The puzzle may be found at http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/everyman/3549.
Independent on Sunday 1286/Kairos
A second IoS Kairos in a row for me to blog. I bigged him up a bit last time. Twice running? It was certainly an enjoyable and well-constructed puzzle. My favourites this morning … Read more >>
Independent 8734 by Nimrod (Saturday Prize Puzzle 11 October 2014)
A Nimrod-ean master class in cramming connected cryptic content in to a fifteen by fifteen grid – with just a hint of Cyclops-ean, or maybe Paul-esque, schoolboy smut, to generate a little heat … Read more >>
Guardian Prize 26,388 / Imogen
I’ve enjoyed Imogen’s puzzles since they’ve appeared monthly since February and so I was pleased to get this one to blog. I have been keeping a weather eye on Michael Curl’s [Orlando’s] ‘Best … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations 1142 Opening Shot by Chalicea
So the perimter contains the opening shot of a pamphleteer though it has been changed from the Oxford dictinary of quotations. This leads to the removal of words from 15 solutions indicating the … Read more >>
Financial Times 14,755 / Redshank
I found this rather tricky in places but got there in the end. There were a few ‘entry’ clues that could be written in quickly but the majority required some thought, particularly for … Read more >>
Independent 8,739 by Phi
Back to normality it seems: Phi has appeared for the last two Fridays.
There are two strange things about this typically pleasant crossword: the grid is strange and (yes I know he doesn’t always have them, but today surely he does) cries out that there is a Nina, but of course I can’t see it; and for the first time that I can remember Phi has departed from the Ximenean norm by having two answers (8dn and 13ac) with less than 50% checking. Not much less than 50% mind you, but still less.
Actually there is a third: Phi doesn’t so far as I can see have any recourse to an anagram in his clueing.
So come on Nina hunters, plenty of material there to work with.
I found this rather hard for a Phi, perhaps because there were no comparatively easy openers with anagrams. My excuse is the less than 50% checking on the two long answers, but that’s no good really.
Guardian 26,393 by Crucible
The puzzle may be found at http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/26393.
Guardian 26,392 / Brummie
An enjoyable puzzle from Brummie this morning, with a variety of clue types and a variety of general knowledge needed. I got off to a quick start in the top left corner, then … Read more >>
Financial Times no.14,754 by Peto
A puzzle easy enough to be completed in half an hour on a rainy Thursday morning by a man with a hangover – which is lucky, because that was exactly what I needed.
Independent 8738 / Monk
It’s over a year since we last blogged a Monk puzzle, and this was worth waiting for! A tricky solve with two words we hadn’t come across before, but great surfaces and a … Read more >>
Financial Times 14,745 – Dante
Monday Prize Crossword/Oct 6 With Dante one knows what to expect but while most of the solutions went in smoothly, a few others made me decide that this puzzle was a bit of … Read more >>
Financial Times 14,744 by Mudd
Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of October 4, 2014 This Mudd has a few outstanding clues but also one that I am not too happy with. Top of the heap must be … Read more >>
Financial Times 14,753 by AARDVARK
A tricky puzzle from Aardvark, and very enjoyable (for those who like a tussle).
Independent 8,737 / Dac
It’s Wednesday, so unsurprisingly Dac-day today, and we have a set of Dac’s customary well-honed clues with smooth surfaces. Overall, I found this to be a medium-difficulty puzzle, which I plugged away at … Read more >>