Eileen

I’ve been doing cryptic crosswords since university days, learning how with a group of friends in coffee breaks. The Guardian crossword has been part of my life for most of the time since. Since retiring from teaching (originally Classics and, subsequently, when that was dropped from the curriculum, mostly English and History), having serendipitously stumbled on 15², I discovered that I could get the Indy and FT puzzles online and so I now add those, when they are set by my favourite compilers. Occasionally, I try the Genius and have even submitted a few. (Some years ago, I won a Collins dictionary in the Guardian Prize lottery, which established it as my referred reference.) I don’t take note of solving times: I enjoy taking time savouring the construction and particularly the surface of clues and always feel slightly disappointed when I finish too quickly. My one regret is my complete failure to enthuse any member of my family with cryptic crosswords.

Guardian 25,255 / Bonxie

Fri February 25, 2011 at 9:40 am by Eileen

We don’t see enough of Bonxie, I think, so this was very welcome: a witty and entertaining puzzle, with ingenious cluing, some excellent surfaces, several penny-dropping moments and a few smiles to end … Read more >>

Guardian 25,245 / Brendan

Mon February 14, 2011 at 9:23 am by Eileen

A delightfully entertaining puzzle from Brendan, with an added diversion at the end, to find the thirteen themed answers referred to in 9ac. I thoroughly enjoyed both the solve, which was not too … Read more >>

Guardian Prize 25,238 / Brummie

Sat February 12, 2011 at 2:17 pmSat February 12, 2011 at 12:10 am by Eileen

I think I’ve said before that I’m always a little apprehensive when I see Brummie’s name on a puzzle that I’m about to solve, let alone blog. However, it fairly quickly all came … Read more >>

Guardian 25,241 / Gordius

Wed February 9, 2011 at 12:39 pmWed February 9, 2011 at 9:15 am by Eileen

A fairly typical Gordius, I think, comprising mostly anagrams, simple charades and/or insertions and double definitions, with several niggles, as usual for me with this setter. Across 7 DOG-COLLAR: DOG [reversal of GOD … Read more >>

Guardian 25,236 / Araucaria

Thu February 3, 2011 at 10:35 amThu February 3, 2011 at 9:53 am by Eileen

What a treat! This took a while to get into but, once I latched on to the theme – right up my street! – it was rather plainer sailing for me than for … Read more >>

Guardian 25,231 / Quantum

Fri January 28, 2011 at 4:49 pmFri January 28, 2011 at 9:38 am by Eileen

Pondering what to say in the preamble has taken almost as long as the solve – and I still haven’t come up with anything appropriate. To say that I was surprised to see … Read more >>

Guardian Prize 25,220 / Araucaria

Sat January 22, 2011 at 9:04 amSat January 22, 2011 at 12:20 am by Eileen

This is one of those puzzles that make your [or, at least my] heart sink when you see a long quotation that covers what seems about half of the grid and, when it’s … Read more >>

Guardian 25,221 / Rufus

Mon January 17, 2011 at 8:28 am by Eileen

There are some slightly trickier clues here today from Rufus but there are the expected ingenious anagrams and witty surfaces, with rather fewer cryptic definitions, I think, for those who dislike them. Anyway, … Read more >>

Guardian 25,217 / Arachne

Wed January 12, 2011 at 5:49 pmWed January 12, 2011 at 8:36 am by Eileen

There’s something for everyone here: art, opera, literature, geology and science. I have niggles about one or two definitions but there are some clever clues, with some good anagrams and smooth surfaces, giving … Read more >>

Guardian 25,213 / Araucaria

Fri January 7, 2011 at 12:03 pmFri January 7, 2011 at 9:26 am by Eileen

Thanks again for the swap, Mark! 😉 I found some parts of this a bit tricky, so there were several smiles and ahas, for me, when the penny did drop. There was a … Read more >>

Guardian 25,207 / Orlando

Fri December 31, 2010 at 8:23 am by Eileen

Orlando’s puzzles are always entertaining and I’m pleased to get one of his for my last blog of the year. There’s a good variety of cluing, with smooth, often witty, surfaces throughout, some … Read more >>

Guardian 25,198 / Rufus

Mon December 20, 2010 at 10:54 amMon December 20, 2010 at 9:22 am by Eileen

Another Christmas cracker from Rufus.

Guardian 25,194 / Paul

Wed December 15, 2010 at 4:27 pmWed December 15, 2010 at 10:07 am by Eileen

‘The best laid schemes … ‘ My plan was to stay up and solve this puzzle when it was published and provide an early blog, for once. Alas, I fell asleep at about … Read more >>

Guardian 25,189 / Araucaria

Thu December 9, 2010 at 8:24 am by Eileen

I think this puzzle might not be everyone’s cup of tea but I enjoyed it, once I got started. 3dn was the first themed answer I got, before solving 25,22, so I went … Read more >>

Guardian 25,184 / Brummie

Fri December 3, 2010 at 12:48 pmFri December 3, 2010 at 9:41 am by Eileen

I never quite know what to expect from Brummie, so was a bit 9ac when I started this puzzle. I needn’t have worried – it turned out to be quite straightforward and a … Read more >>