Genius 81 by Paul
It’s nearly a year since I blogged a Genius and it clearly hasn’t got any easier. This one took me an age to get into, but eventually I got a chink of light … Read more >>
Never knowingly undersolved
It’s nearly a year since I blogged a Genius and it clearly hasn’t got any easier. This one took me an age to get into, but eventually I got a chink of light … Read more >>
Solving time: 14 mins The eight answers referred to in the preamble as being clued without definition are all poets, and as suggested by 8dn they appear in the ‘corners’ of the puzzle. … Read more >>
An enjoyable puzzle, with an easy ways in through some obvious anagrams. I have a few quibbles or questions, mentioned below, however. (Apologies for the late post – I’d forgotten I was meant … Read more >>
I was rather apprehensive at being down to blog today, especially when I saw Paul’s name on the puzzle. After completing the grid, I stared at it but, apart from CLOT leaping out … Read more >>
As is often the case with Enigmatist, I found it quite hard to get started on this one. Getting the long linked answers helped a lot, but even then there were some tricky … Read more >>
Quite an enjoyable set of clues. I like it when compilers consciously try to inject some humour into their clues as we see in 1A, 21A, 26A and 14D. ACROSS 1 FORWARDER He … Read more >>
This has not been a good day for me: two clues I have not decoded and some others that I find unsatisfactory, which probably means I’ve missed something. Across 8 PRIORATE: PR (priest) … Read more >>
Solving time: 33 mins This was hard, and I was grateful for a couple of hackneyed clues at 12ac (INCA) and 28ac (DETERGENT) to get me going. The theme (abbreviations for days of … Read more >>
A reasonably straightforward puzzle from Bonxie, with some nice touches. I have some quibbles with two or three definitions. Across 1 SCARECROW: anagram of CAW SCORER: this surface made me smile. 6 BOOM: … Read more >>
Good fun from Orlando today with a theme of famous Belgians, and a few references to Belgium in some of the clues as well. Sound and inventive clueing throughout, with some trickily-concealed defintiions … Read more >>
Found this fairly easy for a Paul, and one with a little theme of Yorkshire towns at that. Several lovely and inventive clues. Across 1 SPONSOR S[econd] + NS=”team” in bridge inside POOR=”poxy” … Read more >>
What a challenging puzzle this has been even thought there was an evident mini-theme. I had to check Chambers at least five times for new words that I have never seen before and … Read more >>
A quick solve for me, but with lots of smiles along the way, as usual with Rufus’s puzzles. Across 1. REFUSAL (FARULES)* 5. ANAEMIA Cryptic definition 9. NATAL Double definition 10. PATRIOTIC Cryptic … Read more >>
Solving time: About 20 mins plus another day for 4dn An impressive 15 thematic answers were crammed into this, not to mention the pleasingly symmetric answer at 13,19,22ac which hints at their link … Read more >>
Perhaps those who disliked the three previous “thematic” puzzles this week will have enjoyed this one. I have to say my heart sank when I saw it was a Rover, and solving it … Read more >>