Independent

Very much a puzzle of 2 halves for me, specifically a pretty easy top half and a much, much harder bottom half. Nevertheless, fantastic clues as always from Dac, 24A being my pick … Read more >>

A nice crossword from Tees. Having solved 7ac and 9ac first and had a good idea about 20/23ac I feared a football-related crossword. Mercifully, apart from one or two answers, apparently no. Perhaps … Read more >>

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, CD=cryptic def, DD=double def, sp=spoonerism I found this fairly straightforward apart from the two down the right-hand edge, neither of which I fully understand. There were a few arty … Read more >>

I don’t tend to time these things, but this can’t have taken more than a few minutes. Definitely at the easier end of the Phi spectrum, but no less entertaining for that, with … Read more >>

As I don’t solve the Independent blocked crossword on a regular basis, Tyrus is a new name to me.  A bit of research on Fifteensquared however shows that he is also Lato, a … Read more >>

Don’t think I’ve had to blog an Anax before, but I’ve been a fan of his puzzles since his arrival on the Indy scene round about this time last year. This kept up … Read more >>

Another gentle puzzle that was well suited to a pub-based solve.  Didn’t know ‘shooting brake’ but the anagram was clear enough and didn’t suggest anything else. Always nice to learn something from a … Read more >>

Sorry about the slight lateness of this — had a doctor’s appointment in the middle of it all. Needless to say it was half an hour late. The usual excellence from Dac, sound … Read more >>

What turned out to be a very easy puzzle from the master, I’d all but two solved in just 11 mins, but the last two 30A and 18D took me another 5 mins, … Read more >>

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, CD=cryptic def, DD=double def, sp=spoonerism I don’t know if this is a new setter or someone like Tees dressed up. In any case, I found it very difficult. With … Read more >>

A very nice way to round off the working week as always from Phi. The clueing is very tight here and I found this tougher than usual. Got there in the end, though … Read more >>

Another first Saturday of the month slot for Nestor, and another non-Nina puzzle as far as I can see (Unless Nestor is now sponsored by “Savalab”) Across 1 SHOULDER PADS SHOULD (are obliged … Read more >>

A pleasant (but long — 35 clues) solve today from Merlin, although as is usual one or two seem a bit odd. The grid is very strange, in that there is a word … Read more >>

An unusually easy outing this week, finished in something like 15 minutes, which is about as quick as we get. ACROSS 6. BLOODSTONE (old bones)* around ‘to’ 9. R AID 10. PA ELLA … Read more >>

I thought this had everything you could ask for in a puzzle at the easier end of the Indy spectrum.  Flawless clues, excellent surface readings, easier wordplay for the less familiar answers.   Solving … Read more >>