Independent

A bit of a mixed bag this: very tough in places, very easy elsewhere. Still don’t understand 10, 11 and 19 though. Across 1 ERA,SPOT< in TRICES – TRICERATOPSES. I found this very … Read more >>

I found this quite easy, solving time 14 mins. * = anagram < = reversed ACROSS 8 AT HEIST 9 EP I ZO (Oz<) A Oz = country down under (Australia) 10 OILC … Read more >>

The usual, excellent, well-crafted, puzzle from Dac with good variety of treatments. Solving time, fast for me, 17 mins. * = anagram < = reversed ACROSS 1 SLIGHT Double definition 5 S (EAR) … Read more >>

A nice games-themed puzzle today. A number of references in clues and I spotted at least ten in answers scattered throughout the grid. Across 1 BOWLS – B,OWLS 4 TIC TAC TOE – … Read more >>

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed Eimi crosswords tend to send me scurrying for the reference books and there were quite a few words in this that were new to me (13 across being particularly obscure, … Read more >>

Apologies – I wrote this up last week and then forgot to publish it. Across 9 (CULT AWARE)* – CATERWAUL. I liked “heated call” as the definition. 11 (ON ISLAM)* – OSMANLI 12/15 … Read more >>

Each of the Indy setters has their own distinctive talent – with Phi it’s immaculately constructed clues that I always find I can understand. This was a typical example, where I was able … Read more >>

My goodness me. What a mountain to climb. Well, at least I’ve filled everything in, but one or two I don’t quite understand; when they are explained no doubt I’ll be full of … Read more >>

Fairly straightforward puzzle, I thought – solving time, 16 mins * = anagram < = reversed ACROSS 5 LIBE (RA) L 7 RO UGH OR< 9 M (INNESOT) AN (tension)* 10 GO (S) … Read more >>

Definitely harder than the average Dac I thought, with some lesser known words here and there. Good clues as ever though. Across 1 SCANDALISE – SCAN,DALIS,E[-xhibition] 7 CAWS – “Cause” – Caws being … Read more >>

Great puzzle as usual from Virgilius but if there’s something going on here connected with 1/29 then it’s passed me by completely. Across 1/29 (I REPUBLIC SIMPLETON)* – SUBLIMINAL PERCEPTION. Haven’t the faintest … Read more >>

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed An excellent mix of clues from Punk as usual, with some relatively easy and some quite difficult.   I had a couple of goes at completing it – got most of … Read more >>

Across 1 (MATERIAL SNAG)* – MARGINAL SEAT. 9 ORPHANAGE – I think this is a reference to Wilde’s line from The Importance of Being Earnest: “to lose one parent, Mr Worthing, may be … Read more >>

I’ve always had something of a fascination with the 7 for 28 (maybe because I did my degree in English Lit) so this was fairly easy for me as I’d heard of all … Read more >>

I found this tough going for a mid-week puzzle. I’ve never come across a few of the answers before and some clues are still a bit baffling. Across 8 ZULU – As in … Read more >>