Independent

I thought this was definitely a bit tougher than an average Dac. I struggled with a few of the lower answers here and I’d say 6D is not far from impossible without a … Read more >>

A very good crossword from Radian today, with 5dn as its theme, which appears in some form in many of the answers and clues. I find these crosswords where there is a large … Read more >>

Bonjour!  And there’s a bit of that going on today, as you’ll discover if you read on … My first Klingsor blog, of a puzzle I found difficult, but satisfying.  One that was … Read more >>

A month ago, I blogged Hypnos and found the setter quite entertaining. June’s offering is just as varied with a couple of hard-boiled eggs as befits a prized puzzle. ACROSS 1 COMPACT dd … Read more >>

What’s so special about the eleventh of June? Well it’s another Monk puzzle to blog. Some lovely clues again from Monk – 11ac, 28ac, 15ac, 7dn and 23dn are probably my top five, … Read more >>

I wasn’t on Phi’s wavelength as much today as I normally am, but I think that I got there in the end! There were more new words to me here (1A, 3, 13, … Read more >>

This was a nice challenge from Mordred. Plenty of well-hidden definitions and neat wordplay , and a number of what seem to be trademark &lits. A few less-common words here and there – … Read more >>

As always a lovely crossword from Dac. I solved it online and didn’t time myself, but there seemed to be nothing of any great difficulty here: it all went in very smoothly, something … Read more >>

A Tuesday Teeser… well it’s theme day but I struggled to spot it for a while. Lots of NW corner clues seem to refer to Gods but this proved a wild goose chase… … Read more >>

Typical good Quixote puzzle, today, entertaining, varied, not too difficult, solving time 24 mins * = anagram ACROSS 1   POLIC(e)  Y (yard) 4 OB (old boy) UR (old city – of Sumer) in … Read more >>

I don’t think I’ve ever blogged a Poins before, which always makes for a slightly daunting solve. In the event, I seemed to manage a lot of this on the first pass through…and … Read more >>

NB. For some reason, this is not the puzzle posted on the Indy website today – which is an old Nimrod…The thematic preamble states: “Nine related answers lack a definition in the clues. … Read more >>

Smashing stuff as ever from Phi. Lovely surfaces and some great anagrams, particularly the &lit. at 6D. Clue of the day for me is 22A, which had one of those ‘ah, very good’ … Read more >>

A good crossword as usual from Punk. The long down clue in the middle I thought told us the theme, which was confirmed by 19ac and 27ac, but there weren’t many more answers … Read more >>

Wednesday and it’s DAC again, lovely stuff as ever, great anagrams and surfaces abound No obvious theme although there is a few acting related answers   Across 1 MOVIE M.O. + VIE 4 … Read more >>