Independent

Not the usual Phi on Friday, so something special. You’ll have to wait to find out what. I enjoyed this, some nice clues, although some might object that more than a third of … Read more >>

Have we overslept by 24 hours? Phi on a Thursday? It’s been a strange week for us, with a hospital visit, a visit to the hairdresser for both of us and the first … Read more >>

Tees has provided his latest puzzle for our mid-week entertainment. I found this to be an enjoyable medium-difficulty puzzle and one whose solution revealed itself to me gradually: at no point did I … Read more >>

Skinny provides the Tuesday challenge.       Ah! I thought; this grid will have a message round the outside.  Wrong! There was a theme though which I spotted towards the end of … Read more >>

Another very witty puzzle from Bluth, who first appeared as an Independent setter a few months ago and seems to have settled in as a regular contributor. The clues range from fairly easy … Read more >>

Tees has become a regular IoS setter recently. I found this more tricky than many a Tees puzzle, but that could just have been me being a bit mentally sluggish this morning.   … Read more >>

It’s the end of another week and once again it’s Phi-Day. It’s always a pleasure to blog a Phi puzzle as even when you think you have finished you are still looking for … Read more >>

Knut has set today’s cruciverbal challenge. It is some time since it last fell to me to blog one of his puzzles. One is tempted to think that there may have been a … Read more >>

I always enjoy blogging an Eccles puzzle.       This was good fun with lots of smooth clues as always.  My favourite was the one for ENTERITIS at 3 down where the … Read more >>

Very hard work today. Kairos has produced a sound enough crossword so far as I can see, but I have to admit that I didn’t really enjoy it much, probably my fault because … Read more >>

A gentle Monday cryptic. I had a couple of quibbles, which I've detailed in the blog. There were a few old chestnuts like orchestra but also some good surface readings. 9 has to … Read more >>

Another Sunday Teeser.  Thanks to Tees.  Definitions are underlined in the clues. Across 1 Bloomer from servant in base with Poles touring States (5-4,5) BLACK-EYED SUSAN :  LACKEY(a servant) contained in(in) BED(base/bottom, such … Read more >>

We solved the last Tyrus at the end of May which we said was ‘a pleasant solve’. We wish that we could have said the same again today. Our least favourite was 18ac … Read more >>

Phi has rounded off yet another suite of mid-week puzzles, as one might expect. This puzzle uses a less common grid that allows for a lot of variety in terms of word length … Read more >>