was a gentle start to the year, only 7 to go after … Read more >>
Independent 9734 by Tees (Sat 23-Dec 2017)
The Independent doing their very best to ignore Christmas. Quite right I look forward to puzzles from Tees – he always sets puzzles on my kind of wavelength. I particularly enjoyed this choice … Read more >>
Private Eye (Cyclops / 613) Super Wealthy Crescendo
Unusually for Cyclops here was a puzzle with a bit of a hidden theme. Several financial terms crop up as answers. Surely too many for coincidence. Especially with the longest and central answer … Read more >>
Independent 9704 by Maize (Sat 18-Nov 2017)
First time I’ve blogged a Maize puzzle, and it was a bit of a treat … … except if you’ve ever visited a Disney world and have that earworm lodged in your brain, … Read more >>
Private Eye (Cyclops/611) Unsackable Arses
Several clues in this puzzle where I had an inkling of the answwer but could not justify it until understanding some surprisingly convoluted wordplay. For example 5A, which I tackled early on, POSTURE seemed … Read more >>
Private Eye (Cyclops/609) Mainstream eyestrain
One of those where most answers were easily solved leaving a bunch mostly in the top left corner which I found tricky. What is it about the top left corner? Maybe that’s where setters … Read more >>
Independent 9674 by Serpent (Sat 14-Oct 2017)
There is usually something interesting in a Serpent grid. This time, it seemed like it was was just a bunch of quite tricky clues … … I only got 5 in after the … Read more >>