Independent

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition. A good, solid puzzle, as one tends to expect from Phi – a setter for whom I have the greatest of admiration. I didn’t find … Read more >>

In terms of time taken to solve, I found this the hardest of the year so far, 75 mins.   There’s also a Nina which I refer to after the clue explanations * = … Read more >>

I found this a very fast solve indeed, solving time, 11 mins * = anagram  < = reversed ACROSS 1 V 1 CAR 4 MOT IF (Kipling) 7 CONVENIENCE FOOD  (Innocence of dove)* … Read more >>

Is it just me, or is Dac becoming a bit harder? No objections though: as usual everything made pretty good sense once I’d got there. Across 1 POM ACE 4 SQUATTER — 2 … Read more >>

Always good to get the chance to blog a Morph puzzle. You can be fairly sure there’ll be a good selection of cheeky, inventive clues and a decent challenge along the way. And … Read more >>

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone A Groundhog Day themed puzzle, although the joke of having the phrase appear three times owed more to the Bill Murray film than the weather forecasting event. I think … Read more >>

A very quick solve for me on this one, but equally a very enjoyable one. I’ve been trying my hand at writing a few puzzles of my own of late and there’s so … Read more >>

A very enjoyable puzzle which I found pretty tough in places. I doubt I would have got 10 at all without Google and I’m still not sure about 4. Good fun though – … Read more >>

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition. Another Nimrod which I found to be heavy going. Perhaps if I were at liberty to spend a lazy afternoon lingering over Nimrod’s puzzles I … Read more >>

I found this fairly easy, with the two 15-letters entries solved straightaway. Solving time, 15 mins. * = anagram ACROSS 1 LES SON 4 MAR ROW 9 STABLEMATE Cryptic definition 10 CAM P … Read more >>

A mixture of some very easy and some very difficult clues, I found. Solving time, 24 mins * = anagram   < = reversed ACROSS 1 C (cold) OAT (I) S oats = porridge … Read more >>

The usual nice Virgilius today, but I sense that some of it is passing me by. There was a sinking feeling as I stared at it, quite sure that the usual devilish Virgilius … Read more >>

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone An enjoyable puzzle that didn’t require vast amounts of general knowledge. There were some excellent surface definitions that appeared utterly bewildering at first glance (particularly 21 down). Across 9 … Read more >>

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition. Apologies if this is a bit later than is customary – I’m just here as emergency cover today. There was a certain amount of brain-racking … Read more >>

I found this very difficult, solving time 46 mins. Thought this was maybe to accommodate a Nina, but so far , despite WAYNE being in the bottom row, all I can see is … Read more >>