beermagnet – Page 28 – Fifteensquared

Private Eye/Cyclops 407 – Xmas Special, Dumb Britain

Mon January 4, 2010 at 12:15 am by beermagnet

This year the theme is the Dumb Britain section which takes questions and silly answers that contestants to popular quiz programmes have provided. The trick is to guess what the flailing contestant might … Read more >>

Independent 7232 by Phi (Sat 19-Dec)

Fri December 25, 2009 at 6:00 am by beermagnet

This was surprisingly easy for a Prize Puzzle, especially as I was half-expecting a Christmas special, and Phi can produce some tough nuts when he wants to. But that’s not to say it … Read more >>

Private Eye/Cyclops 406 – Double bubble

Mon December 21, 2009 at 12:15 am by beermagnet

As It Occurred To Me this week: I won 2nd prize in a contest! You’re right, it wasn’t a Beauty Contest and I wasn’t playing Monopoly. It was a crossword contest: The 2009 “3D … Read more >>

Private Eye/Cyclops 405 – Copper bottomed

Wed March 31, 2010 at 10:12 amMon December 7, 2009 at 12:15 am by beermagnet

I expect there’s a fair bit of copper in one of Brenda’s crowns too.
Intro joke: What’s green and misty? (ans below)
Let’s get stuck into the detail:

Independent 7208 by Scorpion (Sat 21-Nov 2009)

Fri November 27, 2009 at 6:00 am by beermagnet

I found this very hard, as we come to expect from Scorpion. After I had about 10 answers I came to a complete halt, totally stuck. Restarting the next day I made a … Read more >>

Private Eye/Cyclops 404 – Error: Not found

Mon November 23, 2009 at 12:15 am by beermagnet

That is, surface reading not found. After doing a lot of crosswords I tend to read clues for their cryptic meaning without noticing, or should I say savouring, the surface reading. An example … Read more >>

Private Eye/Cyclops 403 – Hate Figures

Mon November 9, 2009 at 12:15 am by beermagnet

What a cock-up – They repeated 402 in the magazine – Have they been taking on ex-Grauniad typesetters? So this crossword 403 was only available on the Eye’s website . I expect we … Read more >>

Indy 7184 by Tyrus (Sat 24 Oct)

Fri October 30, 2009 at 5:00 am by beermagnet

We haven’t seen Tyrus for a while. When we have it has been tough, as this one proved to be. I was pleased to get a good handful on the first pass over … Read more >>

Private Eye/Cyclops 402 – A Slow Buck

Mon October 26, 2009 at 12:15 am by beermagnet

One of those where most went in easily but I had to put myself to bed before a couple in the top left corner, so they had to wait till the next morning. … Read more >>

Private Eye/Cyclops 401 – John and Jimmy

Mon October 12, 2009 at 10:38 amMon October 12, 2009 at 12:15 am by beermagnet

Thomas and Riddle of course. Who else would inhabit an Eye crossword … Not Tom Riddle, that would be … frightening. Perhaps as frightening as … Cyclops himself <Ta Da!> who visited … Read more >>

Indy 7166 (Sat 3-Oct) Anax

Fri October 9, 2009 at 1:49 pmFri October 9, 2009 at 6:00 am by beermagnet

Another super offering from Anax. Though I think I have seen stiffer challenges from him in the past, this was most enjoyable with a fine mix of well-formed clues. Two or three I … Read more >>

Private Eye/Cyclops 400 – 16 years

Mon September 28, 2009 at 12:15 am by beermagnet

Number 400 Eh! We only get 26 issues of this esteemed organ each year – if we’re lucky – so I reckon that’s 16 years that Cyclops has been working at the sharp … Read more >>

Private Eye/Cyclops 399 – Neutered ancestor?

Mon September 14, 2009 at 12:15 am by beermagnet

Am I alone in finding this not too hard this time? I was getting a bit worried as my subscription copy did not arrive till Friday – which is at least a day … Read more >>

Independent 7142 (Sat 5 Sep) Bannsider

Fri September 11, 2009 at 5:00 am by beermagnet

I’m looking very hard but I can’t see a Nina in this one (I completely failed to see the Nina in last Saturday’s). Nevertheless, a pretty tough puzzle which is what we expect … Read more >>

Private Eye/Cyclops 398 – Blown away

Mon August 31, 2009 at 8:49 amMon August 31, 2009 at 12:15 am by beermagnet

Trouble with overconfidently putting in a couple of answers this time caused hold-ups but nothing that couldn’t be sorted out in the same solving session. Across 8 PRITHEE (HI PETER)* AInd: outed 9 … Read more >>