Independent

An  excellent themed puzzle from Merlin,  quite hard, solving time 38 mins. * = anagram  <  = reversed ACROSS 1 CUD DIE     A horse, like many of the across answers 4 C (dUCK) … Read more >>

Well, well! I wonder how familiar Raich will be to Independent-solving Fifteensquareders 😉 I’ve tackled a few barred crosswords by Raich, including an Inquisitor that earned me a nice bottle of champagne, but … Read more >>

Mostly quite manageable I think, my one stumbling block here was 1ac, which defeated me event with all the checking letters in place. Given what day it is, I had a brief look … Read more >>

A very Happy New Year to one and all. This crossword though was all about Christmas rather than New Year. The combined entry at 2d-7d-5a was taken from Clement C Moore’s poem ‘A … Read more >>

There were 364 puzzles (every day except Christmas Day) in the Indy (including IoS) in 2009.      23 setters appeared.    The policy of using themes, Ninas, continued, maybe even intensified. Nmsindy … Read more >>

A clever New Year’s Eve puzzle by Nimrod.    Nmsindy solved the clues in 39 mins, then spent another 30 mins trying to puzzle out the unclued ones before surrendering and going to the … Read more >>

I found this a mixture of extremely easy clues and some quite tricky ones, solving time, 22 mins.    A seasonal touch when 1 down and 11 down are looked at together. * = … Read more >>

A lovely way to round off my 2009 blogging. Dac’s puzzles are always a pleasure, never a chore. Long may he continue. Thanks from me to Eimi and the rest of the hugely … Read more >>

How lucky I am. Yesterday’s Anax took me absolutely ages, and that was with a paper copy in front of me, which always makes it a little easier. Preparing to do this online … Read more >>

Very difficult puzzle, solving time 70 mins.    Some excellent clues, some very intricate wordplay and a seasonal theme. * = anagram  < = reversed ACROSS 1 TWO-STAR    (owt)<    Star guiding to BETHLEHEM (7 … Read more >>

This was surprisingly easy for a Prize Puzzle, especially as I was half-expecting a Christmas special, and Phi can produce some tough nuts when he wants to. But that’s not to say it … Read more >>

Something of a seasonal treat for us today – a special, thematic Thursday Phi. Wordplay in many of the clues leaves us a letter short. The collected missing letters can be rearranged to … Read more >>

Puzzle with many seasonal references, solving time, 21 mins. * = anagram   < = reversed ACROSS 1  STABLE    Double definition, ref Nativity 4 HAMPER   Double definition 10 DRA (PER) Y     rep< 11 EM … Read more >>

A puzzle which I found a mixture of very easy and quite difficult clues, solving time 30 mins.   Great stuff as always from Dac. * = anagram  < = reversed ACROSS 1 RESIGNED     … Read more >>

I had a quick look at this online late last night and managed to solve a few clues on a first read-through, so I didn’t think it would be too much trouble when … Read more >>