Independent

As usual with Phi, everything very enjoyable. There doesn’t seem to be a Nina, but there probably is. Across 1 RAM with ASH first. The letter combination ASH often appears and “remains” is … Read more >>

Across 1 (SINFUL EFFECTS I)* – SELF-SUFFCIENT. SELF was obvious but the rest took a little time to make itself apparent. 9 RUSE,D,SKI 10 YUP,PIE – if I had to pick a word … Read more >>

Monk is a setter whose puzzles I seek out, so Christmas came early to see that pseudonym in the Indy today.    Almost every clue has something special.    Solving time:  43 mins.  There is … Read more >>

I found this very easy. Solving time: 14 mins Notes on some clues below: happy to explain others if asked. * = anagram ACROSS 1 S (AMOS) A SA = Salvation Army 11 … Read more >>

Across 1 PACK, L in CAB (all reversed) – the BLACKCAP is a small songbird. 9 INDI[-a]’S,POSITION – I found this very tough and only got the answer by finding a word that … Read more >>

Excellent puzzle as per. Any theme is lost on me although the grid suggests one. Across 9 IMMORAL — MM in I+ORAL — good surface though exam is often a giveaway. 11 CAPRICE … Read more >>

This was a satisfying mix of relatively easy and difficult clues. Of particular note were 5 down, 13 across and 25 across, all of which had clever cryptic definitions. Across 1 Uzbekistan: (bet … Read more >>

I found this unusually difficult for Phi, but perhaps that’s just because of my own incompetence. Certainly several clues that eluded me at first were simple enough when the answer eventually came. No … Read more >>

A very good (and tough in places) puzzle with an unusual theme: the top and bottom rows read OUR COUNTRY WEE ONE ENGLAND NIL. See 21a for a full explanation as to what … Read more >>

This is the first puzzle I’ve solved in what has so far been a pretty miserable week, with myself and MrsD both laid low with a virus and our 8 month old son … Read more >>

I found this quite an easy puzzle – solving time 15 mins but there’s one I do not understand. Notes on some clues below, including that one. Happy to explain others if asked … Read more >>

A pleasing puzzle by Dac.    Solving time: 18 mins * = (anagram)*   < = reversed ACROSS 1 DEF (l = L) ECT       Excellent misleading surface 11 RO (A) ST (i) … Read more >>

Another highly thematic puzzle from Virgilius. In this case all the down answers can be seen as dangerous women. Corrections and clarifications are in italics. Across 9 AZORES — “as oars” 14 ENAMEL … Read more >>

One of those themed crosswords where a large number of the clues draw their definition from one of the other clues (in this case 11 across). With this type of puzzle, you either … Read more >>