Independent

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 >>

I found this pretty tough going, not least because I completely failed to see what was going on until very late on. The theme is the Old Testamant (6D), books of which can … Read more >>

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed An anagram-heavy puzzle from Merlin with some good long anagrams and a couple of excellent &literals. There were a couple (17 across and 19 down) I didn’t completely follow. Across … Read more >>

So now we know why Phi was ousted from his usual Friday slot. Today sees the release of the much-advertised new Batman movie, The Dark Knight, and the completed grid here has a … Read more >>

Spot the Nina time: the top and bottom rows of unchecked letters have SHOPPING PRECINCT. Inside the grid, there’s MARKS and SPENCER, along with BOOTS and BORDERS (although I guess one or both … Read more >>

This was a very clever themed puzzle, the theme of which became clear to me only at the very end.   Solving time, 51 mins * = anagram  < = reversed 1 L EADERLESS … Read more >>

A good deal harder than usual, I thought – solving time, 32 mins. * = anagram < = reversal ACROSS 1 GRIT This was my last entry – a tricky double definition. 4 … Read more >>