Independent

This seemed like a harder crossword than a standard Dac. Looking back I can’t quite see why though although three words being new to me slowed me down (1ac, 27ac, 20d) Across 1 … Read more >>

Thematically, there seems to be quite a bit going on in this puzzle. We have horses/ponies (1A, 10A, part of 14A, 17A, 21A and part of 26A, along with a reference to a … Read more >>

This had a theme, but I proved you did not need to know it to solve the puzzle, because I tumbled to it only when verifying for this blog having filled the grid … Read more >>

A bit more challenging than the usual Phi, but not as satisfying. A lot of tenuous clueing in place of the usual witty word play. Across 1 BORSCHT TH(C+S)ROB<. Fairly tenuous with ‘c’ … Read more >>

Absolutely brilliant puzzle from Nestor and very possibly the hardest blocked puzzle I’ve solved in recent memory (and there have been some tough Times puzzles over the last couple of weeks). To be … Read more >>

Solving time: 19 mins * = anagram ACROSS 1 T(RAJ)AN     A Roman Emperor       Raj = British rule in India 4 OBSERVER   A competing Sunday newspaper 9 COT    … Read more >>

A puzzle timed for the 30th anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley, who to this blogger remains the King – for his earlier music and films especially. There were 7 lines of … Read more >>

Solving time: 16 mins < = reversed   * = anagram ACROSS 1 Tom SHARPE  “Sharp” 4 B (LACK S) E A   be = live   on the borders = outside 9 RISQUE … Read more >>

A very  pleasing puzzle, which I found quite easy. Solving time: 22 mins * =  anagram < = reverse ACROSS 9 OVERT RUMP    Ruff (a term from the card game bridge, I … Read more >>

Across 9 (+M)OBS,TER(-M) – an “obsolete expression” would be an OBS TERM. Move the back (M) to the front to get MOBSTER. 10 TO(Y for P)SHOP – I initally thought the fashion retailer … Read more >>

Tough: Solving time: 34 mins * = anag < = reversed ACROSS 1 DE (BRIe) EF   Feed< 5 POL(IT)ICe 9 FR (l)ITTERED Excellent 10 Oliver TWIST Ditto 12 BOS (TO)NIAN 25 LEV (IATH) … Read more >>

Across 1 PIP in BLOWE(r) 5 TOLD,DO – not a phrase I’d ever come across before but not a tricky one to get from the wordplay. 9 (TELE(-v)ISED)* 10 SILVER – SLIVER with … Read more >>

The usual excellent offering by Quixote. Solving time: 20 mins * = anagram < = reversed ACROSS 1 COUSCOUS Cousin “less in” “repeatedly” “On account of” seems to be a link, which is … Read more >>

I managed most of this pretty quickly but there were two answers (10A and 3D) that I filled in because I don’t like leaving blank spaces and these were the only words I … Read more >>

Across 1 A,CAN in VT 9 TO,FORE in LA (all reversed) – the much-mocked national carrier AEROFLOT. Excellent clue with a great surface. 11 TRADE,SCANT,AI< – last one in. I saw TRADE (for … Read more >>