Independent

Tees has provided our mid-week cruciverbal entertainment this week. I found this one quite challenging from the point of view of vocabulary, with the entries at 1A, 1D, 4 and 15 all being … Read more >>

It’s a Tuesday so there is going to be some sort of theme.  As it’s a Serpent puzzle it is likely to be a challenging solve as well.       Serpent certainly … Read more >>

I've not come across Harold before and I found this a strange mixture of very easy clues and clues that I really struggled with. 3D was one of those annoying CD type clues … Read more >>

I’m having more interaction with Tees than I am with my own children these days. Once again one of his puzzles arrives on my watch, which is no great hardship for me – … Read more >>

Grey skies and precipitation – must be June. A tussle with Nimrod beckons. If the setter’s name wasn’t enough to switch on the locked down grey cells, there are  lots of clues referring … Read more >>

We are now in the 12th week of lockdown and are losing track of time. However, we have a Phi puzzle today so it must be Friday. Thanks Phi for keeping our brains … Read more >>

Loglady has set today’s puzzle, which I found rather challenging, perhaps because I am not yet that familiar with Loglady’s crosswords. I think that I have managed to solve the puzzle correctly, but … Read more >>

I always look forward to blogging an Eccles crossword.       Eccles clues are frequently written so smoothly that it takes a little while to separate the definition from the wordplay.  Good … Read more >>

My apologies for the lateness of this blog. So far as I remember it’s the first time in years of blogging that this has happened — I completely forgot. No excuses, but — … Read more >>

Hypnos is a long-standing, regular but comparatively infrequent setter for the Independent and the Independent on Sunday. I found this to be a puzzle that fell steadily, with a few clues that took … Read more >>

Thanks to Tees (looks like he’s become a regular IOS setter). Definitions are underlined in the clues. Across 1 Fresh NHS to be mauled further? Do this and feel better (7,2) FRESHEN UP … Read more >>

Phi is occupying his customary Friday slot this week. I found this to be a medium-difficulty puzzle and made steady progress through it. The grid had space for more than the usual number … Read more >>

Klingsor is a fairly regular setter of Indie puzzles who often includes musical allusions in the clues.       We were straight into music with the operatic allusions and entry at 1 … Read more >>

With Dac we became used to Wednesdays being a fairly gentle day, and the gentleness continued after his death. Eimi evidently wants to call a halt to this, not for the first time … Read more >>