Never knowingly undersolved
Today’s puzzle from Hectence had a good balance of clues and was easy to solve. Those new to cryptic crosswords might have struggled a bit with constructs like out-fits and de-tailed, but they … Read more >>
I found the left hand side fell out very easily; the right took a little longer, but followed in due course, ending in the NE corner.
This is the first Quiptic I have blogged – as a one-off stand-in for Pierre today — and I was delighted to discover it was an Arachne. This puzzle is exactly what a … Read more >>
I have not blogged a Quiptic before, so this was interesting, and not all that easy. Thank you to Beale. Hold mouse over clue number to see clue. Across 1 SMOKESCREEN SMOKE (have … Read more >>
I found this to be a considerable improvement on the last puzzle that I reviewed from this setter, although some of the constructs appeared to be a tad difficult for the newer solver. … Read more >>
Notably simple constructions here, but one, 11A, I only got by the skin of my teeth.
A Quiptic from Moley that was a mixture of tricks and treats … We’ve remarked many times how hard it must be to produce an ‘easy’ puzzle. This one was generally accessible, with … Read more >>
A straightforward Quiptic, nicely pitched. The key to a quick solve are the 4 long answers horizontally and vertically around the centre. One of them was a new word to me, though the … Read more >>
When I discover that I am to review a Quiptic by Orlando I know that I am going to enjoy the task, and I certainly wasn’t disappointed today. This puzzle contains a good … Read more >>
A crossword with some wordplays surprisingly complex for a Quiptic, and, shall we say, some examples of questionable construction to educate the beginner. Across 1. Keep a gorilla initially captured from wild (6) … Read more >>
It’s over a year since I started blogging the Quiptic, but it’s the first time I’ve become entangled in Arachne’s web. She’s produced a very pleasing entry-level puzzle for us today, I think. … Read more >>
This is a typical Quiptic, thanks to Pan. All quite straightforward. Definitions are underlined in the clues. There are hidden connections in the 3 picture sets. Across 7 Place to sleep has floor covering … Read more >>
A pleasant puzzle which was made more difficult by the incorrect enumeration of 14 down. Most of the definitions given are from Chambers 11th Edition. Most of the standard abbreviations used in the … Read more >>
I have blogged a couple of Quiptics by Nutmeg before, and they each have their own character. In this one, I think she has hit the Quiptic target squarely, with clues going for concision rather than elaborate storytelling, seamless surfaces, and a wide variety of cryptic devices.
Apologies, a bit late on parade today. I don’t recall having had a Moley to blog for a while, but I always enjoy her Quiptics, and this was no exception. I’ve got a … Read more >>