Independent

A quickish and crossword and a quickish blog as I have to get back to finish some work! Not absolutely sure about 15 across so if anyone’s got a better answer or explanation … Read more >>

Another amazing themed puzzle by this masterly setter.   Every across answer contains two successive Os – except for the first and last, which contain another flourish – in the top one the clue … Read more >>

A fairly straightforward puzzle with generally good word play and some nice surface readings. I made a couple of silly errors in writing in answers which held me up on the last two … Read more >>

Harder than usual for Phi – especially because of the title above. Solving time: 34 mins * = anagram ACROSS 1 CUT BOTH WAYS 7 PHI Hidden 12 J zEALOUS 17 MA CU … Read more >>

Solving time 13:40 Overseas or younger solvers will have struggled with this, but for fans of 50s/60s British comedy, it was a very good solve and full of nostalgia as you’ll see. There … Read more >>

It’s celebrated in the first clue. Some unfamiliar words made it a little harder than sometimes for me. Congrats to Quixote on reaching this landmark. If an anorak wishes to probe why the … Read more >>

After a long day at work documenting code I just wasn’t ready for a Nimrod puzzle. It finally defeated me a few minutes ago when I used TEA to check the last but … Read more >>

Quite a cavalier sort of solve with this one – a few clues filled in without completely understanding them, anagrams guess-timated rather than properly worked out – but luckily no mistakes. Would have … Read more >>

Done in a slightly distracted fashion as I was in a soft play centre for children with half an eye on a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old. Slick as ever from Virgilius without a … Read more >>

A, pleasant, excellently crafted, puzzle a little on the easy side of average for me. Solving time: 14 mins * =anagram ACROSS 5 MAGICIAN    GI in maniac*    Joe is US usage … Read more >>

Solving time 14:05 Punk is also Paul in the Guardian, where I sometimes think he takes the odd liberty too many. Not in this puzzle – I can find nothing to quibble about, … Read more >>

After yesterday’s super-difficult puzzle by Nestor,  a straightforward one to follow – such alternation is a good policy if it is intended. Solving time: 10 mins (compared with yesterday’s 71) * = anagram … Read more >>

Solving time: 15 mins * = anagram ACROSS 1 BACK Pleasing double definition 10 LIME (RICK) S 11 Don’t cast a CLOUT till May is out. Old proverb re clothes. Puzzle is first … Read more >>

Nestor (Kea to Listener solvers) is a very gifted setter. This was a very hard puzzle and I do have some doubts, set out below. I’ll edit to include any corrections received. (All … Read more >>

A puzzle of two halves for me today. About half of it went in very quickly indeed, then I stalled. Returning through the day whenever I had a few minutes I picked off … Read more >>