Independent 10,285/Tees
It’s another Tees and Pierre show, I’m afraid. We do love each other in a special way, but the reason we keep bumping into each other is that Tees is a Monday regular … Read more >>
Pierre
Everyman 3,806/22 September
Bonjour. Everyman has settled into a distinctive style, which (now I am familiar with it) is an aid to solving. I’ve got a few niggles about this one, though. The … Read more >>
Guardian Quiptic 1,036/Matilda
Matilda waltzing into town again with another well-constructed Quiptic puzzle, which I enjoyed solving and blogging. If you were in the ‘beginners’ rather than ‘those in a hurry’ category, you might have found … Read more >>
Guardian 27,927/Vulcan
Bonjour. Eileen is the person responsible for encouraging me back into cryptic crosswords more than a decade ago (through Fifteensquared, natch) so I am pleased and humbled to stand in for her as … Read more >>
Guardian Quiptic 1,034/Hectence
The Quiptic is 20 years old in November and Hectence was one of the first setters back in the early days. She should be good, shouldn’t she? Let me tell you something: she … Read more >>
Independent 10,267/Italicus
Italicus made his Indy debut a year ago and featured around once a month till the spring. This is the first sight of him since then, but he’s very welcome, because this was … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 1,541/Nitsy
Nitsy is an infrequent setter for the Independent on Sunday, but always offers us a puzzle in the traditional IoS style – accessible, clearly clued and with no real obscurities or unusual devices. … Read more >>
Everyman 3,802/25 August
I enjoyed this Everyman offering. Getting used to his or her ‘trademarks’ – linked clues and a propensity for clue-as-definition devices – helped the solve along. What did you make of it? … Read more >>
Guardian Quiptic 1,032/Pan
Pan never disappoints in the Quiptic slot. Here’s a tractable, carefully constructed cryptic for a lazy Bank Holiday morning (where I live, at least). Abbreviations cd cryptic definition dd double definition … Read more >>
Independent 10,249/Tees
Another entertaining and engaging puzzle from Tees to start the Indy week. You always learn stuff from him. The setter has been rummaging in his ‘unusual words’ drawer, and there were four new … Read more >>
Guardian Quiptic 1,030/Carpathian
A delightful puzzle from Carpathian which is perfect for the Quiptic slot. I’ve nowt more to say, other than to deconstruct the clues for you. Abbreviations cd cryptic definition … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 1,537/Raich
You know when you see Raich’s name on a puzzle that you’ll be solving a soundly clued, accessible offering, with the strong likelihood of a bit of footie thrown in. Et voilà … … Read more >>
Everyman 3,798/28 July
Another sound enough offering from Everyman this morning, but with one clue where the instruction is missing and a few – in my opinion at least – with rather random surface readings. … Read more >>
Guardian Quiptic 1,028/Anto
Apart from two clues that aren’t cryptic, one that is faulty, seven other niggles and a complete lack of wit, I thought this was an okayish puzzle for the Quiptic slot. You? … Read more >>
Independent 10,231/Flitwick
Painstaking research shows that this is Flitwick’s third puzzle for the Indy or IoS, with a debut puzzle in March of this year, and this is the third time it has fallen to … Read more >>