Independent

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition. After the tougher puzzles we’ve seen from Dac recently, this seemed to come together remarkably quickly. Only the NW corner put up a bit of … Read more >>

The usual delightful Virgilius, with one or two clues that I found particularly difficult but, as should be the case, solution of them was followed by some self-kicking. I completed the bottom half … Read more >>

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone I found this extremely tough. There was a lot of quite obscure stuff and quite a few that I didn’t follow. Across 1,14 Monday Morning Feeling: Mon + hom. … Read more >>

Excellent puzzle. You could pick out 3 or 4 top-notch clues by closing your eyes and randomly pointing with a finger but I especially liked 11 and 1d. I can usually explain everything … Read more >>

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition. A good, solid puzzle, as one tends to expect from Phi – a setter for whom I have the greatest of admiration. I didn’t find … Read more >>

In terms of time taken to solve, I found this the hardest of the year so far, 75 mins.   There’s also a Nina which I refer to after the clue explanations * = … Read more >>

I found this a very fast solve indeed, solving time, 11 mins * = anagram  < = reversed ACROSS 1 V 1 CAR 4 MOT IF (Kipling) 7 CONVENIENCE FOOD  (Innocence of dove)* … Read more >>

Is it just me, or is Dac becoming a bit harder? No objections though: as usual everything made pretty good sense once I’d got there. Across 1 POM ACE 4 SQUATTER — 2 … Read more >>

Always good to get the chance to blog a Morph puzzle. You can be fairly sure there’ll be a good selection of cheeky, inventive clues and a decent challenge along the way. And … Read more >>

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone A Groundhog Day themed puzzle, although the joke of having the phrase appear three times owed more to the Bill Murray film than the weather forecasting event. I think … Read more >>

A very quick solve for me on this one, but equally a very enjoyable one. I’ve been trying my hand at writing a few puzzles of my own of late and there’s so … Read more >>

A very enjoyable puzzle which I found pretty tough in places. I doubt I would have got 10 at all without Google and I’m still not sure about 4. Good fun though – … Read more >>

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition. Another Nimrod which I found to be heavy going. Perhaps if I were at liberty to spend a lazy afternoon lingering over Nimrod’s puzzles I … Read more >>

I found this fairly easy, with the two 15-letters entries solved straightaway. Solving time, 15 mins. * = anagram ACROSS 1 LES SON 4 MAR ROW 9 STABLEMATE Cryptic definition 10 CAM P … Read more >>

A mixture of some very easy and some very difficult clues, I found. Solving time, 24 mins * = anagram   < = reversed ACROSS 1 C (cold) OAT (I) S oats = porridge … Read more >>