John's avatarJohn

Born 1946. Since retiring (maths teacher) have spent an increasing amount of time on crosswords, something that was impossible before – am not in the sub-ten minutes league and surely never will be. Do The Times every day (more often than not in over half an hour), also an assortment of other puzzles. Did Azed monthly for some years and entered his clue-setting competitions, occasionally with some success (I even won once, had 38 VHCs and 140 HCs — yes, I kept a record, sad isn't it) but not enough for my liking. I've set a few crosswords: five in Oxford Today, a few on Derek Harrison's website, and five in The Independent, under the name Vernon. Also play a lot of chess and golf, although as I age I'm getting weaker at both.

Independent 7360/Dac

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As usual, an immaculate little crossword from Dac, with elegant well-constructed clues. The explanation of one of the answers defeats me, but it will almost certainly be immediately made clear. (As I did … Read more >>

Independent 7350/Phi

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An excellent crossword from Phi, with an extremely modern phrase in it that defeated me. As for disclosing a Nina, I can’t be accused of this today, for either there isn’t one or I … Read more >>

Azed 1978

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The usual Azed, full of neat and tightly-constructed clues. Across 1 KEKS — keks are trousers and kex is a dry hollow herbaceous stalk 4 POPESHIP — (hopes)* in pip, and the Pope … Read more >>

Independent 7341/Virgilius

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Virgilius amuses us with variations on the colours pink and blue, as always quite delightfully. Across 1/3 PINK ELEPHANTS — (the pine planks)* — when one is loaded (i.e. drunk) one sees pink … Read more >>

Independent 7326/Phi

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A typically pleasant Phi offering. Rather a strange grid, which suggests to me that there is some Nina. But as usual I’m asking for help. Actually Phi may just be saving himself work. … Read more >>

Independent 7317/Virgilius

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Typical brilliance from Virgilius. At first I thought, after predicting confidently that the long word across was going to be SYMMETRICAL, what’s the big deal? All crosswords are symmetrical. Then I saw it … Read more >>

Independent 7312/Dac

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Not the easiest Dac puzzle, I thought. The explanation of two or three answers still eludes me, but no doubt someone will explain. The two symmetrical pairs of eight-letter answers look significant, but … Read more >>

Independent 7307/Dac

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An unusual Thursday appearance for Dac, caused by the jiggling necessary to fit in Virgilius’s St Patrick’s Day crossword on Wednesday, so this must be one of the gentler Thursday offerings; but surely … Read more >>

Azed 1971

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The usual very satisfactory offering from Azed. I have learned not to look too far for wonderful surfaces, but to admire the faultless construction of his clues. Across 2 J ASS — one … Read more >>

Independent 7302/Phi

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An unusually large number of words that I hadn’t really heard of in the usual nice Phi offering. The pairs of four-letter answers at top R and bottom L suggest something, but I … Read more >>

Independent 7288/Dac

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Typically mellifluous surfaces. I found one or two of the clues unusually hard for Dac. Across 1 I would never have got this, because I never knew that a bertha was a woman’s … Read more >>