Quirister

I learned to do crosswords from my parents, who also introduced me to choral singing and classical languages (they met in a choir while studying Classics / History at university). Perhaps not the most obvious background for an Engineering degree, but the language and problem-solving skills turned out to be useful for working as a technical author in the software industry. Meanwhile all the fun stuff (sewing, cooking and various crafts as well as the singing) gradually took over more of my time . . . so eventually I decided that 30 years’ working life was enough. I now do a range of different volunteer tasks and need a good diary to keep track of it all. As they say: once you retire, you wonder how you ever found time to go to work.

Independent 10,701 by Phi

Fri January 29, 2021 at 12:23 pmFri January 29, 2021 at 9:00 am by Quirister

Our regular Phi-day challenge to keep our brains in practice.

Independent 10,692 by Atrica

Tue January 19, 2021 at 9:00 am by Quirister

Atrica, as usual, has produced a tricky but enjoyable challenge. I particularly liked the cleverly misleading 23a, the wry political comment of 5d, and the typically English understatement of the definition in 6d. … Read more >>

Quiptic 1,105 by Pan

Mon January 18, 2021 at 10:29 am by Quirister

Thanks to Pan for our entertainment today. The Quiptic’s brief is “for beginners and those in a hurry”. This one perhaps stretches the definition a little, with a few less familiar words and … Read more >>

Independent 10,691 by Klingsor

Mon January 18, 2021 at 9:00 am by Quirister

A trickier than usual Monday puzzle today – as we’d expect from Klingsor, who normally appears later in the week. There are some unusual constructions, including the reverse wordplay of 1a and the … Read more >>

Independent 10,687 by Eccles

Wed January 13, 2021 at 9:00 am by Quirister

Eccles is leading us astray today, in a good way – plenty of amusing misdirections. I enjoyed the definitions hiding in plain sight in 15d and 16d, and the “just do what it … Read more >>

Independent 10,682 by Serpent

Thu January 7, 2021 at 10:23 amThu January 7, 2021 at 9:00 am by Quirister

Serpent provides an enjoyable mental workout today. I understand that there’s usually some sort of Nina or theme in Serpent’s puzzles, but I’ve failed to see one here (apart from the small group … Read more >>

Independent 10,677 by Phi

Fri January 1, 2021 at 9:30 am by Quirister

Here’s the latest from Phi, who continues to produce enjoyable puzzles every week. The clues range from fairly straightforward to quite tricky, with a good range of clue types and surprisingly few anagrams. … Read more >>

Independent 10,673 by Vernon

Mon December 28, 2020 at 9:30 am by Quirister

This is Vernon’s first appearance in the Independent, I believe. It’s not an easy puzzle, but there’s plenty to enjoy. There are some obscure words (especially 15a and 23a), and some slightly complicated … Read more >>

Quiptic 1,101 by Anto

Mon December 21, 2020 at 11:02 am by Quirister

As usual, Anto operates towards the trickier end of the Quiptic range, but there are some straightforward clues that should (I hope) get beginners started here. We have some classic crossword tricks (sign, … Read more >>

Everyman 3,869

Sun December 13, 2020 at 9:29 amSun December 13, 2020 at 12:01 am by Quirister

Perhaps a slightly trickier Everyman this week, though there are still some easy clues to get started. As usual, Everyman takes liberties with some rather 21a anagram indicators, and similarly the definitions are … Read more >>

Independent 10,656 by Alchemi

Mon December 7, 2020 at 9:00 am by Quirister

Alchemi has brewed up an enjoyable Monday morning challenge: mostly straightforward but with a few tricky bits. Lots of good surfaces and amusing misdirections. I liked the obvious-when-you-see-it 12d and the sneaky cryptic … Read more >>

Quiptic 1,097 by Carpathian

Mon November 23, 2020 at 5:44 pmMon November 23, 2020 at 10:45 am by Quirister

Thanks to Carpathian for an enjoyable Quiptic as ever: not always easy, but always fair. Some of the definitions took a bit of thought, but that’s part of the fun; everything makes sense … Read more >>

Independent 10,638 by Nitsy

Mon November 16, 2020 at 9:00 am by Quirister

This is the first time I’ve blogged a Nitsy puzzle: an enjoyable experience that I hope to repeat. Several clues here remind me of the recent US political impasse, though this may just … Read more >>

Everyman 3,865

Sun November 15, 2020 at 12:01 am by Quirister

Another fun puzzle from Everyman, with most of the usual features we’ve come to expect. The clues range from pretty straightforward to quite complex, which I think is what Everyman intends (to give … Read more >>

Quiptic 1,093 by Pan

Mon October 26, 2020 at 10:51 am by Quirister

An enjoyable solve from Pan this morning: mostly “easy when you know how”. As always, Pan provides concise clues with some lovely surfaces: my favourite was 1d. There are lots of common crossword … Read more >>