FT

Across 5 BASSOON: BAS(s) and SOON 9 EXTRA: EX and ART reversed 10 GOLDCREST: G and OLD and C and REST 11 ARISTOTLE: anagram of TRIES A LOT 13 EXTOL: in sussEX TOLkien … Read more >>

A fairly routine puzzle from Mudd here. I completed it fairly quickly because I found the clues for the three long answers easy. Still, 11A and 5D took some puzzling over. Across 9. … Read more >>

As one has come to expect from Bradman (or any other of his pseuDONyms), flawless technical merit receives a healthy dollop of creative/lateral thinking. ‘Twas ever thus, it seems. Across 10 L(I)LAC – … Read more >>

A moderately easy and thoroughly splendid offering from Cincinnus this week. It is a bit heavy on double-definition clues but there’s nothing wrong with that especially since only one of them is a … Read more >>

I had some trouble finishing this one. One reason was that I was unfamiliar with the expression “to wet the baby’s head”. It stems, I understand, from baptism but has come to mean … Read more >>

Quite an esoteric theme for this one, although it is readily flagged and accessible thanks to the preamble, “The beasts are 8” (i.e. 8D). I thought it strange that the creatures in question … Read more >>

Cincinnus again brings us an enjoyable puzzle with a few brilliant clues. I particularly like 4D, 7D and 18D. Across 1. JOYSTICK – JOYS (delights) + TICK (parasite) 5. CHASER – double definition … Read more >>

I enjoyed this puzzle, which featured several satisfyingly penny-dropping clues – primarily due to some well disguised definitions and very natural surfaces. The Cinephile cross-reference at 5D led me up a couple of … Read more >>

This whopper proved rather easy. That is often true of Cinephile’s themed puzzles but is especially so of this one because, once one has spotted the theme, one knows not simply what kind … Read more >>

A fairly standard Cincinnus puzzle this week with at least one great clue (3D) and one that I do not understand the workings of (26D). Across 1. THE WASP FACTORY – anagram of … Read more >>

This puzzle proved easier for me on the whole than others by Bradman. I still struggled to complete the last couple of clues (3D, 11A) though. And there is one answer I trust … Read more >>

A far later posting than anticipated. Just realised that I should probably have followed blogging best practice and posted a placeholder here earlier in the day, especially as I actually solved the thing … Read more >>

Last week we had an unusually difficult puzzle by Cincinnus. This week we have an unusually easy one by Mudd. Across 7. OBITUARY – anagram of TO BURY I A 8. DECAMP – … Read more >>

This puzzle is the most difficult Cincinnus I can remember tackling, not hard across the board but very challenging in a few places. Did others find it unusually tough as well? Across 1. … Read more >>