Never knowingly undersolved
HolyGhost A first solo Inquisitor offering from Ilver, but already known to us as one of the triumvirate Rasputin. Wordplay in twenty-seven clues gives rise to single extra letters, in order giving an … Read more >>
Schadenfreude is back again. I paraphrase: “Each of 18 clues has a redundant word with one letter in common with its answer. These letters define the phrase to be entered in empty … Read more >>
The editor refers to the “IQ debutant Jago“, but, assuming there’s only one setter that goes by that name, he’s produced well over 20 puzzles in the last 40 years for The Listener … Read more >>
I reckon we’ve had the tough one for this quintet, so this puzzle from Shark should be easy or moderate – but there are no guarantees. “A thematic reference appears in 8 … Read more >>
Wordplay in 13 clues leads to the answer minus one letter (unchecked). Wordplay for the others leads to the entry plus one letter – these give part of a quotation. The full quotation … Read more >>
He’s back – Schadenfreude never stays away very long, 7½ weeks on average. One clue per column (except the edges) has a misprinted definition, and corrections are to be entered in the top … Read more >>
Second time out here for Xanthippe (though many more Listener puzzles). Four answers too long (& making one fit results in a blank cell); five others too short & so initially padded with … Read more >>
A welcome return by Hypnos. Thematically, 32 clues have a superfluous letter in a jumbled word in the definition part; these letters spell out the theme, illustrated by five … Read more >>
Another long preamble from Lato … 11 entries are unnumbered – thematic or unclued, so about 20%. It’s all about X: thematics cryptically reveal the identity; unclued give a description, field of activity, … Read more >>
Two unclued part-quotations, the first being completed by extra letters in the wordplay of each clue. The surname of the author of the second is to be highlighted in the grid. The … Read more >>
Seven entries are “starting points” (towns, cities, countries) clued in alphabetical order by wordplay only, and seven rhyming “destinations” are not clued at all. Extra letters in the wordplay of 33 clues spell … Read more >>
A long preamble, paraphrased: Two unclued entries describe how 11 thematic answers have to be changed before entry. (In one case there’s a double change, and answer & entry lead to an anagram … Read more >>
Puzzles 1315 – 1366
It’s a while since I blogged one of Phi‘s puzzles. And before I start, let me wish everyone a happy festive season – I’ll be trekking & camping in the Anti-Atlas (so no … Read more >>
Schadenfreude for me again … and another highly asymmetric grid (with a large number of clues). “18 misprinted definitions give what must appear in the completed grid; one character … Read more >>