Pete Maclean

A good, challenging and satisfying puzzle which like most from Bradman is a little on the tough side for a daily FTer. Challenging enough in fact that I have yet to complete the … Read more >>

Another lovely puzzle from Cincinnus. I particularly like 13A, 19A, 25A and 5D. I found 26A and 20D hard. Across 1, 28. MAKING TRACKS – double definition 4. THE CHAMP – THE (article) … Read more >>

Cinephile is well on form with this fine themed puzzle. Most of the across clues include “beast” and have answers that start with names of animals. This was an easier theme to work … Read more >>

A solid and satisfying puzzle from Mudd this week. Across 7. ELEVATOR – anagram of TO REVEAL 8. INFORM – double definition 11. ON TAP – NT (books) in OAP (pensioner) 12. EDUCATION … Read more >>

This was for me a bit more difficult than the average Cincinnus but just as impressive. There were two clues I did not completely understand (10A and 19D). Across 1. BOOTBLACK – BOOT … Read more >>

For the first time since I started blogging I had a clue that I could not solve! See 17 across. There are others that I do not completely understand and a couple that … Read more >>

Across 1. VERBATIM – anagram (terribly) of BRAVE + TIM (little chap) 6. CUCKOO – double definition 9. SPRUCE – double definition 10. NO LONGER – anagram of GO ON LNER. LNER was … Read more >>

Following two Weekend FT puzzles that I fairly sailed through, Mudd gave me a bit of a challenge with this one. As usual, it was a satisfying challenge. I did however fail to … Read more >>

I believe this is the first Bradman puzzle I have attempted. It took me a while — longer than I would generally want to spend on a daily puzzle — perhaps because I … Read more >>

For the second week in a row, I completed the FT Weekend puzzle very quickly. In this week’s case, it helped that all the words are common — or at least ones I … Read more >>

This is one of those characteristic Cinephile puzzles with a theme that carries through the longest entries and into a few of the short ones. Spot the theme quickly as I did and … Read more >>

Yet another beauty from Cincinnus. This one had several words/terms that I did not know but they all proved fairly easy to figure out. My favourite clues are 12A, 24A and 25A. Across … Read more >>

I quickly finished the left half of the grid. It then took me a couple of days before I got a good start on the right side. Once I did, I finished it … Read more >>

Tougher than usual Cincinnus perhaps with some challenging clues (for me 1A, 1D, 17D and 25D) and a couple of beauties (28A, 15D). Across 1. LOBELIAS – ELIA (essayist) in LOBS (throws). It … Read more >>

Actually for me the difficulty of this puzzle was fairly average, leavened a bit by a typical kind of Cinephile theme, fiends. I have enjoyed puzzles by John Graham (Cinephile/Araucaria) for many years … Read more >>