Independent

A typical Dac, full of elegant and tidy clues. I found most of it easier than usual, until I came up against 6dn. Across 1 PATCHES UP — Pa (the cups)* 6 CIVIC … Read more >>

What a relief. When no crossword appeared on Monday, I wondered if the Indy had quietly dropped it, but when I rang them they admitted their error. To do them justice, they did … Read more >>

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed I don’t know if the Indy has dropped the cryptic crossword altogether from its published edition but, despite annoying other passengers on the train by noisily going through my paper … Read more >>

I found this much tougher than most Phi puzzles and two clues (18 and 22) had me completely stumped as the wordplay in each of them led to an answer that didn’t really … Read more >>

I enjoyed this one a great deal. I had the grid filled in reasonably quickly but then had to go over half a dozen or so clues where I’d filled in the answer … Read more >>

Pleasing puzzle from this imaginative setter which I found on the easy side, but made one mistake – thank’s for explaining it below, Geoff. * = anagram 1 SMELLING SALTS Tip-top double definition … Read more >>

Note that in (another) relaunch, the crossword has moved back towards the end of the main paper p. 101 of 104 in my edition. Solving time, 17 mins. * = anagram < = … Read more >>

Great stuff as ever from Dac. Lots of nice clues with great surface readings, and all of them fair. Across 1 REBUSES – RE,BUSES – Easy enough, but as neat a surface reading … Read more >>

I have only recently become aware of Radian, which suggests that he hasn’t been around for long. But with this crossword I had no feeling that he was in any way a novice: … Read more >>

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed A neat, not too difficult puzzle by Math with some good surface meanings. The borders of the grid were formed by 4 fifteen letter anagrams, which is quite an impressive … Read more >>

The usual excellence from Phi. I suspect there’s a Nina that I can’t see, since 8dn is only mentioned in two clues, and if that’s all there is then it seems a bit … Read more >>

Entertaining and very-tough-in-places puzzle from Nimrod. There’s a nicely-worked theme and Nina too. In the middle of the grid is SEPARATES and SORTS and elsewhere we have THE MEN and THE BOYS. Also, … Read more >>

Extremely difficult and I failed with it, guessing two answers at the end which turned out to be wrong.   There are a few others I do not understand either.    As a late stand-in, … Read more >>

I’m supposed to be blogging today but it doesn’t look like I’m going to get the opportunity. If one of the other bloggers can step in for me I would be very grateful. … Read more >>

Solving time, 17 mins. * = anagram < = reversed ACROSS 1 TAROT CARDS (Trad actors)* 8 S (TICK) UM New word to me that I worked out from the clear wordplay – … Read more >>