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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 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

Inquisitor 1692: Clue Two V by eXternal

Tue April 6, 2021 at 10:00 am by HolyGhost

It’s another in the Clue Two sequence. How will eXternal follow up the Pac-Man maze?   Preamble: The unclued top row gives a thematic location. An answer to one down clue per column … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 18 Comments

Inquisitor 1688: Targeted Treatment by Phi

Tue March 9, 2021 at 10:00 am by HolyGhost

Phi is a rather prolific setter here, about 4 puzzles a year of late – many more in other outlets.   Preamble: The two unclued entries are to be unjumbled to form thematic … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 11 Comments

Inquisitor 1684: Frustration by Skylark

Sun March 7, 2021 at 10:06 pmTue February 9, 2021 at 10:00 am by HolyGhost

Is this the start of Ladies’ month? (About this time last year we had consecutive puzzles from Nutmeg, Chalicea, Vismut and Skylark.)   Preamble: Corrections to be made to single letter misprints in … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 14 Comments

Inquisitor 1680: Testament of Youth by Lato

Tue January 12, 2021 at 12:49 pmTue January 12, 2021 at 10:00 am by HolyGhost

Haven’t seen Lato here for a year or so.   Preamble: Thematic clues are listed in alphabetical order of their solutions which must be paired off and entered incompletely where they fit. Extra … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 15 Comments

Inquisitor index: 2021

Tue April 8, 2025 at 12:26 pmFri January 1, 2021 at 1:23 am by HolyGhost

Puzzles 1680 – 1731

Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor Index

Inquisitor 1676: Hands Across the Sea by Ifor

Tue December 15, 2020 at 11:11 amTue December 15, 2020 at 10:00 am by HolyGhost

Ifor – can usually be relied upon for many fine clues, often with few redundant words in them. I’m looking forward to it.   Preamble: Clues to one entry in each odd-numbered row … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 12 Comments

Inquisitor 1672: Shattered by Chalicea

Tue November 17, 2020 at 10:00 am by HolyGhost

Chalicea – so the clues are likely to be gentle. The asymmetric grid alone signals a search during the endgame.   Preamble: To depict an aftermath, solvers must highlight nine answers (a total … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 40 Comments

Inquisitor 1668: Q by Vismut

Tue October 20, 2020 at 10:00 am by HolyGhost

Fifth puzzle from Vismut here. Very short title, gives nothing away. Grid not quite symmetric – middle row.   Preamble: Extra letters generated by the wordplay of 25 clues, not to be entered, … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 10 Comments

Inquisitor 1664: Codenames by Phi

Thu September 24, 2020 at 2:57 pmTue September 22, 2020 at 10:00 am by HolyGhost

Phi – not seen for a while.   Preamble: Answers to italicised clues are entered in a letter-substitution code. The clue answer is composed of letters in a name, and the entry (also … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 22 Comments

Inquisitor 1660: Caroline by Penumbra

Tue September 8, 2020 at 12:27 pmTue August 25, 2020 at 10:00 am by HolyGhost

A third puzzle from Penumbra, averaging about one a year.   Preamble: All clues contain a word that must be removed before solving. Initial letters of those words, in clue order, give a … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 27 Comments

Inquisitor 1656: Non-PC by Nudnix

Sat August 1, 2020 at 3:24 pmTue July 28, 2020 at 10:00 am by HolyGhost

Nudnix – a setter new to me.   Preamble: The theme involves two events – one possibly apocryphal – that happened on two (unrelated) visits. In the first, 1dn travelled East to 20; … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 15 Comments

Inquisitor 1652: Mirror Image III by Serpent

Tue June 30, 2020 at 10:00 am by HolyGhost

Serpent: no bars, no numbers just like the previous one I blogged last month, but otherwise normal (no corrections/drop-outs, no thematic way to enter answers).   Preamble: Clues are presented in the usual … Read more >>

Categories Inquisitor 18 Comments
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