Guardian – Page 381 – Fifteensquared

The Guardian No 25,511, by Pasquale

Wed December 21, 2011 at 10:33 amWed December 21, 2011 at 9:42 am by Stella

I enjoy the Don’s puzzles and this one was no exception: precise cluing in well constructed surfaces made it much more straightforward than I at first feared. Thanks, Pasquale. Across 1. FACET E, … Read more >>

Guardian 25,510 – Shed

Tue December 20, 2011 at 2:14 am by Uncle Yap

This should have been quite a pleasant and smooth stroll except that 21Across held me up for a bit. Apart from that glitch, the puzzle is yet another rich variety of cryptic devices … Read more >>

Guardian Quiptic 631 Nutmeg

Mon December 19, 2011 at 6:12 pmMon December 19, 2011 at 10:38 am by scchua

‘Tis the time of the year, when crosswords, like other things, get Christmas-y. This one gives a gentle start to the festivities – no hangover and no indigestion, so to speak! Thanks Nutmeg, … Read more >>

Guardian 25,509 / Rufus

Mon December 19, 2011 at 11:18 amMon December 19, 2011 at 9:48 am by Eileen

Since I started blogging, just over three years ago, this is the third Rufus pre-Christmas puzzle that has fallen to me and, once again, Rufus has managed to include a seasonal allusion in … Read more >>

Guardian Prize 25,502 / Araucaria

Sat December 17, 2011 at 12:02 am by Eileen

I think Araucaria must be saving himself for his Christmas Special – and that’s something to look forward to! This was a pleasant enough puzzle to solve but there were a lot of … Read more >>

Guardian 25,507 / Gordius

Fri December 16, 2011 at 9:22 amFri December 16, 2011 at 8:05 am by duncanshiell

I tend to associate Friday with the more challenging end of the Guardian puzzle spectrum, so I was slightly surprised to see a Gordius crossword when I logged onto the Guardian website this … Read more >>

Guardian Cryptic 25506 Tramp

Thu December 15, 2011 at 6:20 pmThu December 15, 2011 at 8:34 am by scchua

Back to the blogging schedule, and thank you to PeeDee for standing in in my Guardian slots. I have come back to an immensely enjoyable puzzle today, with lots of pop culture (nothing … Read more >>

Guardian 25,505 / Arachne

Wed December 14, 2011 at 10:23 pmWed December 14, 2011 at 10:20 am by Eileen

We know from Arachne’s numerous Marathon achievements that she’s not one to baulk at a challenge and this is her response to the gauntlet thrown down at the Sloggers and Betters get-together in … Read more >>

Guardian 25,504 – Philistine

Wed December 14, 2011 at 12:58 pmTue December 13, 2011 at 1:30 am by Uncle Yap

What a delightful puzzle from Philistine. Cleverly-crafted clues with some exquisite word-play. This is such a pleasure to solve and to blog. ACROSS 1 BUMPER-TO-BUMPER Ins of PERT O (cheeky love) in BUM … Read more >>

Guardian Quiptic 630 / Hectence

Mon December 12, 2011 at 11:16 am by Big Dave

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 >>

Guardian 25,503 – Rufus

Mon December 12, 2011 at 9:53 am by Andrew

Another straightforward but nicely-constructed puzzle from Rufus, with the usual smooth surfaces. Across 1. PORTRAYAL (PLAY OR ART)* 6. YVES Hidden in grubbY VESt 8. PUBLICAN PUBLIC … Read more >>

Guardian 25,496 / Crucible

Sat December 10, 2011 at 2:12 pmSat December 10, 2011 at 12:01 am by mhl

A lovely puzzle from Crucible, and on the easy side for a prize puzzle, I thought. Once you’ve solved the clues, the rubric reads “Five COLOURS of the RAINBOW appear as solutions, not … Read more >>

Guardian 25,501 / Puck

Fri December 9, 2011 at 10:57 amFri December 9, 2011 at 9:52 am by Eileen

I commented on the most recent Puck puzzle that it seemed to lack his characteristic playfulness. No such complaint with this one, which I found fun to solve. There is a range of … Read more >>

Guardian crossword No 25,500, by Brummie

Thu December 8, 2011 at 11:16 amThu December 8, 2011 at 10:08 am by Stella

I never know quite what to expect with Brummie, and this one started off slowly, but in the end it turned out to be a very enjoyable puzzle, in difficulty I would say … Read more >>

Guardian 25,499 – Chifonie

Wed December 7, 2011 at 12:39 am by Andrew

In contrast to yesterday’s fairly tricky puzzle from Bonxie, this is a typical Chifonie, with entirely straightforward constructions, so one that would be suitable for beginners. I have a familiar quibble about 2dn, … Read more >>