NealH's avatarNealH

I've been doing crosswords off and on since university back in the 1980s. I used to do the Guardian, but defected to the Independent a year ago. My solving standard is still not what I'd like. I'd love to be able to knock off a crossword in 10 minutes, but find I'm still getting stuck for long periods when the inspiration doesn't quite arrive. I once had a go at compiling crosswords but, after a very rude rejection for the editor of the Telegraph, I didn't bother any further.

Independent 6987 by Merlin

by

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, CD=cryptic def The combination of cryptic definitions and very long anagrams meant I found this quite hard going, although it was quite satisfying to get through.   It seemed to … Read more >>

Independent No 6981 by Hypnos

by

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, CD=cryptic def Relatively straightforward with well written clues. There was just one clue I didn’t follow fully (24 down). Across 1 Automatic: Double definition (refers to an automatic car). … Read more >>

Independent 6975 by Virgilius

by

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, CD=cryptic def A topical, Oscar-themed puzzle which I found quite enjoyable but may not be to the taste of non-film buffs, especially since some of the films referenced were … Read more >>

Independent N0 6969 by Math

by

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone After a lot of quite difficult puzzles recently, it was nice to have something relatively straightforward. I even had time to look for the NINA, which appears across the … Read more >>

Independent 6957 by Merlin

by

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone A Groundhog Day themed puzzle, although the joke of having the phrase appear three times owed more to the Bill Murray film than the weather forecasting event. I think … Read more >>

Independent 6951 by Punk

by

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone An enjoyable puzzle that didn’t require vast amounts of general knowledge. There were some excellent surface definitions that appeared utterly bewildering at first glance (particularly 21 down). Across 9 … Read more >>

Independent 6945 by Monk

by

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone I found this extremely tough and struggled to get going. Repeatedly misreading 20 down as “hackneyed phrase” didn’t help. However, all the answers made sense to me. Across 1 … Read more >>

Independent 6933 by Hypnos

by

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone I found this surprisingly easy, given it was littered with the sort of clues that I normally struggle with (e.g. double definitions involving the names of celebrities). Most of … Read more >>

Independent 6927 by Punk

by

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone An enjoyable puzzle with a good mix of clues. The only one I didn’t follow was 21 down. Across 1 Attache: Cryptic def (attache case). 5 Sampler: S[titches] + … Read more >>

Independent 6922 by Dac

by

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone A gentle start to Christmas week from Dac with some well-written and enjoyable clues. Across 1 Aer Lingus: (singlur + E[ire])*. 6 Scrub: First letters of spring cleaning + … Read more >>

Independent 6916 by Tees

by

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone I found this a little easier than some Tees puzzles, but one or two left me a bit bewildered (especially 19 across). The three clues linked by pillow talk … Read more >>

Independent 6910 by Math

by

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone It was good value today, with a lot of clues. Most were fairly straightforward, with many easy-to-spot anagrams, but there were a few harder clues sprinkled in. It took … Read more >>

Independent 6904 / Glowworm

by

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone A Christmas list themed puzzle that had some well-constructed clues, but a little too much obscure stuff (e.g. abolla, ibo) for my liking. There were a couple I didn’t … Read more >>