Archive

Splendid smorgasbord of diverse clues   ACROSS 1 Job with difficulty put on at end    POSTFIX POST FIX 6 Rebel leader beginning to trash bank when retreating    TYLER T RELY< 11 … Read more >>

Probably around the middle of the Beelzebub spectrum in terms of hardness this week. Steady progress for me, though with the crossing pair of 12ac and 11dn proving particularly elusive. Still, everything seems … Read more >>

ACROSS 1 One close to Sun’s lawyers strands a reporter initially at sea BARNARDS STAR BAR (STRANDS A R}* 10 Octahedral crystal, a chunk with end broken off ALUM A LUM[p] 11 High … Read more >>

A bumper number of clues to tackle this week, but I seemed to make very swift progress. An all-but-unaided finish in the end, just pulling out the Big Red Book to check entries … Read more >>

ACROSS 1 Hairy fawn, mostly alert after one intrudes CRINIGEROUS I in CRINGE ROUS[e] 11 Expel judge from tournament contest OUST [j]OUST 12 US politician recalled reduction in grievance VEEP PEEV[e]< 13 Jazz … Read more >>

This week we have an auspicious puzzle number of 1,111, and a helpfully Ninafied grid to match. At 1ac we have FOUR-EYES followed by, well, four Is, while along the bottom row we … Read more >>

ACROSS 1 Court giving year to unscrupulous character    CHANCERY CHANCER + Y 6 Pound snatched by poor, that’s clear   BALD L in BAD 9 Religious adherent following two lines of St … Read more >>

A very tough solve this week – I very quickly found myself reaching for various solving aids in attempt to get this one done. The explanations for couple of clues still elude me, … Read more >>

Exellent brain exercise as always   ACROSS 1  Herbaceous plant showing dark spot? Always one    MACLEAYA MACLE AY A  macle is a dark spot in a crystal 6  Mordant and reprehensible  BASE … Read more >>

A relatively swift, but not unenjoyable, solve this week. Not an unaided finish though, as I did have to check a few unfamiliar terms and senses in the book before entry, for example … Read more >>

All done except explanation for 5 down … are assi supports?   ACROSS 1   (Print expert getting trophy working with page? Right) TYPOGRAPHER  (TROPHY PAGE R)* 10 (Independent article about one man … Read more >>

A pretty tough week, judging by the number of entries I had to check before entry, and the little bit of cheating I had to do to finish off the NW corner. There … Read more >>

Another tough call this week from the prince of the fallen angels   Across 1  Painter’s coloured in nonsense BOSCH    C in BOSH 6  Newspaper’s to follow the crowd RAGTAG    RAG+TAG … Read more >>

Of the last two weeks’ Beelzebub puzzles, I think I got lucky, having struggled to get anywhere with 1,102, and having raced through this one unaided. *=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double … Read more >>

Across 1       How youth get carried away? There’s benefit around new theatre SNAKEBOARDS N in SAKE  + BOARDS  (not in Chambers) 11     Supporting beam, very much  still alive … Read more >>