Independent

My first foray into blogging a daily cryptic, so a slightly (actually, very) scary moment.  But Quixote’s clear cluing got me over the line eventually, with only a couple of the final solutions … Read more >>

My first non-Quixote Independent on Sunday blog, and this week it’s Hypnos. This – perhaps appropriately – seemed a shade easier than I recall previous Hypnos puzzles being. I had to rely on … Read more >>

I’m not sure but I think this is his first grid in the Saturday Prize slot. I certainly found it tougher than usual for a Morph, (only 4 answers entered on first pass … Read more >>

Great stuff as ever from our resident Friday setter. Elegant surfaces, excellent wordplay, no quibbles. All good. It may be coincidence, but is that a setter’s name Nina that I see in the … Read more >>

Solving time : Absolutely ages. There was a time when I went eagerly to Anax’s crosswords but recently they seem to have been becoming so impossibly difficult that I tend not to do … Read more >>

The usual exquisite clueing by Dac, some fantastic surfaces but lovely stuff as ever, one of his more gentle offerings. Sorry this is a bit rushed, so a fairly bare-boned blog today. Across … Read more >>

This was my first attempt at blogging a Scorpion puzzle, and as soon as I noticed there was a theme, I wondered if I’d make my blogging deadline: I tend to relish thematic … Read more >>

Enjoyable puzzle from Klingsor.   I found it very much on the easy side of the Indy spectrum, 21 mins.   No theme or Nina that I spotted but as always happy to be … Read more >>

I don’t know what’s happened to the scheduled blogger today but as he hasn’t turned up here is a quick analysis of the clues. As I solved this puzzle a week ago I don’t remember … Read more >>

A pleasing puzzle from Nestor this week. Certainly, a little easier than the last couple of weeks. Some lovely clues 28 across was probably my favourite – quite surreal, though there were other … Read more >>

There are times when I find it difficult to find something to write about in a preamble and this is one of them. No theme or Nina to comment on (or at least … Read more >>

Monk is back on the scene it seems, his web site used to say he hides his name in the grid. I can’t see it if he has though, but there are a … Read more >>

This was a more manageable puzzle to solve and to blog than one or two that have fallen to me in recent weeks. Unsurprisingly, it is up to Dac’s usual high standard, with … Read more >>

The second Punk puzzle I’ve landed on the trot. I don’t have any problem with that! This was a doozy, with many references to a pastime which – along with crosswords – has … Read more >>

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, CD=cryptic def, DD=double def, sp=spoonerism A warm welcome to Quixote, who is switching from the IOS to a regular Monday slot in the weekday paper. This was very much … Read more >>