FT

Classic fare from Cinephile – inventive, witty and good fun. There are the usual vagueries, I have pointed out the ones that annoyed me.  These seem as though they would easy to fix for … Read more >>

Since this setter was new to me, I searched and found that he/she makes just a single appearance in the FT every 2nd half of June, since 2008.  This coincides with another annual event, … Read more >>

Mudd seems to have taken a leaf out of Dante’s book today with a third of the clues being double/cryptic definitions. This is too high a percentage for my liking but it may … Read more >>

A great puzzle this: some splendidly misleading definitions, plus a smattering of general knowledge (not everyone’s cup of tea, I know, but certainly mine) and a few beautiful charades. If I’m a little … Read more >>

Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of June 11 Even a relatively humdrum puzzle from Cincinnus is a good and satisfying solve. Here I particularly liked 1,28A (PEANUT BUTTER), 10D (LONG-TAILED TIT) and … Read more >>

A great crossword from Gozo, very enjoyable and I managed it with only a little help from Wikipedia this time. This is the second Shakespearean character anagram crossword I have blogged from Gozo. … Read more >>

This was a relaxing puzzle with which to restart blogging.  All straightforward, and perhaps made easier by quite a few anagrams (9 answers which are complete anagrams).  Got off to a roaring start … Read more >>

Mudd with a geographical bent in this fun crossword. I got the answers in a rush at first but ground to a halt in the bottom-left corner, only to realize that my answer … Read more >>

This was probably my quickest ever solve of one of Don’s puzzles in any of his incarnations. There was only one answer with which I was not familiar (3dn) but this was readily … Read more >>

Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of June 4 Here is a fine Mudd only with a couple of clues that I am not completely sure about my reading of. My favourites are … Read more >>

A very good crossword from Gaff, which I enjoyed immensely.  I started late, as I had to retrieve a sick child from school, and then after a long time was still staring a grid … Read more >>

One for the beginners today with generally straightforward wordplay and nothing particularly obscure. A very quick solve for me with 90% of the answers being entered during my first pass through the clues. … Read more >>

My first blog for Gurney. I found this very easy to solve, ideal for a beginner as a start into the world of cryptics (but not equally easy to annotate – the explanations … Read more >>

Took me a little while, this, but that may say more about me than about the puzzle. I had to look up a couple of the trickier words, but the wordplay was mostly … Read more >>

Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of May 28 More gems from Cincinnus this week. I especially like 1A (APPENDICES), 7A (FADO) and 8D (DETOURS). Then there is one of his brilliant long … Read more >>