I’ve not come across Gila much before but this was a solid offering which was generally at the easier end of the spectrum. Not sure if the name refers to the Gila monster, a type of lizard – perhaps the compiler will enlighten us.
Independent
Independent 1,372 by Anglio
I remeber when the Independent on Sunday puzzle was a gentle stroll after lunch- not any more! I found this quite tricky. Thanks to Anglio for an interesting puzzle.
Independent Crossword 9248 by Donk
Well it’s a puzzle from Donk this week and a grid layout that I regard as one of the hardest with almost four distinct mini grids with minimal overlap. And yes it proved … Read more >>
Independent 9247 / Phi
It’s Friday, it’s Phi so all’s well with the world. There were a number of literary allusions in the clues and in the grid today but I’m not sure whether … Read more >>
Independent 9,246 by Morph
Morph has given us his usual very sound and pleasant crossword. It was always my impression that Morph’s clues were on the wordy side, but I counted them (yes I really did, I have to admit) and the average word-length of each clue is only 7, which compares quite favourably with Dean Mayer’s last Sunday Times puzzle of 6.8. I had always thought that Dean’s clues were particularly pithy, but this one was not all that far behind. Anyway, perhaps it’s a bit silly to focus on length: quality is what it’s about, and there was plenty of quality here.
Independent 9245 / Dac
What can we say? Another excellent Dac, which for some reason we found slightly tougher than normal. As usual, excellent surfaces, with an ingenious definition at 1d. We were delighted that our favourite … Read more >>
Independent 9,244 / Crosophile
Crosophile has served up this morning’s cruciverbal fare. I enjoyed this puzzle, finding it a challenge but not an insurmountable one. There was no point at which the solution suddenly revealed itself to … Read more >>
Independent 9243/Daedalus
Daedalus and I keep running into each other on Fifteensquared. This is his ninth Indy puzzle and I’ve blogged five of them. I’m still not warming to his style – I find it … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 1,371 by Alchemi
A fairly rare Sunday outing from Alchemi, the first since January, as far as I can tell. My last couple in included 25 across, which doesn’t seem all that difficult and is rather … Read more >>
Independent 9242 by Monk (Saturday Puzzle 28 May 2016)
Enjoyable fare from Monk today…some nice surface readings and clever clueing… …and a Nina to boot, although I only spotted it once the grid was completed and I was preparing to blog it. … Read more >>
Independent 9,241 by Phi
A nicely-accessible Phi today. I had no major problems with it.
Definitions underlined and in maroon.
Independent 9240 / Knut
We’re back in the UK after three weeks away with very limited internet access, and Knut provided us with a lovely challenge for our return. Thanks to Gaufrid for standing in for us. … Read more >>
Independent 9,239 / Quixote
It is the last Wednesday of the month, so Dac is taking a well-earned break from compiling duties. I think this puzzle was very much towards the easy end of the Quixote, and … Read more >>
Independent 9238 / Radian
Radian has given us a good test for Tuesday I did about threequarters of this without too much difficulty but the last quarter took me longer than the previous three. … Read more >>
Independent 9237 / Punk
I must be honest and say that I found this one tough, particularly for a Monday (though recently Mondays haven’t necessarily been easier in the Indy), so thanks for the challenge Punk. I … Read more >>