Yikes! This was hard
I got 6 answers after the first pass of the clues, but 2 of them turned out to be wrong.
Independent
Independent 9942 / Phi
Today sees the usual Friday offering from Phi There was one word in this puzzle that I have never come across before – INCUNABULA. The wordplay was clear but I … Read more >>
Independent 9,941 by Daedalus
Not the easiest. I’m embarrassed to say how long it took, even with all sorts of aids. But no real complaints — one or two things that seemed at the time to be stretching things a bit but which in retrospect are probably fair enough, and some very good clues. And help needed with 28ac, please.
Definitions in maroon, underlined. Anagram indicators in italics.
Independent 9,940 by Hoskins
We’re celebrating our 400th blog today with a typically enjoyable Hoskins offering.
Independent 9,939 / Filbert
Filbert’s latest puzzle is the subject of my 400th blog, since my first write-up was published on this site on 1st December 2010. It is only the second time that it has fallen … Read more >>
Independent 9,938 by Alchemi
Alchemi gets our week off in the so called “easy” spot.
Independent on Sunday 1,486 by Peter
My second Peter on the trot after 1,482 a few weeks back, and it seemed a fairly similar experience. A few easier ones, a few that few put up a fight, and I … Read more >>
Independent crossword 9937 by Serpent
A puzzle from Serpent – a compiler I am rapidly growing to admire. And no disappointment here. Very much the usual high standard of clueing with some original/unusual devices in the clue construction … Read more >>
Independent 9,936 by Phi
The usual utterly sound and enjoyable crossword from Phi. Nothing at all controversial, so far as I can see.
Although Phi often has a Nina he apparently never uses this as an excuse to have less than 50% checking. OK some people don’t regard this as important, but sticklers like me do. (Some people would replace the word ‘sticklers’ by ‘pedants’.)
Definitions underlined, in maroon. Anagram indicators in italics.
Independent 9,935 by eXternal
An enjoyable challenge from eXternal today.
Independent 9,934 / Eccles
Eccles, one of the more recent additions to the Indy compiling team, has produced this week’s Wednesday puzzle. I found this to be a highly entertaining crossword to solve, at the easier end … Read more >>
Independent 9933 / Radian
Tuesday is theme day in the Independent, so I went looking for one in Radian’s puzzle I didn’t get it immediately as drama is not one of my strong points. However, … Read more >>
Independent 9,932 by Tees
An excellent puzzle with some inspired clues.
Independent on Sunday 1485/Kairos
Kairos is a regular, if infrequent, setter for the IoS (and occasionally, in the Indy itself). Here he’s provided a sound and engaging puzzle with some fine surface readings. Just one definition I … Read more >>
Independent 9931 by Punk (Saturday Puzzle 11 August 2018)
A fairly tough Saturday workout from Punk this weekend… …nothing obvious (to me) on the thematic/Nina front, but some complicated parsings and nice surface readings. PORK SCRATCHINGS, GENE SIMMONS and LEAD SINGER among my … Read more >>