Private Eye/Cyclops

An enjoyable solve.  Although more than half fell in the first pass, the rest needed deconstruction of some interesting wordplay. Solving and blogging this took place at a time when there was a … Read more >>

With apologies to anyone who struggled, I thought this was a remarkably straightforward puzzles — a quick solve on a train. I don’t have much to say about it — entertaining and clever … Read more >>

If I say I only had 5 to go after the “first pass” (all clues attempted) that will make it seem it was a easy Eye crossword or else I was on fire. … Read more >>

With many apologies for lateness. Events conspired against me when it came to finding time to write this blog, though the puzzle itself was a relatively straightforward solve. I do hope you will … Read more >>

It may have passed you by, but the Olympics is on at the moment in London, and Cyclops chose to draw attention to it by including a couple of well-known Olympic mottoes in … Read more >>

I didn’t have too many problems with most of this, but had difficulty working out the wordplay in 4d, for which I had written STRIPED without really thinking about it. A few LOL … Read more >>

Back to a slightly tougher crossword this time.  At least that’s how I found it, both to get started and to find those last pesky couple of answers. I’ll admit after getting started, … Read more >>

A Cyclops of average difficulty this week (seems like I always say that!), with nothing that held me up for long. I will go for 9d as my fave clue, for its complete … Read more >>

There was no obvious Jubilee theme from Cyclops – I assume he compiled it whilst wearing his union jack bowtie. Solving initially seemed a little slow, but once a few answers delivered some … Read more >>

An entertaining Cyclops puzzle this fortnight, with some clever wordplay. I think the very first clue, 8a, has to be my favourite. Across 8 UNDERDOG Don’t spy on park shaggers enough to be … Read more >>

Seemed to me Cyclops was making a particular theme of solitary sexual gratification this week. No? Just me then. I expect he didn’t really mean to milk it. You have to be to … Read more >>

First, further apologies — I promised to post this, already late, yesterday, but didn’t get home to my office (where this almost finished blog was waiting for me) until late. This was a pretty … Read more >>

This crossword was unusual in two respects. It had a large number of clues: This grid design gives 32 lights and only one clue involved two lights, whereas Cyclops often creates longer answers … Read more >>

The usual fun from Cyclops, who has managed as ever to work all sorts of salacious references into wordplay for simple and innocent words. Clue of the fortnight, though, has to be 17a, … Read more >>

How many tabloid editors or execs will end up in “Stalag Leveson”? Expectations are being laid by the number of people that have been arrested by Operations Weeting and Elveden, but preparations are … Read more >>