Independent

I think I must be getting more used to the Independent and to Dac because this was very quick to solve, especially since the long clues were very clearly signposted and went in … Read more >>

As usual, Virgilius gives us an excellent themed puzzle.    This one is based on days of the week appearing appropriately midway through Lent taking seven days (all fairly well-known, I’d say).     Very impressed … Read more >>

Solving time: 15-20 minutes These comments are written after a look back at the puzzle with answers – I discarded my original copy as I forgot I was supposed to be writing this. … Read more >>

A compiler I usually struggle with but not on this occasion. There are some very nice clues in this but a couple that I don’t fully understand and a couple of (I think) … Read more >>

Apologies for the brief write-up today – am a bit pressed for time. A fine puzzle from Phi, with a few excellent clues. Across 11 AG,EG in GRATE – nice deceptive use of … Read more >>

Solved this during a flight, confident that Quixote’s clues would be accessible and fully understood. Solving time: 25 mins * = anagram ACROSS 1 DI RECTOR’S HIP You expect a church reference from … Read more >>

After Tuesday’s breeze, for me, today’s puzzle was a nightmare. I bought the paper late, just couldn’t get into the puzzle and ended up having to cheat (TEA) to finish it with two … Read more >>

Another demonstration of why crosswords don’t have to be difficult to be entertaining. Interesting, and subtle, ambiguity at 3A though. Across 3 (FAR LESS BIG)* – I filled in FIBRE GLASS at first … Read more >>

A quick start and middle was followed by a gradual slowdown as I picked my way through the bottom left-hand corner. Enjoyed both the fast part and the slower part though. Still not … Read more >>

A pleasing and not too difficult puzzle by Hypnos, one of the occasional setters.   Quite a few anagrams among the 22 clues.    When I saw the central across clue contained “theme”, I thought the puzzle … Read more >>

I bow to no-one in my admiration of Nimrod, despite the fact that some his stuff goes completely over my head, but I don’t think this was one of his better efforts. I … Read more >>

A very enjoyable crossword if not very difficult. Mostly charades with partial anagrams and a couple of long anagrams thrown in. Quite a few containers and reversals but that didn’t really strike me … Read more >>

Well, just a personal record. I’ve done the great majority of the Indy cryptics since the paper first appeared in 1986 and this was my fastest solve ever. Last year I broke my … Read more >>

This seemed slightly easier than Nestor’s previous puzzles but no less brilliant. Practically every clue reads perfectly and the construction of the wordplay is absolutely spot-on throughout. There’s a couple that I didn’t … Read more >>

Lots of fire and explosions today. The usual quality from Dac but with one clue leaving me perplexed as to its definition. Across 1 AXING — A+XI+N.G. — team is often XI, as … Read more >>