FT

A new(ish?) setter –  Styx seems to be very fastidious about the surface reading of the clues, as these are universally “natural” and concise.  However, this flawlessness is almost to a fault in … Read more >>

Monday Prize Crossword on 18 January 2010 Another easy introduction to the FT week. This puzzle has a wide variety of devices and would be ideal training ground for newbies. ACROSS 1 READ … Read more >>

Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of January 16 I found this puzzle a good bit harder than the average Cincinnus, especially the top-right corner. I got 5A and 7D quickly but the … Read more >>

An enjoyable solve today. We were told that the answers to asterisked clues had something in common. Fortunately I had come across 13dn in a previous puzzle otherwise I might have had a … Read more >>

I enjoyed solving this puzzle but when it came to writing the blog I realized there were several clues that I wasn’t quite happy with, as noted below.  That said, I thought there … Read more >>

Straightforward stuff today, with a mini-theme of furniture. Many cryptic and double definitions but none that truly sparkled. 20d stood out for its cleverly positioned hyphen at line-break. Across 1 SCHOOL cd 4 … Read more >>

Good stuff, as usual, from Mudd; including some decent treatment of rather mundane words or devices. I also liked the grid design, which allowed for a nice balance of checking patterns. I don’t … Read more >>

Monday Prize Crossword on 11 January 2010 Back to Dante for another not-so-taxing week-opener with some delightful cryptic definitions and double definitions. However, I suspect Dante may have got his mythologies mixed up … Read more >>

Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of January 9 I needed a bit of dictionary and Google help to finish this puzzle. And I did not get 20D. I especially like 23A and … Read more >>

I’m not quite sure what to say about this one. I found it hard in places and very easy elsewhere. Some answers were obvious from the enumeration and a few took a while … Read more >>

This was a quick solve, but with some definite pleasures. Neo has a way of cluing three- and four-part charades with economy and style. Across 1 IDIOTIC I’D (Neo had) I (one) OTIC … Read more >>

[Now that the crossword has been uploaded on the site, removing the placeholder and filling in the  analysis.] A fine puzzle from Viking, with intricate wordplay at a few places that needed working … Read more >>

Nothing to frighten the horses here, but there are a couple of clues that just seem flawed or – at best – clumsy to me. I couldn’t help but feel that this was … Read more >>

Monday Prize Crossword on 4 January 2010 No great surprises in this FT week-opener. I simply love 9Down which, in my book, is going to be a classic. ACROSS 1 TREE SURGEONS cd … Read more >>

Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of January 2nd Here’s another great puzzle from Cincinnus. I especially liked 1A, 29A and 5D. I solved the puzzle fairly quickly except for 19A and 6D … Read more >>