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HolyGhost's avatarHolyGhost

Started on cryptic crosswords as a late teenager and completed the Times daily until the Independent started. (Didn't do the crossword - just stopped reading the Times.) Often tackled the Independent weekend magazine crossword in the early and late 1990s (spent mid-90s in Bruxelles), and then most of them since moving out of London in summer 2000. I must say that my forays into the Listener used to prove more satisfying (except the number ones) - estimate 98% successful - but usually don't have enough discretionary time for both. Now that the Listener and the Inquisitor seem pretty level I rarely stray from tackling only the latter.

Inquisitor 1748: Francophile by Skylark

Mon June 27, 2022 at 12:40 pmTue May 3, 2022 at 10:00 am by HolyGhost

Skylark completes the quartet in “Ladies’ Month” (though there is room for another one this April).  Preamble: Every clue but one contains an extra letter which should be removed before solving. In order, … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 10 Comments

Inquisitor 1744: Go Figure by Nimrod

Fri April 8, 2022 at 5:10 pmTue April 5, 2022 at 10:00 am by HolyGhost

Nimrod – aah, our esteemed editor. I hope I fare better with this than with his previous offering (#1721 Hole), my greatest failure to date.   Preamble: Clues – all normal – are … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 19 Comments

Inquisitor 1740: Wry by Botox

Tue March 8, 2022 at 10:00 am by HolyGhost

Botox: new? Maybe not: the Listener crossword website says “see Artix & Shark”.   Preamble: Bracketed numbers indicate spaces available but three unchecked cells must initially contain more than one letter. A pair … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 19 Comments

Inquisitor 1736: The Magic Number by Check

Tue February 8, 2022 at 10:00 am by HolyGhost

Check – the third of four new setters in a row.   Preamble: Clues are listed in conventional order. Bars (displaying 180° symmetry) and clue numbering are not required. Two cells are initially … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 21 Comments

Inquisitor 1732: Appropriate by Lato

Tue January 11, 2022 at 10:00 am by HolyGhost

I was fully expecting Harribobs at this time of year, but instead up pops Lato (as indeed he did last year).   Preamble: Nine unclued entries, one of two words and one a … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 29 Comments

Inquisitor index: 2022

Tue April 8, 2025 at 12:26 pmSat January 1, 2022 at 1:23 am by HolyGhost

Puzzles 1732 – 1784

Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor Index

Inquisitor 1728: Face Trouble by Ifor

Tue December 14, 2021 at 8:11 pmTue December 14, 2021 at 10:00 am by HolyGhost

Ifor, and a rather asymmetrical grid.   Preamble: The clue to one entry in each row and each column contains an extra word. Each is primarily associated with a single letter from a … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 17 Comments

Inquisitor 1724: Flight Plan by Kruger

Sat November 20, 2021 at 5:03 pmTue November 16, 2021 at 10:00 am by HolyGhost

Kruger’s 50th Inquisitor puzzle.   Preamble: Seventeen clues contain an extra word that must be removed before solving. In clue order, the first or fourth letters of each extra word followed by the … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 15 Comments

Inquisitor 1720: Comings and Goings by Eclogue

Tue October 19, 2021 at 10:00 am by HolyGhost

I’ve found puzzles by Eclogue quite variable in the past. Some excellent, some only so-so; some difficult, some not so hard. (And no correlation between the two.)   Preamble: Wordplay in 18 clues … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 7 Comments

Inquisitor 1716: Excess Baggage by Vagans

Tue September 21, 2021 at 10:00 am by HolyGhost

Vagans – a newbie.   Preamble: A serious ascent is being made, in three stages, which requires excess baggage to be shed. Wordplay in 25 clues generates an extra letter not to be … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 10 Comments

Inquisitor 1712: Your Case by Kruger

Mon August 30, 2021 at 9:44 pmTue August 24, 2021 at 10:00 am by HolyGhost

Kruger – a week late for kenmac to add to his duels with the setter.   Preamble: In twenty clues, some or all of the definition has been jumbled with an extra letter. … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 8 Comments

Inquisitor 1708: Coward by Skylark

Tue July 27, 2021 at 10:00 am by HolyGhost

Skylark, the third of four female setters in Ladies’ month (although this July has five Saturdays so there’s room for one more).   Preamble: Symmetrical grid entries contain the endings of four lines … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 14 Comments

Inquisitor 1704: Ransomware by Eclogue

Tue June 29, 2021 at 12:31 pmTue June 29, 2021 at 10:00 am by HolyGhost

Eclogue averages about three Inquisitor puzzles a year of late.   Preamble: When read in clue order, the last letters of extraneous words in every clue provide a partial definition and visual context … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 9 Comments

Inquisitor 1700: HMS Conqueror by PINK

Tue June 1, 2021 at 10:00 am by HolyGhost

PINK is back for this centenary puzzle.   Preamble: Answers to several clues lose a thematic word or abbreviation to yield the relevant entries, which are also words. Lengths indicate the number of … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 13 Comments

Inquisitor 1696: Title Sequence by Gila

Tue May 4, 2021 at 10:00 am by HolyGhost

Gila has given us some cracking puzzles in the past. I wonder what’ve we got here.   Preamble: Clues are presented in alphabetical order of their answers, which must be entered in the … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 52 Comments
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