Independent 9,888 by Phi

One of Phi’s more intractable puzzles, it seemed to me. The difficulty with his clueing, even though it is almost universally sound, excellent and imaginative, is that — as Carol Vorderman used to say on Countdown with respect to the numbers games when a contestant chose four large numbers — there are so many ways to go. The clues, although simple enough after the event, often have many possiblities. No doubt this is deliberate. It certainly is more fun than those clues where you say ‘well it must be that, but …’

Definitions underlined, in maroon [I must have done something wrong since they’re not in maroon. Never mind]. Anagram indicators in italics.

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Independent 9,879 by Maize

A most enjoyable, albeit very difficult I thought, crossword today. There are lots of extremely clever clues, as we have come to expect of Maize. I thought 20dn and any number of others were outstanding.

Definitions underlined, in maroon. Anagram indicators in italics.

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Independent 9,874 by Knut

I was panicking a bit to begin with, because on scanning the clues I couldn’t do any of them for a while. Then a few fell and it was all easy enough, a pleasant offering from Knut today. There were one or two small things I was a bit uncomfortable with, as indicated below, but on the whole it was good.

Definitions underlined, in maroon. Anagram indicators in italics.

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Independent 9,869 by Morph

Some very good clues here. I wasn’t sitting in my usual place in peace and quiet when trying to solve this, and made poor progress with it.  Only when I came home did it fall, and even then I had to ‘cheat’ once or twice. So it’s difficult, or perhaps it’s just me.

Definitions underlined, in maroon.  Anagram indicators in italics.

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Independent 9,864 by Phi

Excellent crossword as usual from Phi. Some of the clues were very good, and sometimes one didn’t for a long time know where to go.

Definitions underlined in maroon. Anagram indicators in italics.

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Independent 9,855 by Punk

One of Punk’s typically excellent crosswords: not easy to solve — particularly while the gateway clue was still a mystery to me — but quite straightforward after the event, as it should be.

Definitions underlined, in maroon. Anagram indicators in italics.

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Independent 9,850 by Alchemi

You always get a nice transparent offering from Alchemi. Plenty of good clues here, though nothing I could see that was particularly frightening.

Definitions underlined, in maroon. Anagram indicators in italics.

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Independent 9,840 by Phi

Whatever else? Phi has as always produced a pleasant and well-constructed crossword. As tends to be the case with him, everything is perfectly clear afterwards even though the actual method of solution may not have been obvious.  Many of these answers can be explained in one simple expression.

Definitions underlined, in maroon.  Anagram indicators in italics.

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Independent 9,831 by Filbert

I enjoyed this crossword by a setter whose crosswords I have never blogged. Previous puzzles seem to have been rather difficult. This one was also on the hard side, but there are some very good clues here and it all just about makes sense after solving.

Definitions underlined, in maroon. Anagram indicators in italics.

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Independent 9,826 by Silvanus

An enjoyable crossword from Silvanus today. If I was being really picky I’d say that rather a lot of the clues require you to leave out bits of, or the majority of, words. But really this doesn’t matter. I can just about understand it all (except for 1ac) and so far as I’m concerned that’s what matters.

Definitions underlined, in maroon. Anagram indicators in italics.

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Independent 9,821 by Morph

Excellent crossword from Morph today. It took me a long time, but that was because it was good and difficult, and the delay was almost entirely the result of my own incompetence. Where I have cast doubt on the setter I shall probably be shown to be wrong.  There are lots of very nice clues here.

Definitions underlined in maroon and anagram indicators in italics.

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Independent 9,807 by Knut

There is a quite well-known setter who never so far as I can see sets a crossword with more than 28 clues in it. Quite sensible in my opinion: he is being paid for setting a crossword and the payment doesn’t go up if there are more clues than normal. Yet this one has 35 clues. What has prompted Knut to be so profligate? Something must be going on that requires this number of clues.

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Independent 9,802 by Punk

What a difficult puzzle this was. There were lots of clues that I just couldn’t do for a long time, but I hoped to be able to complete the blog to my satisfaction; which I thought was on, but as you will see below just failed.

The less than 50% checking in several of the answers irritated me and justified me in my failure to make faster progress; quite wrong of course. The actual clues were very good and I have no excuse.

Definitions underlined in maroon.  Anagram indicators in italics.

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