Independent

I had a feeling this might turn out to be pangrammatic when answers like 14,17a and 4 went in. I found this a bit tougher than usual for Phi and had to “reveal” … Read more >>

Usual excellent puzzle from Monk with inventive treatments – solving time 27 mins. * = anagram < = reversal ACROSS 1 UNNATURAL (U-turn Alan)* This was clever because you were not sure which … Read more >>

Some less familiar words this week, solving time, 25 mins * = anagram < = reversed ACROSS 1 TA R (AD) IDDLE 9 S (L) INGER This was my last – I thought … Read more >>

Fairly easy today, I thought. No major stumbling blocks, but some very nice clues as always from Dac. Across 1 SOAP DISH – ‘One with role of bar keeper’ is a nice definition … Read more >>

The usual tough but excellent puzzle from Punk. At one stage I thought I would never get going and would have to admit defeat, but eventually all was well. Across 1 COSTIVE – … Read more >>

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed Very tough puzzle today from Hypnos. Across 5 Leaflet: I think it’s a soundalike of Leif + Lett. 7 Stir Fry: Stir + fry. 9 Leonardo da Vinci: (on DVD … Read more >>

An unusually easy Phi today, it seemed, apart from one or two that I can’t explain properly. Rather more full anagrams than one might expect. Across 7 FORE N SIC – ‘for courts’ … Read more >>

I found this very easy but very enjoyable, as always from Nestor. Across 1 (BANAL MINUTIAE N)* – UNMAINTAINABLE. Had to UNsomethingABLE really. 11 RE,CU in SQUAT 12 A RANT in TELL,A 17 … Read more >>

A bit of a mixed bag this: very tough in places, very easy elsewhere. Still don’t understand 10, 11 and 19 though. Across 1 ERA,SPOT< in TRICES – TRICERATOPSES. I found this very … Read more >>

I found this quite easy, solving time 14 mins. * = anagram < = reversed ACROSS 8 AT HEIST 9 EP I ZO (Oz<) A Oz = country down under (Australia) 10 OILC … Read more >>

The usual, excellent, well-crafted, puzzle from Dac with good variety of treatments. Solving time, fast for me, 17 mins. * = anagram < = reversed ACROSS 1 SLIGHT Double definition 5 S (EAR) … Read more >>

A nice games-themed puzzle today. A number of references in clues and I spotted at least ten in answers scattered throughout the grid. Across 1 BOWLS – B,OWLS 4 TIC TAC TOE – … Read more >>

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed Eimi crosswords tend to send me scurrying for the reference books and there were quite a few words in this that were new to me (13 across being particularly obscure, … Read more >>

Apologies – I wrote this up last week and then forgot to publish it. Across 9 (CULT AWARE)* – CATERWAUL. I liked “heated call” as the definition. 11 (ON ISLAM)* – OSMANLI 12/15 … Read more >>

Each of the Indy setters has their own distinctive talent – with Phi it’s immaculately constructed clues that I always find I can understand. This was a typical example, where I was able … Read more >>