Never knowingly undersolved
My solving notes for TREASURE HUNT simply say ‘WOW!’ once I got to the end of this Herculean task… Yet another carte blanche – no bars, clue numbers or even enumerations! – but at … Read more >>
‘The grid presents two works of CREATIVITY (unclued) which solvers must complete. The authors of both must be highlighted in the completed grid (a total of 22 letters). Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”
A puzzle based on the “I had a job …” joke. “It was ….” being the punchline. Also extra letters in the down clues spell out a further job, with its punchline to … Read more >>
In MAKING ENDS MEET, each clue is a pair, leading (in either order) to two six-letter answers which share a letter in the grey cell; this shared letter is not given by wordplay. … Read more >>
Is there such a thing as an ALTERNATIVE TO A BEER? Shurely just shomething to precede/follow/accompany/complement?… The preamble states that: “In ALTERNATIVE TO A BEER?, a theme word (4) must be written below … Read more >>
‘The grid illustrates a pioneering feat. The unclued entry must be left blank initially, and the grid completed by filling it with the name of the PIONEER. Solvers must also enter the same single letter into the two barred-off cells, highlight two points of interest in the grid, and connect them with a curved line (running through the term he
coined). Having disliked a term already in use, solvers must remove four letters from the grid (cryptically signifying the term itself). The final grid contains only real words; Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended, but does not contain the plural form at 32.”
Straight clues, but two unclued entries and then a cryptic instruction that will become clearer as the grid fills – I hope: Two prize-winning FIRSTS must also be highlighted (32 cells in all). … Read more >>
This week, I had a preamble that told me that I probably didn’t have too much to worry about clue-wise: A single word must be removed from three answers on entry into the … Read more >>
A multi-layered puzzle from Oxymoron this week – my head was spinning just from reading the instructions! The preamble states that: “28 clues contain an additional word which must be removed before solving. … Read more >>
‘A speaker and his comment on poor FASHION circle the perimeter. Solvers must make good seven examples within the grid, thus resolving 24 clashes. Definitions and wordplay refer to the poor FASHION, each cell in the completed grid contains just one letter, and Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.’
Extra words in all clues – to be used to find two instructions. Then change a further character in the grid and then…..hopefully it will make more sense once the crossword element of … Read more >>
I was half expecting an April Fools’ Day theme today. (If you’re reading this blog some way in the future, this puzzle was published on 1st April.) I wasn’t 100% sure that it … Read more >>
Stick Insect seems to have averaged one or two EVs a year since 2013-or so, and I think I have attempted/solved most of them, but this is the first of his I have … Read more >>
“Despite being a 13, Gaston works at the 21 (both clued by wordplay only). All other across clues are normal, though four thematic pairs of suitably positioned entries are unclued. Wordplay in all but the final down clue leads to the answer and an additional letter not to be entered into the grid; in clue order these spell out an AIDE-MÉMOIRE to help Gaston remember the correct sequence of unclued entries. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”
It’s spring and the snow drops from the sky, rather than growing up from the earth. A puzzle from Vismut – a new compiler for me. 4 additional words in across answers which … Read more >>