Independent

A couple of words where I felt no hint of guilt in using the aids: HAEREMAI (obviously familiar to Phi but not perhaps to people outside New Zealand) and MEERSCHAUM, and one more … Read more >>

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition. This week’s answers seemed to go in fairly steadily, albeit with a certain amount of "research" needed to shed light on some of the more … Read more >>

I found this one a pretty tough challenge, but was very pleased to get there in the end after a slow start. There are some really nice clueing devices here, though a few … Read more >>

I found this much harder than usual from Quixote, with some less familiar words, solving time, 29 mins. * = anagram < = reversed ACROSS 1 F (REE P) ORT peer< 5 BLISS … Read more >>

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition. A bit of a hurried solve from me this week, I'm afraid, and I would have liked a bit more time to enjoy this. Across … Read more >>

Themed puzzle on the six counties of Northern Ireland which all appear in the grid.     This made it fairly easy once theme was spotted, solving time, 19 mins.  Enjoyable puzzle. * = anagram   … Read more >>

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, CD=cryptic def, DD=double def, sp=spoonerism An extremely enjoyable offering with a high proportion of spoonerisms. I was held up a bit by being convinced that 1 across must be … Read more >>

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition. Perhaps a slight sense of bitterness that this one was not finishable for those of us with no interest in Tolkien, but apart from that … Read more >>

Another super offering from Anax.  Though I think I have seen stiffer challenges from him in the past, this was most enjoyable with a fine mix of well-formed clues.  Two or three I … Read more >>

This was very hard, with only one clue solved on first run through.   When I began to make progress, it became a little easier, and I got there in the end.   Solving time, … Read more >>

Solving time, 21 mins * = anagram ACROSS 1 PANTOGRAPH (Hang pop art)* 9 MAY O 10 MALIGN (a gremlin)* less re 11 LIGHT (P) EN 12 BENE (been)* F ACTRESSES 14 SLIDER … Read more >>

A nice and quick solve for me on this one, which then gave me some time to go back over it and marvel at just how good a setter Dac is. Wonderful stuff … Read more >>

Virgilius’s theme is tricky alternatives, as we see in the three different expressions in the across clues.  As always I suspect I’m not telling the whole story. Across 9 A GREE{n} 12 yellowstonE nationaL … Read more >>

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, CD=cryptic def, DD=double def I can only recall seeing one Quaiteaux puzzle before, so a fairly infrequent contributor. This was mostly fairly straightforward with some nice CDs. There were … Read more >>

Unusual one, this. When I saw the small number of cells around the perimeter and the unusual grid (with 360 degree symmetry, I think), I thought ‘Nina’, but the only one I can … Read more >>