Never knowingly undersolved
It’s been a while since it last fell to me to blog a puzzle by Donk, so I was looking forward to getting my teeth into this one. Overall, I think I found … Read more >>
I don’t think there is anything to frighten the horses in this standard crossword puzzle by Dac After last week’s challenging Tyrus I find myself in the calmer waters of … Read more >>
All very nice. Good clues and nothing that seems to me to be all that much of a problem (although see below for my discomfort over 8ac and 26ac). I enjoyed this and although it wasn’t perfectly simple — is it ever perfectly simple on a Tuesday? — everything was easily enough explained after the event.
* = anagram [] = removed A(mpere) = abbreviation I found this to be quite difficult, even though none of the clues individually seem particularly difficult. There were some quite off-centre word associations … Read more >>
An enjoyable puzzle that I found harder than usual for Poins. Thank you Poins.
Klingsor was excellent company on a train ride up to The North at the weekend. The grid seemed to fill up from right to left for me, at one point having one half … Read more >>
It’s Friday and so perfectly natural to find Phi’s latest crossword to tackle this morning. I have to start by saying that I haven’t managed to complete this puzzle to my satisfaction. I … Read more >>
Tyrus appears on average once a month. I first came across him when blogging Independent Saturday puzzles. I have always found his puzzles tending towards the harder end of the Independent spectrum.. I … Read more >>
Quixote’s monthly appearance as a sub for Dac and as usual not lowering the standard at all; everything elegantly and efficiently clued. I sped through this but spent twenty minutes on 12/14 before giving up. It’s a phrase I had never heard and I felt a bit guilty not knowing it as it’s probably quite well-known.
So, for me at any rate, the unusual word or phrase was there, a trademark of Quixote’s puzzles.
The 225 archive shows that this is only the sixth Quaiteaux Indy puzzle, and that is more than four years since this setter last appeared in the Indy – so long ago, in fact, that … Read more >>
I’m more used to solving and blogging Kairos in the Independent on Sunday, where he is usually gentle with us. Monday comes round … I found this hard, but that … Read more >>
Another enjoyable Sunday puzzle from Raich, and I’m not just saying that because I know he’ll be reading. Everything seemed to fall in very smoothly, with very few hold ups. I particularly appreciated … Read more >>
I was thankful when I saw a Nestor arrive for my turn blogging. Always a pleasure and there were some very nice surface readings in these clues I had 13 in after the “first … Read more >>
As usual, a Phi puzzle for Friday There are a few cartoon and fictional characters about – PLUTO, EASTER BUNNY, SANTA and XENA, but I don’t think they are enough to … Read more >>
A tour de force from Morph today: many of the clues have clever wordplay and cunningly-disguised definitions. I found it all on the hard side, but absolutely worth it. And Morph’s clues have become pleasantly pithy, something that at one time it was not always possible to say.