Guardian 25,122 / Enigmatist
A challenging but rewarding workout from Enigmatist, as is to be expected, with one or two really straightforward clues to give a bit of a foothold. I’ve learned another new word today at … Read more >>
Guardian
Guardian 25121 – What Shall We Do With The Drunken Boatman
When, as usual, I quickly read through all the clues before I start solving, I could not help but notice a common thread of drinks and drunks; just my cup of tea, if … Read more >>
Guardian Quiptic 566 / Pan
A relatively straightforward solve for my first review on this site. Not one of my favourite puzzles, but only one or two minor niggles. All definitions given are from Chambers 11th Edition. Most … Read more >>
Guardian 25,120 / Rufus
A nice puzzle to start the week with. There are three clues which have rather tricky words in them (9a, 3d and 7d) but otherwise I think this should have been pretty straightforward. … Read more >>
Guardian 25,113 (Sat 11 Sep)/Paul – Optimised
Solving time: 8½ mins Excellent stuff from Paul with an impressive grid and virtually faultless clueing. 27ac (GENE POOL) was perhaps my favourite. Music of the day: sometimes I struggle to find something … Read more >>
Guardian 25,118 / Paul
A tricky puzzle from Paul, I think, with a theme of card games – lots of clever clues, and fun to work on. (For the first time in ages I’m doing this on … Read more >>
Guardian 25,117 / Araucaria
On the first run through this, I put in only two or three answers and thought I was in for a hard slog. However, once I found a few more, it all flowed … Read more >>
Guardian 25,116 – Orlando
Good morning. We found this a well-rounded and enjoyable puzzle at the easier end of the scale, with plenty of neat wordings. One of the notable features today was how well the surfaces … Read more >>
Guardian 25115 – Crucible, A Severe Test
I have always thought crucible is a container used in the science laboratory and the name of a famous venue for snookers in Sheffield, Yorkshire. This morning, I looked up Chambers which told … Read more >>
Guardian Quiptic 565 by Nutmeg
Mostly straightforward, with a few less usual definitions, and a couple of more elaborate wordplays Across 1 BEEF UP Reversal (‘setback’) of FEE (“what’s earned’) in PUB (‘bar’). 5 AUBRETIA Charade of AUBRE[y] … Read more >>
Guardian 25,114 – Rufus
I found this a bit harder to finish than the average Rufus, though looking back there’s nothing particularly difficult about it. There are fewer cryptic definitions than usual; generally lot of nice, if … Read more >>
Guardian 25,107 (Sat 4 Sep)/Shed
Very short on time so a rapid blog this week – apologies for the brevity. Solving time not taken as I used a dictionary and also interspersed solving with blogging to get the … Read more >>
Guardian 25,112 / Gordius
Pretty straightforward fare from Gordius, with just one or two quibbles, as usual with this setter. There is one explanation that eludes me: I’m ready to kick myself when enlightened! Across 8 ALBERICH: … Read more >>
Guardian 25,111 – Araucaria
My second Araucaria in a row, and quite a tricky one, with some devious wordplay. Some may complain at the theme of girl groups, but I knew all the names involved (apart from … Read more >>
Guardian 25,110 – Arachne
Found this pretty slow going. 13, 29 and the last part of 7 were unfamiliar but guessable, whereas 15dn went in almost immediately. Across 1 HOODING =the use of a hood in torture. … Read more >>