Never knowingly undersolved
A fruitful offering from Paul, with some nice clues – I have to say, though, that I was quite surprised when I suddenly found I had finished it . Paul is not among … Read more >>
A couple of answers took a bit longer at the end. Thanks to Nutmeg. Definitions are underlined in the clues. Across 1 Speculators added to Harry’s recurrent worries (8) BUGBEARS : BEARS(speculators who … Read more >>
The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/27134.
Seeing Picaroon’s name this morning made me, if possible, even more thankful that I was scheduled to blog today rather than yesterday. Another excellent and most enjoyable offering from Picaroon, with the usual … Read more >>
The first Sphinx puzzle I’ve seen, and a bit of a mixed bag. Mostly clever with some obscure words and some awkward parsing. Favourites were 20ac and 8dn. Thanks, Sphinx
Edit: since blogging, the online version of the puzzle has added [italics mine]:
“Special instructions: Having solved this puzzle, tonight’s episode of ‘Inside No 9’ on BBC2 at 10pm would interest you”
The episode is titled ‘The Riddle of the Sphinx’, and involves a cryptic setter and a woman named Nina… [BBC link] [Fifteensquared post]
Second Edit: [Link to a separate post with spoilers for the TV episode]
I liked this Quiptic from Pan, but found it tricky in places. Abbreviations cd cryptic definition dd double definition (xxxx)* anagram anagrind = anagram indicator [x] letter(s) removed definitions are … Read more >>
This was a puzzle of two halves for me today – the top half was pretty much a write-in, with the bottom taking a bit longer, probably because of the preponderance of cryptic … Read more >>
A clever and entertaining puzzle with some excellent clues, rather let down for me by bad rubric… The rubric, after replacing the numbers with their answers, read: Seven theme clues require ALBPHABETISING THREE … Read more >>
Good fun from Qaos (with reservations on a couple of clues). As almost always with this setter we have a “ghost theme” in the solutions… … in this case John le Carré’s novel … Read more >>
I found this tough, very tough in places, but that is what I’ve come to expect from this setter. My first, quick pass through the clues resulted in less than a handful of entries … Read more >>
The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/27127.
It’s six months since I blogged a Tramp puzzle and wrote, ‘It’s many months since I blogged a Tramp puzzle and so I was delighted to land this one’. Ditto today. Delight was … Read more >>
Anto’s turn in the Quiptic slot this week.
Nice and mostly very straightforward – favourites 9ac, 11ac, 30ac, and 6dn. Thanks, Rufus.