Independent

I struggled to get going with this, only solving one of the Across clues on my first pass. A few nice, long cryptic definitions eventually got the ball rolling and everything else then … Read more >>

I found this easier than usual for this setter but there are still a few bits and pieces that I don’t understand. Across 1 (STOUT MUSCULAR)* – interestingly, this could have been CUMULOSTRATUS … Read more >>

Solving time, 22 mins. * = anagram < = reversal ACROSS 5 A WARD’S Maybe not exclusively an urban district, but usually so. 7 SLE EVE (eve Els)< If golfer Ernie Els could … Read more >>

An excellent themed puzzle by Radian, timed, I expect, to coincide with Sebastian Faulks’ new James Bond book on the centenary of Ian Fleming’s birth, I think.    I got the theme almost instantly … Read more >>

What’s Dac doing on a Tuesday? Something’s afoot. Oh yes, today must be special – look at the outer unches – in which case many congratulations. A typical Dac, as usual excellent, but there were one … Read more >>

Solving time: 24 minutes A good stiff Bank Holiday mental workout. A very entertaining curate’s egg of a puzzle for me in that i really liked some clues, but one or two definitions … Read more >>

Across 6 MA,(HID)* – MAHDI (“Guided one”) was the prophesied redeemer of Islam. MA is the Internation Vehicle Registration (IVR) for Morocco. 9 (MESSY ST)* – SYSTEMS. 10 ANDOVER – DNA is “AND … Read more >>

Solving time: 22 minutes The usual high-calibre fare we have come to expect from Phi. Lots of clever clues and a smattering of new words. I was interested to see 3 down in … Read more >>

Quite easy, I found, solving time 13 mins. * = anagram ACROSS 5 STAIRCASE (car seat is)* 7 FINE R Sharpness of pencils 9 S (P) INNER Not a doctor in the medical … Read more >>

Great stuff once again from Math. After the recent music puzzles, I was half-expecting a theme here, especially with a grid with so many 3 letter words. I spotted the 27/5/11/20 anagram fairly … Read more >>

Dac’s typically good offering, but, unusually, one or two clues about which I am a bit doubtful. Across 1 CASABLANCA – ca s(ailing) a B (canal)* 6 SWOP – (POWS)rev. 9 LEGI(R)ON. I know … Read more >>

Across 1 PAL,(NIMROD)*,E – “sees” is an example of a PALINDROME. 9 ANT,AR(C)TIC,A – “artic” is short for articulated lorry. 12 CONSTITUTION – I know this is right because I checked it using … Read more >>

Enjoyable puzzle, that I found easier than usual, solving time 15 mins. * = anagram < = reversed ACROSS 1 RUM PUS sup< 5 SABO TAG E (ASBO)* 9 FORTUNE COOKIE (I reckon … Read more >>

Across 11 TESTAMENTS – the definition is “more than one will” and I think the wordplay is suggesting moving the TE from STATEMENTS to the front. 12 TARS,US 14 GIN< in THE,NO (also … Read more >>

A fairly straightforward puzzle by Phi, I found – solving time, 16 mins * = anagram < = reversed 1 SHOPPING LIST A second meaning for each of the words. 9 O SA … Read more >>