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I took a little more than an hour to complete this puzzle which I would rate as ‘above-average’ in difficulty. My entering one or two wrong answers initially did not help matters. I … Read more >>

Across 1 NEEDLEWORK: NEEDLE (niggle) + WORK (operation) 7 COVE: most of a COVE(N) 9 CHIC: H (hotel) in CI (channel islands) + C (west of Cuba, i.e. first letter) 10 CASHIERING: anagram … Read more >>

This was by no means easy, with some unusual words, and some unsolved wordplay. Across 1 MULLIGATAWNY: MULL (warm) + I + GA (empty guava) + TAWNY (owl) 10 INDORSE: anagram of RIDES … Read more >>

Here’s what I like: a puzzle that is challenging but so good I finished it fairly easily. For all that, I fail to fully understand 7D. Across 1. SPECIMEN – S (small) + … Read more >>

Having recently blogged a SHED puzzle from the Guardian, this DOGBERRY was also very enjoyable. Across 1 MUSTER: ER after MUST 4 CHAMPION: H in CAMPION 9 HERNIA: IN reversed in HERA 10 … Read more >>

Indian wrestling Across 1 Omitted on purpose 10 CHAMOIS – anag. of a, h, si(-t)com 11 STAPLER – L. (“line”) in anag. of ‘paster’ 13 DEMIJOHN – appears to have no cryptic element … Read more >>

Across 1 LAST WORD: &Lit 5 ABIDES: AB (sailor) + IDES (fateful date) 9 BUTTER UP: BUTTERcUP without the ‘c’ (top of carpel) 10 TISSUE: anagram of SUITES 13 DISCARDED: DISC + anagram … Read more >>

Some snazzy clues here but also one that I could not solve (11D)! Across 1. SO CALLED – anagram of ALL CODES 5. SHAPES – S[tylis]H + APES (copies) 9. HESPERUS – HES … Read more >>

Across 1 VERBAL: hidden in oVERBALance 5 PERISHED: PERI + SHED 9 STRAIGHT: double definition 10,29 BREATHTAKING: &Lit 12 HONORARY: NOR (and not) in HOARY 14 WATER BUFFALO: anagram of WAFFLER ABOUT 18 … Read more >>

I took longer to solve this puzzle than the others that I have done here before. To tell the truth, I have all except 18dn (where, of course, I can guess the second … Read more >>

Across 1 DEMOCRATIC: DEMOCRAT (like Hillary Clinton) + IC (in charge) 9 OPAL: OP (work) + A L (a beginner) 10 FENESTRATE: anagram of ERNEST in FATE 11 STATUS: S US (South America) … Read more >>

Here is Mudd in fine form. I found 16D difficult and still do not quite see how “go” is clued. Across 1. HARMLESS – ARM (weapon) + L (left) in HESS (Nazi). Great … Read more >>

I took longer than two previous Tuesday puzzles that I have blogged on. Less than 45 minutes. First entry was 5ac. The upper half was completed first. The most difficult quadrant was bottom right. … Read more >>

Across 1 BECKETT: reference to Samuel Beckett and Thomas Becket 5 ABOARD: A BOARD 6 ADORATION: anagram of A TRIO in A DON 9 BLURB: BLUR + B (book) 11 KABUL: hidden in … Read more >>

A moderately tough one as Cincinnus puzzles go but, as usual, very satisfying. I found 4A, 25A and 23D challenging. I fail to fully understand 4A and 2D. And I was charmed by … Read more >>