Independent

There was a different crossword in the paper to that on-line – see blog for no. 6809 for details. In a comment on that blog Eimi mentions that this is also a Virgilius puzzle, from … Read more >>

If you solved the online puzzle today then this post is going to be of no use to you because, as it says in a note under the printed version of the puzzle: … Read more >>

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed I haven’t had chance to see who the compiler is yet, although it seems a bit easier than some of the recent monday puzzles. Across 1 Sometimes: so me times. … Read more >>

I found this mostly quite easy but the bottom left-hand corner gave me no end of difficulties. Eventually I filled in 20, 15 and 16 without really knowing why, along with 21. Across … Read more >>

Across 1 NS in (PETRA)*,T – “Troy” is a reference to the system of weights rather than the city, which is why it can be abbreviated to T. 5 BOATER – sounds like … Read more >>

A peculiarly tricky crossword from Math today, although I don’t know if that’s because I was trying to combine solving it with listening to the cricket. A couple that I don’t understand, but no … Read more >>

I’d recommend Quixote’s puzzles to beginners – straightforward wordplay, always bulletproof, excellent surface readings.    This I found on the easy side, solving time 12 mins * = anagram  < = reversed ACROSS 1 … Read more >>

Silly me, I forgot that I’d be nowhere near a PC all day today, so I set about solving this one online at midnight in a bid to get it blogged before bed. … Read more >>

I found this quite an easy puzzle, solving time 14 mins.   I spotted a Nina (i.e. a hidden message) in the grid. In case solvers wish to look again first, I refer to … Read more >>

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed A clever but tricky puzzle which played on one of the crossword setters’ staples, the doh, re, me notes (the proper name of which is tonic sol-fa). Most of the … Read more >>

Themed puzzle based on 24.    When I saw HAWK hidden in the 2nd across clue, 6, I went straight to 24, and worked out BIRD.     Bullet-proof clueing as always from Phi.   I worked … Read more >>

Across 1 JACK,INK<,FED 10 (A QUIET COVE)* – EQUIVOCATE. “Divers” is the misleading anagram indicator here as it’s another spelling of “diverse”. 11 SU(NB)ED 14 PETER SELLERS? – haven’t the faintest idea if … Read more >>

An impressive puzzle where every clue has a sporty feel to it (although 2 and 3 seem to be stretching things a bit). Some very clever stuff here and more than one excellent … Read more >>

Solving time, just under 20 mins. * = anagram  < = reversed 1 DISSEMBLANCE   SE in (Lib Dems can)* 9 L EASE L END     Usually known as Lend-Lease but both alternatives are in … Read more >>

One or two I’m not quite sure about but a typically high-class thing from Dac. Across 1 BAND AGED 6 PAGODA – I think this is (do gap)rev. a, although I’m not sure. … Read more >>