Independent

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, CD=cryptic def, DD=double def, sp=spoonerism A moderately challenging puzzle by Hypnos. There were no real stand-out clues for me but everything was well constructed. One or two of the … Read more >>

Good stuff as ever from Phi, and we have a pangram to boot. I was frustratingly defeated by the final two clues though! Across 7 BELLOC – (Alexander Graham) BELL + CO> rev. … Read more >>

Cursory research suggests Yorick to be a new setter for us to lock horns with, though I say that with some caution as we’ve seen familiar setters use unfamiliar pseudonyms in the past. … Read more >>

Whilst I used to be pretty well intimidated by Scorpion puzzles, these days I tend to enjoy them a great deal. This was the expected combination of a fairly stiff challenge and moments … Read more >>

Well, this will be appearing on Sloggers and Betters day, so we’re looking forward to putting faces to pseudonyms. Did this relatively quickly, apart from 1 down, which we didn’t figure out until … Read more >>

The usual excellent puzzle from Dac, quite easy to start but nmsindy’s unfamiliarity with films and dogs  slowed me up a bit at the end, solving time 23 mins. Many thanks to Ali … Read more >>

Well thank goodness for the cheat facility on the website. Without it I’d never have completed this: all the clues contain the name of some literary work, and often they are very clever, … Read more >>

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, CD=cryptic def, DD=double def, sp=spoonerism Just when you thought the politicking was all over, Eimi pops up with this themed puzzle to celebrate (if that’s the right word) the … Read more >>

A very throughly themed puzzle for us today, based around characters in the works of 5ac. My own knowledge here is deeply lacking, which was a significant obstacle, though a good number are … Read more >>

The last Bannsider puzzle I blogged had a theme based on the rock group Kasabian.   I’ve looked at diagonals and unches, and I can’t see any obvious theme in this puzzle, but I … Read more >>

Seems to have been a while since I blogged a Nimrod, but I always find his puzzles a good, fun challenge. I was glad of the mini Iron Man theme and some long … Read more >>

We completed this crossword in a most pleasant way – in bed with a cup of tea during a rare weekend at home, before a pub lunch.  Its gentle wit was much appreciated, … Read more >>

As usual, an immaculate little crossword from Dac, with elegant well-constructed clues. The explanation of one of the answers defeats me, but it will almost certainly be immediately made clear. (As I did … Read more >>

Another excellent puzzle from the master, as usual with a theme underlying it, I refer to this following the clue explanations.     Solving time, 28 mins, of which the last 8 were trying to … Read more >>

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, CD=cryptic def, DD=double def, sp=spoonerism A very good puzzle by Tees which didn’t give me too many problems. As ever with Tees, there was a sprinkling of cultural references, … Read more >>