I’m afraid I didn’t enjoy this very much. It was incredibly difficult; I used electronic aids quite freely once I became stuck, and some of the clues seemed rather clunky and impenetrable, but that’s probably just my incompetence. No doubt in due course all will be explained. (On the other hand one or two I thought were very good.)
Observer
Azed No. 2,733 Plain – Competition Puzzle
A reasonably straightforward crossword from Azed today (straightforward that is if you can handle the weird words, something you should be able to do if you have a copy of Chambers to hand).
Azed No. 2,732 – Plain
A 13 x 11 grid this week.
Everyman 4,071 by Everyman
The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/everyman/4071.
Everyman 4,070 by Everyman
Everyman blog time again – dog walked, pub located, beer & dog biscuits being consumed so here goes.
Azed 2731
Azed provides us with a plain puzzle this week. Azed seems to have been scouring the dictionary for alternative spellings this week. I counted six entries that were not … Read more >>
Azed No. 2,730 Plain
Apart from a couple of clues, an uncommonly gentle offering from Azed this week.
Everyman 4,069/13 October
Another pleasing puzzle from Everyman this week. Abbreviations cd cryptic definition dd double definition cad clue as definition (xxxx)* anagram anagrind = anagram indicator [x] letter(s) removed definitions are underlined Across 1 … Read more >>
Azed No. 2,729 ‘Give & Take’ – Competition Puzzle
A puzzle that requires some “giving” and “taking”.
Everyman 4,068 by Everyman
What is now the usual Everyman, with a few tricky clues, but everything sound so far as I could see. Rather too many CDs for my liking. The rhyming pair is highlighted, as are the first letters clue and the self-referential clue.
Definitions in crimson, underlined. Indicators (homophones, hidden, anagram, etc) in italics. Anagrams indicated *(like this) or (like this)*. Link-words in green.
What is now the usual Everyman, with a few tricky clues, but everything sound so far as I could see. Rather too many CDs for my liking. The rhyming pair is highlighted, as are the first letters clue and the self-referential clue.
Definitions in crimson, underlined. Indicators (homophones, hidden, anagram, etc) in italics. Anagrams indicated *(like this) or (like this)*. Link-words in green.
Azed 2,729 – placeholder
The blog for Azed 2,729 (“Give and Take)” will now appear a week later than normal (October 20) due to the following announcement that is due to appear in the Observer on Sunday, … Read more >>
Everyman 4,067 by Everyman
The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/everyman/4067.
Azed 2728
Recently I’ve been solving Azeds quite quickly; on this one, however, I made rather a slow start, but once I’d got a few answers in the rest came reasonably smoothly. Thanks to Azed. … Read more >>
Azed No. 2,727 – Plain
A medium-difficulty Azed plain. I was a bit surprised to see two homophone clues: these always excite comment from people whose regional accents don’t make them obvious and Azed has in the past expressed misgivings about using such clues, for just this reason. In my case although I don’t have a regional accent one of them I pronounce differently from what is intended. But never mind; I won’t (like some) make an issue of it: it’s quite obvious what is intended.
Definitions in crimson, underlined. Anagram indicators in italics.
Everyman 4,066 by Everyman
Sunday, so time to take Jenny the dog for a walk in the woods and swim in the sea & then retire to the pub for gravy bones for her, beers plural and the Everyman for me.