Independent

An easy puzzle to blog and fairly easy to solve as there are only 20 clues in the whole puzzle, with just 8 being across clues – is this a record? I’m sure … Read more >>

I found this very easy indeed at first with all but 3 answers written in after only 9 mins. A little slower getting those last 3. Solving time: 14 mins Notes on some … Read more >>

This one will have to be quick, so here goes… Across 1 CAPACITY — P.A. in CA CITY — Ca = California. 10 MARINE BIOLOGIST — cryptic def. — main = ocean. 12 … Read more >>

Even when Virgilius produces a puzzle without a theme, he’s kind enough to tell you so – check out the diagonal from top left to bottom right. Across 4 S in MEMBER,HIP – … Read more >>

This puzzle typified the new direction the Indy puzzle is taking since Eimi became crossword editor. Themed, with a Nina (in case anyone wants to look again at the grid, I’ll give this … Read more >>

Cracking puzzle, with lots to get your teeth into. Across 1 ED in BECK – ED is Ed Balls, currently Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families. “Flower” is not really a … Read more >>

I’ve written a blog for this but complete forgot to post it. Check back on Monday morning…

If it didn’t say “The Friday Crossword by Phi” in the paper, then the completed grid would give you a few clues as to who compiled it! Across 7 (HELP IM)*,ON – the … Read more >>

A tough puzzle, I found. Was slow to get the 15-letter entries, but got all in the end. As always, some excellent clues from Punk. Solving time: 41 mins. * = anagram ACROSS … Read more >>

Mostly fairly straightforward, I found, but some tricky clues.   Solving time: 18 mins. Notes on some clues below – happy to explain others if asked. ACROSS 11 RED EEM    Definition is ‘deliver’ … Read more >>

Solving Time: 15 minutes Dear Diary Woke up to doorbell ringing, stumbled downstairs and found delivery man with nice box of goodies from Amazon.  New Bradford’s plus the new set of Guardian compilers’ … Read more >>

The theme for today’s Virgilius is lies, tall tales and shaggy dog stories. All the across answers are thematic and with the constraints imposed on the grid by the long themed answers there … Read more >>

Across 1 K in (PEARLS)*,R – SPARKLER. Got this straight off, and all of the other thematic answers followed soon after. 10/5 (LAND)* in ROMANCE – ROMAN CANDLE. The last thematic answer I … Read more >>

Across 1 hidden reversed in “BritiSH CASt” – Hans SACHS is a character in Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg and, I was surprised to discover, an actual real life person. 4 KEW,IS in … Read more >>

Across 8 PEN,PUS,HER – I don’t understand what “Caribbean estate” is and how it links to PEN, if at all. 9 NO,TED – “observed” is the definition, the rest of the clue is … Read more >>