Enigmatic Variations 1240: Mass Transit by Ifor
Ifor offers us some MASS TRANSIT this week – we could be ‘going underground’, with the Jam; we could be ‘on the buses’ with Reg Varney; or we could be on the EV … Read more >>
mc_rapper67
Cyclops 580: J-exit / resignation honours
After a momentous few weeks of Brexit, political resignations and shenanigans (et tu Gové?!), and Cameron’s lavender list, the 15×15 world has been rocked by its own J-exit – the resignation of JetDoc from the Cyclops blog. … Read more >>
Independent 9302 by Nimrod (Saturday Puzzle 6 August 2016)
Just like a London bus…you wait ages for a Saturday Nimrod to blog, then two come along in a row (well, five weeks apart, but in a row on my rota slot). Indy … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations 1236: Record Holders by Nutmeg
With the Olympics starting at approximately the same time as this puzzle’s submission date, is Nutmeg going to give us some sporting records to decipher…will this be a marathon or a sprint?…or perhaps … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations 1232: Something Isn’t There by Samuel
On first inspection of SOMETHING ISN’T THERE, I had a touch of the Rumsfelds – there are ‘known unknowns’, and there might well be some ‘unknown unknowns’… Will Samuel be using his weapons of … Read more >>
Independent 9272 by Nimrod (Saturday Puzzle 2 July 2016)
To adapt a well-worn and topical football cliché, Nimrod would probably be the first name on the Indy (or any other) crossword editor’s ‘team sheet’…and to quote the Monty Python team in their (admittedly … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations 1228: Full Circle by Artix
What will EV solvers find at the ‘Artix Circle’?…A vast expanse of whiteness for a start! With no numbers and very few bars, we have ourselves another jigsaw EV…albeit at least with the … Read more >>
Independent 9242 by Monk (Saturday Puzzle 28 May 2016)
Enjoyable fare from Monk today…some nice surface readings and clever clueing… …and a Nina to boot, although I only spotted it once the grid was completed and I was preparing to blog it. … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations 1224: Subtitles by Oxymoron
SUBTITLES ticks several EV boxes: unnumbered thematic clues to be inserted where they fit; but first jumbled with a letter removed – removed letters forming thematic names; misprints in some definitions giving more thematic … Read more >>
Guardian Genius 154 by Monk
The preamble to Genius 154 tells us: “Solutions to the clues are to be entered in one of two ways to be determined by the solver, which are confirmed by a message that … Read more >>
Independent 9212 by Phi (Saturday non-Prize Puzzle 23 April 2016)
A fairly 2D puzzle from Phi, with multiple cross-references to 5D and 24D in various clues… …which, respectively, turned out to be ‘SHAKE’ and ‘SPEAR’ – on the occasion of the 400th anniversary … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations 1220: Ring Damascus by Kruger
This was quite challenging (for me, at least) and, if it wasn’t a blogging week, it might have been quietly put to one side and walked away from! I just about managed to … Read more >>
Independent 9182 by Donk (?LAST EVER? Saturday Prize Puzzle – RIP – 19 March 2016)
I have in my hand a piece of paper…and unfortunately this is the last time I will be able to say that about a newsprint copy of an Indy Prize Cryptic (;+<) (My understanding … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations 1216: Border by Chalicea
Borders are a bit of a hot topic at the moment – with the EU struggling with the refugee crisis, Donald Trump threatening to build a wall to ‘keep the Mexicans out’, and … Read more >>
Independent 9152 by Klingsor (Saturday Prize Puzzle 13 February 2016)
An enjoyable and diverting puzzle from Klingsor this week – no fancy theme or Nina, as far as I can see anyway! Some nice clue surfaces and a wide variety of clueing devices … Read more >>