beermagnet – Page 26 – Fifteensquared

Independent 7447 Nestor 28-August-2010

Sat September 4, 2010 at 5:44 am by beermagnet

I can’t spell Tiananmen. I had it as Tiannamen for ages which held me up on the SW corner and 15D in particular of course. In fact, I would’ve spelt it Tianamen except … Read more >>

Private Eye/Cyclops 424 – Besmear drummer

Mon August 30, 2010 at 12:15 am by beermagnet

Half-way through solving this I thought I was on for a record time – covering half the grid in a very few minutes. Then I slowed and then got interrupted by Real Life. … Read more >>

Private Eye/Cyclops 423 – Awkward empathy

Fri August 20, 2010 at 7:14 amMon August 16, 2010 at 12:15 am by beermagnet

I made a note that I only had 10 answers in place after the first pint, which is an indication that this was harder than the last few Eye crossies. On the other … Read more >>

Independent 7423 (Sat 31-Jul) Nestor

Sat August 7, 2010 at 12:01 am by beermagnet

Nother non-numerical Nestor novelty to nonplus us. In fact this was again not as hard as many a midweek puzzle, with firm wordplay once seen. Why do compilers end up picking words and … Read more >>

Private Eye/Cyclops 422 – Rescind sceptre

Mon August 2, 2010 at 12:01 am by beermagnet

Woah! Cyclops revealing his Republican tendancies in his central down answers, and possibly extolling the virtues of early applications of antibiotics in the central across answers: Preempt anthrax. Maybe I’m reading too much … Read more >>

Private Eye/Cyclops 421 – Hanoi or bust

Mon July 19, 2010 at 12:15 am by beermagnet

So there I was wondering where to do my Eye crossword this time. I thought what about another time and found myself in a smoky pub in about 1972. “The Worlds End”. God … Read more >>

Independent 7399 (Sat 03-Jul) by Nestor

Fri August 6, 2010 at 2:35 pmFri July 9, 2010 at 6:00 am by beermagnet

Another first Saturday of the month slot for Nestor, and another non-Nina puzzle as far as I can see (Unless Nestor is now sponsored by “Savalab”) Across 1 SHOULDER PADS SHOULD (are obliged … Read more >>

Private Eye/Cyclops 420 – Three Eds

Mon July 5, 2010 at 6:48 amMon July 5, 2010 at 12:15 am by beermagnet

… are better, maybe. Maybe Edward Woodward would have had something to say about that, if he was foreward. The three Eds here are the ubiquitous Editor, one Miliband, and the inevitable Balls. … Read more >>

Private Eye/Cyclops 419 – Big Nancy

Mon June 21, 2010 at 12:15 am by beermagnet

I must be getting better at these. Another Eye crossy that was knocked off without raising a sweat. The long giveaway answer gave away lots of crossing letters and everything else slotted in … Read more >>

Independent 7375 (Sat 05-Jun) by Nestor

Fri June 11, 2010 at 11:11 amFri June 11, 2010 at 6:00 am by beermagnet

Another Saturday Prize Indy that was surprisingly easy compared to previous experience of both Nestor and Saturdays. There has been a run of easier Saturday crosswords lately. After first getting one of the … Read more >>

Private Eye/Cyclops 418 – Awful, awful, awful

Mon June 7, 2010 at 10:01 pmMon June 7, 2010 at 12:15 am by beermagnet

After last week’s triple “percent” wordplay, this week we have “awful” used as an anagrind in three different clues. So I’m afraid it walked into that blog title. Blam! But it was quite … Read more >>

Private Eye/Cyclops 417 – Percentage, percentage, percentage

Mon May 24, 2010 at 12:15 am by beermagnet

I was knocking off these clues without too much trouble but did think more than once that they were quite convoluted. It took 20 Min – only about ½ pint – drinking slowly – … Read more >>

Independent 7351 (Sat 8 May) by Raich

Fri May 14, 2010 at 6:00 am by beermagnet

This saturday was the 65th Anniversary of V.E. Day and this crossword had a WWII theme with several references in both clues and answers topped and tailed by two Vera Lynn songs. Raich … Read more >>

Private Eye/Cyclops 416 – Detente candidate

Mon May 10, 2010 at 12:15 am by beermagnet

Pack away your soapbox now. Take down your “Sod the others – Vote for Us” posters. It’s all over for now. The people have spoken and they said “Errr”. Anyway, I don’t understand … Read more >>

Private Eye/Cyclops 415 – Bill and two Bens

Mon April 26, 2010 at 12:15 am by beermagnet

I made hard work for myself with this puzzle by writing in several incorrect answers. I guess I was hurrying and didn’t read the clues properly, and sometimes wrote in what I didn’t … Read more >>