Guardian

Solving time: 33:34 Probably two-thirds of that time was spent trying to untangle the long phrase starting at 1dn, together with a few other crossing answers (especially 22ac and 23dn). If you knew … Read more >>

An enjoyable crossword, and quite easy for a Friday. Update: thanks to Beermagnet for pointing this out: apparently some versions of the paper have this Araucaria puzzle printed instead. Across 1. OVERPOWER OVER … Read more >>

Found most of this straightforward, but did have to check the definitions of 10, 24 and 27. Particularly liked 12. Across 1 FLAMING FLAMING[o] 5 FORBEAR FOR BEAR 10 OBAN “anything goes” => … Read more >>

I was lucky enough to blog Brendan’s “note” puzzle a couple of weeks ago, and he produced an amazing puzzle yesterday in the Independent (as Virgilius); here he is again with a Pope-themed … Read more >>

A typically enjoyable Paul puzzle, with several witty clues and a couple of cheeky ones. 4ac is a nice reference to his Marathon run – well done, Paul! cd: cryptic definition dd: double … Read more >>

This was an easy, but enjoyable, start to a wet and windy Bank Holiday Monday, just the thing to relax with whilst having a coffee after breakfast. As usual for a Rufus puzzle, … Read more >>

Solving time: 32:35 Wow, that was difficult – and that despite me knowing (for once) a few of the many literary references. I nearly reached for the dictionary / Google on a few … Read more >>

An unfamiliar setter to me, but seems quite fond of anagrams.  In fact once I started to assume every answer was going to be an anagram, the second half went a lot quicker. … Read more >>

A typically difficult puzzle from Araucaria, but with some very pleasing clues. Across 1. TRAVESTY T + RAVE + STY 5. THAMES HAM in SET reversed 9. MIA FARROW AIM reversed + FARROW, … Read more >>

I really enjoyed this one; quite easy on the whole and only a few quibbles. Across 9. REDUNDANT (UNDER)* + D = “German” + ANT = “worker” 10. LEACH Homonym of “leech”; I … Read more >>

dd = double definition cd = cryptic definition rev = reversed or reversal ins = insertion cha = charade ha = hidden answer *(fodder) = anagram After that Monday puzzle yesterday, this one … Read more >>

A non-Rufus Monday with a puzzle from Arachne that I found quite hard going, with some very involved wordplay. There are a couple of clues that I still don’t understand, but I’m sure … Read more >>

Solving time: 6 minutes for most of the puzzle and the same again on 19dn. Paul is running the London Marathon tomorrow in support of the deafblind charity Sense. There’s more information at … Read more >>

A very enjoyable and typically witty puzzle from Paul, based around his participation in the London Marathon this weekend. Key: * = anagram dd = double definition < = reverse Across 1. POTASSIUM … Read more >>