Independent

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 >>

Another very entertaining puzzle from Virgilius. No theme that I could see, unless it’s very subtle or I’m very slow today. Either is equally possible. Across 1 SECOND INCOM(e),MAN,D 9 (GOOD LINER)* – … Read more >>

I felt slightly short-changed by this puzzle but that’s probably just because of the grid! Hardly seemed worth going for the full 15×15 with only 3 white squares in the left and right … Read more >>

This seemed like a harder-than-usual effort from Phi, although no less entertaining for that. It got me wondering about the Saturday slot of the Indie puzzle though: does a setter who usually sets … Read more >>

A satisfying and well-worked crossword although there are a couple I’m looking for further explanation on. Very unusually for me I spotted a nina in the unchecked letters on the middle column and … Read more >>

A little trickier this week, with some elaborate wordplay. Solving time: 30 mins Quixote’s puzzles are very accessible. As they appear in a weekend edition with a week to work it out, they … Read more >>

The theme of this puzzle was football teams (indicated by “side” in definitions) or, more particularly, the names that appear as parts of names of teams. e.g. United, City, Athletic. However, there was … Read more >>

An entertaining challenge from Dac which had the right mix of clues to keep you on your toes. However, I do have one query and two small questions (19 and 21 across and … Read more >>

Another excellent themed puzzle by Virgilius – four colours with in many cases linked clues. Solving time: 16 mins * = anagram ACROSS 1 ROSE BUSH Very good 5 JAFFA First letters 10/11/12 … Read more >>

I thought this was tough in places but lots of fun, with the sort of pop culture theme we only see in the Independent crossword. Not sure about 8D though so suggestions welcome. … Read more >>