manehi

Found this pretty tough, with 24ac/1dn, 11ac and 14dn all unfamiliar. Favourite clues were 8ac, 10ac and 25ac. Edit thanks to grandpuzzler Across 1 ACCRA Heading west, curve around port (5) =”port”. Reversal … Read more >>

Some tough cluing here, I struggled after getting the long 19d solution almost immediately. Favourites were 11ac, 22ac, 16dn and the groan-worthy 8dn. edited, thanks to cholecyst and Eileen Across 1 TESTIS =”ball” … Read more >>

Found this very slow going, and had to come back to it twice in the end. Lovely cluing throughout, my favourites were 14ac and 22dn. Thanks for the comments re: 9dn, and (especially … Read more >>

Nothing too tricky here, but all very smoothly done. Favourites were 15ac, 3dn and 14dn. Across 1 CURTSY =”Bob” CURT=”brusque” + S[l]Y=”heartlessly cunning” 4 ALCOPOP =”drink” A + COP=”bobby” inside LOP=”dock”=cut the end … Read more >>

Very straightforward from Rufus today. I liked 12ac, 17ac, 8dn and especially 25dn. Across 1 SERVICE cryptic def The start of proceedings on a tennis court. 5 CHABLIS =”Wine” (cash bill)*, minus L=Roman … Read more >>

Found this tough, though all the cluing was very fair. Favourites were 5dn and 15dn. Across 1 PLUNDER =”Rob” bLUNDER=”mistake”, with a “misprinting” of the “initial letter” 5 FLUSHED =”looking roseate” FLU=”Illness”, SHED=”got … Read more >>

Got through most of this quickly, but came unstuck for a long while on the last two – 21ac then 7dn. Favourite clues were 2dn and 8ac. Across 1 PAPER CLIP cryptic def … Read more >>

Not too difficult, but I really enjoyed this. 2dn in particular stood out, but there was a lot of clever cluing and surfaces here (10, 22, 24, 12dn…) Across 7 XEROXES =”runs off” … Read more >>

Found this quite tough for a Rufus – the SE corner held me up, and I had to resort to Google for 25ac given the unhelpful crossers. Favourite clues were 6dn and 8dn, … Read more >>

Fun and challenging, despite the two longer clues falling almost immediately. Favourites were 15a and 3d. Across 8 TERRAPIN =”reptile” (painter)* around R[ex]=”king” 10 STOW =”stuff” [as a verb] rev(WOT’S) – my Chambers … Read more >>

Enjoyable and not too difficult. Favourite clues were 18a, 21a and 11d. Across 1 GREAT APE =”Animal” EAT=”to have a meal” inside GRAPE=”fruit” 5 YAMMER =”Complain consistently” Y=”Yankee” in the phonetic alphabet + … Read more >>

Paul at his cheekiest, if not his most difficult. Across 1 GOBBLER double def =”One eating”; =”turkey” 5 ADVANCE =”Go on” A + TRIP=”dance” around V[enezuelan] 10 SAGA =”story” SAG=”Drop” + A 11 … Read more >>

Fun from Paul, without being too tricky. Favourites were 22ac and 1dn. Across 10 SEA ANEMONE =”water-dweller” SEEM=”appear” around A+AN=”two articles”,+ ONE 11 REVERB =”Rock guitarist’s assistant” EVER=”always” inside R and B 12 … Read more >>

Much as usual for a Monday Rufus. I did like the trio of linked double defs at 8ac, 1dn, 11dn. Across 7 OLEASTERS =”shrubs” (late roses)* 8 SPLIT double def =”Rent” in the … Read more >>

A Valentine’s crossword with a few well-worked mini-themes and lots of clever cluing – I particularly liked 13ac, 20ac/16dn, 25ac and 5dn/22dn. Groaned aloud at 19dn. Across 7 SAMOVAR =”Urn” [wiki] I think … Read more >>