Independent

Not too difficult. Solving time, 16 mins. * = anagram < = reversed ACROSS 1 U MP IRE 4 OB SERVER Nice seamless join at see/old 9 CHE RUB 10 TORT ILL A … Read more >>

Sorry for the late, quick blog. Busy day! Nice puzzle as always from Dac, some of which I found a little tricky Across 1 SPRY – [afte]R[noon] in SPY 4 SEAM BOWLER – … Read more >>

A Remembrance Day-themed crossword from Eimi most of which was pleasant and accessible but which I found hard to finish. Help needed with 22dn, please. Across 1 MIMI C — I’m not keen on the … Read more >>

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone After my abject failure with last Monday’s puzzle, I got up half an hour earlier to give myself extra time to complete this one. I needn’t have worried, since … Read more >>

Bannsider’s puzzles are consistently excellent and this was no exception. Funny grid though, with that blob of white squares in the middle. I’ve never read anything by Arnold Bennett so I have to … Read more >>

Well well, this was very nice! If Phi gets bumped from a Friday, there’s usually something afoot. For any newcomers (and, with any luck, there will be some), today is the 2nd anniversary … Read more >>

There’s a Nina/theme in this puzzle, which I refer to after the clue explanations.  Solving time, 16 mins * = anagram < = reversed ACROSS 1 SERF  frees< less the central e 4 … Read more >>

Very easy, indeed, I thought – as fast as I’ve solved any Indy puzzle this year – but not solved correctly, thanks, Neal H. * = anagram 1 C (HEAP)O 5 TEST CASE … Read more >>

How is it possible, week after week, to say anything new about Dac? As always, the surfaces are elegant and smooth and there are no real points of contention, so far as I can … Read more >>

Anyone would think there was some sort of election happening today… Across 6 U in (WHINED BLATHERED)* – RED WHITE AND BLUE. 9 PALIN[-g] – got this from “candidate” (and the appearance of … Read more >>

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone Apologies for the late posting. I was too busy at work today to give this the two or three hours of attention I would have needed to get through … Read more >>

Apologies for the comparative lack of commentary – I’m a bit pushed for time today.  Great puzzle, as always from Nestor. Across 1 CH(I,N)ASE,A 6 alternate letters of sPaRsElY 11 A(DO)PTER 12 NAME,NIL … Read more >>

A typically nice crossword, but trickier than usual for Phi. Some long words were slow to come. Across 7 DOZE(n) 8 BOTTLENECK — I don’t really understand this — why wouldn’t you expect to find jam in … Read more >>

Explanations and clarifications needed for 1a, 8, 12, 13, 19 and 26. Across 1 GOLF WIDOWS – can’t make head or tail of this, beyond some sort of pun on “putting”: “In small … Read more >>

I found this quite easy, solving time, 14 mins. * = anagram < = reversed ACROSS 1 M (ODIC) UM odic = of poetry 5 A MAL(e) G AM 9 TOTE M 10 … Read more >>