Guardian 28,319 – Philistine
I enjoyed this, despite there being two clues I can’t parse, one that I think is faulty, and another that seems unfair. No doubt I will soon be enlightened on the first two, … Read more >>
Guardian
Guardian Cryptic 28,318 by Puck
Set aside some time for today's puzzle! This was Puck at his mischievous best. Lots of general knowledge, difficult words, unusual wordplay… but a very satisying solve in the end. I think the … Read more >>
Guardian Cryptic 28,317 by Tramp
THe puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/28317. That took a time to complete – there is nothing outlandish, but a whole lot of meaty clues that too me some work to elucidate, There … Read more >>
Guardian 28,316 / Vulcan
Vulcan is back in his regular fortnightly Monday slot. I found this a gently pleasant solve, with some clever anagrams and witty definitions. There are several (good) cryptic definitions but, unusually for a … Read more >>
Guardian Quiptic 1,100/Beale
Beale was one of the original setters way back in the day when the Quiptic launched over twenty years ago before disappearing from the scene, but has reappeared recently. Whether he or she … Read more >>
Guardian Prize 28,309 by Brendan
Super puzzle. Thank you Brendan. An alternative take on the “alphabetical”. I found this quite hard, even after I had twigged the theme. ACROSS 9 GRUELLING Sport in setting hard to endure (9) … Read more >>
Guardian 28,314 / Brummie
I was half expecting a Paul puzzle today but it’s Brummie who rounds off the week. I usually enjoy Brummie’s puzzles but I’m afraid I found this one a disappointingly lacklustre solve, with … Read more >>
Guardian Cryptic 28,313 by Picaroon
A fun puzzle – my favourites were 8ac, 10ac, 21dn, 24dn, and especially 19dn. Thanks to Picaroon. There is a theme, as mentioned in 23ac – all of the other across solutions are … Read more >>
Guardian 28,312 – Vlad
Vlad likes a bit of politics in his puzzles, and I think it’s no giveaway to say that here we are talking about the post-election shenanigans in the US, with all but handful … Read more >>
Guardian Cryptic 28,311 by Nutmeg
A typical Nutmeg offering this morning. When you see that the setter is Nutmeg, you know what you're going to get – clever clues, neat surfaces and a mental stretching exercise that won't … Read more >>
Guardian Quiptic 1099 Pasquale
Thank you to Pasquale. Definitions are underlined in the clues. Across 4. Fellow one met at church in tight garment (6) BODICE : BOD(informal term for a “fellow”/person) + I(Roman numeral for “one”) … Read more >>
Guardian Cryptic 28,310 by Matilda
The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/28310. Matilda has been gracing the Quiptic and Cryptic slots for eighteen months now, and has been getting plaudits in both; this is no exception. I found … Read more >>
Guardian Genius 209 / Paul
This month we have another of Paul’s whimsical puzzles with which to do battle. Having read the preamble regarding possible book titles and authors, my first step was to highlight the clue numbers … Read more >>
Guardian Saturday Puzzle 28,303 / Paul
Paul returns to the Saturday slot after a three-week absence. On my initial skim through the clues, I was rather daunted by the frequency of ‘number’ in often very succinct clues, and so … Read more >>
Guardian Cryptic 28,308 by Philistine
The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/28308. Quite a quirky crossword, with some amusing definitions-that-aren’t, and three (count ’em) more or less cryptic definition clues. ACROSS 1 BEER GUT Result of having a … Read more >>