Independent

Independent 8748 / Anax

Tue October 28, 2014 at 12:57 pmTue October 28, 2014 at 8:08 am by Bertandjoyce

An ‘ancient Greek leader’ informed us that todays’s puzzle was very significant. It is Anax’s 100th Indy puzzle, the first appearing on July 9th 2009. It was blogged by beermagnet who was … Read more >>

Independent 8747 by Alchemi

Mon October 27, 2014 at 9:00 am by NealH

An enjoyable crossword with a nice mixture of clues, generally on the easy side. My only quibbles with with 3 and 17 Across 1. Setting forth out of the post office, then south, … Read more >>

Independent on Sunday 1,287 by Poins

Mon October 27, 2014 at 2:42 amSun October 26, 2014 at 11:39 am by Simon Harding

I think this is the fourth Sunday blog in a row that I’ve drawn Poins, or vice versa. No complaints from me there. As usual, this one seemed very smooth indeed, with everything … Read more >>

Independent Crossword 8740 by Anax (18-10-2014)

Sun October 26, 2014 at 8:31 pmSat October 25, 2014 at 12:01 am by twencelas

Another Saturday Anax – how devious will this one be clued? I would say definitely up to his usual high standard of subterfuge. The nice thing about an Anax puzzle is the answer … Read more >>

Independent 8745 / Phi

Fri March 8, 2019 at 8:48 amFri October 24, 2014 at 7:30 am by duncanshiell

As happens most Fridays in The Independent, the puzzle is set by Phi. There are a number of pairs of Christian names in this puzzle – all the four pairs … Read more >>

Independent 8,744 by Klingsor

Thu October 23, 2014 at 10:57 pmThu October 23, 2014 at 11:08 am by John

I always enjoy Klingsor’s crosswords. They provide quite a 26a but all is fair and amusing and one can always explain the clues afterwards: indeed, judging by the number of answers written down for me to look at and work out the parsing, the answers are often ahead of their explanation.

There may well be a Nina here but, surprise surprise, it’s quite lost on me. There looked as if there might possibly be a pangram, but some letters are missing. With these rather demanding crosswords I’m always so relieved to complete them that the final flourish is beyond me.

Definitions underlined.

Independent 8743 / Dac

Wed October 22, 2014 at 8:05 am by Bertandjoyce

Another great puzzle from Dac – as usual, smooth surfaces, a good range of types of wordplay, some crafty misdirections and only one word we had not come across before. What more can … Read more >>

Independent 8,742 / Scorpion

Tue October 21, 2014 at 12:48 pm by RatkojaRiku

Scorpion has the honour of occupying the Tuesday slot this week. The Tuesday puzzle often involves a theme or a Nina, I have spotted two potentials themes. Firstly, eight entries contain double letters … Read more >>

Independent 8741/Crosophile

Mon October 20, 2014 at 2:45 pmMon October 20, 2014 at 7:30 am by Pierre

Donk a month or two ago with a Monday crossword that wasn’t exactly on the easy side; Tyrus giving everyone a hard time in last week’s Monday puzzle; now Crosophile is getting in … Read more >>

Independent on Sunday 1286/Kairos

Sun October 19, 2014 at 12:01 am by Pierre

A second IoS Kairos in a row for me to blog. I bigged him up a bit last time. Twice running? It was certainly an enjoyable and well-constructed puzzle. My favourites this morning … Read more >>

Independent 8734 by Nimrod (Saturday Prize Puzzle 11 October 2014)

Sat October 18, 2014 at 12:01 am by mc_rapper67

A Nimrod-ean master class in cramming connected cryptic content in to a fifteen by fifteen grid – with just a hint of Cyclops-ean, or maybe Paul-esque, schoolboy smut, to generate a little heat … Read more >>

Independent 8,739 by Phi

Fri February 8, 2019 at 9:08 amFri October 17, 2014 at 10:10 am by John

Back to normality it seems: Phi has appeared for the last two Fridays.

There are two strange things about this typically pleasant crossword: the grid is strange and (yes I know he doesn’t always have them, but today surely he does) cries out that there is a Nina, but of course I can’t see it; and for the first time that I can remember Phi has departed from the Ximenean norm by having two answers (8dn and 13ac) with less than 50% checking. Not much less than 50% mind you, but still less.

Actually there is a third: Phi doesn’t so far as I can see have any recourse to an anagram in his clueing.

So come on Nina hunters, plenty of material there to work with.

I found this rather hard for a Phi, perhaps because there were no comparatively easy openers with anagrams. My excuse is the less than 50% checking on the two long answers, but that’s no good really.